Can't pick up anything with DVB-T USB TV tuner

DB_SamX

DB_SamX

DB_SamX

Soldato
Joined
17 Feb 2006
Posts
9,026
Location
Winchester
I bought a USB TV tuner from MM last week and it only picks up DVB-T signals. I am using the tuner with a small portable aerial. I thought that meant I could pick up Freeview signal, but having tried it on 2 different machine and in 2 different towns, which both receive Freeview fine using normal TVs, I can't pick up anything.

Could it be the aerial is not powerful enough and I need to try something better?

I am going to sound ignorant now but it surely isn't that I need Freedview HD in the areas, which is something else? That's not available till 2012 round here.
 
DB_SamX said:
Could it be the aerial is not powerful enough and I need to try something better?
Click to expand...

Very possibly. Try it with the roof aerial and see!

I am going to sound ignorant now but it surely isn't that I need Freedview HD in the areas, which is something else? That's not available till 2012 round here.
Click to expand...

It won't pick up HD unless it's a DVB-T2 tuner, which is the standard the UK uses. If it says HD on the box, it's probably referring to DVB-T HD, which is used in certain areas, such as Australia I think, but certainly not the UK.
 
Tried the tuner using coax cables hooked to the roof aerial in my lounge and bedroom, but again nothing being picked up. THe regular TVs connected to the cables display the 5 channels ok albeit fuzzy, so can't think why the TV tuner would not pick anything up.

Tried both basic and advanced scans and there's not that many settings to mess around. Only things i can think of is that as it is DVB-T compatible only, it doesn't support analog. Aren't channels basic channels 1-5 or Freeview both analog and digital these days?
 
DVB-T should pick up all the Freeview channels, of which there are about 100, including radio. What software and drivers are you using, and what tuner is it exactly? A DVB-T tuner won't pick up any analogue signals.
 
AVerTV Volar HD A835
http://www.avermedia.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?Id=508

£12 brand new on MM so thought I'd try it.

Tried the software and driver on the disc (which appears to be a slightly older one) on laptop (Win 7 64bit) using both portable aerial and 2 coax cables linked to big home aerial today in Camberley.

Tried the latest driver and software from the site on PC (Win 7 64bit) using portable aerial in Winchester.

Can't pick up radio either.

Last thing I can think about trying is updating the driver and software on the laptop and maybe taking it outside to check if it's any better. And I have a spare PC with XP home on I can install it on and try both portable and home aerials.
 
Weird, maybe it has a fault.

You could try the windows update driver (if there is one) and then use windows media center to tune it, just in case the bundled software has a problem with the OS. I've never had problems like that with the windows update driver and WMC unless there genuinely was no signal or a faulty tuner.
 
I've have a similar struggle. A friend bought a new AverMedia DVB-T HDTV Ready USB dongle and we couldn't get it to work on his PC using a proven aerial so I said I'd take it home and have a play on my PC. Works on mine, not on his. Mine is W7 32bit, his W7 64bit. Haven't fixed it yet :(
 
Interestin; maybe the key will be to see if it works on my XP machine and also try alex24's suggestion of using the windows update driver and wmc to tune it (which I didn't know could be done!).

WIll update at the weekend. Thanks for the suggestions so far.
 
Check device manager in windows to make sure it sees the card is ok and drivers are working

Try the free version of progdvb and see if you can tune to any channels

Its a weird card for sure , says DVB-T but also HD , which would indicate it is
a foreign card ?
 
Those small aerials are pants. One came with my 290e DVB-T2 and it basically said it would be useless in 99% of cases. So unless you live within a few miles of a transmitter you are unlikely to get much of signal with it.

I tried it on mine just for fun and it gave me 0% signal, 0% quality. Plugged in my 5 element crappy roof aerial and I get a strong solid signal despite the mess the last owner made of joining the coaxial cable and the 20 miles to the exchange over rolling hills.

And to clarify only DVB-T2 tuners (currently Blackgold £100 and PCTV/Hauppage £60) can receive and decode the H264 streams that are transmitted as Freeview HD in the UK. The fact that card makers put HD on their websites is a little misleading in this country and just to get extra sales from people. DVB-T2 uses 30% less radio frequency than DVB-T to transmit a given pasyload so is actually a better standard for the future, it's just not compatible with everyone's existing tuners.
 
Last edited:
Just tried it on the spare PC with Windows XP and still no joy. Even took the coax cable from my TV next to the PC and into the USB tuner and still nothing. Also tried progdvb but it looks too complicated for me to assume I had all the settings right. I've run out of options so will prob give up with that tuner. IT literally looks like the tuner isn't working, despite appearing under device manager.
 
Last edited:
If you do get fed up with it, try using a peak dvb card. I have one and it's excellent, can be had dirt cheap and runs straight off the windows driver.

Not much help i know, but thought id throw that in there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom