Help setting up an HVR-1800

[ryboto]

As the title suggests, I need help setting up my new tuner. I have used GBPVR in the past, but with different hardware, and I wasn't trying to tune digital channels. I have a tv with an ATSC tuner, and we recieve a basic cable package from Comcast. On the TV I can tune the standard analog channels as well as ~7 HD channels.

With GBPVR I've setup the xmltv list, and int he capture source setup, updating the EPG populates the channel list. So, I did something correctly. Analog cable seems to work, though I'll need to add another splitter to get both analog and digital simultaneously. When I try and add a digital recorder source, and map the digital channels to the EPG, neither device option(it lets me choose an ATSC or QAM HVR-1800MCE) finds any channels. Searching ATSC it shows it finds 0/68 and QAM shows 0/138. When I auto-tune the card with WinTV, it finds QAM channels, but no ATSC channels.

Does comcast broadcast QAM with basic cable? Or is my TV using the cable line as an antenna? Is that even possible? I also read Windows Vista might be a better platform for the software?

Lots of questions, I know. If anyone has any specifics on how to continue I'd appreciate it. I also have questions regarding hardware acceleration using a new HD4650 video card, should I ask them here, or make another thread?

System:
AMD X2 4000+(1.2-2.5ghz depending on load)
Abit AN-M2
Sondigo Callisto USB sound card
Hauppauge HVR-1800
HIS HD4650
2x1gb Crucial RAM
400W FSP
500gb WD Caviar
1TB WD GP
Windows XP

[rob11252]

If you don't have antenna you are not tuning to ATSC channels, only to analog and digital channels from cable.

[whurlston]

Check the Netflix Plugin subforum and download the Qam.ini manager. You will probably need to use one of the "Center Frequencies" settings.

[ryboto]

well, ok,makes sense since wintv finds channels doing a qam search..... so how can i get it to work in gbpvr?

[ryboto]

I'm beginning to think I should just install/upgrade to Vista. I can't get hardware acceleration to work in either GBPVR or MPCHC, whereas with an older Ati card in my other system, it works fine running Vista. Also, I can't seem to play any mkv files, and I've tried installing the MPC filters, but maybe I messed it up. Playing anything other than avi's in GBPVR just shows a blank screen for a few seconds, then it quits back to the file browser.

Maybe it will also help with the tuner?

I read in one post where a user was having this problem, they posted a log...well, my log shows no errors, with some channels in the scan it shows a strength of 40, but quality 0. Wintv is able to view the HD channels...so what gives?

[rob11252]

If you are more comfortable with Vista, go for it, although I don't think your problems with HD channels are operating system related.

I have the impression that signal strength on your cable is too low. The only time my Hauppauge card had problems tuning was when I had loose antenna connection.

Is your signal strength 40 on a scale of 0-100? That would be really low!

You can also check Hauppauge site for new capture card drivers.

I think the procedure for finding ATSC channels http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Confi...HDTVSource is the same for QAM channels. Follow it (including troubleshooting tips) and post logs if you still have problems. Maybe then we'll have more info to go with.

See also this thread:http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=41091

[ryboto]

If you are more comfortable with Vista, go for it, although I don't think your problems with HD channels are operating system related.

I have the impression that signal strength on your cable is too low. The only time my Hauppauge card had problems tuning was when I had loose antenna connection.

Is your signal strength 40 on a scale of 0-100? That would be really low!

You can also check Hauppauge site for new capture card drivers.

I think the procedure for finding ATSC channels http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Confi...HDTVSource is the same for QAM channels. Follow it (including troubleshooting tips) and post logs if you still have problems. Maybe then we'll have more info to go with.

See also this thread:http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=41091

OK, I've attached the log file of the scan, and I did it using the patched file you linked. Still, no luck, maybe you can make sense of the log. WinTV seems to tune a few of the HD channels my TV receives, but not all of them(no STB). I have the latest drivers, and the cable line I'm using is the same one that's connected to my TV, just split....and I can still view HD channels on the tv with the splitter in place.

edit: I thought the lack of Hardware Acceleration by the video card in either MPCHC or GBPVR was due to the drivers, since several threads have suggested that's the case, but with the 9.2 drivers my HD3870 on my main machine plays HD content and makes use of the cards decoding abilities. Still, I can't select the EVR setting unless I'm using Vista? And I imagine that makes a difference.

[ryboto]

did i post the correct log file?

[rob11252]

Unfortunately, I don't understand the log files myself. Let's hope that sub or sb else looks at them and helps you out.
I tried to read it though and noticed that the log mentions searching for ATSC channels. Why? I thought you have cable thus you should pick up Hauppauge-HVR1800MCE(QAM) as your digital recording source. If you did that, I am out of ideas.

[ryboto]

Unfortunately, I don't understand the log files myself. Let's hope that sub or sb else looks at them and helps you out.
I tried to read it though and noticed that the log mentions searching for ATSC channels. Why? I thought you have cable thus you should pick up Hauppauge-HVR1800MCE(QAM) as your digital recording source. If you did that, I am out of ideas.

I did select the QAM device. I have Hauppauge HVR-1800MCE(QAM) selected for "Device Type", it's set as "Device Number" 1, and then for "Type:" it says ATSC.