WMC Tuning

I'm situated on the fringe of the Winter Hill transmitter (Bolton, Lancashire). With the default channels that most TV's and DVR's pick up during tuning, reception can be "very poor" (to say the least). We usually have to manually tune to the following frequencies:-
PSB1 (BBCA) Channel 62 (801.8 MHz)
PSB2 (D3&4) Channel 59 (778.0 MHz)
PSB3 (BBCB) Channel 54 (737.8MHz)
etc...etc...etc (COM4 , COM5 & COM6)

We have just installed a new HTPC media centre and the reception with WMC software is terrible, pixilating etc, so I need to retune manually. Is it possible with the Windows Media Centre software to do this, and if so---How?

(Also although I know this is a WMC forum, if not does anyone know any software which will allow manual tuning???)

I'm situated on the fringe of the Winter Hill transmitter (Bolton, Lancashire). With the default channels that most TV's and DVR's pick up during tuning, reception can be "very poor" (to say the least). ... We have just installed a new HTPC media centre and the reception with WMC software is terrible, pixilating etc, so I need to retune manually. Is it possible with the Windows Media Centre software to do this, and if so---How?

First off, not all DVB-T tuners are created equal -- some are more sensitive than others. If a TV fed from the same aerial receives the broadcasts without problem, the tuners in your HTPC may simply be less sensitive (but finding out which tuner cards are more sensitive is well nigh impossible, other than by trial and error).

Second, is your aerial pointing at the best signal source for your location? At my location, there is one dominant signal source (Rowridge on the Isle of White), but at my mother's location, surrounding houses have aerials pointing in three different directions(!) If you are in a fringe area for Winter Hill, you may find that pointing your aerial towards a different transmitter gives better reception.

Third, if you are receiving a signal that is relatively free from impulsive interference (car ignitions, central-heating thermostats, etc.), you may find that an aerial amplifier will solve your problem. If you need to split the signal between multiple receivers, you should buy a combined amplifier/splitter. Maplin and B&Q stock such items.

Fourth, if you are receiving signals from multiple transmitters, Media Center may have selected a transmitter that gives weaker signals at your location. I think that MC selects the transmitter frequencies based on your post code. That might not be the best choice in a fringe reception area. In MC there is a panel called "Edit Sources" that lists all of the frequencies that MC detected during its channel scan, and you can see which it has selected, and which others are available for you to select manually. It displays signal strengths too, which indicate what the quality of reception might be like. (Note: DVB-T2 signal strengths are not displayed correctly in MC.) To get to "Edit Sources", select "Settings", then "TV", then "Edit Channels", then "Edit Sources" (or something like that -- I may not have remembered that sequence correctly).

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

Thanks for the response, but I don't get "edit sources", anywhere, edit channels doesn't lead to edit sources.
Also, in www.programming4.us/desktop/2570.aspx ("Windows 7: Fine-Tuning the settings for Windows Media Center - Tutorials....etc), Section 8.2 reads (and I quote)

"The Set Up TV Signal option allows you to configure your TV tuner card. Click Next on the first screen in the wizard, and then confirm your respective region. If the region selected matches your desired region, click the “Yes, use this region to configure TV services” radio button. If the settings listed do not match your region, click the “No, I want to select a different region” radio button. After making your selection, click the Next button to proceed. This section moves forward on the assumption that your region is now correct. Next, you see the Download TV Setup Options screen. Windows Media Center will download the TV options available for your region. Once this section completes, click the Next button to proceed.

It is recommended that you use the “Configure my TV signal automatically” selection, which will load the most common default settings available for your TV settings. You do have the option to configure your TV signal manually, but you will have to have specific information to provide to the wizard, including region and local information. Next, you are brought to the “Examining your TV signal setup” window. Windows Media Center scans your TV antenna signal to find the relevant TV information available to your hardware. Once this section completes, select the Next button to begin setting up your TV program guide."

NOTE that it says "You do have the option to configure your TV signal manually, but you will have to have specific information to provide to the wizard, including region and local information." NOT on my version of Windows Media Center you don't. So has WMC been upgraded (worse), or is there another "key" that some how I've set incorrectly? Is it dependent on the Post Code you enter? There doesn't seem to be a definitive guide anywhere.

Any more ideas?

I don't get "edit sources", anywhere, edit channels doesn't lead to edit sources.

