How to get Dvico FusionHDTV DVB-T working with MCE

Mike · **1st January 2005, 10:51 PM**

OK - just had another go at it and got it working ([s]together with with my Hauppage 150 MCE analogue tuner[/s]).

For anybody with the FusionHDTV DVB-T card who wants to try it,* I used the Dvico instructions here as follows:

1. installed the full FusionHDTV3.0Beta1 2.99.01 drivers - reboot & detect
2. installed hotfix 29903 - reboot & detect
3. installedhotfix 29904 - reboot & detect

The above steps took quite some time because Windows has to detect the drivers after each install.* The files are quite large as well (66 MB in total) so unless you have broadband, you'll be downloading for a long time.

I then went into the main MCE TV setup screen:

4. selected "Set Up TV Signal",
5. selected Australia as the region,
6. selected antenna as the source (for me),
7. selected my DVB-T card as the tuner,
8. said no to a set top box,

this next part nearly caught me out . . .

9. even though we can't set up the MCE TV guide yet - you have to say YES to "Set Up Guide Listing" - if you skip that and select "return To TV Settings" (like I did 2 or 3 times) you don't get to the part where it scans for channels.* After you say YES there, it asks you again on the next screen if you want to search for the TV guide, say NO there.
10. scanned for channels.
11. ran MyTV.

NOTE: bigbob has pointed out (later in this thread) that none of the above will work unless you've used the Windows Update function and installed Rollup 1 Update for MCE 2005 ! This update enables digital TV functionality. - Thanks bigbob

Like a few others have, it found 25 which is a bit of a nuisance because of the multiple sub channels under the main one (e.g. Channel 10 has about 3 sub channels and a TV guide)* all appearing in sequence with no way to group them and just move between the top levels.

Even though I'm using an 11 yeard old NEC, the picture quality was a lot better with the digital broadcasts despite the HD channels shrinking the picture to accomodate the 16:9 output.* On some HD broadcasts I get a 4:3 screen which only occupies about 70% of my screen in the centre.* On others I get full width but with the 16:9 top and bottom bars.* It's not really consistent.

I noticed the audio is missing on some HD channels (not channel 7).* This is a known issue since Dvico have posted this:

Problem : MCE2005 MyTV does not have audio on Australian HD channels.
Cause :* * MCE2005 assumes all DVB-T have MPEG audio, not AC3.
Solution: None is available right now. We're working on it. We hope Microsoft release another update for Australian HD channels.

So I'm up and running although at this stage I've yet to figure out if Media Center can record using one card and watch live TV with another.* It's doubtful - I think I read somewhere that they need to be the same type of card (2 x digital or 2 x analogue).

Still it's one more step along this intriguing path

BenP · **2nd January 2005, 10:21 AM**

Hi Mike,

Well done on getting it going! Sounds like it got a bit tricky with the set up when it asked you about the aussie guide!

The reason that you have about 25 channels is that the stations broadcast seperately in Standard definition and High definition and also they repeat a channel or 2 in the Standard Definition format to ensure full coverage to most areas. You said that you have some audio issues on some of the HD channels. My question is this; do you only have audio problems on the HD channels or do you also have probs on the SD channels as well?

Also Brent if you're reading this do you also have audio problems?

Also has anyone tried the Haupage Digital Tuner?

Cheers all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

OK - just had another go at it and got it working together with with my Hauppage 150 MCE analogue tuner.

For anybody with the FusionHDTV DVB-T card who wants to try it,* I used the Dvico instructions here as follows:

1. installed the full FusionHDTV3.0Beta1 2.99.01 drivers - reboot & detect
2. installed hotfix 29903 - reboot & detect
3. installedhotfix 29904 - reboot & detect

The above steps took quite some time because Windows has to detect the drivers after each install.* The files are quite large as well (66 MB in total) so unless you have broadband, you'll be downloading for a long time.

I then went into the main MCE TV setup screen:

4. selected "Set Up TV Signal",
5. selected Australia as the region,
6. selected antenna as the source (for me),
7. selected my DVB-T card as the tuner,
8. said no to a set top box,

this next part nearly caught me out . . .

9. even though we can't set up the MCE TV guide yet - you have to say YES to "Set Up Guide Listing" - if you skip that and select "return To TV Settings" (like I did 2 or 3 times) you don't get to the part where it scans for channels.* After you say YES there, it asks you again on the next screen if you want to search for the TV guide, say NO there.
10. scanned for channels.
11. ran MyTV.

Like you it found 25 which is a bit of a nuisance because of the multiple sub channels under the main one (e.g. Channel 10 has about 3 sub channels and a TV guide)* all appearing in sequence with no way to group them and just move between the top levels.

