HP Hybrid TV Tuner & Time Warner Cable

[mksinnc]

Hi-

I have a recently purchased Dv8-1200 CTO with the built in hybrid TV tuner. According to a telephone rep I spoke to when ordering from HP, the tuner would receive the analog channels over cable. I do receive the Clear QAM channels; some in HD. The tuner detects the analog channels but the picture is awful an the sound has lots of static. For instance: Channel 4 is unwatchable while 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 & 4.4 are fine.

A call to tech support provided no help. I actually chose this computer over other models for the TV tuner. Any ideas on a resolution will be greatly appreciated.

The only tuner info in the device properties list AverMedia Technologies but no model number. The HP (strictly analog) on my old machine was receiving the analog channels.

OS: Win 7 Pro 64bit

[rosewall]

I have the same or similar problem, different cable provider. All forms of digital reception are perfect, antenna and cable. Analog reception whether from the cable or directly from a VCR is spoiled by horizontal lines dashing across the screen 3 to about 20 at a time.  So far HP support has sent me 2 replacement tv tuners which have the same result. My son used a computer tv tuner all through college with excellent reception. I give up trying to solve this through HP support.

[gemret]

I also have a problem with my  HP Pavilion Notebook PC, Model dv9827cl, with Windows Media Center and USB HP P/N 488143-001 / #4708 TV tuner with remote control. The label on the tuner states it is a ATSC / QAM HD TV receiver cable compatible apparatus. I am trying to receive Time Warner's digital QAM channels. I do not have a cable box. I have attached the coax cable to the tuner. I can receive the analog channels but my problem is that I cannot add or receive the  QAM channels because they all have a decimal point in the channel number, Example 88.1,105.9, 110.2 etc.. My HP remote does not have a button to enter a decimal point. I have tried to enter channel numbers from my laptop keyboard by going Windows Media Center and in settings adding these channel numbers but it will not accept numbers with decimal points. I have no problems entering these numbers with my Sony remote into my Sony TV (without a cable box) and the same coax cable. I can't  understand difference.  

[mksinnc]

I've had new adventures since my original post. My old HP USB analog tuner works (It came with a ZD8220 XP PRO machine). Win 7 downloaded & installed a driver which gave not quite perfect but acceptable reception. The trick was to keep Media center from installing the analog tuner from the internal tuner. Now I have the same large clunky box back on my desk. SIGH!!! As much as I love to pick on TWC this experiment convinced me the fault lies with the TV tuner.

My choice of this computer was heavily influenced by the availability of the tuner. I really don't want to return this computer but I would like some resolution a lot this problem. Preferably soon.

Is anyone from AVER Technologies out there?

[mksinnc]

More adventures with the HP Hybrid TV tuner. A beta software/driver update is available. I hope others have better luck than I did. After installation my TV tuner was completely gone. Luckily I had a restore point with the original drivers. It came back. Lasted till MS installed a media center update. Gone again.

[videobruce]

To mksinnc:

1. What Laptop model, processor, video chipset,

2. Is this a USB tuner, Express card or internal tuner?

3.  Analog channels will look worse than digital and will be nosier mostly due to all th digital carriers in the system. Of course this is on top of the fact analog CATV channels were always noisy,

4. Analog channel four is physical channel four, digital channels 4.1, 4.2, etc. are NOT physical channel four. What the actually are, you would have to have a tuner that doesn't map to the virtual channel number.

 5. I never set anything to "auto" anything, especially updates. M$ included. I install what I want and believe I need, what someone else thinks I need.

6. Choose a restore point prior to any tuner installed, or remove ALL drivers to both tuners from Windows and from the registry. If you don't know how to edit the registry have someone else do it. You no doubt have many leftover files scattered all over the place that are probably conflicting.

Frankly, I would wipe the HDD, partition it if it isn't already partitioned (90% don't) and re-install the O/S. NOT what you got from HP, but a fresh copy of what you want (as long as it isn't Vista). Then, install all of your drivers (except the tuner) and your programs. Image the drive, save the image so you can go back (not the restore process, but a separate image from 3rd party software. I use True Image.

You do have up to date backup copies of all the SP's of all your drivers don't you??

[videobruce]

To rosewall;

1. What does a stand alone TV look like?

2. That type of RF interference could be CATV related or outside interference from something you own (or a neighbor).

3. Have you tried another location in the house or better yet basement?

[videobruce]

To gemret;

Most remotes should have either a 'dot' or a 'dash' (. or -). You can always just enter the whole physical channel number (the ones you mentioned as opposed to what the OP talked about) and press enter. Then scan up from there assuming all the sub channels are in the channel table.