Guide to installing pctv nanostick T2 for Freeview HD

[r76]

***Installation guide for PCTV nanostick 290e DVB-T2 on Windows 7 for NPVR (2.5.9) - For Freeview HD (UK) viewing, as added to upgrade an existing Freeview SD NPVR system.***

***Edited to include OTA EPG update (if you are running 2.6.2 with latest patches***

Before doing anything... Start, Control Panel, System and Security, System, System Protection, Create a restore point. Then:

Connect aerial to PCTV stick. Plug into USB (needs power so use a port on PC or a short cable as supplied). Acknowledge the driver not installed failure message. Insert CD(1) and run. Select Windows Media Center option (installs drivers for using the stick with WMC, and therefore NPVR). No need to install the rest of the software. S/N and license key on CD envelope were not requested.

Right click in NextPVR interface, Settings. In Devices tab Select the line with DVB-T PCTV 80e/290e... (ignore the QAM line) and click Device setup. Then CI/Cam (None), Country (UK) Region (All regions) or whatever you need. Scan then uncheck all channels except the HD ones (if you have sufficient other SD tuners already attached).

These are BBC1 HD, BBC2 HD, ITV HD and Channel 4 HD. There is also BBC red button HD but I haven't worked out if anything is ever on that or where the listings are.

You can add those channels to the EPG now to verify the tuner itself works before proceeding (as we didn't install the TVCenter software that came with it). Settings, Channels, Update EPG (but it'll take a while and you won't even have any programme listings - see below). When it's finished the channels will appear in TV Guide but you may not see or hear anything when you try and watch them.

***EDIT: If you are using NPVR v2.6.2 and have the latest patches from the Current Patches sticky thread in the forums you should get the EPG listings for the HD channels OTA updated automatically - with no need to do any of the XMLTV steps below. And there are links to codec packs on the forums if you don't have any that work.***

So now to set up audio and video codecs for NPVR (we already had sufficient ones installed but not selected - possibly from a K-lite codec pack I think). Check it works at all first by recording a couple of minutes TV and opening that in VLC. Even if it doesn't play in NPVR yet, the built-in codecs in VLC will show if it works in principle. After seeing it working beautifully there, to select codecs right-click in NextPVR interface, Settings:

Decoders, H.264 Video, ffdshow, click "..." (then ensure H.264/AVC Decoder is switched on , i.e. libavcodec)

Decoders, HE-AAC Audio, LAV Audio Codec.

***If you have 2.6.2 and patches your EPG should be fine at this point (I haven't checked) and you are already finished***
Back to the EPG - you can't get OTA EPG updates -boo- (though the reason is nanostick does not support Freeview HD DRM -yay-) so you need XMLTV data for those channels. I used the XMLTVGUI option from the wiki:

[SIZE=2]http://www.nextpvr.com/nwiki/pmwiki.php?n=Configuration.XMLTVEPG[/SIZE]

and downloaded XMLTV GUI 3.14.01 for Windows from here:

[SIZE=2]http://www.birtles.org.uk/xmltv/[/SIZE]

Install XMLTV GUI (don't need the source code option), run it and Tools, Settings:

(Global, XML Tab) GMT/BST, ISO encoding, Save to C:\Program Files\XMLTV GUI\data.xml

(Global, Logging Tab) uncheck Save log

(Grabbers) check UK_RT, select it then Channels: BBC1 BBC2, ITV1 London HD and Channel4 HD (Select each, then >> to right, when all are added hit OK)

Close Settings and click Grab Listings.

Just to check the listings are working OK, using XMLTV EPG Viewer (I used version 1.3.2) from here:

[SIZE=2]http://xmltvview.birtles.org.uk/epgviewer.html[/SIZE]

Doesn't need to be installed, just run the .exe and point to C:\Program Files\XMLTV GUI\data.xml. Should see correct listings.

Then back to NPVR, again from the wiki at

[SIZE=2]http://www.nextpvr.com/nwiki/pmwiki.php?n=Configuration.XMLTVEPG[/SIZE]

"Once you have successfully produced the data.xml file you need to integrate it with NextPVR. From the Channels screen in Settings, select your first channel and click "Details". There you specify XMLTV as your source and point it to the location of your data.xml file. " and "use the drop down box to select the channel data you wish to map to the chosen channel. " The channels HD started at 101. I just manually did them rather than Bulk Map. "At the end of this process click "UpdateEPG" to have it load and populate your TVGuide with the listings data. "

"To automate the EPG update each night, create an UpdateEPG.bat file in the NPVR\Scripts directory (found in the data directory)". This is C:\Users\Public\NPVR\Scripts in Win 7. ". Just put whatever command you need to update your data.xml file."

