Artec T14A Mini USB 2.0 HDTV tuner [Text View]

jimwhite

07-08-06, 10:03 AM

How about this one?? It adds NTSC and QAM !!!!

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA48730

Mwave Part Number: AA48730

Manufacturer Part Number: FDUSB728

Manufacturer Web Site: www.fujiplus.com

Description:

Advanced TV Application Watch atsc/ntsc TV on your PC, instantly playback or fast-forward live programs any time you like.
Digital Personal Video Recording you can record your digital TV programs to your hard disk, and play them back in full original digital quality!
High Definition & Crystal Clear Video Quality Experience the crystal clear video quality of HDTV at high resolution up to 1080i
Features:

HDTV ATSC DTV Receiving
Support NTSC and Analog TV System
MPEG II DxVA Accelerator Support
HDTV Real Time Recording and Scheduling Recording
Analog TV Real Time Recording and Scheduling Recording
Wakeup the System for Recording when PC is in Sleep Mode
DTV Time-Shifting
Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
Closed Caption
Single / Multiple Still Frame Picture Capture (BMP)
Multi Channel Preview
Channels Auto Scan
Scan by Easy / Advance Mode
Off-Center Frequency Scan
Favorite List with LCN support
Multi DTV Language Audio Support
Classify TV Program Management
4:3 / 16:9 Screen Aspect Ratio
Video Adjustment
Parental Control Password
Antenna Utility
Signal Strength / Quantity Indicator
USB Bus Power Only
IR Remote Controller Support
Software Upgradeable

Technical Information:

Tuner

Input Terminal: 75 Ohm Male F Connector
Receiving Frequency: 42 ~ 862 MHz
Operation Condition Temperature Range: -10? ~ 60?
Support MCPC and SCPC
VSB & QAM

Fully ATSC Compliant
ATSC A/53 compliant 8/16VSB and MMDS 2/4/8VSB receiver
ITU-T J.83 Annex B/C, SCTE DVS-031 compliant 64/256QAM receiver
Integrated 10-bit A/D converter
All digital demodulation
Parallel/Serial MPEG-2 transport interface
Supports I2C bus interface
Boundary Scan Test circuit complies to the IEEE Std. 1149.1
Supports 44MHz IF input as well as low IF input (6MHz)
Operating voltage (I/O, Core): 3.3V & 1.8V
USB Interface

Universal Serial Bus 2.0 Standard
Digital Transport Stream Support
Up to 30 MB/sec isochroous Video Pipe Transfer
Up to 0.2 MB/sec isochroous Audio Pipe Transfer
Up to 3 MB/sec isochroous Transport Stream Pipe Transfer
A Type USB Male Connector
De-Multiplexing

Engine: Software
Stream capture: PES & TS
DTV A/V Format

Video format: MPEG-II Main Profile& Main Level
Video Resolution: Up to 1080i
Audio format: MPEG-II Audio layer I & II
Analog Audio / Video Decoder

18 Bits Audio ADC
9 Bits Video Digitizing
NTSC TV System Support
VBI Data Capture
Closed Caption Decode
Software and Hardware capabilities

Software upgradeable
Channel Data Base updateable
Interrupt share avoid hardware interrupt conflicts with other devices
Automatic channel parsing
Environment

Temperature : 0 ~60 C
Storage temperature:-55~85 C
Humidity (Operating): 10%~90%
Atmosphere: 20~95%
System Requirements:

Minimum PC Requirements

Microsoft Windows XP (SP2)
One Free USB2.0 Port
CPU P4 / Turion3.7, 2GHz or Above
256 RAM or up
VGA with 32MB or up
Sound Card or On Board sound Chip
DirectX 9.0 or up
Microsoft Media Player 9.0 or up
UHF/VHF DTV antenna or CATV signal

GeekFunk

07-10-06, 12:58 AM

Does anyone know of the specific brand ASTC tuner that these two products use?

Conexant? BrookTree?

CityK

07-10-06, 12:06 PM

Conexant? BrookTree?Effectively one and the same .... Brooktree was purchased by Rockwell. Rockwell went on to spin off its semiconductor division as Conexant.

Although Conexant does design some frontend components, it is unlikely that you'd find any of their ICs constituting the receiver for such PC devices ... though, if we were talking about the A/V decoders & bridges on these PC devices, then Conexant would be one of the usual suspects...but not for the receiving section

Does anyone know of the specific brand ASTC tuner that these two products use?The Artec apparently uses the LG DT3303 demodulator. No idea on the tuner IC.
(No idea for the USB bridge either......Other questions of interest would be whether it also contains an analog demod & A/V decoder or if it is purely a digital receiver).

