My Vista MCE cannot find any digital channels when I try to tune it in. It
finds analogue channels okay. Tuner card is hybrid Hauppauge HVR-1300. Card
is Vista compatible. Also, other 3rd part software (DVBviewer) can find
channel okay - so I think it is Vista issue. Is this a problem peculiar to
NZ becuase our DVB_T service is HD (using MPEG-4)? I do have a h.264 codec
in my system (via PowerDVD 7 Ultra).

Re: DVB-T (Freeview) Tuning in New Zealand by Curious

Curious
Wed Apr 30 16:03:07 PDT 2008

Currently MC only supports one tuner on hybrid tuner cards since both tuners
can not be used concurrently. MC does support combo tuner cards where two of
the same kind tuners can be used concurrently. MC also supports combo tuner
cards in North America that receive analog and ATSC digital.
"NZ-Tommo" <NZ-Tommo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:FED7C2B9-A387-4E58-812C-3A60B7D9AB71@microsoft.com...
> My Vista MCE cannot find any digital channels when I try to tune it in.
> It
> finds analogue channels okay. Tuner card is hybrid Hauppauge HVR-1300.
> Card
> is Vista compatible. Also, other 3rd part software (DVBviewer) can find
> channel okay - so I think it is Vista issue. Is this a problem peculiar
> to
> NZ becuase our DVB_T service is HD (using MPEG-4)? I do have a h.264
> codec
> in my system (via PowerDVD 7 Ultra).


Re: DVB-T (Freeview) Tuning in New Zealand by NZTommo

NZTommo
Wed Apr 30 16:21:00 PDT 2008

So what you are saying is the reason it can't find an digital channels is
because it is a dual mode tuner (question why is it sold a Vista compatible).
This sort of makes sense, as you have to choose which mode (analogue or
digital) before tuning.

However, something doesn't seem right - when I first tried to tune it, I
selected digital mode and I tried to tune - nothing found. Then I tried
analogue tuning and it found the channels. Does this contradict what you are
saying ( in theory I should be able to une one of the other, but not both ?)


"Curious" wrote:

> Currently MC only supports one tuner on hybrid tuner cards since both tuners
> can not be used concurrently. MC does support combo tuner cards where two of
> the same kind tuners can be used concurrently. MC also supports combo tuner
> cards in North America that receive analog and ATSC digital.
> "NZ-Tommo" <NZ-Tommo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:FED7C2B9-A387-4E58-812C-3A60B7D9AB71@microsoft.com...
> > My Vista MCE cannot find any digital channels when I try to tune it in.
> > It
> > finds analogue channels okay. Tuner card is hybrid Hauppauge HVR-1300.
> > Card
> > is Vista compatible. Also, other 3rd part software (DVBviewer) can find
> > channel okay - so I think it is Vista issue. Is this a problem peculiar
> > to
> > NZ becuase our DVB_T service is HD (using MPEG-4)? I do have a h.264
> > codec
> > in my system (via PowerDVD 7 Ultra).
>

Re: DVB-T (Freeview) Tuning in New Zealand by Curious

Curious
Wed Apr 30 17:18:22 PDT 2008

I think the problem with your DVB-T is that it is H.264 and not MPEG2 as you
suggested.
Vista compatible just means that the vendors product(such as Hauppauge
WinTV) can be installed and will run on Vista and provides no assurances
that any or all of its functionality will work under MS Vista applications
such as MC.

