Can't tune QAM channels in WMC recently

[ragnarrok]

I assume this isn't related to the recent FCC ruling. But sometime over the last week & a half or so, my QAM channels are gone (hauppauge 2250 card). I lost the ability to find these channels automatically long ago, and I have used the http://www.silicondust.com/support/channels/ site to find the channels (they move every once in awhile) and that has always worked for me. I didn't want to highjack that thread so I've been trying all sorts of things and here is where I am at:

-My TV lost the channels as well. I did a rescan on my TV, and I got the channels back
-WMC scan finds about 40 channels during a scan. By scan completion, it removes all of the channels but one.
-I can force check a channel in WMC (it is not checked, or padlocked) but it tells me it is scrambled when I try to view it
-My Tivo also finds all the channels after a rescan
-WinTV finds all the channels after a scan.
-Same results with a different hauppauge card on a PC with fresh Windows install

So suddenly I cannot add my channels automatically OR manually to WMC, but it is obvious they are still coming in since I can tune them in WinTV on the same PC. All I can gather at this point is that the qam256 listings are inaccurate at the SD site. Is there any other information I can get on what I can input for these channels? I've yet to find another site like SD & WinTV doesn't report anything useful that I can see for the channels it finds. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[staknhalo]

You say your TV picks up the channels. Does the TV display the real or virtual channel for the QAM signal? Also just for the heck of it, did you try the channels as QAM 64? Also have you tried doing a channel scan with the Hauppage WinTV application?

[ragnarrok]

TV shows the virtuals... I'm really only after stuff like FOX, NBC, etc, so my TV shows 11/11-1 and 4/4-1 & so on. I tried adding the channels as QAM 64 just to see but no dice. I got the channels I am after in WinTV by doing a scan... I just wish WinTV showed me the "real" channel that it found. So I know my card works, at least. WMC just doesn't find those same channels during a scan, and nothing I add manually from the silicondust data gives me anything besides "no TV signal detected for this channel"

[staknhalo]

I'm grabbing at straws here but maybe the signal is too weak for WMC to pick up, but not the WinTV application? I don't know if WMC has it's own 'cut-off' for signal quality or not. I don't know how you can get the actual QAM station if the TV and WinTV software only shows the virtual besides Googling it. Sorry, maybe someone else here has some ideas.

[ragnarrok]

No problem, thanks for chiming in. I'm sort of operating under the assumption at this point that WMC is mistaking the channels I am after as protected content of some sort. They're obviously not scrambled (though WMC says the signal is) since I can pick everything up on my TV, Tivo and WinTV. I think I'll pick up a HDHomerun unit tomorrow though I imagine that won't make a difference. Worth a shot. Signal itself is strong though. Channels come in crystal clear.

[ragnarrok]

Figured it out! I had hoped the qam256 listings were accurate on the SD site because I can't find any other source to determine the channel. But, they are inaccurate for my zip code unfortunately. Using the details page for the channel in WinTV, I just used the physical channel-service ID. in WMC. This makes sense, but every tutorial I've googled just mentions the SD site as a resource. It has always worked for me, at least until now. I figure this is much more reliable since the channels move without notice.

[Guitar1969]

ragnarrok:
I am having a similar problem as you had but not sure how to fix it. I have WinTV7 and it picks up all my channels, but WMC can't find any of them even if I mannually chexk them. I am not understanding how you find the physical channel in WinTV and translate it to WMC so it will see it. For example, I have a 2012 - KCBS-HD - How do I find the equivalent for WMC. I found the details menu of Wintv7 for that channel and it says physical channel "88" freq "0" so I go to add it in WMC and it wants the number in form "xx.xx" I don't know what to put after the period. I tried "88.0" but that wont allow me to continue, How do you know what to enter for the whole digital channel entry. Or am I looking at the wrong numbers.

Any help you can provide would be appreciatied,

Michael

[Guitar1969]

Never mind - I figured it out. I guess there's no way to view channel details efficiently.

[ragnarrok]

Yeah you just need to use PhyscalChannel.ServiceID from the details pane for input in WMC, likely qam256 as well.

[fiascolabs]

Service is unavailable There is currently no TV signal detected for this channel. The channel may be temporarily off the air. Try again later.

Totally bogus, signal's full strength and received by everything else in the house. Pull the other one' it's got bells on...

The problem with WMC is that it downloads a list it trusts implicitly. If you live in a large service area, especially mountainous with multiple translators, WMC pretends to check signals and scan for working stations, but it mostly populates its list with best guess information.

To put it mildly, Microsoft, the most technologically advanced company in the world is not very technically sophisticated when it comes to real-world problems. (Zune, Phone, etc...)

Hauppauge uses the internet information it loads as a guideline and then verifies it locally.

WMC notes your country and zipcode, then uses a best guess at what the source translator/station channel will be for access.

In Hauppauge WinTV7, go into Settings, All Channels, right click on the channel of interest and select Details. It gives you Physical Channel and Service ID (can be different from display which is the station assigned channel . subchannel).

In WMC, in the guide, right click on the channel of interest, select Edit Channel, then in Edit Channel, select Edit Sources. There you are presented with a listing of the channels that are being used to transmit the display channel. Using the arrows, promote the one that WinTV7 is hearing to the top of the list. WMC is unable to carry out this simple task, verify online signal strength and then move the strongest translator/station channel/subchannel item to the top of the list. Now WMC will function for probably the only reason you use it, the online channel guide. Pray that the next WMC updates don't overwrite your selection and WMC should now start displaying all channels.

Now I know my HP Digital TV dongle didn't fail, just WMC incompetence. The Hauppauge dual DTV card is a nice upgrade anyway. View one, record the other, etc.

[pettyfog]

See fiascolabs, above!!!!

For hauppage users it seems spot on.
Trying to set up Netflix in WMC7 had a LOT of problems because the directions didn't make clear that it would appear in 'Movies' line and off to left side. Short story ended up with WMC reinstall and lost all cable guide data.
Go to Start > WinTV and open settings. do a full channel scan, analog and QAM. Find te QAM channel and right click details, write down Physical Channel / service ID. That is what yyou want to enter in nnn . nnn WMC add channel. Set the Q to 256.
Follow rest of his directions, too.

whew!