Going back to W7 WMC gone wrong

[JJTech]

After having my WMC hack undone by the W10 anniversary update and not finding a suitable substitute to WMC I have spent way too much time going back to W7.

I have a Hauppauge 950q and installed their newly updated software WinTV V8.

I am getting every channel I did a month ago except for channel 38.1 (in Boston). For that channel I get the message "service is unavailable" in WMC. I had this channel strong and reliable a month ago under W7 and I can also see it in Win TV viewer.

WMC guide lists the correct program for that channel.

What's up with this???

Thanks!

[stuartm]

Try looking at the sources listed for the channel (edit sources). You may have low power repeaters listed that are being selected when WMC tries to tune the channel. Uncheck them so WMC will use the stronger signal frequencies.

[JJTech]

Try looking at the sources listed for the channel (edit sources). You may have low power repeaters listed that are being selected when WMC tries to tune the channel. Uncheck them so WMC will use the stronger signal frequencies.

I looked and it only shows 1 Digital Antenna which is the one (flat on the window type) connected to the 950Q. All the channels are coming in strong.

[DrSmith]

Interesting. I see exactly the same behavior. I have a Hauppauge HVR 950, Win7 machine OTA DVR (in addition to the machine listed in my user HTPC specs). I also see 38.1 just fine using the Hauppauge WinTV7 application. And I get the "Service Unavailable" message in WMC. I have no idea how long this has been going on because I rarely watch 38.1 and it was one of my weaker signals. So, no answers, but you are not alone.

[JJTech]

Interesting. I see exactly the same behavior. I have a Hauppauge HVR 950, Win7 machine OTA DVR (in addition to the machine listed in my user HTPC specs). I also see 38.1 just fine using the Hauppauge WinTV7 application. And I get the "Service Unavailable" message in WMC. I have no idea how long this has been going on because I rarely watch 38.1 and it was one of my weaker signals. So, no answers, but you are not alone.

Strangely when I run the "signal strength" option in WMC, 38.1 comes out to be the strongest reading.

[DrSmith]

I'm just grasping here, but it occurs to me that one way WMC would not tune a channel while WinTV7 would get it okay would be if WMC was trying to tune the incorrect frequency for some reason. TV 38.1 in Boston actually broadcasts on UHF 39. Is there a way to verify this in WMC? How can I see what frequency WMC tunes to when I select an OTA channel? I have tried looking at 411-Ctrl-D and I don't see anything on the debug screens besides 38.1. But maybe someone with more WMC knowledge has an idea.

Also, word on the AVSforum is that channel 38.2 is coming online soon. So perhaps that has confused WMC somehow.

[DrSmith]

Got it back! Thank you stuartm! I kept looking under Settings -> TV -> TV Signal for the "edit sources" menu that stuartm referenced above. Of course it makes no sense and is located under Settings -> TV -> Guide (huh?) -> Edit Channels -> WSBK HDTV - MNT -> Edit Sources.

I did not even know you could click on the channel label and get another submenu. And that all this is under Guide, not TV Signal.

Anyway. On my "edit sources for 38.1 myTV38" there are 2 nearly identical sources that WMC said it "merged" for the channel. I did not mess with the "split" button, but rather unclicked the first source. Leaving only one source for 38.1 checked. Back to live-TV and voila! 38.1 looks great. Thanks stuartm.

[JJTech]

When I edit sources there is on one source that being my ATSC Digital Antenna. If I uncheck it, 38.1 doesn't show anymore. On that same screen it does show the channel number below to be 39.1.

[DrSmith]

Bummer, was hoping you would have the same weirdness. My 2 source entries for 38 both show channel number 39.1 and both show the same tuner, but the first one has Quality 100% while the second had quality 75%. I notice now that all my channels seem to have 2 sources merged, first one 100% quality with a second between 60-90% (more likely the right signal). But only 38 refused to display until I deselected the first source.

I don't know if my 2 entries are a result of a rescan or a long ago driver update. Very strange. I am running Hauppauge driver 5.10.325.28153 from 6/2/2010. Windows7 seems to think the device is a WinTV HVR-980 even though the actual device is a WinTV HVR-950. Note NOT a 950Q, vanilla 950.

[stuartm]

Sorry, should have told you how to get into the edit sources menu. Glad you discovered it and it fixed your issue.

[JJTech]

Hey Guys,

Any further suggestions for me? Any other forums you would suggest...places to go for answers?

Thank you for your help so far!

[JJTech]

Someone suggested the following:

Control Panel > troubleshooter >Troubleshooting >View all >Set up TV tuner

Hopeful but I don't have "Set up TV tuner" under troubleshooting.

Any suggestions on any front?

[JJTech]

It's been a while and I still have no fix so I thought I would give an update.

Here is the summary:

•In WMC 38.1 came in just fine 2 months ago with W7. Then after trying out W10, I came back down to W7 and now I get "Service is unavailable" bla bla bla for 38.1
•I am using a Hauppauge 950Q on a W7 64 bit
•WMC correctly shows channel 38.1 in the listing, it scans signal strength at a full 6 bars, Win TV plays the channel just fine (as it did 2 months ago in WMC) but I can't get it to display now when I came back to W7 from W10 in WMC.
•I have manually reinstalled WMC, tried different zip codes, tried to manually add channels like 38.2, 39.1, etc. with no luck. WMC forces the .1 as in 39.1.
•Under settings/tv/guide/edit channels/click on 38.1, click edit sources the channel that WMC configures shows 39.1 and 100% quality at the bottom of the screen.


I know it is not the antenna or the signal. The techs at the station and Hauppauge don't have an answer.


Any ideas?

[dmagerl]

•I have manually reinstalled WMC, tried different zip codes, tried to manually add channels like 38.2, 39.1, etc. with no luck. WMC forces the .1 as in 39.1.

So you've never successfully manually added it?

You want to add it as 38.1 on ch39. WMC will allow you to have two entries for the same station, 38.1. Just name it different from the entry already in the guide so you can tell them apart.

There have been a couple postings on TGB where people say stations quit working and then resume working days/weeks later. The conclusion being something was wrong with the downloaded guide data. Manually adding the station should get around this problem.

[JJTech]

After having my WMC hack undone by the W10 anniversary update and not finding a suitable substitute to WMC I have spent way too much time going back to W7.

I have a Hauppauge 950q and installed their newly updated software WinTV V8.

I am getting every channel I did a month ago except for channel 38.1 (in Boston). For that channel I get the message "service is unavailable" in WMC. I had this channel strong and reliable a month ago under W7 and I can also see it in Win TV viewer.

WMC guide lists the correct program for that channel.

What's up with this???

Thanks!

After several long and frustrating weeks, Trip in VA found the answer! The station just added 38.2 and mistyped the TSID. WMC compares that to the guide and will not show it unless it agrees. I called the station, they changed it and it finally works!!! Many thanks to all that tried to figure this out and a special thanks to Trip in VA!

You can see the whole thread here: http://www.avsforum.com/forum/45-local- ... a-368.html

I have also included the results from TSReader in the attached files. Before and after the fix. You can see at the top of both files the change from 1357 to 1367.