Pinnacle PCTV HD USB 2.0 Stick 23049

[walterh1223]

Hi All,
I am trying to setup a new media center windows 7 X64. I have a couple issues.

1. I have 2 of the above tuners and am trying to get an OTA ATSC signal. The issue is it doesn't seem to pickup ABC/USA when going through this USB stick. When I plug straight into my TV with my amplified Antenna same Antenna being used on the USB Stick my TV picks up those channels so I know I have the signal I am VERY close to all the towers. When I plug the coaxial from my wall(where my cable would come through) my Tuner picks up ABC/USA and none of the other channels that it picks up OTA. So I figured I could set both tuners up using ATSC because that's what they have to be on to pick up those signals, but then when I try and use the guide it doesn't switch to the proper tuner when I select a channel. Even when I clear out the channels per each tuner via the setup tv signal. I would think WMC would be smart enough to say okay channel 7.1 and 9.1 are on tuner X and channel 5.1 and 2.1 are on tuner Y and switch to the tuners with those channels.

Any help would be greatly appreciated I feel like I am very close to having my media center setup and ready! On a side note I would prefer to have my tuner work like my TVs built in tuner and detect all the OTA channels I need vs the rig I am using.

Thanks,
Walter

[hooraah]

Sometimes some tuners are more sensitive compared to tuners that are built into TVs. First, I would try using your antenna to go through the 'signal strength' scan in windows media center and take a look at the signal strength for ABC. It might be right on the border of signal quality. If you get 0 signal, then you might have another configuration issue.

Second - what do you mean when you say you connect the tuner to where your cable WOULD come from the wall? Do you have cable TV or not? If yes, you're probably picking up ABC as clear QAM. The other networks (NBC, CBS, FOX) used to come through on clearQAM but cable companies have been encrypting them of late. If no, you're still probably getting clearQAM because the cable service is still connected.

If you have cable TV and you are connecting a tuner to the cable line to get clearQAM, make sure you use that option when you set up the tuner (don't use ATSC).

Last, remove the amplifier from the antenna if you're only connecting 1 device to the antenna.

I can get into the whole "tuner X for channel 5, tuner Y for channel 9" thing if these suggestions don't work.