Pinnacle 510e DVB-C tuning

[Marin Stavrev]

Hello,

 

I have a pinnacle hybrid USB dongle (Pinnacle PCTV 510e). I've used it without any issues for more than 6 months - watching DVB-C cable broadcasts (unencrypted by the cable provider).

 

Recently I've switched to another cable provider (also no encryption enforced), who naturally has different frequency set of its transponders. I'm able to tune to about 80% of the channels. There are 3 transponders, which I cannot tune to. I noticed a discrepancy between the frequency I input in the channel scan dialog and the actual frequency that is shown above the progress bar. For ex. I try to scan for channels on a transponder 207000 KHz, SR:6875; when I press Scan Frequency, the progress shows that it has locked to 205500 MHz and does not find any channels (all though PAT light is green). I also have a STB and a TV with DVB-C tuner. Both devices tune to this transponder frequency without problem and discover channels.

 

Is this a problem of the 510e hardware/driver, may be it cannot tune to just any frequency?

 

Anyway, thanks for the great program!

[Griga]

Are you using a transponder list for scanning? Try TransEdit (download from the members area). It allows to edit transponder lists, add/change/delete frequencies etc.

 

And please attach the file TransEdit.ini here (see Info -> Configuration Folder in TransEdit). The file will be present after you've closed the app for the first time. I'd like to see the entries created by TransEdit for your device, because sometimes drivers for these hybrid USB dongles are showing a strange behaviour, and we are collecting all available information about the matter...

[Marin Stavrev]

Hello,

 

I've downloaded and ran the TransEdit application. I'm attaching the TransEdit.ini file that was initially created by this procedure:

- Running the app

- Going to Settings/Hardware, pressing "Detect Devices" (I've noticed no change in the list already present)

- Exiting the application

 

I then added manually the transponder frequency, SR and modulation - all of which I know for sure. Unfortunatelly, using neither Analyse, nor Scan Selected could tune - something that works in the DVBViewer application. I've tried setting the preference in Settings/Hardware similarly to how the 3 pseudo DVB devices are configured in the DVBViewer - no luck. The TransEdit is unable to tune to any transponder frequency - even those which are matching by value in DVBViewer and the commercial STB box (and the TV I have).

 

Regards

TransEdit.ini

[Griga]

TransEdit is unable to tune to any transponder frequency

...and I know why

 

There are two driver types for your kind of hybrid device (also available as Hauppauge 930C and TerraTec HTC). The old one didn't expose the DVB-C tuner, so a pseudo DVB-C device had to be added, requiring a special handling. The new driver exposes the DVB-C tuner and doesn't need/want this handling anymore. That's why you can see three tuner entries in TransEdit.

 

TransEdit isn't prepared for it, because you are the first one reporting a new driver for the Pinnacle Quatro 510e here. I'll change it in the next release.

 

Until then replace your TransEdit.ini by the attached one. I've corrected some of the hardware entries. Please let me know how it works, and don't perform Detect Devices, because it will restore the previous (wrong) entries.

 

Anyway - I recommended TransEdit as a transponder list editor. Did it solve your problem?

TransEdit.ini

[Marin Stavrev]

Cheers,

 

Thank you for the quick reaction. Your solution for TransEdit worked 100% (attached a screen-shot of the Analyzer view for proof). The 183 MHz transponder is also carrying the NIT table for my provider, which I was hoping would allow me to be up-to-date with the "official" channel list all the time.

 

Now, after TransEdit can correctly tune, the only issue would be how to make the DVBViewer application do the same?

Best regards

[Griga]

Now, after TransEdit can correctly tune, the only issue would be how to make the DVBViewer application do the same?

Provided

 

- TransEdit.exe has been stored in the DVBViewer installation folder (where DVBViewer.exe is), so that TransEdit and DVBViewer Pro share the same configuration folder

 

- you have created a working & complete transponder list with TransEdit and saved it in this configuration folder (should be the case after editing an already existing transponder list and clicking Save)

 

DVBViewer Pro should be able to use it for scanning as well with the same results.

[Griga]

P.S. And, of course, you can export the TransEdit scan results to the DVBViewer channel list:

 

http://www.DVBViewer.com/griga/TransEdit%20E/ScannerWindow.html#ChannelList

[Marin Stavrev]

Everything works now as expected

 

Thank you very much.