Right-click in that (C:\Users\Public\NPVR\Scripts) directory and create a new text document. Open it, Paste the following (including quote marks):

"C:\Program Files\XMLTV GUI\XmltvGUI.exe /Grab"

Save it as UpdateEPG.bat (All Files *.*) - not .txt!. NPVR should run this automatically before the regular OTA EPG update.

Done.

Many thanks to those who wrote the utilities, wiki entries, and sub obviously - who made doing this all so much easier than it could have been

(1) Ours was labelled PCTV Systems TVCenter install CD version 6.4.4.905 - the package was ordered from Ballicom in the UK.

[imilne]

I'm pretty sure if you grab the latest patches for npvr then it'll decode the epg for you.

Iain

[r76]

Thanks Iain, I noticed that rather fine piece of added functionality tucked away in a patch (truly understated craftsmanship by sub as always!) for version 2.6.2. I never check for patches because I've never found NPVR/ GBPVR buggy at all. So I only noticed it when browsing the forums 5 minutes after I finished last night... Oh well, I'll edit the guide later to be substantially shorter.

[Lao Pan]

Having run one of these for over 2 1/2 years I have a few observations.

This USB stick is quite power hungry, and on a lot of motherboards the USB Connections can't provide enough - symptoms are picture breaking up and freezing all the time on the HD channels - simple remedy is use a powered hub or powered lead.

In Windows 8 the OS will download the drivers Automagically so don't need the CD.

In device setup - if you move the Nanostick to the bottom of the list - it will only be used as last resort so is normally available for the HD channels but can be called for excess SD recordings. I have removed the DVB Radio Channels from this and the first SD Tuner (2 x SD Tuners)

It is a matter of personal preference but I find the PDVD13 Codec to give the best response and picture quality for UK HD transmissions, and SD as well. Easiest way to get it is install SAF 6 and pm Hoborg for the unlock.

LAV Audio filter is the best -if you have any HD TS files that have had the audio re-encoded you will have to enable the AAC as well as HE-AAC options.

Think I could be getting another one early next year when the 2 extra HD muxes start.

[r76]

Really awesome support and useful additions, thanks. Now it's working I will try tweaking with the codecs and I'll even update to 2.6.2 so I can get OTA EPG hopefully. Glad I learned about XMLTV as a fallback though. Your other points are really good and I'm encouraged you'd buy another - in fact we don't really need it now but have time to do it, and good to be prepared for more channels later.

[martint123]

Mine still locks up every couple of weeks. Blue light stuck on, device not seen by npvr. I just unplug it and plug it back in and it continues fine (leaving PC running). I've not found a way (yet?) in DEVCON to do a software power off/on.

+1 for running better from a powered hub, ISTR a power-hungry chip inside.

Someone mentioned a quad pcie tuner from them a few days ago, may have a peek at that for future use.

[Lao Pan]

Mine still locks up every couple of weeks. Blue light stuck on, device not seen by npvr. I just unplug it and plug it back in and it continues fine (leaving PC running). I've not found a way (yet?) in DEVCON to do a software power off/on.

+1 for running better from a powered hub, ISTR a power-hungry chip inside.

Someone mentioned a quad pcie tuner from them a few days ago, may have a peek at that for future use.

It is meant to be a Sony TV chip that they used.

Every couple of days mine sticks on going back to the epg - usually on the very red - not all programs are available yet in HD - video.
If I hit the back button 3 or 4 times and wait about 20 or 30 seconds it will finally go to the main menu - unfortunately Mrs Lao Pan is not that patient and tends to explode :eek: - I think it is a problem with the drivers. Unfortunately there are no newer ones available (for the Nanostick - or Mrs Lao Pan )

Did try Googling for the quad tuner, but couldn't find anything.

[martint123]

Yes, I suspect the driver is at fault. it nearly always locks up for me during the EPG update. I may try using xmltv and see if it runs longer without locking up. Shame as it is a neat device.

The quad tuner was mentioned here http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...Tuner-Card and points to

[jcjefferies]

Mine still locks up every couple of weeks. Blue light stuck on, device not seen by npvr. I just unplug it and plug it back in and it continues fine (leaving PC running). I've not found a way (yet?) in DEVCON to do a software power off/on.

I had a similar problem with a Kworld twin tuner where the second tuner would fail after a month. I tried DEVCON and "Power Triggers" to disable USB but that did not help. Rebooting did not help and the only solution was to unplug from the USB socket for several seconds. Some computers still power the USB sockets when Windows is "Shut Down" and the computer is plugged into a live socket. This can be checked by seeing if the LED in an optical mouse goes out when you switch the computer off with the front panel switch.

[r76]

One thing I omitted was installing the pctv bundled software other than the drivers. Is there anything I would have missed doing that? I know there was viewing software obviously and distantv program for streaming to mobiles, but were there any tools you use from it?