AverMedia TV Tuner / Comcast / Missing Channels

Help with tuners from ATI, Hauppauge, AverMedia and more.
Post Reply
onyxtape

Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 6:36 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

AverMedia TV Tuner / Comcast / Missing Channels

#1

Post by onyxtape » Thu Jul 25, 2013 6:48 pm

First time visitor to TheGreenButton - hoping to get some help/advice here.

I have an AverMedia TV dual tuner card (A188) running flawlessly on a dual Atom HTPC setup for over 2 years now. We have the limited basic package from Comcast, which is basically the local OTA channels plus a few other useless channels.

I've been plugging the coax directly into the tuner card and it has always gotten all the channels. All in all, it displays and records all HD content perfectly. Recently, I suspect Comcast is finally rolling out their digital conversion / encryption efforts here in Bellevue, east of Seattle - though none of the Comcast CSRs really knew enough to deny or confirm. Fox (13.1) disappeared and CBS (7.1) got booted up to 65.something. When I rescanned, Fox (13.1) now says that it's "encrypted" according to WMC. But when I plugged the cable back into my Panasonic plasma, I rescanned and saw all the channels showing up in perfect HD, 13.1 included, without any encryption.

So is the AverMedia tuner being sensitive to some kind of signal changes? Has anyone seen this happen before? Or does the Panasonic TV tuner just pick up stuff a lot better? I'll download the TV app from AverMedia's website later today and will be trying that to see if it performs any better than WMC.

I would love to just ditch Comcast and set up an antenna in the attic one of these days, but 1.) it's an old house so running a wire down 2 stories to the mancave won't be easy, and 2.) the Comcast bill stays the same even if I stop TV service since I also have broadband from them.

EZEd

Posts: 122
Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:05 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#2

Post by EZEd » Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:24 pm

Something you can try is inside of WMC run the item under TV Signal called "Scan for More Channels". I have a Duet connected to and outside antenna (ATSC) and this is the only way I can get the LP stations in my area. The first pass scan does not pick them up but the second pass using Scan for More Channels does. I don't know if this works for QAM channels as the Duet is hooked to antenna and my Ceton Infinitv is hooked to the TWC cable. It won't hurt to try.

glorp

Posts: 369
Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2012 2:54 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#3

Post by glorp » Fri Jul 26, 2013 5:52 am

The last dozen or so posts in this thread will tell you where the unencrypted channels you're missing are located now. You will probably have to add the digital channels for KIROHD, CW11HD and KCPQHD to WMC manually.
http://www.avsforum.com/t/253006/seattl ... mcast/0_50

onyxtape

Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 6:36 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#4

Post by onyxtape » Sat Jul 27, 2013 12:27 am

Thanks for the help! Per glorp's link, it looks like Comcast moved 13.1 Fox to 25.1 - at least for the time being. I added the channel manually, QAM 256, and voila it showed up. Of course, the WMC channel guide doesn't have this info.

But what's interesting is that the Panasonic plasma still is able to pick up Fox @ 13.1. What's the explanation for that? Keep in mind this is not antenna, but a Comcast feed via straight coax.

staknhalo

Posts: 1176
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:26 pm
Location: Coral Springs, FL

HTPC Specs: Show details

#5

Post by staknhalo » Sat Jul 27, 2013 12:34 am

onyxtape wrote:Thanks for the help! Per glorp's link, it looks like Comcast moved 13.1 Fox to 25.1 - at least for the time being. I added the channel manually, QAM 256, and voila it showed up. Of course, the WMC channel guide doesn't have this info.

But what's interesting is that the Panasonic plasma still is able to pick up Fox @ 13.1. What's the explanation for that? Keep in mind this is not antenna, but a Comcast feed via straight coax.
Physical channel is 25.1, virtual channel is 13.1. Previous physical was 13.1 (if you were able to pick it up on that channel on the HTPC); when they switched it they made sure the virtual number was the old number, for folks who have the coaxial going straight into their TV's/people who have their digital converter boxes. Makes it seem like nothing changed for them.

Post Reply