Cannot get Clear QAM channels on WMC

Help with tuners from ATI, Hauppauge, AverMedia and more.
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RudyTivo

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Cannot get Clear QAM channels on WMC

#1

Post by RudyTivo » Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:21 am

I have an ATI 650 PCe tuner with Windows XP with WMC. WMC recognizes the channels but when I go to the channels it is just static. I've verified that the tuner is receiving the Clear QAM channels and that they are viewable by using NextPVR. I did a search, but of course the limitations of the search for this forum is a minimum of 4 letters. Can't use 'ATI 650' as a query. And I have tried ATI650, ATI-650 with no results found.

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Scallica

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#2

Post by Scallica » Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:51 am

Windows XP Media Center does not support ClearQAM.
HTPC Enthusiast / Forum Moderator - TGB.tv Code of Conduct

RudyTivo

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#3

Post by RudyTivo » Tue Aug 20, 2013 2:55 pm

I'm about to install Windows 7. WIll WMC in Windows7 catch Clear QAM channels?

blueiedgod

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#4

Post by blueiedgod » Tue Aug 20, 2013 4:13 pm

RudyTivo wrote:I'm about to install Windows 7. WIll WMC in Windows7 catch Clear QAM channels?

Yes, but ClearQAM is dead. It will be phased out pretty soon. Either get ATSC or CableCard signal.

foxwood

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#5

Post by foxwood » Tue Aug 20, 2013 7:43 pm

blueiedgod wrote:
RudyTivo wrote:I'm about to install Windows 7. WIll WMC in Windows7 catch Clear QAM channels?
Yes, but ClearQAM is dead. It will be phased out pretty soon. Either get ATSC or CableCard signal.
ClearQAM isn't dead - it depends on your cable provider, and he's already verified that he is getting ClearQAM signals.

barnabas1969

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#6

Post by barnabas1969 » Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:07 pm

RudyTivo wrote:I did a search, but of course the limitations of the search for this forum is a minimum of 4 letters. Can't use 'ATI 650' as a query. And I have tried ATI650, ATI-650 with no results found.
I really dislike the search functions on this site. I'm rarely if ever able to find anything of use with it. I prefer to use Google like this:

<your search terms here> site:thegreenbutton.tv

foxwood

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#7

Post by foxwood » Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:23 pm

The 4 character minimum is sometimes a hassle, but being able to search a specific users posts (my own or someone elses), or restricting a search to a specific forum makes the onsite search useful, though I have resorted to the brute-force and ignorance approach of a Google site: search on occassion.

barnabas1969

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#8

Post by barnabas1969 » Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:51 pm

True, being able to search only specific users is sometimes useful. But, if you just put the username into the Google search, guess what you get.

lithium630

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#9

Post by lithium630 » Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:06 pm

foxwood wrote:
blueiedgod wrote:
RudyTivo wrote:I'm about to install Windows 7. WIll WMC in Windows7 catch Clear QAM channels?
Yes, but ClearQAM is dead. It will be phased out pretty soon. Either get ATSC or CableCard signal.
ClearQAM isn't dead - it depends on your cable provider, and he's already verified that he is getting ClearQAM signals.
Not dead. Dying.. Comcrap rendered my clearqam tuners useless.

leroys1000

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#10

Post by leroys1000 » Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:27 pm

I am using ATI 650's on 2 computers on cable one and get basic cable and clear qam channels.
Get all the music choice channels too,as they are not encrypted.

blueiedgod

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#11

Post by blueiedgod » Wed Aug 21, 2013 4:50 pm

foxwood wrote:
blueiedgod wrote:
RudyTivo wrote:I'm about to install Windows 7. WIll WMC in Windows7 catch Clear QAM channels?
Yes, but ClearQAM is dead. It will be phased out pretty soon. Either get ATSC or CableCard signal.
ClearQAM isn't dead - it depends on your cable provider, and he's already verified that he is getting ClearQAM signals.

OK, not dead, yet, but dyeing.

My point is that OP is going to invest into a new OS, only to find out 3-6 months from now that the channels have been taken off the air by the provider. At least, this way, OP can plan accordingly, i.e. antenna or CableCard tuner.

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#12

Post by foxwood » Wed Aug 21, 2013 5:48 pm

He already has the ClearQAM hardware. He has already demonstrated that it works with his current provider. You have exactly zero data to base your 3-6 month phase out horizon on - most current ClearQAM users will still be using it for a number of years yet. There are still lots of people who don't get their cable from Comcast.

He's going to need the new OS to get ATSC or CableCard, as they don't work with WMC on XP either. So getting the new OS to use the ClearQAM hardware he already has isn't a wasted investment.

cadams8221218

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#13

Post by cadams8221218 » Wed Aug 21, 2013 10:53 pm

or purchase a hauppauge colossus, im able to pickup and record all my channels in hd via component connection using WMC.

foxwood

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#14

Post by foxwood » Thu Aug 22, 2013 5:37 am

cadams8221218 wrote:or purchase a hauppauge colossus, im able to pickup and record all my channels in hd via component connection using WMC.
$135 for a single tuner, plus $15 - $20 per month for a HD STB, versus $140 for a 3-tuner HD-HomerunPrime and $2-$5 per month for a cable card.

Unless you don't need to worry about recording conflicts at primetime, or really need to try bypassing copy protection, or are stuck with satellite, the Colossus can be a very expensive proposition.

gary94080

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#15

Post by gary94080 » Fri Sep 13, 2013 5:41 am

lithium630 wrote:Not dead. Dying.. Comcrap rendered my clearqam tuners useless.
I have Comcast in the San Francisco Bay Area. we still have digital unscrambled channels for broadcast and the some cable channels. anything more than the lowest package level is scrambled.

just wondering what area you are in.

adam1991

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#16

Post by adam1991 » Fri Sep 13, 2013 9:59 am

blueiedgod wrote:
RudyTivo wrote:I'm about to install Windows 7. WIll WMC in Windows7 catch Clear QAM channels?

Yes, but ClearQAM is dead. It will be phased out pretty soon.

Disagree. Alive and well, at least in good cable companies.

Dkeyguy1

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#17

Post by Dkeyguy1 » Sun Oct 06, 2013 4:44 pm

Scallica wrote:Windows XP Media Center does not support ClearQAM.
Windows XP Media Center Edition did in fact support Clear QAM, but required that an Analog tuner be first installed.
But to agree with others, XP will be out of support soon, doesn't do HDTV justice, and ATSC and or CableCard is the way to go.
With Windows 7, that is.

blueiedgod

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#18

Post by blueiedgod » Mon Oct 07, 2013 8:55 pm

gary94080 wrote:
lithium630 wrote:Not dead. Dying.. Comcrap rendered my clearqam tuners useless.
I have Comcast in the San Francisco Bay Area. we still have digital unscrambled channels for broadcast and the some cable channels. anything more than the lowest package level is scrambled.

just wondering what area you are in.

Comcast SF should have switched off ClearQAM last week, per their schedule.

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