Mixing tuner types is not a good idea

[Jim5055]

Mixing tuner types in windows 7 media centre and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2708283
I have.
Four digital now tiny twin USB tuners that are quite old and require four antenna feeds and thus amplification and associated cabling and powered USB hubs and after a series of power supply failures I want to remove this problem.
Two avermedia USB dual tuners well one now as one died with a USB hub power supply that died.

Both sets DVB-T

I am trying to get one avermedia dual tuner running with just two of the digital now tiny USB units. This perchance leaves one amplified connection film for my FM tuner

Using the dvb scan tool both brand tuners give very different results from the same antenna feed. The digital now tuners signal strength typically at 70. The avermedia tuners at 100. All above 90% signal quality on all channels.

So the tuners provide different signal strength from the same source.

This difference in signal level and not signal qualify I suspect creates a problem.

Setting up the TV signal uses the avermedia. The digital now tuners are not used in this process. They have a blue led that turns on during lock and this does not occur.
All channels found.

But then testing via the guide and the digital now tuners are used (blue led) and I get the dreaded

"The TV tuner is unable to receive the signal for the channel you have selected. Adjustment to the signal may be necessary to receive this channel reliably. Please try to select this channel again. If the problem persists, contact your TV service provider."

Remove the digital now tuners and rescan using only the avermedia tuners and all is good.

I suspect that the system calibrates in some way using the avermedia tuners with their higher signal quality and when that "calibration" is applied to the tuners with lower signal level then the dreaded message occurs.

I have applied the registry edit but makes no difference.

I am a bit loath to buy more tuners and hitting the same issue unless all are of the same type and vendor but not prepared to spend that money just yet.

[milli260876]

I had some issues with a mixed dvb-t and dvb-s setup in the end I just dumped dvb-t and got a quad dvb-s card

[holidayboy]

You can run through tv setup, stop the automatic signal detection scan, choose to manually setup tuners, pick the avermedia tuners, click through tuner type etc.



Then click on setup additional tuners, pick the the digital now tuners, then run through signal type etc.



Media Center will then scan for channels using both sets of tuners.



You may have to combine some channels in the guide once the scanning is complete but it does allow you to scan using both tuner types.



It's also a handy tip if you have multiple aerials to scan.

[Jim5055]

Argh! So simple and so logical. Will try it. Thanks.

[Jim5055]

Well fine in theory but there is not option to manually setup the tuners once the auto signal scan is stopped. Where is this option available?

Edit. I can confirm that if I only plug in the digital now tuners (he less sensitive tuners) then all channels play no problems. So now I have to figure how to add the avermedia tuner without upsetting what I have now.

Edit. Oops my bad. If four tuners installed and your select only say two of them then you get the option to set up other tuners.

[holidayboy]

It is well hidden!

[Jim5055]

Yes soooooo Microsoft . . . . A company dedicated to increasing the number of mouse clicks for any simple task with each successive generation of windows or office . . . .

Well first attempt a failure.
I had the IR remote on the same hub as the two digital now tuners. A separate USB port for the avermedia tuner with no hub.
Complete freeze of the live video screening. No reaction to remote control and WAF dropping fast. So reverted to only the avermedia. But did move the IR receiver to the same port as the avermedia tuner using an unpowered hub. Will check stability before adding the two digital now tuners to the now unused USB port.

[Jim5055]

Well still having issues.
Was getting lockups so what the heck - time to clean install.

Did a clean install of Windows 7 - before I started with media centre I backed the hard disk with EASEUS up to make recover from disaster easier (yes I had backups but were with Acronis based and that package is completely useless - when really need to restore it will not).

Anyway using Leadtek Winfast DTV Dongle and AverMedia TwinStar.

If I just connect them all, scan channels, attempt to play a channel from the guide get spinning wheel and media centre lockup. This is why I did the install and I am getting this on a clean windows install. So it is NOT a core windows issue.

There is some incompatibility between these two usb sticks (well their drivers).

Set up only the LeadTek and all works.

Adding the AverMedia after this setup and scanning for channels with this tuner only now. (To do this start the scan steps, when get to select the tuner select only the Leadtek (yeh already installed but need to select this set first) then start, get prompt do you want to set up other tuners, yes, NOW select the AverMedia and scan - tis will set up the avermedia separate to the Leadtek. As stated before - counterintuitive and thus VERY microsoft.

System working when done.

Power cycle the system. After restart, check the USB "eject" options to see what usb sticks are recognised . . . this was a problem . . the Leadtek was not in the list when having lockup issues . . leadtek not in the list . . bad omens!!!

But now running. Somehow the scan sequence counts. Will see how it survives.

ps tried to install media portal and gave up - too many issues - although any more of this and I will try again .

-----------
As an aside, the Avermedia gets all the channels about 80% of the scan, the Leadtek require 95% of the scan - weird!

[Jim5055]

So far so good . . .