E700 breaks up on all BBC channels

panyan · 1 Oct 2011 at 14:09

i bought a Compro E700 pcie dual tuner off the MM a while ago, and it was working brilliantly at home - good reception, good recording etc etc

i am using it on the default WMC player

i have come up to uni, connected it to the flat aerial (the same aerial feeds 300 flats) and every channel works flawlessly apart from the BBC channels

bbc1, bbc2, bbc3, bbc4, bbc news 24, etc etc they all just keep breaking up

WMC can download the guide, so i can see what is meant to be playing, but it just keeps breaking up

i have tried re scanning numerous times, wiggling the aerial in case of a loose connection, changing the postcode, and i went to reception to ask if there was a problem with the aerial and there is not - it must be my setup

CinderzFTW · 1 Oct 2011 at 21:22

Sounds like there is a reception problem (basically a lack of signal strength) in the area you live in for the tuner to pick up. PC Tuners are relatively not strong enough to pick up every channel going, especially HD. TV's and Freeview are stronger for picking up channels.

Try updating the driver from the manufacturers website. Also, as it is just the BBC channels, it could be that you haven't got a TV licence! The BBC runs the TV Licence sh*te and may only allow Freeview and above connect to their channels via an aerial to prevent tuners picking it up, so you don't have to pay the licence fee.

Only thing I can think of.

panyan · 1 Oct 2011 at 22:14

CinderzFTW said:
Sounds like there is a reception problem (basically a lack of signal strength) in the area you live in for the tuner to pick up.

every other tv in the block gets BBC Channels fine and they are all fed from the same aerial

PC Tuners are relatively not strong enough to pick up every channel going, especially HD. TV's and Freeview are stronger for picking up channels.

are the bbc channels harder than any other channels to get?

Try updating the driver from the manufacturers website.

got the latest ones already

Also, as it is just the BBC channels, it could be that you haven't got a TV licence! The BBC runs the TV Licence sh*te and may only allow Freeview and above connect to their channels via an aerial to prevent tuners picking it up, so you don't have to pay the licence fee.

i did buy a student tv license and i know others in the block that font have a license that get bbc channels fine

thanks

feck199 · 1 Oct 2011 at 23:12

CinderzFTW said:
The BBC runs the TV Licence sh*te and may only allow Freeview and above connect to their channels via an aerial to prevent tuners picking it up, so you don't have to pay the licence fee.

Only thing I can think of.

After working with stbs, and having to keep track of which channels had low signals in my area... i've not once come acorss anything that would allow bbc /freeview to stop you picking up on their channels if you do or dont have a tv licence.

What were you on about?

davieg · 1 Oct 2011 at 23:13

The Tv License wont have nothing to do with receiving the BBC channels or not (God I wish they would bring this in so I wouldn't need to pay one.)
Before you assume its the tuner etc, whats your patch lead like that goes from the aerial socket to the Tuner?
Is it a cheapo thin one, or try and borrow one from someone who has working reception of the BBC channels just to rule that in or out of the equation.

panyan · 1 Oct 2011 at 23:15

davieg said:
Before you assume its the tuner etc, whats your patch lead like that goes from the aerial socket to the Tuner?
Is it a cheapo thin one, or try and borrow one from someone who has working reception of the BBC channels just to rule that in or out of the equation.

it is a Philips branded gold plated cable

davieg · 1 Oct 2011 at 23:16

panyan said:
it is a Philips branded gold plated cable

Well still try a different one, branding and gold plate make sod all difference on marginal tv signals

Guaranteed it wont be made out of decent aerial cable, CT100 etc etc, even if it has a philips name on it.

panyan · 1 Oct 2011 at 23:17

davieg said:
Well still try a different one, branding and gold plate make sod all difference on marginal tv signals

ill try a different one in the morning and report back

feck199 · 1 Oct 2011 at 23:18

Yeah, worth trying another cable, but assuming this is the cable that was used at home. It's already proven to work well.

