Windows Media Center problem?

N7AS · 22 Apr 2013

I watch TV with Windows Media Center and a Hauppauge WinTV-DCR-2650 Dual Tuner CableCARD receiver. I have been having problems in that the picture and audio freezes and have to reboot the CableCARD box. I get the Following message in WindowsMediaCenter:

Viewing or Listening Conflict
No tuner available to satisfy the current request.

This happens 5 or 6 times per day and I am getting tired of reseting the tuner box.
When I had my 32' HDTV this would also happen, but not as often. I simply turned off the TV and back on again. We have Comcast Cable. They are clueless and want to send a tech, but I think they will try to tell me that it's my equipment and want to bill me for a service call. I still think it's on their end.

Does anyone have any idea of what is causing this?

Indianatone · 22 Apr 2013

Hi Grant.
Is there any way of checking the signal level and more importantly the error rate if this is digital cable. You should be able to check it from media center set up. Freezing video and audio and locking up the system is usually a poor signal issue as the decoder will "hang on to the last video" received. If you get pixelization this is another indication of weak signals. Does this happen on the same channels?

N7AS · 23 Apr 2013

The signal level is ok here. I don't get pixelization at all and it does not happen on just one channel.

HowardGilbert · 27 Apr 2013

The Hauppague 2650 connects to a PC with a USB cable, but it presents the image of a device connected over a LAN adapter. It has an IP address and the connection appears in the list of LAN adapters. The problem you are experiencing occurs (among other situations) if the connection between the PC and the device is broken, either by a USB problem (cable, hub, ???) or by a glitch in the LAN/Internet configuration. For example, though this is unlikely to be the problem, if the Windows Internet Connection Sharing Service is ever enabled and started then the 2650 stops functioning as a TV tuner. That is not the problem here because you cannot fix the ICS problem without disabling the service, but it is an example of an Internet/ LAN Adapter utility, configuration, driver type of change that can glitch a 2650. In the Start Menu, click in Hauppauge Win/TV on the Web interface to see if you can get to the device during the glitch. If you cannot bring up the page, look for something physical like a flaky USB cable. If you can get to the device as a Web page, but not as a TV tuner, then in my experience it is some network software conflict like the ICS service getting in the way.

N7AS · 28 Apr 2013

Thanks HowardGilbert,

I was aware it presents itself as a LAN device. Well, here is an update.

I had Comcast come over a couple of days ago. I was also having a signal problem as the cable modem was acting strange and the internet would go out a few times a day and come back on its own. We found a pinched cable behind the wall plate and fixed that and also rewired a couple of 2-way splitters feeding the modem and 2 CableCARD boxes. That evening I still had the freezing problem so the next day I contacted Hauppauge and they said to try a firmware upgrade by downloading the full CD as the seperate firmware upgrade was an older version. Ever since the upgrade, I have not had a problem.My internet speed came up a little bit also.

The only thing I wish I could fix is that Windows Media Center is hogging resources and am getting high cpu core temps. Its am AMD FX-6120 6 core 3.5GHz. Before I bring up WMC I get about 27C and after WMC loads it climbes to around 57c to 59C. I wanted to install a Corsair H60, but the rear fan on this HP H8-1234 is smaller than the 120mm that comes with the H60. So I will have to do something else to cool things down.