Even though I'm using an 11 yeard old NEC, the picture quality was a lot better with the digital broadcasts despite the HD channels shrinking the picture to accomodate the 16:9 output.* On some HD broadcasts I get a 4:3 screen which only occupies about 70% of my screen in the centre.* On others I get full width but with the 16:9 top and bottom bars.* It's not really consistent.

I noticed the audio is missing on some HD channels (not channel 7).* This is a known issue since Dvico have posted this:

Problem : MCE2005 MyTV does not have audio on Australian HD channels.
Cause :* * MCE2005 assumes all DVB-T have MPEG audio, not AC3.
Solution: None is available right now. We're working on it. We hope Microsoft release another update for Australian HD channels.

So I'm up and running although at this stage I've yet to figure out if Media Center can record using one card and watch live TV with another.* It's doubtful - I think I read somewhere that they need to be the same type of card (2 x digital or 2 x analogue).

Still it's one more step along this intriguing path

brentp · **2nd January 2005, 01:41 PM**

Yes Ive found that there is a few that have no sound on HD only ,

But cause I use a standard TV i just select a normal digital sub channel as there is no difference in quality on my TV

BenP · **5th January 2005, 08:35 PM**

Ok thanks Brent.

I currently have a 76cm widescreen Sony with a built in SD tuner so that's what I'm used to now. Given this it should be picture as usual for me, the biggest advantage will be recording in digital.

Cheers

Ben

M5DAL · **9th January 2005, 01:36 PM**

Check with DVICo . I have sound on all channels. They do have a new driver for this card.

brentp · **9th January 2005, 08:25 PM**

Are you getting it even on the HD channels

I am running the driver FusionHDTV3.0Beta1(Web)
and the 2 hot fixes

FusionHDTV hotfix 29903
FusionHDTV hotfix 29904

Installed like the documents said,

pistnbroke · **9th January 2005, 09:59 PM**

I believe that you can't\shouldn't get sound on 9 & 10 in HD through MCE as it does not use AC3 ,which 9 & 10 use for HD sound. Using the Dvico software it works but not in MCE when using it for TV ... please correct me if I'm wrong ..

BenP · **10th January 2005, 06:19 AM**

You are correct pistnbroke, M5DAL is probably just picking up the SD channels with audio.

Cheers

Ben

kevin · **11th January 2005, 09:16 PM**

Can anyone give me a hand with this one.
I have all but got it setup however i cant get tv on Media centre.
I have a Fusion HDTV DBV-t Plus tuner card installed to work with Windows Media Center.

I have followed all the instructions on the website, more than once and still can not get tv on media center. Everything else works OK.

My tv comes through a Foxtel cable box into the tuner.

When I use fusion TV program.
The aerial connector does not pick up any signal at all.
The A/V connecter picks up video ok but no sound.

In Media center it defaults to aerial and does not give me any opportunity to change this to A/V.

If I change this in Media Center I'm sure it would be ok.
Any Ideas.

Kev

pistnbroke · **11th January 2005, 09:40 PM**

Try it using a normal antenna connection.... even a indoor one.... rabbit ears ..etc

kevin · **13th January 2005, 04:52 PM**

Tried that now and didn't get anything, I live in Sydneys Innerwest so it should be strong enough to pick up something.

scritch · **13th January 2005, 06:49 PM**

Mike - you said you got the FusionHDTV working "with" your Hauppage Analog card - does this mean they are working as "dual tuners" ???

I can't get mine to work in this fashion. If I add the FusionHDTV as a DVB-T Antenna tuner, the Hauppage config is lost.

Also - I am having problems getting dual tuners to work. Both cards "work" (as in the drivers are installed and no errors, and MCE can see two DVB-T antenna tuners) but the second card doesn't get an antenna signal from the pass through port of the first. If I unplug the antenna from the first card and plug it into the second it springs to life. Using a passive or active splitter has not fixed this either.

I have also found that with dual tuners installed, if I delete the services and re-scan, it doesn't find anything. Pull one card out and all is well again.

I have tried using different PCI slots with no luck.

I have installed:
Albatron 6600 (Nvidia) PCI-Express card with component out
2x DVICO FusionHDTV Lite cards
Hauppage PVR-250

Mike · **13th January 2005, 10:51 PM**

Hi scritch,

Forgive me - you're quite right - it does read that I have both running together - and that's not correct.* What I should have said is that (like you have), I both cards have installed successfully and whilst I can select either one to feed my TV but switching the antenna cable, I cannot watch through one and record with the other.

Whilst there are people here who have been successful setting up dual tuners, (see mg0rman's posts here) , MS still insists that MCE isn't yet able to do it.* Clearly it can be done, but that would explain why so many of us have struggled.* maybe it keeps coming back to the use of "mix n match" components that I talked about here

mg0rman, can you or anyone else able to shed any light here?

Thanks,

Mike

pistnbroke · **14th January 2005, 05:53 AM**

Have you installed the newset Dvico driver patch for dual cards ?