No idea on the componentry used for the "Fujiplus", but it clearly contains a full compliment.

clintroberts

07-13-06, 04:00 PM

Okay, I received the Artec and the VBOX. Installed the Artec. It's kind of cool they can put a digital tuner in something this small. The graphics for the interface are pretty cool and the supplied antennae (though I did not try) is kind of cool. Then it all went downhill. First scan which takes 4 minutes pulled in two channels. Both we a little skippy and the audio didn't line up with the video. Ran another scan...4 minutes...and got 4 channels which was 2 regular channels and 2 sub channels (weather). All had audio synch problems too. Did another scan and got 7 but only two worked. So I gave up and removed it. Boy does that little thing get hot. Now to try the VBOX as this isn't worth the $80. No recording options whatsoever either. Another deal breaker. Just as a background I am running a Dell 9300 laptop with a fresh install to factory default with 512MB memory and Solo 1.6 centrino and 128 vdedicated video memory. I'll post after the VBOX is installed. Too early in the day to see what HD would look like (or at least non of the very few channels I pulled in were broadcasting in HD.)

Maybe if you had closer reception but I pull in all major channels (4,5,8,11,13&33 on a LG 3510) so I don't think that's it.

My final verdict is a return to seller...

clintroberts

07-13-06, 05:51 PM

Well, still working on the VBOX as I might of selected something wrong so after 4 blue screens of death (memory dump) and a system restore I got it installed. The disc says for Media Center which I do not have. It was not clear on pcalchemy's site about this and I got a 10% off (last day was the other day) so who knows what they'll do for me as I need BeyondTV. I am downloading a trial but there was a package deal and it also included a remote. Well let's see if we can get it working. I'll update more later after I have had a chance to "check some channels.".

jimwhite

07-13-06, 09:20 PM

clintroberts

07-13-06, 10:03 PM

I got a "this page cannot be displayed" when trying to download the new driver for the Artec.

It took me a while to find it even with the link up top...

http://info.ultima.com.tw/fae/Service_e/nl/home/drivers.htm

clintroberts

07-13-06, 10:05 PM

clintroberts

07-13-06, 10:15 PM

So I now attempted the VBOX but of course I had to download the Trial version of Beyond TV. I do like that software if I could figure out how to jsut label the channels 4, 5, 8 etc. But I still had issues with the VBOX. It was not as bad as the Artec. I did break out a HP DV1000 (about the same specs as the Dell but integrated video memory) and try it on that as well with BeyondTV. It seemed to be working for about 3-4 minutes until I had to change the channel. I then wanted to watch So You Think You Can Dance (yes I did, please no flames) so I hooked the ANT cable back to the LG 3510 and watched it on the plasma without any hiccups. Afterwards i went back to the VBOX but it messed up. Not the audio synch problems but the video couldn't keep up and then it started freezing on me and Beyond TV started getting stuck. Maybe after I have some energy tomorrow I will take it over and try it on my nephew Dell 9300 with MCE and 256MB video memory. Really wish these would work.

Oh, by the way with 15-21 GB of hard drive space BeyondTV kept giving me a warning that I could only record 1 hour. So I didn't really think about how much space I would need to record. BeyondTV has some conversion stuff but that depends on other factors.

Boy, I have been waiting for a cheap solution like these for say three years and now to my disappointment I can't simply install it and watch.

Tomorrow from Buy.com comes the AutumnWave/Onair but it's $179. I ordered it before these and then found these cheaper one. But it shipped before I could cancel.

TPeterson

07-13-06, 10:46 PM

Clint--

It appears to me that you don't have the minimum system req'ts met for the Artec, as it specifies "P4 3 GHz for HDTV" (i.e., the OTA stations you're trying to view). In that case, it's no surprise that you see A/V synch issues and other problems.

My question is just how many people are going to have laptop machines, implied by the Artec website to be the intended host, that have 3-gig P4s?

Another question is why bother to spec an 860 MHz tuner in an OTA-only widget? Oh well.

As for the VBox, you'll likely find that BTV's video card requirements for HDTV are also beyond your laptop's abilities, unless you have a very recent one.

bathomps

07-13-06, 11:06 PM

I bought the Artec as well. I did have similar issues on a IBM T42 laptop, but noticed that the cpu utilization was pretty high for some channels, especially HDTV. But I really bought this as an additional tuner for my MCE machine 3.4 Ghz P4. I already have been using an ATI HDTV Wonder as my primary ATSC tuner in MCE. It has worked well, but I am out of PCI slots and needed something external.

