"No signal" error on one channel

[Av8rix]

Hi, I’m new here. Hope I’m posting this problem in the correct section. Have no idea if it’s a software or hardware (tuner) glitch.

I’ve just come off satellite TV provider and gone to OTA via Mohu Leaf antenna. I’ve built an HTPC to perform the duties formerly handled by the satellite box. It has a Pentium processor (won’t be asked to do the work of my “big” computers), a 2TB HDD, a Hauppauge 2250 tuner, no optical drive (will use an external when needed). OS is Win 7 Home Premium. TV is Panasonic TH-42PX75U. I have not installed the tuner software (other than the drivers), as I’ve seen comments all over the ‘Net that WMC is preferable to the Hauppauge software. OK, those are the particulars of my rig. I live in the USA, in a suburb about 20 miles NE of the Seattle, WA, transmitter cluster.

I had actually purchased the antenna about a week before I finished the ‘puter and tested it to see what I could get. I could receive all the OTA channels that I wanted with the exception of one of the PBS stations slightly out of range. All channels that I could receive show about 82% or more signal strength with the exception of one that is 35 miles away and shows only about 73% signal strength. Reception of all is perfect, even the weaker one.

So I finished the ‘puter and booted it up. My house is already wired for cable (I use Comcast internet) so I tried the cable setup first. The QAM feature of the tuner worked perfectly. Here in the Seattle area Comcast has already encrypted two channels, but all others came in well. I then switched cables from the Comcast coax to the antenna coax and ran the WMC scan on the antenna input. Except for the channel noted above as having weaker reception due to distance, all channels were showing six green bars. This made me happy, because I really want to be able to use the two encrypted channels via the computer for recording purposes.

So I hit the green button and went to the “live TV” function and that’s when the weird problem showed itself. I had good reception of all antenna channels through the tuner (even the weaker one showing only one red bar!!!)……EXCEPT that one of the channels showing six green bars triggered the “No signal” error message! Again, all other channels had good reception except that one. And, unfortunately, that was one of the two encrypted channels.

So, bottom line is that I can see that six-green-bar channel perfectly by hooking the antenna coax directly to the TV. But it will not display when the antenna coax is hooked to the tuner or, being encrypted, when the cable coax is hooked to the tuner. So I can NEVER record that channel.

I’m writing this paragraph only in the hope that some US person in the Seattle area is on this forum and might be assisted by knowing the specifics. As you Seattle folk know, the two channels encrypted by Comcast are 13.1 (KCPQ-DT) and 7.1 (KIRO-TV). The one that I can only receive with the antenna coax going directly to the TV is 7.1.

Incidentally, I have an A/B switch on order so that I can get around the problem of one of the encrypted channels that the tuner can pick up and display. But I hope that someone can help me with the problem with the other one.

Sorry that my first message on this forum is so prolix but I couldn’t think of another way to express this problem, as I’m new to this world of OTA TV reception and to WMC.

TIA for any help that can be offered,

Susan

[dmagerl]

tvfool.com shows KCPQ as having two channels which probably means a main channel and a translator or fill in channel. MCE doesnt do well with these types of stations.

What invariably happens is that MCE combines both channels into one guide listing and one of them is too weak to receive so you get the "no signal" screen but MCE never tries the other channel.

So bring up the guide mouse & highlight the station callsign and right click. Go to Edit Channel/Edit Sources. Normally you only see one source per tuner but in this case you should see 2 sources per tuner. The channel number is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen as you select each source.

Disable those sources for the frequency you cant receive by unchecking them and you should be back in business.

[Av8rix]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Actually it was the other one that I couldn't get.....KIRO, not KCPQ. However, I understood the point of your message and applied it to the channel I wanted and it worked!! I'm now watching the San Diegp/Philadelphia (American football) game on KIRO -- through the tuner!!!

What a wonderful forum this is! Thanks again!

Susan

[dmagerl]

You're right, looking at tvfool again I see KIRO also has two listings.

Just the same, take a look at KCPQ and see if it doesnt also have multiple sources that dont work.

[barnabas1969]

Hi Susan. Can you elaborate on what you hope to achieve with the A/B switch?

[phunksta]

Hi all,

I get the same error as the OP, but when I check my sources, I have 1 for each tuner selected, both with 100% signal.
This is a Windows 8.1 64 bit PC with BlackGold BGT3635 tuner, with only the DVB-T/2 connected at the moment.

Sometimes, while using 'show preview' the channel will tune fine after a few seconds, and all seems well. Returning from that screen back to 'live tv', and the channel goes to 'No Signal' again.