New 7MC setup, can't tune channels

[Joram]

Our previous secondary Media Center PC died and I'm trying to set up a spare Win7 machine to show and record programming delivered via Verizon FiOS. But I can't get the system to tune to any channels.

Here's what I have done so far:

* Validated the CableCARD on the new PC. (It sits inside a Ceton InfiniTV4 PCIe tuner.)
* Ran through TV Setup in WMC. However, it told me that it wouldn't be able to play digital programming, so next I...
* Installed and ran the Digital Cable Advisor and re-ran TV Setup.
* Installed the current (non-beta) version of EPG123 and downloaded the correct Verizon channel lineup.

What am I missing? The Ceton Diagnostics Tool reports that the CableCARD is detected, but the last step (trying to tune to a channel) fails, saying sometimes that it "could not acquire Signal PCR Lock" and other times that the signal is "poor."

WMC reports that "Service is unavailable," explaining that "there is no TV signal detected for this channel."

Two more data points: the Device Webpage reachable via the Diagnostics Tool says that the Signal Level for a channel that I tried to tune to within the tool is -29.9 dBmV and the Signal-to-Noise Level is 22.2 dB.
UPDATE: Tried a different channel via the Diagnostics Tool. Now Tuner Three shows this one at a Signal Level of -3.3 and a SNL of 37.1. It also claims that the program is "Playing," but I still can't call it up on WMC.

Lastly, the FiOS signal is already coming through an amplifier that is connected, in its other output port, to the Verizon STB. The STB has no problems tuning to channels.

I hope I've provided enough information to start figuring out what's going on and what I can do to fix it.

Thanks very much.

[stuartm]

2 things. One is an observation. You should not have needed to re-vaidate the cable card as the validation is tied to the tuner and as long as it is still in the same tuner it should have been good. It might be that the cable card re-validation did not take or is not complete. 2nd did you install playready?

[Joram]

Oh, I forgot about playready. Man, this stuff is so complicated...

Anyway, after seeing your question I downloaded the PlayReady tool from EPG123's website and launched it. It offers me only one choice, to remove PlayReady. That wouldn't also RE-install PlayReady, or would it?

About the CableCARD, the technician at Verizon's end said this afternoon that everything was good. Is it possible that the CableCARD has an intermittent problem that allowed it to validate OK but now is acting up?

[Space]

I don't know about Ceton, but I do know that CableCard devices are one-way, meaning FROM the cable company TO the CableCard Device. There is no way for the Verizon technician to know that "everything is OK" since they get no feedback from the CableCard device. The only thing they can do is send activate and authenticate requests, but they have no way of knowing if they worked (other then by an external process telling them so, and in this case that external process is you checking and telling them it looks good). When they say things are good, the Verizon technician is saying his side looks good, not your side.

That being said, if your CableCard device is indicating that it has successfully authenticated AND validated then it should be good (at least that is how it is on my HDHomerun Prime device). Although there are other things that could be wrong, such as they have programmed the wrong stuff on the Verizon side without them knowing it. Here are some troubleshooting steps for CableCard, it is for the HDHomerun Prime, but may be helpful to you when determining what to ask the technician to look for or do.

[Joram]

I don't know about Ceton, but I do know that CableCard devices are one-way, meaning FROM the cable company TO the CableCard Device. There is no way for the Verizon technician to know that "everything is OK" since they get no feedback from the CableCard device. The only thing they can do is send activate and authenticate requests, but they have no way of knowing if they worked (other then by an external process telling them so, and in this case that external process is you checking and telling them it looks good). When they say things are good, the Verizon technician is saying his side looks good, not your side.

That being said, if your CableCard device is indicating that it has successfully authenticated AND validated then it should be good (at least that is how it is on my HDHomerun Prime device). Although there are other things that could be wrong, such as they have programmed the wrong stuff on the Verizon side without them knowing it. Here are some troubleshooting steps for CableCard, it is for the HDHomerun Prime, but may be helpful to you when determining what to ask the technician to look for or do.

Thanks for the link. I went through the items on that page, and unfortunately I didn't find anything that seemed to bear directly on this problem. People who are more knowledgeable than me about this stuff may find items there that are promising.

