Windows Media Center setup problems

I have been fighting the Windows Media Center TV tuner configuration routines for two months. I have an HP Pavilion m9060n with a single tuner, and am trying to connect it to a simple, single-channel analog Dish Network output on channel 3. Two months of back and forth with HP Pavilion support has accomplished nothing, but then i believe i am mostly fighting a brain-dead WMC configuration routine, rather than the hardware. Who do i turn to for help?

What tuner you have?
Vista or MCE 2005 OS?
Do you have the IR blaster?

richard myers:

...trying to connect it to a simple, single-channel analog Dish Network output on channel 3...

Is there any way you could change it to use a composite or s-video?  I think that would make your setup go much more easily.

I have Vista 32 bit. The tuner is VIXS Pure TV-U 48B0 (NTSC/ATSC combo)

I do have the IR blaster, and it works. However, the software does not support proper channel changes. The problem is not with sending the correct digits, but rather with processing the digits that have been sent. In other words, if i key in a number, the number is somewhat reliably transmitted to the PC, and the PC sends a number to the Dish Network receiver via the IR blaster. However, the number isn't properly acted upon. The channel may change, but not to the proper number. If i key in 200, the channel may be changed to 2, or 20, or 0.

I note that there are different options for inputting data, including pressing an "enter" type key. I've experimented extensively, but the WMC interface for such experimentation is absolutely awful. It tries to assume what i want, and doesn't offer a list of options. Making changes is awkward because one must go through the entire routine to do so. But also, one doesn't have any idea what options are available at any point in time.

 Getting a working configuration routine is difficult, but (if i manage to get through the earlier setup) later setup choices blow away earlier setup details. For example, telling the software truthfully that i am using Dish Network makes the software suddenly believe that i have a Digital Antenna, and blows away my analog channel 3 settings. Why should it do that? (And why didn't it ask whether i have Dish Network earlier in the setup process?)

 The help folks at HP don't have a clue what to do. They don't even know the right questions to ask, because it is impossible (as far as i can tell) to determine what the settings are.

When i worked in the Information Center at AT&T many years ago, we had a term for such software: it is brain-dead. The only solution, as far as i can tell, is either scrapping the entire interface, or providing an external configuration utility. If there's another way to deal with these setup problems, i cannot find it. And i've been through the WMC setup, and "setup again" menus dozens of times.

thanks
best wishes,
richard myers 

 

These Dish Network receivers (I have 2 of them, both model 322) output on channel 3 analog, or on channel 60 analog by default. These are new receivers, so that is the standard when you have analog TVs in the house. It should work.

 I'm willing to explore other options at some point in time, but it makes sense to try to get the setup to work the way it is designed to work, at least for now.  

best wishes,
richard myers 

 

richard myers:

I have Vista 32 bit. The tuner is VIXS Pure TV-U 48B0 (NTSC/ATSC combo)

I do have the IR blaster, and it works. However, the software does not support proper channel changes. The problem is not with sending the correct digits, but rather with processing the digits that have been sent. In other words, if i key in a number, the number is somewhat reliably transmitted to the PC, and the PC sends a number to the Dish Network receiver via the IR blaster. However, the number isn't properly acted upon. The channel may change, but not to the proper number. If i key in 200, the channel may be changed to 2, or 20, or 0.

thanks
best wishes,
richard myers 

Try this link for the incorrect numbers received by the cable box  http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/263830.aspx

 I've been using Windows since 3.0 and 3.1, and maybe i have unreasonable expectations that the interface won't keep coming up with new "tricks" to play on the user. I discovered yesterday that Windows Vista hides the interface to unhide directories. More specifically, when using Windows Explorer, one must press the ALT key to get the menu that allows one to unhide directories. The unhide mechanism is itself hidden...

Is Windows Vista so intent on protecting me from myself that such user-unfriendliness is the norm?

More to the point, are there hidden menus in the WMC software, as there are in Windows Explorer?

thanks,
best wishes,
richard myers 

 

I am having a similiar problem with a new Sony desktop, and a pair of new combo ati tuners. I am supposed to be able to revieve analog and digital cahnnels with the combo tuners. Sony thinks it is a software issue. I am wondering is WMC is actually compatible with any tv tuners!

can you tell me what model the tuner card is?