"NZ-Tommo" <NZTommo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:83EC1313-9BD8-48DB-BE2E-7C25A49B69A3@microsoft.com...
> So what you are saying is the reason it can't find an digital channels is
> because it is a dual mode tuner (question why is it sold a Vista
> compatible).
> This sort of makes sense, as you have to choose which mode (analogue or
> digital) before tuning.
>
> However, something doesn't seem right - when I first tried to tune it, I
> selected digital mode and I tried to tune - nothing found. Then I tried
> analogue tuning and it found the channels. Does this contradict what you
> are
> saying ( in theory I should be able to une one of the other, but not both
> ?)
>
>
> "Curious" wrote:
>
>> Currently MC only supports one tuner on hybrid tuner cards since both
>> tuners
>> can not be used concurrently. MC does support combo tuner cards where two
>> of
>> the same kind tuners can be used concurrently. MC also supports combo
>> tuner
>> cards in North America that receive analog and ATSC digital.
>> "NZ-Tommo" <NZ-Tommo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:FED7C2B9-A387-4E58-812C-3A60B7D9AB71@microsoft.com...
>> > My Vista MCE cannot find any digital channels when I try to tune it in.
>> > It
>> > finds analogue channels okay. Tuner card is hybrid Hauppauge HVR-1300.
>> > Card
>> > is Vista compatible. Also, other 3rd part software (DVBviewer) can
>> > find
>> > channel okay - so I think it is Vista issue. Is this a problem
>> > peculiar
>> > to
>> > NZ becuase our DVB_T service is HD (using MPEG-4)? I do have a h.264
>> > codec
>> > in my system (via PowerDVD 7 Ultra).
>>


Re: DVB-T (Freeview) Tuning in New Zealand by NZTommo

NZTommo
Wed Apr 30 18:57:40 PDT 2008

Hmm, could be, but I suspect it's more likely that Vista MCE is simply
looking at the wrong frequencies. I've heard a rumor that you can hack the
registry to fix this - just haven't been able to find the details as yet.

So are you absolutley sure that Vista will not tune both analogue and
digital from one (hybird) card? Is there anything in Microsoft offical sites
which confirms this?


"Curious" wrote:

> I think the problem with your DVB-T is that it is H.264 and not MPEG2 as you
> suggested.
> Vista compatible just means that the vendors product(such as Hauppauge
> WinTV) can be installed and will run on Vista and provides no assurances
> that any or all of its functionality will work under MS Vista applications
> such as MC.
>
> "NZ-Tommo" <NZTommo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:83EC1313-9BD8-48DB-BE2E-7C25A49B69A3@microsoft.com...
> > So what you are saying is the reason it can't find an digital channels is
> > because it is a dual mode tuner (question why is it sold a Vista
> > compatible).
> > This sort of makes sense, as you have to choose which mode (analogue or
> > digital) before tuning.
> >
> > However, something doesn't seem right - when I first tried to tune it, I
> > selected digital mode and I tried to tune - nothing found. Then I tried
> > analogue tuning and it found the channels. Does this contradict what you
> > are
> > saying ( in theory I should be able to une one of the other, but not both
> > ?)
> >
> >
> > "Curious" wrote:
> >
> >> Currently MC only supports one tuner on hybrid tuner cards since both
> >> tuners
> >> can not be used concurrently. MC does support combo tuner cards where two
> >> of
> >> the same kind tuners can be used concurrently. MC also supports combo
> >> tuner
> >> cards in North America that receive analog and ATSC digital.
> >> "NZ-Tommo" <NZ-Tommo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:FED7C2B9-A387-4E58-812C-3A60B7D9AB71@microsoft.com...
> >> > My Vista MCE cannot find any digital channels when I try to tune it in.
> >> > It
> >> > finds analogue channels okay. Tuner card is hybrid Hauppauge HVR-1300.
> >> > Card
> >> > is Vista compatible. Also, other 3rd part software (DVBviewer) can
> >> > find
> >> > channel okay - so I think it is Vista issue. Is this a problem
> >> > peculiar
> >> > to
> >> > NZ becuase our DVB_T service is HD (using MPEG-4)? I do have a h.264
> >> > codec
> >> > in my system (via PowerDVD 7 Ultra).
> >>
>

Re: DVB-T (Freeview) Tuning in New Zealand by Nigel

Nigel
Wed Apr 30 23:47:36 PDT 2008

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:57:40 -0700, NZ-Tommo <NZTommo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>Hmm, could be, but I suspect it's more likely that Vista MCE is simply
>looking at the wrong frequencies. I've heard a rumor that you can hack the
>registry to fix this - just haven't been able to find the details as yet.
>
>So are you absolutley sure that Vista will not tune both analogue and
>digital from one (hybird) card? Is there anything in Microsoft offical sites
>which confirms this?