In your original post, you said that you had just installed a new HTPC, so I assumed that you were using Windows 7. If you are using Windows 7, here is how you get to "Edit Sources":

(1) Start Media Center.

(2) Select "Settings", then "TV", then "Guide", then "Edit Channels".

(3) On the "Edit Channels" panel, use the UP and DOWN buttons on the remote control (UP-ARROW and DOWN-ARROW keys on the keyboard) to move up and down the list of channels, to get to the channel that you want to check or modify, and then select that channel (press OK button).

(4) On the next panel, "Edit Sources" appears as a choice in the left side bar. Select "Edit Sources".

(5) On the next panel, use the UP and DOWN buttons to move through the list of alternative frequencies for the selected channel. You should note the following points:

(a) In the UK, there are 3 possible frequencies for each channel: the central frequency, 167KHz above, and 167KHz below. Usually the channel is located on the central frequency, but to minimise interference between adjacent transmitters, some channels are displaced up or down by 167KHz. Of the 6 MUXes that I can receive at my location, 4 are located on their central frequencies, while 2 are displaced by 167KHz; your location may be different.

(b) The Media Center display of alternative frequencies includes all 3 possible frequencies, but with a percentage quality rating for each. You should be using the one with the highest quality rating (example: BBC1 at my location: 90% at central frequency; 64% at +/- 167KHz).

(c) Media Center displays the 3 frequencies for each tuner in your system. So in my system (8 DVB-T tuners), the list contains 24 entries.

(d) If you are receiving signals from more than one transmitter, the list that you get in (c) will be repeated for each transmitter. So, if I received signals from two transmitters, the list would contain 2x24=48 entries.

(e) If you position the cursor in the left-hand column of square boxes, you can select or deselect which of the frequencies you want Media Center to use. You should normally have one frequency selected for each tuner in your system.

(6) If you are using Vista instead of Windows 7, the "Edit Sources" panel is not available. I am not sure whether you can tune manually, as I have never had to do that.

Do you have a digital TV that you can plug directly into your aerial? Does that give satisfactory reception? If that is unsatisfactory, you need to sort out your aerial system first, before trying to get it to work with Media Center.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

Hi, and thanks for a quick and comprehensive reply. I'll give it a try. May not be immediately, but I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again..................Mike

P.S. Yes, I am using Windows 7 Home Premium Service Pack 1.

Hi CyberSimian, and once again "Thank You". Your instructions were both explicit and accurate. I've retuned all my channels and they are as good as they get. I do believe there is another channel change shortly, but at least I now know what to do. I must admit to having seen that side bar menu previously, but was not aware of exactly what it did.

Bye the way, we have several T'V's scattered around the house, and they all receive a good (90% 'ish) signal, having retuned every one to the channels mentioned in my original post. Also just as a matter of interest, I have 4 (four) DVB-T Tuners on the HTPC, and on several of the TV Channels I have as many as 24 options, and on (I think is was 3 or 4 channels) there were 36 options, covering the 4 Tuners. Go Figure, as the Americans say!!!

Anyway, thank you once again for your assistance - especially as you seem to be either the only person who actually understands WMC, or the only person with the courtesy of responding.


Best wishes.............Mike

I've retuned all my channels and they are as good as they get.

Excellent! I am glad that we were able to find the solution to your problem.

I have 4 (four) DVB-T Tuners on the HTPC, and on several of the TV Channels I have as many as 24 options, and on (I think is was 3 or 4 channels) there were 36 options, covering the 4 Tuners.

With 4 DVB-T tuners, I would expect to see 4x3=12 entries for each channel. For the channels that had 24 entries, it looks as though you were receiving signals from 2 different transmitters. For the channels with 36 entries, you were probably receiving signals from 3 different transmitters!

Anyway, thank you once again for your assistance - especially as you seem to be either the only person who actually understands WMC, or the only person with the courtesy of responding.

There are many helpful members of this list, some of whom know far more than I do about certain aspects of Media Center. As you are in the UK, our American members may have felt that another Brit was best qualified to help with your problems. And the other British members may have felt that I had already covered all possibilities in my previous posts (I am not exactly renowned for my brevity!)

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

Thank you again, anyway. Perhaps I have done an injustice to the other members of the forum. It was rather "crass" (lets see what the Americans think of that word) of me to assume that there is only one who knows.

So apologies to anyone who may have felt slighted by my remarks -no harm intended


Regards................Mike