USB ATSC tuner

[dvasco]

I was using a Kworld 330u USB ATSC tuner for local channels whenever the PVR card was busy. Now both GBPVR and Arcsoft Totalmedia think the tuner is busy whenever I try to use it. I removed and reconnected it and then I got a message I had never seen before telling me the port isn't a hi-speed port. It is a hi-speed port though, and the same thing happened when I plugged it into my video server PC. Has anyone ever heard of something like this happening? Any ideas on troubleshooting?

[johnsonx42]

as far as I know that means something is wrong with the usb interface on the kworld device. it's probably dead.

edit: on the upside, newegg has the current equivalent kworld tuner for $30: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6815260023

[dvasco]

Thanks. I had seen that on newegg before posting because I was hoping for a software fix. Since it doesn't look like there is I went ahead and bought it.

[Phoobarnvaz]

Thanks. I had seen that on newegg before posting because I was hoping for a software fix. Since it doesn't look like there is I went ahead and bought it.

Have seen that same tuner on NewEgg as well. Am thinking about getting it to watch OTA signals...since DirecTV doesn't provide local channels where I live now. Have a PVR-150 hooked to the DTV box through the S-Video cable.

Have a "coat hanger" antenna (http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/01...adyca.html) that I built outside my place hooked to an RCA DTV box which gets a great signal for the local channels. What's been your experience with this tuner...especially OTA channels?

[ga_mueller]

I have the UB435 and the same "coat hanger" antenna for OTA; works great. Channel changes are really slow so forget about surfing. That antenna works better for me with a wire mesh backplane.

[dvasco]

Have seen that same tuner on NewEgg as well. Am thinking about getting it to watch OTA signals...since DirecTV doesn't provide local channels where I live now. Have a PVR-150 hooked to the DTV box through the S-Video cable.

Have a "coat hanger" antenna (http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/01...adyca.html) that I built outside my place hooked to an RCA DTV box which gets a great signal for the local channels. What's been your experience with this tuner...especially OTA channels?

It works fine with the TS mux that comes with 1.4.7.

[Phoobarnvaz]

I have the UB435 and the same "coat hanger" antenna for OTA; works great. Channel changes are really slow so forget about surfing. That antenna works better for me with a wire mesh backplane.

How would you add this & what did you use for the wire mesh?

[ga_mueller]

I used 1" square mesh from our local hardware store for the backplane. It's stiff enough to keep it's shape, but won't take the antenna down if it gets windy. See this for an idea of the backplane size and the actual DB4 this design is derived from.

[Phoobarnvaz]

I used 1" square mesh from our local hardware store for the backplane. It's stiff enough to keep it's shape, but won't take the antenna down if it gets windy. See this for an idea of the backplane size and the actual DB4 this design is derived from.

Fantastic!!! Also saw the plans on YouTube for using chicken wire on a triangular & triple design videos. Also saw plans for using PVC standoffs as well.

Went ahead & ordered the 435 on Friday from NewEgg for $30 for my Xmas/birthday present. Being that I'm going to be using that with a PVR-150 hooked to a converter box (record other channels at the same time since different networks are on different channels)...will I be able to record with the 435 in the same bit rate as the 150? Just want a clear signal...not concerned about whether or not I can record at 60 frames. Will be editing whatever I record & converting to AVI/Xvid.

[ga_mueller]

The 435 records digitally and the files are about 6Mb for an hour recording. AFAIK, you cannot adjust the recording quality. But I'm no expert on this and others may wish to chime in.