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DVICO DVB-T Plus Tuner Card Issue
this thread has 21 replies and has been viewed 5451 times
Hi everyone, apologies in advance for the long post, but want to include as much info as possible.
I'm running dual DVICO DVB-T Plus Cards on an Asus P5GDC-V board with an Intel 3.2GHZ Proc. These are connected directly to the antenna via a splitter. The display card is the 128MB GIGABYTE NX66T128VP 6600GT VIVO DDR3 “PCI-E” DVI VGA Card, running to a 68cm old-style tellie via SVideo. Running XP MCE 2005.
My issue is with trying to get the channels working. I've downloaded and installed the FusionHDTV3.0RC1Web driver. I can scan and find 5 channels in Brisbane via the DVico software. When I try to scan for the channels via MCE 2005 (shutdown the DVico software to release the capture card), it finds nothing.
Do you actually install the DVico full software, or just the drivers for the cards in MCE 2005? I've tried uninstalling the DVico app, and leaving the drivers thinking it somehow blocks the MCE2005 software from accessing the tuner cards, to no avail.
I've managed to get it sort of working once, but wasn't getting channel 9 very well or SBS at all. I've since downloaded the custom dll from here that fixes it, but haven't managed to get my video working again since.
I had issues with the right-hand third of the picture getting 'jagged' or really fuzzy, with the remaining two-thirds of the picture ok, so thought I'd download the latest drivers for my video card and DVico software - bad move as it's totally screwed now!
Any assistance appreciated, as this is driving me nuts!
Sounds like you've been having some fun. Thanks for being as verbose as possible, it does help a lot.
It really sounds as though you have a codec issue. You can check what codec is in use with a tool called deccheck (download here). More than likely it's using the Fusion codec. If you have cyberlink poweredvd6 or the nvidia nvdvd codecs installed then swap to those (with deccheck) and load up MCE and go to live TV and see what you get.
You should install the full Fusion software and the drivers. Don't try and split their packaging, silly as it is, you should be able to install the driver serarately but it doesn't matter that the app is there as well. If you're worried about the state of it use their uninstaller to remove the app and all the drivers then reboot and do another full install.
I'd then go through the MCE settings->TV->Set up TV signal wizard again. Select both tuners and when you do a channel scan delete all the old channels it found.
When channel scanning it's also a good idea to remove the antenna splitter and plug the antenna straight into 1 card only. If you get no channels after the scan move the antenna to the other card and try again.
Once all the channels are tuned you can add the splitter back in and cable both cards.
Let us know how you go.
Unfortunately to get a clean MCE build you don't want to be upgrading video card drivers or capture card drivers as it can cause problems. Lets see if you can get you running before we go back to the install CD's again though.
I think you need the HDTV rollup before the DVico card will work.
Also you might ahve a problem with the signal your card is receiveing ebcause I get more than 5 channels in Brisbane. Or by 5 channels do you mean your gettin ABC, Seven, Nine, Ten and SBS?
Thanks for your replies. I tried the deccheck util and changed the codec, uninstalled/reinstalled the DVico software and then tried to scan the channels - no dice. I took arkay's advice and decided to reinstall. Did as specified, downloaded the eval NVidia code (link is in a post here Codecs - Which are you using?). I also installed the customised msisdecd.dll file.
Now I'm getting 25 channels including SBS, so all is good. Now I've got one issue, and it's strange. SBS is crystal clear with no delay or jerking. Nine and ten just don't show at all (comes up with an error saying No TV Signal). Seven puts up a frame of the show, freezes and then disappears. The DVico channel scanning software says I have 98% signal strength.
I've tried to remove all scanned stations and re-scan for them in MCE 2005, and it picks up all 25 stations every time, so finding them is fine.
If anyone can assist me stopping my wife hooking up the VCR, I'd appreciate it! ;-)
Hehe. You're wife shouldn't even know about this yet. I have to write a "Guide to the WAF" for all future builders. They are the most impatient creatures in the world... "Why can't we just use the TV... At least it just works....".. Arrggghh!.
Anyway. Glad to hear you have made some progress. Only thing I noticed odd in your above post was the 98% signal strength. It is possible to have too much! Are you running any powered boosters etc?
Now. The other thing which you haven't mentioned is exactly which digital stations you're using. Each of the 5 available have multiple options hence finding 25 services.
With MCE 2005 as it is at the moment, only the SD channels will work for 9 and 10. 7, SBS and the ABC are broadcasting mpeg audio on the HD channels so they will work, 9 and 10 are broadcasting AC3 (they won't work).
You need to go into settings->tv->guide and "Edit channels". First thing to click on is clear all. Then go through and tick ABC, SBS, 7, 9 and 10 and ABC2 (on mine that is numbers 2,3,7,9,10 and 21 (You can also change the channel ordering if you desire with the "Change channel order menu item". Don't use any of the HD channels yet. Click on save and go back to live tv and see what you get.
Remember its not signal strength that matters is BER - Bit Error Rate. You can have a good signal strength and a lousy bit error rate that causes most problems...
Typically too many unpowered splitters can cause both problems... How to check your error rate - not too well... some software will report the singal strength and quality, others dont... and there is no real correlation between software packages or differing cards... Short of getting someone out with a $10k piece of testing equipment...
Check the termination of all cables from the antenna - use good RG6 cable and plugs and splitters...
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I must disagree with you regarding the Fusion MPEG2 decoders. I have been using them since they were first packaged with the drivers and I have found them to be just as good as any others I've tried.
(In specific I use the Dxva MPEG2 decoder)
Otherwise, yeah definitely sounds like a signal issue.
Fair enough I had problems with it when I first tried them. Particularly when minimising MCE. Hung it every time. Was just trying to take some unknowns out of the equation. DVICO's software can fit only in the "unknown" category. Unknown whether it will work on box a with hardware b. Unknown whether installing it on a Saturday will be less problematic than a Monday etc etc
It's good that it works for you but we know that PowerDVD/Nvdvd do work for pretty much everybody in as much as getting tv displayable (quality discussions are another matter).
Arkay, and everyone else that has responded to this post, firstly wanted to say thanks for your help thus far. It's really appreciated. I'm going to do a final post once this is fixed with my lessons learnt to hopefully assist others in the future.
Now first things first, being in the game, I can categorically state Arkay that this is still officially a skunkworks project, and the Chief Financial Officer (Wife) still hasn't got visibility of expenditure/result as yet, so I'm still off the hook! I will unveil my masterpiece once the proof of concept and pilot are signed off.
I gave the changes suggested a go, and I'm still having the same issue with the signal. Seven works partially (sound in the background is going, but no picture), nine and ten just don't work period (get the signal error message). I also changed the codec to every installed one and then double-checked the live tv, but results were pretty similar.
I double-checked the signal strength via the DVico app, and it does say 98% for all scanned channels. It definately looks like a antenna/signal issue to my untrained eye (is there an MCSE elective in MCE 2005 yet ).
Due to the location, I'm running a NetGear PCI wireless card in the box (sorry, should have mentioned this before). I noticed a post mentioning that this can cause interference, so across the weekend, I'll try removing it, and also start with one Dvico card instead of the two, and see what happens then (and remove the splitter out of the equation so it's a direct feed into the one card). I've got a connectivity issue if wireless doesn't happily live beside the capture card, but that's nothing a bit of carpet lifting and a 20m patch lead won't fix
I'll post results on Monday.
DVICO DVB-T Plus Tuner Card Issue
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