I was able to get it installed without too much effort and MCE was using it, but I noticed some of the shows it recorded were having issues. Like it woud loose signal for a couple of seconds during the show. I tried running it through an external powered USB hub instead of directly from the PC. This helped a little but some shows still had the issue. The ATI card never had this problem.

I am now going to send this one back and try the VBox. Its too bad, the Artec has a great small form factor and would be great as a mobile tuner, but would require a good cpu to back it up. Maybe one of the upcoming Core 2 cpus.

clintroberts

07-14-06, 08:26 AM

Clint--

It appears to me that you don't have the minimum system req'ts met for the Artec, as it specifies "P4 3 GHz for HDTV" (i.e., the OTA stations you're trying to view). In that case, it's no surprise that you see A/V synch issues and other problems.

My question is just how many people are going to have laptop machines, implied by the Artec website to be the intended host, that have 3-gig P4s?

TPeterson, I didn't really pay much attention to the requirements (my mistake and a lot of wasted effort). I suppose that was because just about every laptop (which are what these are really made for) will be a Centrino. Just now they are coming out with Duo's and there have not been any test.

If these are for desktops, why not put a power supply in there an alleviate one possible issue!

clintroberts

07-14-06, 10:36 AM

Alright I tried the Artec with the driver on the CD (driver download from their site is still not working this morning) on my dad's Fujitsu P4 3.2 GHz laptop with 1 GB of memory. Anyway, it worked better. Still only pulled in two channels even after I ran a scan the second time. No way to manually add channels in the software so you would need a good signal. I love the size and simplicity just for watching TV and it would probably be just ok with MCE and a high end laptop and close proximity to ANT towers. But still on the Fujitsu on SD (no HD programs this morning) the video was not truly fluid. Also the top of the picture had a line but that could be the broadcast and there is no way to move the picture up like on a CRT monitor or like with BeyondTV.

Artec is going back. But it was only $80 dollars. Still going back!

TPeterson

07-14-06, 10:46 AM

Just because the image is not 16:9 doesn't mean that it's "SD". Most DTV stations up-rez all of their transmissions to the same format, so the receiver has to deal with 1920x1080i even though the content is actually 704x480i. IOW, you're not likely to see any worse rendition of primetime actual HD material than what you saw in the a.m.

clintroberts

07-14-06, 06:28 PM

See my review of the OnAir GT here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8007681#post8007681

Bottom line is this T14A and the VBOX are a waste of time compared to the GT!

jimwhite

07-15-06, 07:23 AM

got the Fuji Plus last night.... initial views are MUCH better than the Artec... more later...

:cool:

clintroberts

07-15-06, 07:54 PM

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=695589&page=2&pp=20

Size comparison (picture) of the Artec, VBOX and the OnAir GT located at thread/link above!

hperry

07-17-06, 11:13 AM

got the Fuji Plus last night.... initial views are MUCH better than the Artec... more later...

:cool:

Jim, any more to add on the fujiplus? Any idea if it is supported by MCE2005?

Thanks!

Zeros

07-19-06, 01:12 PM

Jim, if you get a minute, I would like to hear your thoughts on the FujiPlus tuner. Thanks!

Todd

07-19-06, 06:05 PM

I just ordered the FujiPlus tuner from NewEgg. I'll let you know how it goes once I get it!

jimwhite

07-20-06, 05:32 AM

The FujiPlus is MUCH better than the Artek, pulling in as many stations (on the same antenna) as my Fusion USB tuner.... I'm a bit PO'd that they've pulled the claimed QAM support, saying it was a marketing mistake :( .... the REALLY intriguing thing is that it seems to be able to work as BOTH an NTSC and ATSC tuner for MCE !!! :eek:

:cool:

hperry

07-20-06, 09:19 AM

It works in MCE? Okay, that's it...I'm in.

gjlowe

07-20-06, 01:42 PM

No QAM???? DAMN That is my dealbreaker!

cimiegle

07-20-06, 05:16 PM

the REALLY intriguing thing is that it seems to be able to work as BOTH an NTSC and ATSC tuner for MCE !!!

So it has BDA drivers and it's own application?

joeyjoeyjoey

07-20-06, 09:37 PM

It works in MCE? Okay, that's it...I'm in.

exactly! if this works on mce then I'll go for it as well. of course since the website says xp sp2 i just need on more push of "yes it works in mce"

GeekFunk

07-20-06, 11:56 PM

The FujiPlus is MUCH better than the Artek, pulling in as many stations (on the same antenna) as my Fusion USB tuner. the REALLY intriguing thing is that it seems to be able to work as BOTH an NTSC and ATSC tuner for MCE !!! :eek:

:cool:

Note the weasel words: "it seems to be able to work. . ."

