All posts by Dominic Payer
Below are all of Dominic Payer's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.CC40: Note that WMC by default scans at intervals for new channels and you may be tuning inadvertently to PSB2 from Belmont on 506MHz. Check all your sources and disable any on 506MHz.
The background scan can be disabled:
Set the HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionMedia CenterServiceBackgroundScannerPeriodicScanEnabled key to 0.
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CC40: The PCTV 290e is a single tuner device. It offers both an SD and an HD tuner to WMC. Only the HD tuner should be enabled and configured in WMC.
DarrenG: Are only the DVB-T tuners selected and configured for your BG3620 cards?
I have 2 BG3620s in Keyworth and have no problems. My WMC is with Windows 8, but would not expect any difference with Windows 7.
There is a new beta driver for the 3620, issued 13 June 2013, on the Blackgold site.
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DarrenG: It is important to scan for channels when Waltham is on full power. Belmont, though further away, transmits with 150kW compared to Waltham's 50kW. WMC always scans all channels: there is no way to limit it to Waltham's frequencies. At present, Waltham is subject to effectively random power reductions so this can be difficult.
Check your detailed channel sources. PSB2 from Waltham is on 737.833, from Belmont on 506. For channels 3, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 28 and 33 you should have 4 sources only selected on 737.833 with quality 100%.
Sometimes, there are also issues with PSB1 - Waltham 698, Belmont 482 - and PSB3 - Waltham 770, Belmont 530. These are usually just duplicated channels with the second version tuned to Belmont's frequency.
Any problems are minimal if Waltham is on full power when the scan is performed.
I think the Video items you mentioned earlier indicate the tuner in use for the channel.
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Windows Media Center
I tune to Waltham.
WMC setup data seems to be for everything you might be able to receive at your postcode: cable, satellite and terrestrial. Details are in C:ProgramDataMicrosofteHomelogsFirstRun.log. This opens in Notepad by default.
I can confirm that Hauppauge WinTV and VLC Player can play the PSB2 transmissions.
For me, WMC can play, intermittently, all PSB2 channels except Channel 5. Changing channel may result in inability to play when I switch back. I do not see "Tuner not found" messages: the channels appear to be detected but not displayed.
As far as I can tell, the problem is specific to WMC and PSB2 at Waltham. There do not appear to be reports of any other transmitters with a similar problem or any general problem with WMC.
I have raised a query with Digital UK. Their initial response was effectively "Microsoft's problem". That may be part of it, but clearly there has been some unannounced detail change in the PSB2 signal from Waltham. I wait to see what their response to my follow-up will be.
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Problem
Intermittent or no reception in Microsoft Windows Media Center on PSB2 (channels 3, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 28 and 33) from Waltham. All other channels from Waltham received successfully.
When arising
After the frequency change for PSB1 on 29th May 2013. There have been subsequent engineering works at Waltham which may be the cause of the issue.
Details
The Waltham transmitter is operated by Arqiva. Reception problems should be notified as specified at UK House - Arqiva .
I have been in contact with Digital UK, and understand that they have had contact with Arqiva.
1. Digital UK is not a technical support location.
2. I understand that Arqiva say they have changed only the frequency for PSB1 at Waltham, and would only be at fault if the problem receiving equipment carried the Freeview logo. It is difficult to understand how a frequency change on PSB1 could have changed the technical detail of the transmission on PSB2.
Microsoft offers no technical support for Windows Media Center, despite its being sold at retail with Windows XP, Vista and 7 and as an add-on Windows 8. See
Microsoft Support
. The Microsoft forums at Home - Microsoft Community are user to user forums: Microsoft provides the forums but they are not Microsoft technical support forums.
Digital UK say mine is the only formal notification they have received. More notifications might provoke action. It would be helpful, but may not be significant, to say which version of Windows you are using. Email or phone from the Contact us box on Digital UK - Home .
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Last Tuesday's Microsoft security updates included a security update to some Media Center components.
See Microsoft Security Bulletin MS13-057 - Critical : Vulnerability in Windows Media Format Runtime Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2847883) and
Microsoft Support
This is causing problems for some. See Microsoft's MS13-057 Update Also Breaks Down YouTube Videos, Some Games .
We will never know whether Microsoft fixed the PSB2 problem (perhaps unintentionally) or Arqiva changed a setting at Waltham.
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Sony UK acknowledge a problem with HXD units updated to firmware 1.70 on Friday.
See BBC News - Freeview failure hits Sony recorder owners
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John Webster
Have you checked for a firmware update to your TV? Some are not delivered OTA and must be installed manually.
Look on its manufacturer's UK support site.
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Monday 10 June 2013 11:27PM
Nottingham
Ms P Fitzpatrick: Get the cable and connections to your aerial checked.
If water has entered the junction box at the aerial the connections will corrode and the signal passed from the aerial to the cable will become weak or non-existent.