Digital TV on computer?

[pzkpfw]

This is all new to me:

I got a new Dell laptop. For kicks I got a T.V. tuner in it. (We don't have a FreeView decoder or T.V. in the house yet).

I can't get it to find any channels (using Windows Media Center).

Dell support can't seem to help. (Geez, I can click the "search for channels" button myself - did it a few times before I called the 0800 number...).

It's a WinTV-Nova-T (it's Haupage - but not listed on their site) and WMC lists it as a DVB-T device.

Googling, I find that DVB-T in New Zild uses H.264 encoding (us and Norway, apparently)

And I also find that WMC doesn't "do" H.264.

(I've updated WMC with the T.V. Pack - but that didn't help.)

Anyone have any ideas, suggestions or a good recipe for cheese on toast?

[slofox]

This is all new to me:

I got a new Dell laptop. For kicks I got a T.V. tuner in it. (We don't have a FreeView decoder or T.V. in the house yet).

I can't get it to find any channels (using Windows Media Center).

Dell support can't seem to help. (Geez, I can click the "search for channels" button myself - did it a few times before I called the 0800 number...).

It's a WinTV-Nova-T (it's Haupage - but not listed on their site) and WMC lists it as a DVB-T device.

Googling, I find that DVB-T in New Zild uses H.264 encoding (us and Norway, apparently)

And I also find that WMC doesn't "do" H.264.

(I've updated WMC with the T.V. Pack - but that didn't help.)

Anyone have any ideas, suggestions or a good recipe for cheese on toast?

It's better if you toast the bread before you grill the cheese...

[Trouser]

Send the tv dodad back. Clearly not fit for purpose.

[paturoa]

Does it need / have a plug for an external aerial to pick up the UHF?

From memory the config requires you to select the country as well?

Have you updated the drivers?

[YellowDog]

Your either need to have a UHF Antenna or a Sky dish.

RTFM to find out which one of these you need.

If you have one or the other, make sure the card is compatible with the one you have or change the card.

If you don't have either - Sell the card ;-)

I use it on my PC and the quality is outstanding, plus you can get a shit load of Aussie chanels from the Opus 1 satelitte.

Good luck.
0

[pzkpfw]

It's better if you toast the bread before you grill the cheese...

+1 Yep, that's how I do it.

Send the tv dodad back. Clearly not fit for purpose.

Yep, have a call in to customer support to see what my options are. (Laptop had other issues too so I had already looked at sending the whole thing back. Was gonna cost me $174.)

Does it need / have a plug for an external aerial to pick up the UHF?

Yep. Have tried both the Dell supplied aerial and the UHF on the roof (via coax).

From memory the config requires you to select the country as well?

Yep. Selected as part of WMC T.V. setup.

Have you updated the drivers?

Yep.

Your either need to have a UHF Antenna or a Sky dish.

RTFM to find out which one of these you need.

If the manual was any good, I wouldn't be here!

All the evidence points to it being for DVB-t (terrestrial (i.e. not satellite) broadcast digital).

If you have one or the other, make sure the card is compatible with the one you have or change the card.

If you don't have either - Sell the card ;-)

Not sure I can get it out without voiding warranty. That's why I'm asking their customer support what my options are.

I use it on my PC and the quality is outstanding, plus you can get a shit load of Aussie chanels from the Opus 1 satelitte.

Sounds like you are set up for DVB-s; which would not present the same issue (if I'm right about the H.264 thing.)

Good luck.
0

I need it.

[captain_andrey]

DO you actually have UHF coverage in your area?

http://www.freeviewnz.tv/all_about_freeview/coverage

[CookMySock]

Sounds like you are on the right track. Yeah DVB-T is terrestrial/UHF. Check your antenna is pointed at the right mountain, and that you have lots and lots of signal.

Sometimes you have to download some file to specify which satellite - that was the only fiddly bit to get my DVB-S card working under Ubuntu. Damn fine picture from it.

Good luck.
Steve

[cowpoos]

This is all new to me:

I got a new Dell laptop. For kicks I got a T.V. tuner in it. (We don't have a FreeView decoder or T.V. in the house yet).

I can't get it to find any channels (using Windows Media Center).

