Low Bit Rate / Service is unavailable

[lord xeon]

I just started getting Low Bit Rate & Service is unavailable errors in MCE.
My setup:
core i7 2600K @4410MHz
8gb Ram
Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1600 NTSC/ATSC/QAM Combo.
Windows 7 Professional SP1 x64

My provider is Cablevision, just basic (no box, no card), on the NTSC channel, & an OTA antenna on the ATSC one.
I've been recording shows fine since Dec 01, 2011. Friday, Feb. 03, 2012 everything stopped working. I've spent the following few days trying to figure out what's wrong, and how to fix it.

The HD channels give a Service is unavaiable Error, while the NTSC ones give a Low Bit Rate error.
I can set MCE to record an SD show, but when the show is over the size of the resulting .wtv file is 512kb, and there's nothing in it. HD shows won't record at all.
If I go to check the signal strength, everything is at full bars.
I've tried restarting my computer, restarting MCE, going through the whole setup of the MCE and nothing works.

I tried to install KB981130, I get an error saying This update is not applicable to your computer.

How do I go about fixing this?

[Scallica]

If you connect the cable wire to your TV's digital tuner, do all of the local broadcast channels tune successfully? Is the picture clear?

You should also consider scheduling a visit from CV and have them check the signal strength at your residence.

[erkotz]

You may want to try re-scanning for channels - it's possible your MSO has re-mapped things.

[lord xeon]

If you connect the cable wire to your TV's digital tuner, do all of the local broadcast channels tune successfully? Is the picture clear?

You should also consider scheduling a visit from CV and have them check the signal strength at your residence.

If you mean switching the NTSC with the OTA inputs? I did that, and rescanned the channels (it took forever), and said No Channels found. Initially the MCE setup said it found Digital Clear QAM Cablevision, but when I went ahead to scan channels to add to the guide it finished saying No Channels found.

You may want to try re-scanning for channels - it's possible your MSO has re-mapped things.

I did that, multiple times, and nothing changed. This is not a question of channels getting re-mapped to different numbers, nothing comes in, on any channel period.

I know my cable works as I can go to any TV in my house that's after the cable to my computer and watch TV (with or without a box). The cable itself is a brand new wire (installed in Summer 2011) from the street to my cable modem, through 2 splits, one to the rest of the house, one to my computer. I'm fairly certain that it's not a signal strength issue, but a software issue.

[Scallica]

I'm fairly certain that it's not a signal strength issue, but a software issue.

Have you tried upgrading/downgrading the tuner drivers? Have you tried using a different tuner? Have you tried using the default application (WinTV?) that comes with the tuner to view channels?

[lord xeon]

Have you tried upgrading/downgrading the tuner drivers? Have you tried using a different tuner? Have you tried using the default application (WinTV?) that comes with the tuner to view channels?

I upgraded my drivers to the latest ones offered on the Hauppauge site. I haven't tried downgrading them yet.
I hope to have a 2nd card this weekend to add and see what happens.
I haven't installed WinTV as I don't know where the install cd is that came with my card when I bought it years ago, and I have no intention of actually paying for that software (as at least the first time I installed it when I first got the card, it was slow, and had no guide, or service to run in the background, perhaps that changed since then)

[Scallica]

I haven't installed WinTV as I don't know where the install cd is that came with my card when I bought it years ago

You can download it from their website. http://www.hauppauge.com/site/support/s ... r1600.html

[lord xeon]

You can download it from their website. http://www.hauppauge.com/site/support/s ... r1600.html

I did that and all it does is freeze up, and never finish scanning or adding channels.

[Scallica]

Well, if Hauppauge's own tuning software is not working properly, then WMC will probably not work properly. Let us know if you have the same results when the second tuner card arrives.

[lord xeon]

I got 2 new cards, an AVerMedia M780 and a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250.

I tried the AverMedia one first since it was a different brand and maybe that would work better.
That one works no problem ATSC & NTSC so I haven't tried the other Hauppauge yet, I'm gonna keep it as a backup.

Not sure what's up with my original card, but I have some extra hardware around maybe I'll setup another box and try it on that.

[Scallica]

Thanks for the follow up.