Another Shot At AFA9015?

[createcoms]

I sold the POS Hauppage card that worked one minute then not the next and have purchased an external USB DVB-T dongle.

 

In finding old posts about the chip in question and the exact same problems I've encountered I thought I would bring it up anyways in case things have changed.

 

I have the most recent driver (buried in the ITE website) which is dated 24/06/2008 and has as it's version 8.6.24.1

 

http://www.ite.com.tw/EN/products_more.asp...=6&ID=15,62

 

Has the driver as well as details on the chip including documentation (maybe some clues there?)

 

Basically DVBViewer can see the tuner, but it cannot view or scan for channels (it appears to look for them but finds nothing).

 

The bundled KWorld Software called "HyperMediaCenter 3.6" is able to successfully scan and view channels.

 

I'm quite willing to debug this and provide whatever other information is requested - and try any alpha/beta binaries to probe the issue at hand.

 

Thanks!

 

-cc

 

support.zip

[Griga]

Try the following:

 

1) Open TransEdit. Click Info -> Configuration Folder. Close TransEdit.

 

2) Open TransEdit.ini from the configuration folder with a text editor. Search the [Hardware] section. Change the line Vendor.0=0 to Vendor.0=16. Save.

 

3) Relaunch TransEdit. Does scanning work?

[createcoms]

Try the following:

 

1) Open TransEdit. Click Info -> Configuration Folder. Close TransEdit.

 

2) Open TransEdit.ini from the configuration folder with a text editor. Search the [Hardware] section. Change the line Vendor.0=0 to Vendor.0=16. Save.

 

3) Relaunch TransEdit. Does scanning work?

 

I did this and it is still unable to pick any channels up.

[Griga]

Any TransEdit error messages?

 

Search for the file AF15BDAEX.dll on your hard disk. Does it exist somewhere?

[createcoms]

I re-ran the Transedit instructions you have me there and when it loaded after changing the Vendor variable it started with a small error window that said "Initializing the DVB device has failed. Performing a new hardware detection on Settings -> Hardware may help."

Of course doing that doesn't help.

 

 

I found AF15BDAEX.dll in my C:\windows\system32 folder

[Griga]

Performing a new hardware detection on Settings -> Hardware may help

It would reset the Vendor.0=16 entry, so no good idea in your case.

 

Initializing the DVB device has failed

Which means, TransEdit couldn't find the DLL, or the attempt to initialize the DLL failed for some reason. Copy it to the directory where TransEdit.exe is. Any change?

[createcoms]

No errors after doing that, but no channels either.....

[Griga]

No errors after doing that

Ok, one step further... in which country do you live? Which transponder list do you use for scanning (the one selected on the left side of the TransEdit main window)? Maybe the frequencies are a bit different in your country, and a special blind scan transponder list that I've provided here could help.

[createcoms]

I live in New Zealand and had constructed a transponder list with the known transponders. I tried your blindscan anyway and it found no channels

[Griga]

I live in New Zealand

Far out...

 

No errors after doing that

Are you sure the Vendor.0=16 entry is still there? "Detect Devices" and "Save" would reset it, as mentioned above.

 

Anyway... I have an AF9015 based dongle (TerraTec Cinergy XE MKII). TransEdit finds the AF15BDAEX.dll in Windows\System32 (why not on your PC?), and it works.

 

So I really wonder why it doesn't in your case. DVBViewer and TransEdit are not able to detect the KWorld dongle automatically as AF9015 based (can be fixed in the next versions), but the TransEdit.ini tweak should be enough to make it work. Maybe KWorld has customized the driver in an unhealthy way? I don't think so, because mostly vendors of cheap dongles take the reference driver provided by the chip manufacturer and only change vendor IDs and such. However, you never know...

[createcoms]

I'm happy to report with the latest beta of DVBViewer, we are now scanning successfully!!

 

But no actual picture

 

The signal strength meter seems haywire, it swings from 10% to 60% and spends good time at both amounts. The Hypermedia software is able to watch channels without interruption so the signal meter reading seems wrong.

 

 

hmmmm.

 

 

-cc

[Benarty]

[The swing is the problem.

 

If you use HTPC mode, go to HTPCHome, Info and see there the bitrate.

I think that it drops frequently too low and what happens in such case is:

 

First: video dissapears.

Then you still get audio.

 

If the speed drops further:

Sound dissapears too.

Then you still get subtitles (if used)

 

The last situation happens around 0,20mbps

 

 

Swing problem can be a louzy cable connection, so check connections.

 

Oh and: encrypted channels without valid smartcard = no video and no audio, just the EPG info works in that case.

[createcoms]

[The swing is the problem.

 

If you use HTPC mode, go to HTPCHome, Info and see there the bitrate.

I think that it drops frequently too low and what happens in such case is:

 

First: video dissapears.

Then you still get audio.

 

If the speed drops further:

Sound dissapears too.

Then you still get subtitles (if used)

 

The last situation happens around 0,20mbps

 

 

Swing problem can be a louzy cable connection, so check connections.

 

Oh and: encrypted channels without valid smartcard = no video and no audio, just the EPG info works in that case.

 

 

How long would it need to stay at 60% signal before being able to decode even just audio? Because it can be for more than a minute sitting at 60% with no picture or audio or EPG whatsoever.

 

And like I said, switching to the KWorld software which is also installed is able to give me picture and sound so how can it be that the signal is truly that bad?

 

thanks

 

-cc

[Griga]

It's quite simple: Obviously the driver requires some special handling. The KWorld software knows what it has to do (of course), DVBViewer doesn't.

 

And the solution is also quite simple. If you want to use DVBViewer, buy another DVB-T dongle that is more compliant with the BDA standard. It will save a lot of time and efforts. Fighting endlessly with a particular one doesn't pay, because these dongles are that cheap nowadays...

[createcoms]

As far as ITE is aware their driver IS compliant and they've sent an email to DVBViewer authors stating as much and saying they are quite willing to work together to ensure DVBViewer is able to use it. So I think in light of that fighting endlessly until we achieve success is appropriate.

[createcoms]

Latest beta: we are working!!!! Thanks to the developers!