Hauppage 2250 and Clear QAM

[will]

Hello,

I just built my first SageTV server last night. I am running the latest version of SageTV on Windows 2003 and using an HD-200 to stream to my TV.

I went with a Hauppage 2250 as my first tuner. I thought it would be a great choice because it has dual tuners and supports Clear QAM. I eventually plan to add two HD-PVRs (and two SA HD cable boxes) to the mix and I am hoping the 2250 is a good foundation to build upon.

Analog is working great with the 2250 and I am using the latest drivers from Hauppage's website. I haven't tried recording yet as I literally finished setting this up at 4 AM last night. The problem I am having is I can't figure out how to tune Clear QAM Channels. I tried setting up the tuners as Digital Tuners but it does not locate any channels and I can't view analog channels when in Digital Tuner mode. I use Time Warner Cable and I know they broadcast the basic channels (Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC) in Clear QAM.

Is there anything special I need to take into account to setup the Hauppage 2250 with SageTV? I read in another post that you may have to setup the tuner as analog and then switch to digital, I tried that (at least I think I did) but I still couldn't find any HD channels.

Thanks for the help.
Will

[ChaOConnor]

Welcome! So, just to be clear, if you're starting from scratch and setup one of the tuners in the 2250 for Digital TV and then do a full channel scan, you get nothing? But you know for a fact that if you were to just plug your cable into a TV w/ a QAM tuner you'd get channels?
Let me know, I'm using a 2250 and have it working so I want to try and diag what's going on with you.

[will]

When I set the tuner up as digital should I also select the digital cable station guide? I have only selected basic and Sage stops scanning in the low 100's. I am not getting any of the digital channels.

Also, if I put it in digital will I only be able to receive the Clear QAM with that tuner. Is there anyway to have both tuners work in analog and clear qam mode? I am going home for lunch so I will try setting the tuner to digital and the guide to digital and see what I get when I do a full channel scan.

[ChaOConnor]

Hmm... I only use the digital tuner and I get tall the channels. They may come in as digital channels, but they're clearly the old analog ones. Meaning, I get ABC plus ABC HD, etc.

Try doing it as just digital with a digital epg (if that's the service you have). Let me know what you get, good luck!

[sic0048]

Stick you zip code into the Silicondust Channel Finder to make sure what clear QAM channels you actually get.

(Make sure you choose the Digital Cable option via the pull down menu at the top. This is after you put in your zip code and press enter. The default view is of the OTA ATSC channels you receive in your area).

[Oats]

Originally Posted by will

Hello,
Analog is working great with the 2250 and I am using the latest drivers from Hauppage's website. I haven't tried recording yet as I literally finished setting this up at 4 AM last night. The problem I am having is I can't figure out how to tune Clear QAM Channels. I tried setting up the tuners as Digital Tuners but it does not locate any channels and I can't view analog channels when in Digital Tuner mode. I use Time Warner Cable and I know they broadcast the basic channels (Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC) in Clear QAM.

Is there anything special I need to take into account to setup the Hauppage 2250 with SageTV? I read in another post that you may have to setup the tuner as analog and then switch to digital, I tried that (at least I think I did) but I still couldn't find any HD channels.

Thanks for the help.
Will

The digital tuner can't tune analog channels, so it is normal in the digital tuner setup to not be able to tune analog.

When I setup my 2250 a few weeks ago I selected Digital Tuner, then let it do a full channel scan. Here is the weird part, when I did a scan with tuner 1 the scan was different than with tuner 2. Did you try the channel scan with both tuners? One was obviously wrong because it was missing a bunch of channels that I get with the TV connected to the cable.

Originally Posted by will

When I set the tuner up as digital should I also select the digital cable station guide? I have only selected basic and Sage stops scanning in the low 100's. I am not getting any of the digital channels.

Also, if I put it in digital will I only be able to receive the Clear QAM with that tuner. Is there anyway to have both tuners work in analog and clear qam mode? I am going home for lunch so I will try setting the tuner to digital and the guide to digital and see what I get when I do a full channel scan.

It doesn't matter which guide you choose, I tried it both ways and it found the same channels either way. It was easier to do the remapping with the digital guide though.

To get both tuners working in analog and qam you have to add them each twice. Add tuner 1 and set it up as an analog tuner. Add tuner 2 and set it up as an analog tuner. Add tuner 1 again, but this time choose digital tuner. Add tuner 2 again and choose digital tuner.

[will]

I vareifeid through Silicondust Channel Finder that Time Warner does offer all of the basic channels (Fox, CBS, ABC, NBC) in HD.

I tried the channel scan again last night using digital on both tuners and still could not find anything. SageTV reports my sources as the 2250 Analog tuner and 2250 Analog tuner #2, could there be a driver issue that is causing SageTV to only see my tuners as analog?

[ChaOConnor]

Originally Posted by will

I vareifeid through Silicondust Channel Finder that Time Warner does offer all of the basic channels (Fox, CBS, ABC, NBC) in HD.