Better wait until someone reports back here with something more diffinitive about NTSC and ATSC in the FujiPlus working in WMCE.

jimwhite

07-21-06, 12:21 PM

hperry

07-21-06, 12:26 PM

not realy a weasel.... my HTPC has a ati550 card for analog and a Fusion USB for HD.... I unplugged the Fusion, took the antenna cable off the ati550 and hooked it to the Fuji, plugging the Fuji into the USB port that the Fusion was in. Fired up Media Center and went into setup. set up the Fuji with OTA and scanned channels.... I was able to recieve ALL of my locals, both analog and digital !!

:cool:

So does this mean you had dual tuner capability for the analog channels since you already have a separate analog tuner? Too bad you can't hook cable up to the fuji to get more analog channels.

Also, this does indicate that you probably still need a separate analog tuner for the fuji to work. I was sort of hoping the fuji might work around the MCE analog tuner requirement since its analog channels are recongnized. I suppose this is still a remote possibility.

jimwhite

07-21-06, 12:32 PM

hperry

07-21-06, 12:44 PM

well, the ati550 was still in there, but with no signal.... maybe this weekend I'll yank it and try without the ati card in the box....

didn't put the cable on the Fuji cause I won't get any HD !!! I was really stoked at first when they said it would do QAM, which was later retracted.... :(

:cool:

If you could run that experiment, it would be great.

Also, I suppose if you're planning to catch OTA HD using the Fuji, the analog capability is severely cut because you'll never get as many analog signals OTA as you would straight from cable. With the Fuji, you can't have cable connected for analog and antenna connected for HD, can you? That would be the next best thing to QAM in my opinion.

cimiegle

07-21-06, 01:52 PM

With the Fuji, you can't have cable connected for analog and antenna connected for HD, can you?
Only one "F" connector on the device, so I believe the answer would be no.

GeekFunk

07-21-06, 05:48 PM

I knew there was a trick to it.

Let me be a contrarian: the Artek t14A will not work in WMCE without the presence of a separate analog tuner that does hardware MPEG encoding.

bathomps

07-22-06, 01:11 AM

Ok here is something strange that I don't know quite how to explain why it works.

I own the Artec which is of course only ATSC, no analog. I don't own any other USB based tuner, and I am using a laptop thus I can't use PCI based cards. I have MCE on my laptop, but wasn't using it for TV since I had no tuner prior to buying the Artec. I heard all the reports that it would not work without an analog tuner, so at first I didn't bother trying it. But then I decided what the heck.

When I went into setup in MCE I tried the automatic setup. It failed because it could not find a tuner. But then I tried the manual setup. I chose the antenna connection option and then setup my zip code etc. To my amazement it showed guide listings for both ATSC and NTSC. Of course it could not tune to any NTSC channels, but would tune in ATSC.

So this is somewhat contradictory of what I have been reading. One article I read was that the requirement for NTSC tuner was something to do with getting the guide listings correct. My setup now shows NTSC and ATSC listings, but I just can't tune the NTSC.

Maybe this behavior is specific to just the Artec. I have never connected any other tuner to this machine previously, since I have not had access to a USB based NTSC tuner. But it is definately working. My laptop has some cpu utilization issues with some HD channels, but it still works.

CityK

07-22-06, 09:09 AM

Ok here is something strange that I don't know quite how to explain why it works.

I own the Artec which is of course only ATSC, no analog. I don't own any other USB based tuner, and I am using a laptop thus I can't use PCI based cards. I have MCE on my laptop, but wasn't using it for TV since I had no tuner prior to buying the Artec. I heard all the reports that it would not work without an analog tuner, so at first I didn't bother trying it. But then I decided what the heck.

When I went into setup in MCE I tried the automatic setup. It failed because it could not find a tuner. But then I tried the manual setup. I chose the antenna connection option and then setup my zip code etc. To my amazement it showed guide listings for both ATSC and NTSC. Of course it could not tune to any NTSC channels, but would tune in ATSC.

So this is somewhat contradictory of what I have been reading. One article I read was that the requirement for NTSC tuner was something to do with getting the guide listings correct. My setup now shows NTSC and ATSC listings, but I just can't tune the NTSC.