Sorry but if your DVB-T service uses MPEG4 then there is no way that Media Center currently supports
it.

Media Center will not use both tuners in a hybrid card either. It doesn't even support two separate
tuners with one digital & one analogue. The underlying reason is that Media Center supports only one
programme source as it supports only one programme guide. The one exception is in the US where 1 or
2 Over The Air ATSC HDTV tuners are supported alongside 1 or 2 analogue NTSC cards.
--

Cheers

Nigel Barker
Live from the sunny Cote d'Azur
MCE MVP

Re: DVB-T (Freeview) Tuning in New Zealand by John

John
Thu May 01 02:12:46 PDT 2008

On 30/4/08 23:28, in article
FED7C2B9-A387-4E58-812C-3A60B7D9AB71@microsoft.com, "NZ-Tommo"
<NZ-Tommo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> My Vista MCE cannot find any digital channels when I try to tune it in. It
> finds analogue channels okay. Tuner card is hybrid Hauppauge HVR-1300. Card
> is Vista compatible. Also, other 3rd part software (DVBviewer) can find
> channel okay - so I think it is Vista issue. Is this a problem peculiar to
> NZ becuase our DVB_T service is HD (using MPEG-4)? I do have a h.264 codec
> in my system (via PowerDVD 7 Ultra).

New Zealand is using DVB-T compressed using H.264.

See http://www.dvb.org/about_dvb/dvb_worldwide/new_zealand/index.xml

As a comparison, the UK and Australia use DVB-T with MPEG2. Parts of Europe
however have also switched to using H.264 (e.g. Norway).

Currently Media Center (even the version in Vista) does not support H.264
for TV broadcasts AT ALL! Microsoft currently are very, very poor at
supporting DVB standards.

They also do not currently support

DVB subtitles,
DVB teletext,
DVB electronic program guide,
The ability to receive two (or more) channels from the same DVB multiplex
via a single tuner AT THE SAME TIME,
They also do not support DVB-C (for cable), DVB-S (for satellite), or DVB-S2
(for HDTV over satellite),
Nor do they support MHEG5, used for interactive services over DVB (often
called 'the Red Button')

Some Microsoft representatives have suggested that nearly all of the above
_should_ be added (along with H.264 support) to the next Media Center update
which has the codename of 'Fiji'. This however has been delayed and
currently (being optimistic) would now not be expect until towards the end
of this year at the earliest.

PS. The UK is thinking of moving to DVB-T2 with H.264 however DVB-T2 is not
yet finished so this is still several years away.


RE: DVB-T (Freeview) Tuning in New Zealand by Mortnz

Mortnz
Fri Jun 20 03:24:01 PDT 2008

Welcome the to painful world of Vista. As you suspect Vista is at fault here
as NZ has adopted mpeg-4 and aac/ac3 sound for Freeview HD. This is cutting
edge and both hardware and software vendors are still catching up.

Check out http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?ForumId=83&TopicId=20687 for
some commentary on options and alternatives. It is possible to get Freeview
HD on a PC but not via Vista.

"NZ-Tommo" wrote:

> My Vista MCE cannot find any digital channels when I try to tune it in. It
> finds analogue channels okay. Tuner card is hybrid Hauppauge HVR-1300. Card
> is Vista compatible. Also, other 3rd part software (DVBviewer) can find
> channel okay - so I think it is Vista issue. Is this a problem peculiar to
> NZ becuase our DVB_T service is HD (using MPEG-4)? I do have a h.264 codec
> in my system (via PowerDVD 7 Ultra).