Dell support can't seem to help. (Geez, I can click the "search for channels" button myself - did it a few times before I called the 0800 number...).

It's a WinTV-Nova-T (it's Haupage - but not listed on their site) and WMC lists it as a DVB-T device.

Googling, I find that DVB-T in New Zild uses H.264 encoding (us and Norway, apparently)

And I also find that WMC doesn't "do" H.264.

(I've updated WMC with the T.V. Pack - but that didn't help.)

Anyone have any ideas, suggestions or a good recipe for cheese on toast?

Windows media centre doesn't support any NZ channels thats why it doesn't work... you need to download 'media portal' go google it and read the instructions a few times..once install works a dream!!! and go to dick smiths and buy a decent areial a DVB-t supported one [unless your gunna plug it into a sky dish]

[pzkpfw]

DO you actually have UHF coverage in your area?

http://www.freeviewnz.tv/all_about_freeview/coverage

Awesome link, thanks. Yep; turns out I don't have UHF Freeview coverage where I live. (I do at work though - and had tried the thing there.)

Of course, since the Dell website had ZERO information about what the TV tuner was or did (ands the phone sales guy knew nothing)... even if I'd known about my (home) coverage issue it wouldn't have helped. That is, they couldn't have told me if the tuner was DVB-s or DVB-t anyway.

(I do have Freeview satellite coverage, and a sky dish, so I could have chosen a DVB-s tuner - if they'd offered it.)

Sounds like you are on the right track. Yeah DVB-T is terrestrial/UHF. Check your antenna is pointed at the right mountain, and that you have lots and lots of signal.

Sometimes you have to download some file to specify which satellite - that was the only fiddly bit to get my DVB-S card working under Ubuntu. Damn fine picture from it.

Good luck.
Steve

Thanks.

Windows media centre doesn't support any NZ channels thats why it doesn't work...

Sure, but I like to know why. From what I've read it seems the reason Windows Media Center doesn't work in N.Z. on DVB-t is our use of H.264 encoding. I don't know if that same thing applies to DVB-s. In any case, it seems the tuner Dell supplied me is DVB-t only.

you need to download 'media portal' go google it and read the instructions a few times..once install works a dream!!!

Great link, thanks. The installer wasn't as smooth as it pretended (issues with SQl Server Express - had to download Management Studio to set up a database user for TV Studio to connect to the database as) but so far it looks like it might actually work (once I get the laptop somewhere where there is UHF FreeView coverage).

Something it has that WMC doesn't - is a signal strength meter. Darn frustrating trying to tune in channels with no feedback at all if you've actually got a signal to tune in to. I hate when software (e.g. Windows Media Center) tries too hard to make it "easy". Media Portal looks much better.

and go to dick smiths and buy a decent areial a DVB-t supported one [unless your gunna plug it into a sky dish]

Sky dish would apply to DVB-s only, wouldn't it?

[pzkpfw]

...in any case, I've discovereed yet another fault with the frickin' thing, and it's firmed up my decision to return the lemon for a refund.

When it arrived it had a bunch of dust behind the front panel of the screen, so I called Dell and they arranged a service guy to come replace the LCD panel. Later I saw why the dust was there, the whole right-side of the panel was misassembled and there was a gap between the front panel and the LCD.

Then I discovered a wire sticking out from under the wrist-rest. It snagged the left arrow key and made it stick down.

The service guy replaced the screen and sorted that loose wire, but last night I noticed that when he reinstalled the keyboard he didn't get some tab in the right slot. My touch keys for sound control now bulge upwards and my screen-swap, insert and print screen keys bulge downwards.

Add to that the issue with the TV tuner (which I note is no longer offered in N.Z...) and a few other things and I'm just not happy.

Have logged a return call with Dell - and now just need to make them understand they shouldn't be charging me $174 for the privilege of having had this thing for 3 days.)

Tell me to HTFU perhaps, but this was supposed to be a "premium" product and it just isn't good enough. (It's a Studio XPS 16. I'll miss this full HD screen.). It's like buying a brand-new bike and finding a scratch on the tank. Some people would just be "yeah, whatever" and maybe just ask for a discount. Other people would simply never be happy with the bike after that.


Thanks for all the replies. You didn't waste your time as I learned stuff that will be applied to my next laptop.

Thanks.