Hauppauge HVR-2250 vs Media Center

[megabite]

I have split the antenna signal to 2 TVs, a receiver, and an HTPC. The TVs receive all available channels (as far as I can tell). The HTPC is closest to the splitter (~6 feet)

WinTV 7.2 finds and displays all of the same channels as the TVs.

MC finds more channels than WinTV but will only display a few of the common channels. On the other common channels, MC says there is no signal.

On investigation I found that MC had found multiple signals for the same channels and had combined them all together. On one excursion I split all of the channels then enabled only those with an actual picture. This becomes tedious as the total number is over 200. One set of channels never did work after completing splitting off all channels. And finally,I realized later that I had not accounted for two tuners.

After comparing to the sources found by WinTV I found that MC was finding 1, 2, or 3 sources other than what I believe is the true source. For example, MC finds local channel 5 on digital channels 45, 33, and 38. Only digital channel 45 actually shows a picture. According to tvfool.com for 84318, channel 45 is 18 miles away (and where the antenna is pointed), channel 33 is 23 miles away in the opposite direction, channel 38 is 80 miles away in a perpendicular direction.

I tried moving the WinTV matched sources to the top of the edit sources list in MC but 1) even though I put tuner 1 & 2 as #1 & 2, MC seems only able to user tuner 1, 2) this only worked for about half of the channels, many still have no signal, 3) some channels do not have sources that match WinTV.

don't know how y'all feel about swearing here but...WTF is MC doing picking up sources that are 80 miles away?
(been banging my head on the wall with this one for several weeks now...)

1) is my antenna so good that I pick up everything in a 100 mile radius? why would MC add what is an almost non-existent signal to the channel source? WinTV picks out the right channels, why can't MC?

2) can I manually adjust MC's list so that it matches WinTV? One problem here is that one of the channels is broadcast from farther and farthest but MC did not pick up the channel on the nearest tower. How do I configure MC to use the correct tower?

3) ran Scan For More Channels again and again until no more call signs were added. A number of call signs from the nearest tower are still not being added. While in Edit Sources on one channel I noticed a duplicate merge. Channel 34.1 had been added 4 times, twice for each tuner. The quality for the last two merged channels alternates from 1% to 15%. All of the other channel quality numbers, including previously merged 34.1, are 100%. This despite the tower being 80 miles away. Could there be a bug in MC, or the HVR 2250, where the quality is wrong?

4) should I buy the worst possible digital tuner card in order to tone down MC?

any ideas will be greatly appreciated! TIA!

[megabite]

still a novice with this beast, every day I learn something new.

turns out the problem is WMC. WMC is getting channel data from the internet based on zip code. problem is that a lot of the information is wrong.

I live in a large mountain valley. The valley is served by one tower on the south end. Channel 11 should come from K32JP-D, http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?r ... _id=181085. But WMC only lists channel 11 coming from KBYU-DT channel 44 on a tower 80 miles away. WMC does not include any entry for K32JP-D. Wrong.

1) Why is WMC getting all the wrong infromation?

2) I tried to run Add More Channels but K32JP-D never showed up. If WMC does not recognize a call sign will it ignore the signal?

3) I tried to add digital channel 32 but I get nothing on live TV. How can I program WMC to get this channel?

more revelations tomorrow...

[FlatStanley]

I feel your frustration megabite. I've struggled with this for a couple years now. I live in the hinterlands of Utah (Uintah Basin, Nearby hills obstruct the nearby repeaters signal. The only signal I can get is from a repeater nearly on the Colorado Border (40 miles the way the crow flies). None of the zip codes in my area match up with that repeater. So in order to get the correct guide listings, I ended up using a zip code in West Valley City, UT (probably could have used about any that get the standard Utah OTA stations). I have to add my channel frequencies manually, then assign the correct listing for each channel, again manually. Luckily for me we only have 20 or so stations. But it is rather cumbersome.
I've tried letting WMC scan using various zip codes, but it only adds a lot of clutter and confusion to the whole mess.

The only thing I can suggest is possibly try a different zip code. Who knows you might get lucky. Good luck, and I look forward to reading your revelations.