Have you gone as far to try your computer in another room yet, eg someone elses tv socket at uni.

davieg · 1 Oct 2011 at 23:21

Another suggestion is try a different media program that will show you the strength and quality of the signal being received
(Quality is the most important here as on a communal system it should be boosted to high heaven so strength is a bit meaningless in them situations.)
And on a digital signal wiggling the connection can be a bit hit and miss due to FEC as the picture wouldnt come back straight away on making a decent connection, so the little meter can be handy to see then too.

feck199 said:
Yeah, worth trying another cable, but assuming this is the cable that was used at home. It's already proven to work well.

Have you gone as far to try your computer in another room yet, eg someone elses tv socket at uni.

No his cable if used at home is proven to work where it was, outside sources and interference (if the cable isnt shielded correctly, which it probably isnt from the patch leads I've seen) can have an effect on the patch lead just as much as the rest of the system. Have heard the well it worked at where I used to live a ton of times before now

Yeah the taking the Pc to a known working set up would be a good idea too to be honest.

panyan · 1 Oct 2011 at 23:25

feck199 said:
Yeah, worth trying another cable, but assuming this is the cable that was used at home. It's already proven to work well.

Have you gone as far to try your computer in another room yet, eg someone elses tv socket at uni.

at home i was using a portable aerial, so it could very well be this cable, but odd as all other channels are fine apart from bbc :confused:

davieg said:
Another suggestion is try a different media program that will show you the strength and quality of the signal being received
(Quality is the most important here as on a communal system it should be boosted to high heaven so strength is a bit meaningless in them situations.)
And on a digital signal wiggling the connection can be a bit hit and miss due to FEC as the picture wouldnt come back straight away on making a decent connection, so the little meter can be handy to see then too.

do you recommend any programs like this?

davieg · 1 Oct 2011 at 23:30

I think DVB dream has a free trial still, if so have used that and thats got an SnR meter on it.

Gammawolf · 1 Oct 2011 at 23:31

I'd try to borrow a TV with a tuner in it as obviously its a problem isolated with the multiplex single (Mux 1). I'd think its a combo of the card and a weaker signal.

panyan · 2 Oct 2011 at 10:50

i replaced my cable, a branded Philips gold plated cable which i THOUGHT would be better with the standard cable that came with the flat, rescanned for channels and it WORKS

why buy branded more expensive cables?!?!??! ?! :confused:

davieg · 2 Oct 2011 at 11:49

Lol yeah I know, was my personal bug bear of certain shops when I'd turn up to someones house and they had nigh on spent more on their cables than their TVs and had gained absolutely nothing (not saying that some more expensive cables for analog signals are no better as some are, but some that the high street stores sell are no better than your generic cable that comes free with the stuff). When I was carrying better stuff in my van that would just be given away.
Glad it got you sorted though, its a thing a lot of people miss.

Dave.

panyan · 2 Oct 2011 at 11:50

davieg said:
Lol yeah I know, was my personal bug bear of certain shops when I'd turn up to someones house and they had nigh on spent more on their cables than their TVs. When I was carrying better stuff in my van that would just be given away.
Glad it got you sorted though, its a thing a lot of people miss.

Dave.

who do you work for then?

and how are you meant to rate the quality of a cable?

panyan · 2 Oct 2011 at 21:36

UPDATE:

it was working all morning, now it is breaking up again

Baldbloke · 2 Oct 2011 at 22:18

Gammawolf said:
I'd try to borrow a TV with a tuner in it as obviously its a problem isolated with the multiplex single (Mux 1). I'd think its a combo of the card and a weaker signal.

I suspect Gammawolf is on the right track here. Try retuning using a different mux. Do a bit of Googling on MUX and HDTV. It's a minefield sometimes. It's been a while since I had similar problem but retuning using different mux (I think that's what I did, anyway

)

panyan · 2 Oct 2011 at 22:28

Baldbloke said:
I suspect Gammawolf is on the right track here. Try retuning using a different mux. Do a bit of Googling on MUX and HDTV. It's a minefield sometimes. It's been a while since I had similar problem but retuning using different mux (I think that's what I did, anyway)

thanks - i can tell this is going to be a huge PITA

Werewolf · 2 Oct 2011 at 23:33

It should settle down, at the moment I think some of the transmitters (even in areas that have "switched") are still being worked on as neighboring areas get ready to move over, this seems to confuse the tuners and require retuning (especially as the weather changes and affects the signal).

I know I keep getting the "rescan" message on my TV at the moment.