Newb. Please please help me !

[Zomb1]

Hello everyone. Sorry to start off asking for help, but I'm so stressed out I'm starting to shake and want to smash things up. Here is the situ.

I brought an Alienware refurb, it was really cheap. Literally peanuts, and specced well too. Before I got it I was using a borrowed version of XPMCE because I had legally paid for XP and didn't fancy paying out £100 or whatever for the media center.

So. When I got the Alienware it came with Vista home basic but I didn't want to use a borrowed copy any more and wanted to return to using a legal OS.

Now. That's not been a problem for many months because I have a TV in my room. Unfortunately it's a 27" tank.

I use a 22" LCD as my gaming monitor and my PC is very well specced for gaming. However, I do have a Belinea 15" LCD and now have that plugged in too, so dearly want to be able to drag a media center over and use my Pinnacle 72E so I can finally rid this tonweight TV.

So, being that I am completely new and this, and, have just spent over an hour trying to find out how to set things up I must be missing something or fail to understand

I have searched and found out how to add the 72E to the list. I added this to the correct place and file.

[Pinnacle PCTV DVB-T Stick (72e)]
TUNING_TYPE=DVB-T
FILTER_TUNER="PCTV DiBcom BDA Digital Tuner (Dev1 Path0) "
FILTER_CAPTURE=PCTV DiBcom BDA Digital Capture (Dev1 Path0)
PIN_TUNER_IN=Input0
PIN_TUNER_OUT=MPEG2 Transport
PIN_CAPTURE_IN=MPEG2 Transport
PIN_CAPTURE_OUT=MPEG2 Transport

And, now when I go to config I can put it in as the instructions show me. However. I cannot get to any kind of tune function because when I launch TuningAssistant.exe it does not have my added device (the Pinnacle 72E) in the list. So I can't tune my card.

And, that's where I'm stumped. I have absolutely no idea what to do to make it see the stick in the tuner and tune it in so I can watch TV.

I did get to a part that asks you to select your transmitter and I know mine is in Southampton (at least I think it is, I live in West Sussex) but I really just don't have a clue what I'm doing.

Please help

[Zomb1]

Oh just wanted to add. I could use the Pinnacle software but it's bloated, crap, slow and buggy as a beehive. It also won't work with my MCE remote (a speedlink).

I also have a Silverstone MFP in my PC that comes with Imedian HD, but sadly that does not include any kind of TV tuning software.

[dennit]

I have searched and found out how to add the 72E to the list. I added this to the correct place and file.

[Pinnacle PCTV DVB-T Stick (72e)]
TUNING_TYPE=DVB-T
FILTER_TUNER="PCTV DiBcom BDA Digital Tuner (Dev1 Path0) "
FILTER_CAPTURE=PCTV DiBcom BDA Digital Capture (Dev1 Path0)
PIN_TUNER_IN=Input0
PIN_TUNER_OUT=MPEG2 Transport
PIN_CAPTURE_IN=MPEG2 Transport
PIN_CAPTURE_OUT=MPEG2 Transport

And, now when I go to config I can put it in as the instructions show me. However. I cannot get to any kind of tune function because when I launch TuningAssistant.exe it does not have my added device (the Pinnacle 72E) in the list. So I can't tune my card.

If you have correctly added the Pinnacle PCTV DVB-T Stick (72e), the next step is to go into config, and add it as a source, then scan by hitting the map button. If you are trying to tune a digital signal, then you don't need TuningAssistant.exe.

Go to this page and read the section that says:

"Creating a capture source should be done in following stages:

1. Define Source
2. Import TV Guide
3. Channel Changer
4. Channel Mappings"

Look at each of those four links, then tell us how far you got and what troubles you had.

[johnsonx42]

look also at this page: http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Confi...HDTVSource
it's specific to US ATSC, but the steps are screens are the same for DVB-T

as dennit said, the tuning assistant is not used for digital sources (the wiki page seems a little misleading on this point)

[Zomb1]

Hi guys. Firstly thanks for your replies.

I have tried that, and, have had some limited success. I live in West Sussex and don't know which of the places to select from the list. I tried loads and on scan got nothing. Crystal Palace yielded some success, however it was limited because I only got about 20 channels instead of the loads I have on freeview. Missing were Dave, Dave ja Vu, Virgin 1 and all the music channels.

I don't know what else to do. I have tried google to see where my transmitter is for digital TV but nothing comes up. It does list some that are opening in 2012 and they were listed in the drop down menu, but alas none of them pick any channels up. I'm pretty certain I read that my local digital transmitter was Southampton (because it was on the news recently) but I don't have that as an option.

[Zomb1]

OK tried Rowridge with some success (all the channels that I couldnt get before, but none that I did get before) and another one that's supposed to be local and got nothing at all. :confused:

[Zomb1]

Hmm. Didn't realise you can scan all regions all channels.

Doh ! yes, that seems to have sorted it. Thanks a lot peeps

[Zomb1]

Hey guys me again. I wanted to stop back to say an enormous thanks for your help and this awesome piece of software !

What I was trying to do was set up a media center that would display on a second monitor. Basically part one was getting them set up at different resolutions and backgrounds. Like this.



I didn't want media center to take over my 22" because I work here at the computer all day. So I wanted to be able to watch telly to the right and work at my desk on the left

I tried about ten pieces of software today, including the basic pinnacle one.But when moved to the right screen none would display a picture, only sound. Then I installed GBPVR and I found my perfect software !

Check this out, it's England losing to Holland



As you can see, I have full control of my browser and PC whilst being able to watch TV on a full screen seperate monitor !

Hurrah !

Thanks so much !

Andy

[Graham]

A couple of websites that you should keep in your toolbox ...

http://www.ukfree.tv

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/digitaltv.html

Good Luck