Twinhan AD-SP400 - video stutters, audio is fine (1 Viewer)

[Mercbac]

TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version: 1.0
MediaPortal Skin: Indigo
Windows Version: Vista Ultimate 32-bit SP1
CPU Type: Intel E6550
HDD: WD GP 500GB
Memory: 2GB DR2
Motherboard: Asus P5K-E
Video Card: 8600GT passive cooling
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card:
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: FloppyDTV S2
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card: Twinhan AD-SP-400
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver: 1.1.0.400
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec:
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
h.264 Video Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Silverstone GD01MXB
Cooling:
Power Supply: Corsair HX620
Remote: Logitech Harmony 885
TV:
TV - HTPC Connection:


After struggling for many months with unruly FloppyDTV-S2 tuners (keep disappearing from device manager), I thought I'd try a Twinhan AD-SP400. Which turned out to be just as impossible as the FloppyDTV-S2, just in different ways.
Driver version; only 1.1.0.400 works (both according to device manager as well as MP finding a signal). Any other driver either shows up in device manager with a "code 10 - device cannot be started", or it works according to device manager, but MP won't see a signal when doing a channel scan.
According to Windows, my tuner is actually a Terratec Cinergy S2, but the latest two drivers from their site result in the "code 10", just like the Skystar HD driver (heard that all these tuners are the same hardware).

So on I go with the driver version 1.1.0.400 and sure, I can even watch TV, just the video stutters. Every 2 or 3 seconds, the image freezes for maybe half a second, while the audio continues to play without any issue. During the video freeze, quite often a small (quarter screen width, few pixels high) horizontal line of green distortion is visible. I had a similar issue with my single remaining FloppyDTV-S2, and there I was able to solve it by setting the recording directory and (probably more importantly) timeshift buffer directory to my data partition, as opposed to the default Windows partition, although they're still on the same physical drive.

All my channels (Astra, Dutch Canal Digitaal) are now mapped to both these tuners, so when I connect my coax- cable, straight from the LNB, to my FloppyDTV, it works fine. When connected to the Twinhan (or whatever it is, the box didn't say), I get the issue I described above.

This means it's not a codec issue, because that would affect the performance of the FloppyDTV just as well; the only thing I do is stop TV Service, move the coax cable to the other tuner, restart TV service and watch the same channel.

Any ideas for what this might be would be much appreciated, since I know that there are people on these forums that are actually running the SP400 successfully in their MP systems. Logs for tswriter and MP are attached.

 

[Mercbac]

I should maybe add that the driver issue on my Twinhan (at least that's what the website called it) is not specific to my MediaPC. I tested it in another PC, after Kszabo suggested it might be a mainboard driver issue, and it behaves exactly identical there which would make me believe it's not really 100% the same hardware as the Cinergy S2 that Windows thinks it it.
My one failing FloppyDTV also shows up in Device Manager only sometimes, even when installed in other PCs, so that too is likely not an issue specific to my MediaPC. I have now written a small C# program to write a logfile entry every hour (running on my MediaPC with one remaining FloppyDTV and one Twinhan SP400), showing whether or not my FloppyDTV is still visible in Device Manager, and if that one gets up to 2 weeks of uninterrupted visibility, I will really dare say that my other FloppyDTV is defective (for the 2nd time then since I already had it exchanged under warranty once, so much for a reliable product...)

 

[HerrBert]

so i've done here

cause of similar Probs with freezing TV Display

 

[kszabo]

I am sorry that you have problems with your cards. As you narrowed down the problem there are 2 more possibilities which occur to my mind:

1. an another dvb-application blocks the TV-Card (deinstall DVBViewer, Quicksatfinder, NeroHome-or-how-is-it-called etc)
2. problem with your CAM module / CI-Slot (I do not use one and I do not have your problems; disconnect CAS and try to watch FTA channel; did you activate "TV-Card has CAM" in TV-Server configuration?)

keep on hoping! your HTPC will work in few years (I have other problems....)!

the only thing I do is stop TV Service, move the coax cable to the other tuner, restart TV service and watch the same channel.

don´t you have to move the CAM from your FloppyDTV CI-slot into the Twinhan's for dutch Canaal digital?

 

[Mercbac]

Hi Kszabo,
Great to have someone thinking along, trying to look for new angles.
1. The customized DVBViewer app from Digital Everywhere is installed (comes with their driver install), but it only sees the FloppyDTV, and it's not on autorun, however, I can try to see if it can be uninstalled separately from the driver.
2. It occurred to me after I wrote the first message in this thread that I forgot to mention that when i move the coax cable from the FloppyDTV to the Twinhan, I also moved the CAM with its smartcard. Since that CAM + card combo works in the FloppyDTV, I don't think it is a problem, but I will try a FTA channel also. And yes, I did activate the "card has CAM" option. I did however set it to being able to decode two channels simultaneously which works on the remaining FloppyDTV, but another test would be to set it to only 1 channel.

The remaining FloppyDTV is now in it's 6th day of being monitored by my own little program that pulls a device list from Device Manager and writes it in a logfile. Every hour 24/7, no fails so far. If only I could have a working 2nd FloppyDTV, my dual tuner system would be a reality. Waiting for the webstore to get back to me; they're hopelessly slow in replying to mails.

Anybody here knows if those things need a big heavy PSU to supply them with enough power (so that one of them works, but 2 in the same machine is too much) ? I thought that my Corsair HX620 should be enough...
On the other hand, the other FloppyDTV is now in my regular PC (nForce 590SLI chipset instead of Intel P35) and scores only 50% visibility in Device Manager.

 

[kesar]

I have almost the same problem concerning

So on I go with the driver version 1.1.0.400 and sure, I can even watch TV, just the video stutters. Every 2 or 3 seconds, the image freezes for maybe half a second, while the audio continues to play without any issue.

. I described it here. Some users suggested to try original CD drivers instead of those latest. I will try it this evening. Could you BTW check your PCI latency, like I described in my thread, plz? I want to eliminate at least this direction.
Regards,
kesar

 

[Mercbac]

As an update on this thread, I kind of gave up on trying to get the Twinhan tuner to work and got the webshop to exchange the FloppyDTV that kept disappearing. My remaining FloppyDTV has now worked fine for 40 days exactly, still being logged once an hour 24/7. As soon as the other FloppyDTV gets delivered I will test that one separately in another PC with the same logging.

Kesar: I will check the PCI latency in my MediaPC as soon as I get a chance and will post results here.

 

[malmin]

Hi, Mercbac

Seems like you have solved your problem with the FloppyDTV card. I am facing exactly the same issue, with the card randomly disappearing from Device Manager. I have tried other suggestions like replacing the FireWire cable and update the FireWire driver, but still the issue is there.

If you fixed this, can you explain how you did it?