Studio PCTV pro (tv tuner) $29 after MIR @ Compusa (Win XP compatible)

[LiLRiceBoi]

i get sound in dscaler when audio is set to radio.

i'm running 2000.

 

[csh102]

Thanks to you guys, I am having fun with this card.
I am using the drivers from sourceforge.net under window xp.
Right now, I am playing with Powervcr.
Other than the poor sound quality, I am happy with the Instant replay.
Also, the remote is great.
So far, I can turn on the powervcr, change the channel, mute, full screen with this remote.
Does anyone know anyother keyboard shortcut for the PowerVCR?

 

[TheVisioneer]

Pleeeese HELP! Here is the situation. I have WIN XP OS. I downloaded pinnacle studio software and xp upgrade from .de site and installed it on PC. Everything went fine. It detected the card and all the tests and everything went fine. But when I start the PCTV Vision I get very blurred image. And I get the message box stating if I am using it first time and when I try put the mouse there on ok icon whole screen freezes and I have to switch off the system. I tried to reinstall the software several times. And changed the position of the tv card to a different slot. But nothing seems to help. I would appreicate if any has undergone same situation or any other tips. I would really really appreicate as I have already spent almost 15 hours on this crappy card. Thanks a lot.

 

[TheVisioneer]

CSH102 Could you PM me the exact location of the XP drivers on sourceforge.net . I would appreicate. Thanks a bunch.

 

[csh102]

Visioneer: Can't you see I am a newbie? I don't know how to PM.

For the generic WDM driver, goto http://btwincap.sourceforge.net/download.html
and get btwdmdrvinstaller5.2.0.zip
(You know that pctv vision would not work with WDM, right?
It's my understanding that one can use either powervcr or pctv vision, not both)

During the installation, I left both card and tuner to autodetect.
And ignored win xp's warning twice.

 

[TheVisioneer]

Well I was able to play TV and capture TV. But there is no sound? csh102 -Thanks anyway. May be I should tinker around a bit more and see what happens. Thanks.

 

[Chrono]

newbies!
;o
oh well

 

[Apoc8]

I got mine working on XP Pro with no problems at all on the first try. I didn't even bother opening the CD in the package. I just d/led the drivers/software package from the Pinnacle German site and ran the program. When it asked to reset my computer, I shut down, put my card in and rebooted. Then XP loaded and detected my new hardware and found the driver. Loaded up PCTVision and been watching TV ever since. My sounds connected to the auxiliary in on my SB Live, no humming or hissing. Dscaler works using the settings someone gave above, those are exactly how I got it to work as well. I tried capturing, but it would just stop all of a sudden at random points, so I just said forget it. I'm fine just watching TV with it . Hope this helps some of you!

 

[TheVisioneer]

Apoc-8 How many channels are you getting. I just get eight channels out of 65 channels. I wonder
why it is like that. Any ideas. Thanks.

 

[LiLRiceBoi]

The Visioneer, are you using DScaler?

 

[Apoc8]

TheVisioneer-

I get all of my channels. I'm running PCTVision. I just let it do an autoscan when it loaded up when I ran it for the first time. If you go into the settings, under the Channel tab, you can tell it to do an auto-scan again. You can also manually add channels from the channel tab. Also, you might want to check under the Video tab and make sure you've selected TV Tuner as your video input, although since you get some channels, that probably isn't the problem.

 

[TheVisioneer]

liLRiceBoy - I am using trial version of power vcr. I tried my best to get it working with the
PCTVision (latest version from .de which has XP support) but I could not. Apoc-8 I did autoscan
but I am still but I am unable to get. May be trial version has some limitations. Anyway I will keep trying. Thanks.

 

[LiLRiceBoi]

What drivers are you using?

 

[Apoc8]

I d/led the trial version of PowerVCR too and couldn't get it to work. I was just interested in the capturing aspect, I think the capture drivers from Pinnacle's website are messed up cuz I have no problems watching TV.

 

[LiLRiceBoi]

get some WDM drivers. They have a beta WDM driver at pinnacle.de, but you might want to try the sourceforge drivers instead.

 

[soma]

I d/led the trial version of PowerVCR too and couldn't get it to work. I was just interested in the capturing aspect, I think the capture drivers from Pinnacle's website are messed up cuz I have no problems watching TV.


Download
mjpeg codec

Use virtualdub

Select the PCTV channel. Close the application

1.Launch VirtualDub and select File->Capture AVI
2.Select Video->Format
352x240

3. Select Video->Compression and select PICVideo MJPEG Codec.

4. Then Select Capture->Capture video

 

[Spamela]

i installed my new PCTV pro card & software on XP Pro according to the Pinnacle website instructions for XP here.

i put the card in the slot closest to my AGP card. my system nuked with a blue screen when i restarted. safe mode nuked. last known good configuration nuked. i had to use the XP recovery console to rename the 3 driver files to get my system in a bootable state.

so, can anyone tell me the definitive, step-by-step process for installation on XP?
(abandon Pinnacle software/drivers and use XXX instead?). thanks.

 

[geckojohn]

Hey,

Does anyone know of a good PVR recording software that works well with DScaler or with Windows XP? It would help if it were free also...

thanks

 

[TechManager]

An update for the "hummers" (those with a hum in their system after installing this card):
Based on some suggestions from here, I am no longer using the external jumper for sound. I am using an internal 4 prong to 4 prong cable from the "audio out" on the Tuner card to the "TAD" in (whatever that means) on my Soundblaster Live Value card (shipped with my Gateway PC). I then muted "TAD" and "Microphone" in my volume properties (had to click on "advanced" to show the volume for "TAD") with the tuner app closed, and my hum is gone- until I open the tuner app (but then the TV sound overtakes the hum, pretty much)

Now for the FM tuner- I bought an adapter from Radio Shack for the coax FM port on the back and have
connected an anntenna to it- but still get almost no stations- any ideas anyone?

Also, dscaler gives me no audio.. hummm... what gives?

-Daniel

 

[Bob/NYC]

TechManager:
Thanks for the TAD tip. I missed that one... Cable TV coax wont give FM and I have to find another splitter for my roof antenna, for dscaler.

Various WDM drives all crashed, on W98lite-SE. WinVCR 2.0 does solve the capture problem, with PCTV drivers.

 

[TechManager]

<< TechManager:
Thanks for the TAD tip. I missed that one... Cable TV coax wont give FM and I have to find another splitter for my roof antenna, for dscaler. >>



To clairify:
My Studio card has 2 COAX inputs- one for cable, one for FM. I have one of these: Radio Shack Connector plugged into the FM input and then I have an FM antenna screwed into that- and still little or no signal...
What gives?

 

[JustX]

The part you are showing from RS is called a matching transformer and is meant to be used between a standard 75ohm input connector on a TV and a 300 ohm output from a CATV House antenna. You say that you are connecting an FM antenna which means that you really don't need to do a transformation to effectively match the two items in question (PCTV card input to FM antenna output). The matching transformer by its very nature will have losses associated with it that will needlessly attenuate your FM signal and in addition you have actually inserted a mis-match between your PCTV input and FM antenna output. See if RS has a mechanical conversion that does not do an impedance transformation, even a cluidge would be better than the matching transformer.

 

[Bob/NYC]

Looks like Dscaler is video/TV tuner only, with no FM tuner function after installing a coax roof TV antenna spliter. I only loaded the drivers, not Pinnacle's software...which I don't want.

 

[geckojohn]

Can you record from Dscaler?

 

[Dealoholic]

worked first time here with XP Pro, German software, Soundblaster 5.1.
PCTV drivers feel good for viewing. FM also working.