Looking around TGB, I saw this thread: viewtopic.php?t=9057 and I'm wondering if it could be as simple as the dongle not working right (see the last post in that thread). I do have spare Cetons, but... I can't figure out how to unscrew the dongle at the tuner end!!! It just keeps turning and turning and turning. They have a reputation for being easy to break, so I don't want to try and force things.

UPDATE: I found the ResetDRM script on Gary's page and ran it. When I tried to tune to a channel, WMC said that I needed to update PlayReady, so I let it do its thing. At the end, it said that I could now watch premium channels. I still can't watch any channels, though the error messages have changed: WMC says that "Service is unavailable" and "there is no TV signal detected for this channel," while Ceton Diagnostics says that the "signal is too poor."

[Space]

You shouldn't worry about DRM or Playready until you get the non-DRM channels working. In fact, if Ceton comes with it's own software for watching TV then you should use that and forget about WMC until you can get the Ceton software to allow you to view the non-DRM channels.

The channel that you described as Signal Level of -3.3 and a SNL of 37.1 seems like it is fine as far as the signal, so I am thinking it is not the cable on the device itself that is the problem. Does any of the Ceton software allow you to view the video on the channel?

[Joram]

You shouldn't worry about DRM or Playready until you get the non-DRM channels working. In fact, if Ceton comes with it's own software for watching TV then you should use that and forget about WMC until you can get the Ceton software to allow you to view the non-DRM channels.

The channel that you described as Signal Level of -3.3 and a SNL of 37.1 seems like it is fine as far as the signal, so I am thinking it is not the cable on the device itself that is the problem. Does any of the Ceton software allow you to view the video on the channel?

No, I don't remember there being software from Ceton that allows you to watch channels of any kind. I think at one point they'd intended to put out TV viewing software, but don't quote me on that.

Concerning the signal, FWIW before going to bed last night I remember taking one more look at the Ceton Diagnostics Tool and noticing that the device webpage said that the channel I was trying to tune (the MLB Network) was "PLAYING," even as the tool was still reporting that the signal was too poor and (of course) WMC was complaining that there was no signal.

[Joram]

OK, I learned that the Ceton dongle (coax adapter) actually needs to be PULLED off and PUSHED into place, not screwed on or off. It's been a while since I had to put one of these adapters in place or remove it...

Anyway, after learning the right way to do that, I unplugged the adapter and plugged it back in. For good measure, I also switched out the coax leading from the splitter-amplifier to the Ceton coax adapter, then turned the system back on. But this didn't help, we're still stuck with the "signal too poor" message from the Ceton Diagnostics Tool and WMC gave me the same business about no signal.

So I tried to tune to a different channel in WMC and this time it asked (again) to update PlayReady. I let it do its thing, but WMC still complains there is no signal.

Any ideas?

[stuartm]

I still wonder if your cable card is properly validated. I think there may be old threads around that show what you need to see in the Ceton diags/setup to determine if your cable card is properly set up. I know where to look for Primes but have never had a Ceton tuner.

[Joram]

I still wonder if your cable card is properly validated. I think there may be old threads around that show what you need to see in the Ceton diags/setup to determine if your cable card is properly set up. I know where to look for Primes but have never had a Ceton tuner.

Based on your suggestion, I searched TGB and found these two threads that may be the ones you had in mind: https://thegreenbutton.tv/forums/viewto ... =validated, and viewtopic.php?t=3760. I've tried the ideas in those threads and unfortunately nothing has worked.

[Joram]

UPDATE: Everything is now working.

I'm not sure what did the trick, but I tried getting Verizon to send automated activation signals to the CableCARD several more times. Each time, Ceton Diagnostics reported that the signal was too poor and (of course) no channels were coming up on WMC.

Today I braved going through the Verizon phone-tree maze to reach a CableCARD specialist. She asked me to show her what I was seeing on the screen with a pretty neat Verizon browser application that enables the smartphone camera. THIS TIME, even though Ceton Diagnostics was still claiming that the signal was too poor, this time WMC managed to show every channel I tried. Kind of embarrassing, but I'm not complaining. We're back in business (until the next time...).