I tried the channel scan again last night using digital on both tuners and still could not find anything. SageTV reports my sources as the 2250 Analog tuner and 2250 Analog tuner #2, could there be a driver issue that is causing SageTV to only see my tuners as analog?

No, that's correct that it says Analog (don't know why, but it does on my system and I get digital channels).

Question for you, can you try installing the WinTV software that comes w/ the 2250 (download the latest version from the Hauppauge site) and verify you can get digital channels with that.

That will at least tell us if it's the card or Sage.

[will]

Originally Posted by ChaOConnor

Question for you, can you try installing the WinTV software that comes w/ the 2250 (download the latest version from the Hauppauge site) and verify you can get digital channels with that.

Can the WinTV software cause any complications with SageTV? I read on one of the posts that having the WinTV software installed prevented SageTV from working properly (the only reason why I haven't installed it yet).

[ChaOConnor]

No, I've never had any trouble. You can't run them together at the same time as they'll have the tuners locked, but that won't be an issue for you. We're simply trying to diag where your problem lies. After we fix it, feel free to uninstall the WinTV software if you like.

[Marooned]

I too am having the same issue. I have a Hauppauge 2500, 1600 and AverMedia VolarMax. Sage does recognize all of the cards and does indeed find the 2250 but displays it at as 7164 Analog but based upon previous posts that is not an issue. As previous posts have stated mine will also find only analog not digital. If I tell Sage to use the digital tuner with digital cable EPG and perform a channel scan it doesn't find anything. And if I enable channels I KNOW work, when I go to view them I get "no signal". I know for a fact the cards work and QAM works because I have been using them in the same pc with Windows 7 Media Center perfectly.
Any suggestions?
Thank you.

[ChaOConnor]

Just to be sure, you're all using the drivers from here correct?

Okay, so if you can see it in WinTV or Windows MCE then it's Sage...

If you don't mind re-installing your 2250, let's try this:
- Go into Sage, remove both capture devices. Shut down Sage (shut down the service if you're running that too.)
- Run HCWCLEAR found here.
- Reboot your machine and when the detect new hardware screen comes up, cancel out of it.
- Run the driver install from above (located here)
- Go back into Sage (the service will be running already because you rebooted) and re-add the Tuners in this order:
-- Device #1 - Analog
-- Device #1 - Digital
- Break here and verify you're getting digital channels. If so, repeat w/ Device #2.

I'm kind of at a loss for why it's not working for you two, I hope this will zero everyone out and we'll be starting from scratch.

Let me know how it works!

[will]

Originally Posted by ChaOConnor

Just to be sure, you're all using the drivers from here correct?

Okay, so if you can see it in WinTV or Windows MCE then it's Sage...

If you don't mind re-installing your 2250, let's try this:
- Go into Sage, remove both capture devices. Shut down Sage (shut down the service if you're running that too.)
- Run HCWCLEAR found here.
- Reboot your machine and when the detect new hardware screen comes up, cancel out of it.
- Run the driver install from above (located here)
- Go back into Sage (the service will be running already because you rebooted) and re-add the Tuners in this order:
-- Device #1 - Analog
-- Device #1 - Digital
- Break here and verify you're getting digital channels. If so, repeat w/ Device #2.

I'm kind of at a loss for why it's not working for you two, I hope this will zero everyone out and we'll be starting from scratch.

Let me know how it works!

It worked! I removed the drivers and SageTV and reinstalled using the drivers you linked to. I am now getting all the Clear QAM HD channels. Thank you so much for your help.

I can't wait to get my first HD-PVR and start getting all the digital cable channels.

Thanks again.

[ChaOConnor]

GREAT!!! Awesome to hear it worked, good luck w/ the rest. Haven't gotten a HD-PVR myself yet, I'm waiting till after CES to see if they launch a new one. I am going to pick up a HD HomeRun after Christmas. I already got a digital TV antenna that I'm putting in my attic, going to incorporate some OTA channels to my lineup!

[will]

Originally Posted by ChaOConnor

I'm waiting till after CES to see if they launch a new one.

Great point, I think I will wait as well. I have you read anything that hints at an update (not including cable card stuff that doesn't apply to SageTV)?

[Marooned]

Thank you for your response. It did work. I wasn't sure if I was going the right route or not but it seemed to have been the wrong one. Finally I use SageTV.
This was greatly appreciated!!!!

[ChaOConnor]

Originally Posted by will

Great point, I think I will wait as well. I have you read anything that hints at an update (not including cable card stuff that doesn't apply to SageTV)?

No, nothing definite... more speculation. The HD-PVR is the only product like it, but it's had some problems. I'm thinking there may be an update to the hardware to help solve some of those problems... maybe a new cooling system? We'll see!

[ChaOConnor]

Originally Posted by Marooned

Thank you for your response. It did work. I wasn't sure if I was going the right route or not but it seemed to have been the wrong one. Finally I use SageTV.
This was greatly appreciated!!!!

Fantastic!!! Enjoy your SageTV!!!