No signal from WinTV-NOVA-HD-S2 for half the channels (Faulty LNB)

[Dourn]

Hi there. I've just bought a WinTV-NOVA-HD-S2 to go in my new HTPC box.
I'm using Windows 7 x64 and Windows 7 Media Centre.
I'm using WinTV 7 v1.3e.

I'm having a problem with my WinTV card only getting signal from about half the channels on the satellite (although it can see them all when it does a scan).
Specifically, it seems to only be getting channels on High frequencies. It doesn't pick up any LOW frequency channels e.g. any BBC TV channels, Channel 4, ITV, etc.
Although it happily picks up channels on higher frequencies e.g. BBC radio, Luxe TV (HD), Sky News, Bid TV, BEN, Asian Channels, etc.

(I'm actually guessing about the LO/HIGH frequency thing - that's based on looking at the channels outputted by the Astra/Eurobird satellites which are listed here: http://www.lyngsat.com/28east.html).

When I run WinTV and setup the tuner card, it correctly scans all transponders on the satellites (87 in all) and I get around 480 odd channels found.
But when I try to tune into them only about half of them work - and none of the ones I want to see are there!

I tried DVBViewer (which finds 90 transponders and over 500 channels, odd!) but I couldn't get to display any channels at all (I'm not familiar with DVBViewer).

I rang Hauppauge who suggested uninstalling all drivers (using hwcClear), and then reinstalling the drivers from the WinTV 7 v1.3e download. I did this, and had the same result in WinTV, although in Media Centre (after manually setting up the tuner) I suddenly got all channels i.e. BBC HD, all BBC channels, Channel 4, etc).

But when I stopped and restarted Media Centre again, I couldn't get those channels any more: I got a "no signal" error.
Media Centre reports the tuner signal as being full strength.

I have a Humax FreeSat box and it gets all channels, using the same cable and satellite dish.

The Hauppauge support guy suggested I try a different PCI slot (which I did - same result) and if that didn't work suggested I return my card for a new one.

I did that today and tried the new card... and again same result! Only half the channels are showing (in both WinTV and WMC).

So I'm stumped.

I even tried reinstalling with Windows XP and trying again - same issue.

Anyone have any ideas?

I assume I need to attach the log files from WinTV, so will get those forthwith and attach them.

Yours,
Frustrated of Surrey.

[Mr X]

you could try this:

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/board/sho...&highlight=dcl

[Dourn]

Cheers Mr X...
I should have said that I already tried the LNB registry trick, based on a previous post of yours... I tried both 7 and 4 as values (6 is the default).
However, the card seems to have no probs switching between H and V, as I can get channels on both... It just doesn't seem to tune in to channels on LO frequencies (or so it seems).

If it wasn't for the fact that my freesat box works fine, I'd assume it was an LNB or cable problem...
I made a list of the channels I can get, and then checked if they were lo, high, v or h... And they were all hi v and h.

What I can't work out is: how can it see a transponder to get a list of channels, but then not be able to tune into a signal from that transponder?

Thanks anyway...
Any other ideas?

[Mr X]

does it make any different if the humax box is on or off?

Is the cable directly from the LNB?

Have you tried the cable going to the humax box instead?

Do you have another PC you can try it on?

[Dourn]

Cheers Mr X...

>>does it make any different if the humax box is on or off?
I only have a single Universal LNB so can only plug in the Nova card or the Humax box, not both.

>>Is the cable directly from the LNB?
Yes

>>Have you tried the cable going to the humax box instead?
Yup, that's how I normally use it (the cable comes up under my tv in my lounge - I'm replacing the Humax box with an HTPC

>>Do you have another PC you can try it on?
I do.. didn't think of that!!
Will give it a go.

Will also try the Nova card (and my HTPC) at my neighbours house, using their sat dish and see if I get the same problem.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Cheers,
Dourn.

[Dourn]

Ok, so i decided to bite the bullet and just replace the LNB as the one I had was a single one and I wanted a dusk one for twin nova cards. So after a bit of hairy scrabbling up 3 stories on the roof...

Success!
WinTV now finds 750 channels instead of 480, and WMC does a full auto setup rather than prompting me to do a manual setup...
And more importantly I now get BBC and ITV!

Would seem that my freesat box could power my old LNB but not the nova card.

Still, am happy to have it sorted!

PS: the old LNB was a Grundig one.

Cheers,
Dourn.

[Mr X]

glad it's working, not sure how the freesat box was making it work, power us normally V / H issue, e.g. not enough voltage or too much voltage to make it not switch properly, but glad it's working.