"USB TV Tuner" ... how to configure? (1 Viewer)

[Contours]

Please bear with me on this, as I'm brand new with MediaPortal. I've installed MP1 on my Win8.1 PC ... and it looks great. I can get at all the menus ... and even downloaded an EPG for my area.

The problem is: I have no content. Nothing.

What I do have is a VCR with dozens of recorded family tapes that I want to feed in to view in MediaPortal. The VCR sends content via 75ohm coax as "NTSC Channel 3". All I need to do is get the content 1) decoded from the EasyCap USB TV Tuner that I've installed and 2) feed it to MediaPortal.

This sounds simple to me ... and I can't believe I can't find instructions ... but, alas, I can't get even a toehold.

Device Manager recognizes the USB tuner and reports it as "USB TV Tuner" ... and says I have the best driver when I've tried to update.

I know the VCR's output is good, because I can see it on a directly-connected TV. But I don't know how to view content from the card with a PC application ... which is why I'm trying MediaPortal.

I'll mention that I'm very familiar with PCs ... and USB ... and drivers, etc. But all the video/media terms are foreign to me (except for NTSC and EPG). Things like TV-server, IPTV, hybrid cards ... they don't mean a thing to me. So when I've tried to read up, I find things like this:

"It is possible to watch TV not only via DVB-T, DVB-S or DVB-C, but you can also watch TV via DVB-IP aka IPTV."

I'm getting the idea that what makes this all so complicated is that there are too many variables (hardware x software x content = "many").

Can someone using EasyCap help me? Or can someone suggest how I should proceed. (BTW, I also have a Pinnacle PCTV 800e that I also got nowhere with.)

Thanks in advance.

 

[mm1352000]

Hello and welcome

I don't have an EasyCap, but nevertheless I will try to help you.

First question is: when you open TV Server configuration, expand the "TV Servers" section (on the left), and then click on your PC name (also on the left), you should see a list of the tuners that TV Server has identified. It's like the device manager equivalent for TV Server. Is your EasyCap listed there as an "analog" tuner?

 

[Contours]

Thanks for your response.

Yes, under Media-PC it shows Analog OEM Tuner.

I selected it, set for U.S. channels and clicked Scan. It responded with "Unable to scan ... Please install an A/V encoder for your analog card."

Where would I get an A/V encoder for what appears to be a generic card? (i.e., "USB TV Tuner")

 

[mm1352000]

Yes, under Media-PC it shows Analog OEM Tuner.

Good.

Where would I get an A/V encoder for what appears to be a generic card? (i.e., "USB TV Tuner")

For a "software encoding" tuner such as yours, the encoders should have been supplied with the tuner. Typically they come as part of the driver or software package.

I did a quick internet seach and found this page:
http://www.easycap.org/easycap-dc60-drivers/

Is that the tuner you have?

If so, that page is telling me it should have come with a CD containing some Ulead software. From experience, I expect the Ulead software probably includes the encoders you need.

Do you have the CD?
Have you installed the software from it?

Either way:

Can you please post log files.

1. Find the MediaPortal Watchdog shortcut in your start menu or on your desktop and run it.
   
2. Select the third option "export...".
3. Click "proceed".
4. Attach the zip file that is produced in this thread ("upload a file" button).

 

[Contours]

Well, I've made some headway ... but the situation I described in my first post still exists.

The step forward is that I'm able to play and record content using the software that came on the EasyCap CD. At least the basic components now work. But I can't find any way to channel the USB input directly to MediaPortal, which is my goal.

The step back is that Device Manager no longer shows EasyCap as an "OEM TV Tuner" ... so Media Portal's TV Server no longer shows it as an Analog Tuner, so I can't scan for channels.

I'm including a diagram of what is working ... with a big indication of what seems to be the missing element.

Along the way, I did download and install some recommended software (K-Lite Codec Pack), but nothing changed.

Tonight, I'll try to capture the Watchdog files. In the meantime, if anyone knows what the Missing Piece is, please let me know.

(For anyone with an EasyCap USB, this was moderately helpful: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLehPVKnq2g )

 

[mm1352000]

The step back is that Device Manager no longer shows EasyCap as an "OEM TV Tuner"

...which means that you've installed the proper drivers for the tuner. That's generally a good thing to do.

... so Media Portal's TV Server no longer shows it as an Analog Tuner, so I can't scan for channels.

Your diagram indicates the tuner that was previously listed is now shown as "Unknown". As indicated in the wiki, that means that the tuner is not detected. That is entirely expected when you change the driver (as you've done). There may be a new tuner listed now... or you may simply need to restart the PC for the tuner to show up as "Analog" again.

 

[Contours]

After a restart, the Unknown tuner is gone from the TV Server list. Now there are only two: an MP IPTV entry and a radio entry.

At this point, I guess my question is: has anyone been able to get EasyCap USB TV detected as an TV Tuner?

Ironically, that's where I started ... but MP's scan couldn't detect any channels. So I installed the "EasyCap software" only to prove that the device could operate. Now (apparently) the device has been allocated to the other (TVR) software.

 

[mm1352000]

After a restart, the Unknown tuner is gone from the TV Server list.

That's not possible! Tuners are not removed from that list unless you click "remove". Did you do that?

Now there are only two: an MP IPTV entry and a radio entry.

Well, if that's the case, it means that the tuner is not detected or supported.

At this point, I guess my question is: has anyone been able to get EasyCap USB TV detected as an TV Tuner?

I can't give a better answer than you can get by searching the forum yourself.
As far as I'm concerned, I still don't know what an "EasyCap" is because you didn't answer my previous question.

 

[Contours]

Q1: Yes. I had 7 entries in the list ... 4 from my tries a month ago ... and 3 more-recent ones: Win-TV, Pinnacle and OEM Tuner (EasyCap). I removed everything I could ... expecting MP to "find" what was actually plugged in. I guess not.

Q2: h t t p : / / w w w . e a s y c a p . o r g /easycap-dc60-drivers/

And believe me, I searched the forum(s) for a week before I posted my questions. But I also realize that this is a fringe issue ... of little interest to media center enthusiasts. But, given time, maybe someone with an EasyCap will see this and respond.

Thanks for your responses.

 

[mm1352000]

Q1: Yes. I had 7 entries in the list ... 4 from my tries a month ago ... and 3 more-recent ones: Win-TV, Pinnacle and OEM Tuner (EasyCap). I removed everything I could ... expecting MP to "find" what was actually plugged in. I guess not.

Please reboot the PC and check again. If the tuner is still not showing after that then I would guess the driver that the CD installed only works with the Honestech TVR software.

Note: the Pinnacle PCTV 800e that you previously mentioned should work in MP.