Problems getting started with Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick

[techspeak]

Hi all

First, congrats on a great alternative to MCE!

I installed 1.1.5 last night with the intent of using it instead of Vista Ultimate's resource hogging MCE - but I've struck a speedbump along the way.

The install was routine, but when I tried to set it up for my Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick (330e) GBPVR refuses to recognise it. When I checked the box marked "Only show devices detected in this machine", it told me "No known cards detected", even though the Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick is listed as a supported device. When I select this manually (or various other possible types), it generates the following error when I try to do the channel mapping (after forcing a "Map digital channels to EPG channels"):

GB-PVR was unable to start the BDA device you have configured. Check the device is configured properly, and not already in use. (Reason: Failed to locate configured BDA capture device)

At first I had the device connected through a powered USB hub (its status is always reported as "Sleeping") so I thought I'd connect it through a motherboard USB socket, but this made no difference (MCE recognises the device no matter where it is connected).

I've also searched for other posts referring to this specific device, but the only ones I saw are quite old and refer to the master file now being updated, which makes me think that this device should work straight off.

So one possibility that has occurred to me is that I need to install some additional drivers for the device beyond Pinnacle's MCE drivers.

As I've managed to get an EPG scraper working nicely, thanks to a number of excellent posts (the correct detail even shows up on screen), the only other possibility that I can think of is that some Vista MCE service may be preventing GBPVR from recognising the device.

If anyone can offer any suggestions for sorting this, I'd be very grateful indeed.

And while I'm here, I have another set-up query: is there is any way to use the cute little remote that came with the Pinnacle device - or perhaps an older Pinnacle remote that came with an older analogue PCI card? The PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick has its own built-in IR receiver, but I've only ever been able to get that to work with Pinnacle's own (atrocious and unuseable) software. Any tips here would also be welcome.

Thanks & best regards

neil

[bogyver]

I think your right about mce service, I would try and disable all mce releated service. another possibilty is that under vista the filter names might be differnt than under xp due to the drivers, try running filter check in the gbpvr directory under program files
and compare what it come up with for the PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick and compare it to the info in the bda.ini file in the gbpvr directory

[sub]

Can you run filtercheck.exe from the gbpvr directory, then zip and attach the filtercheck.log that gets created?

Sorry, I dont know about the remote.

[techspeak]

Great tips - thanks!

I ran the filter check and found that the names were subtly different: BDA.INI had "PCTV 330e/800e BDA TVTuner" while the filtercheck showed vista referring to it as "PCTV 330e/8x0e BDA TVTuner" (same for the capture filter).

I changed these in the ini file, restarted and I can now do all the things I'm supposed to be able to do... so on the weekend I'll get exploring.

Thanks again!

neil

[sub]

Can you post the section you added to bda.ini?

[techspeak]

Apologies for the delay in replying.

This was the *original* section from the ini file as installed:

[Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro stick]
TUNING_TYPE=DVB-T
FILTER_TUNER=PCTV 330e/800e BDA TVTuner
FILTER_CAPTURE=PCTV 330e/800e BDA Capture
PIN_TUNER_IN=Input0
PIN_TUNER_OUT=MPEG2 Transport
PIN_CAPTURE_IN=MPEG2 Transport
PIN_CAPTURE_OUT=MPEG2 Transport

This is what I changed it to so it worked in Vista:
[Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro stick]
TUNING_TYPE=DVB-T
FILTER_TUNER=PCTV 330e/8x0e BDA TVTuner
FILTER_CAPTURE=PCTV 330e/8x0e BDA Capture
PIN_TUNER_IN=Input0
PIN_TUNER_OUT=MPEG2 Transport
PIN_CAPTURE_IN=MPEG2 Transport
PIN_CAPTURE_OUT=MPEG2 Transport

Running the filter check (as suggested to me) showed that Vista uses slightly different names: "8x0e" instead of "800e".

cheers

neil

[sub]

Thanks I've added it to the master bda.ini file, but I added it as [Pinnacle PCTV Hybrid Pro stick (type2)] so you probably want to rename yours too, which will help when you upgrade to the next verison.

[GMI]

Re yr remote question, I've just been thru the same...
I'm using DVBViewer as up until now GBPVR does not support Norwegian Live TV (H.264/AVC with HE-AAC audio), but the same rules apply, the remote can be used for any program.
You need the remote program files that were installed with the Pinnacle program - you'll find a 'remote' folder in one of the subfolders.
Copy these somewhere else before uninstalling pinnacle ;-))

You need to make a text file called profiles.ini to place in this folder to give you the settings for the remote. You can make default settings and program specific settings mapping different buttons to program specific keystrokes.

Here are some useful links:

Pinnacle Remote Manual:
ftp://ftp.pinnaclesys.de/Manual/MediaCen...ote_EN.pdf

Key Codes for the little remote:
http://webboard.pinnaclesys.com/read_mes...d=50&lng=1

Tips from someone who found the correct IR protocol and keymap settings:
http://forums.pinnaclesys.com/forums/post/30552.aspx

A link to more info and a sample profiles.ini file from the DVBViewer forum:
http://www.dvbviewer.info/forum/index.ph...f=1&t=9721

Start the remote program and an icon will appear on the desktop. Click on this and you can select Autostart with Windows...

Good Luck!!

[sub]

I'm using DVBViewer as up until now GBPVR does not support Norwegian Live TV (H.264/AVC with HE-AAC audio), but the same rules apply, the remote can be used for any program.

The next release supports the HE-AAC audio. They switch our local DVB-T system to this audio format about a month ago.

[elbryyan]

Re yr remote question, I've just been thru the same...
I'm using DVBViewer as up until now GBPVR does not support Norwegian Live TV (H.264/AVC with HE-AAC audio), but the same rules apply, the remote can be used for any program.
You need the remote program files that were installed with the Pinnacle program - you'll find a 'remote' folder in one of the subfolders.
Copy these somewhere else before uninstalling pinnacle ;-))

You need to make a text file called profiles.ini to place in this folder to give you the settings for the remote. You can make default settings and program specific settings mapping different buttons to program specific keystrokes.

Here are some useful links:

Pinnacle Remote Manual:
ftp://ftp.pinnaclesys.de/Manual/MediaCen...ote_EN.pdf

Key Codes for the little remote:
http://webboard.pinnaclesys.com/read_mes...d=50&lng=1

Tips from someone who found the correct IR protocol and keymap settings:
http://forums.pinnaclesys.com/forums/post/30552.aspx

A link to more info and a sample profiles.ini file from the DVBViewer forum:
http://www.dvbviewer.info/forum/index.ph...f=1&t=9721

Start the remote program and an icon will appear on the desktop. Click on this and you can select Autostart with Windows...

Good Luck!!

I'll post the profiles.ini file that I use for my setup. You get all the basic functions but miss out on some of the fancy ones like the colored buttons that some plugins use. Overall my wife has had no complaints so it should do you good. I've even been able to map some of the buttons from my tv's remote but only a few. If you play around with it you might be able to get another universal remote to work as well.