Maybe this behavior is specific to just the Artec. I have never connected any other tuner to this machine previously, since I have not had access to a USB based NTSC tuner. But it is definately working. See here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8021033&&#post8021033)

jimwhite

07-22-06, 09:21 AM

Interesting.... what intrigues me is that MCE uses the Fuji unit on NTSC, which implies one of two things... either the Fuji is a true hardware mpeg tuner on NTSC, or, the requirement for a hardware encoding card is also gone.... hope I get some time to play this weekend.... if it continues to work the way I see it, I may buy another one for my analog cable channels (it has an s-video input dongle !) and free up a PCI slot by removing the ati550....

:cool:

Timpanogos

07-22-06, 10:07 AM

Those of you with the Fuji unit: is the heat generated by the hardware excessive in your opinion?

jimwhite

07-22-06, 09:10 PM

It's definitely "warm".... but it keeps on workin' :D

Todd

07-25-06, 10:59 PM

Well, I got the FujiPlus unit today. So far, so good for the most part. It's reception is fairly good in my house, but not perfect. But then my HDTiVo isn't perfect either with a better antenna. The HD picture it produces is stunning. I haven't fully figured out the DVR and EPG functionality yet, but it definately ain't a TiVo! I'm running this on a 1.83Ghz Core Duo Sony Vaio laptop with XP Pro. Since I don't have MCE, what other DVR software should I try to use with it?

Belltower

07-27-06, 08:47 AM

hperry

07-27-06, 11:42 AM

Just ordered the fuji from newegg..a few bucks cheaper than mwave with shipping factored in. We'll see how it does!

audiopho

07-27-06, 10:36 PM

How was the setup/installation? Do you use the antenna that comes with it? Would it work with my laptop which is a dell Ins 9300 (1.6ghz)?
Sorry for too many questions.

hperry

07-28-06, 12:02 AM

artec just dropped to a nice price at zzf...

Peter Nagy

07-28-06, 12:20 AM

My wife is severely hearing-impaired, so closed caption support is a must in any home theater stuff I use. (DVD subtitles are a godsend!) Could one of you with the Fujiplus try out the captions on normal and HD?

I am hearing impaired. I use MCE 2005 and closed captioning works perfectly for both NSTC and ATSC (HDTV). It does not matter what hardware ATSC tuner as long as the tuner is MCE 2005 compatiable. From what I read in this thread, FujiPlus should work with MCE 2005.

According to FujiPlus web site, their PVR software DOES provide CC. See link at: http://mmitek.com/detail.asp?sku=FD-USB728

I have searched for other PVR software (BeyondTV, SageTV, etc) and none of them provide closed captioning. One PVR that provides CC is ATI HDTV Wonder with ATI PVR software. ATI PVR software absolutely sucks. The reviews for Fujiplus PVR software is not great according to NewEgg customer review.

Is your computer MCE 2005 or Windows XP?

Peter

TPeterson

07-28-06, 12:29 AM

MyHD supports both NTSC and ATSC CC also.

Belltower

07-28-06, 12:51 PM

I am hearing impaired. I use MCE 2005 and closed captioning works perfectly for both NSTC and ATSC (HDTV). It does not matter what hardware ATSC tuner as long as the tuner is MCE 2005 compatible. From what I read in this thread, FujiPlus should work with MCE 2005.

The reason I specifically ask is that at least some HD solutions don't show captions. My parents have a 4:3 36" HD Sony XBR, purchased ~3 years ago, hooked up to Dish Network. They don't get captions on the HD channels. CC is required only for 13" or larger TVs; external tuners don't necessarily support them. (And indeed, I made the mistake of purchasing one such external tuner -- of the kind that displays straight to a RGB analog pinout.)

Peter Nagy

07-29-06, 12:11 AM

Digital CC is quite different and incompatiable than analog CC. I cannot explain in great detail. The CC decoder in analog TV (your dad's TV) will NOT show HDTV CC from a Dish Network Set Top Box (STB).

But Dish HDTV STB should have built-in digital CC decoder. The digital CC should come from Dish STB via DVI/HDMI or component cables. You should be able to enable digital CC in Dish STB using Dish remote control. I have seen them working in other people's houses. Check owner's manual for Dish Network STB.

Yes, CC is required in today's TV and manufacturers have not violated the law because they still have built-in NTSC CC decoder. CC decoders in digital TVs (HDTV or SDTV) programs are not yet required until NTSC ceases to exist (sometime between late 2007 and 2009).

I have a Sony 60" XBR LCD rear projection TV with built-in ATSC (HDTV) tuner. It also has built-in digital CC decoder. Not only I can see digital CC from my MCE 2005 machine via DVI cable, I can see digital CC from antenna connected directly to TV coax input.

Hope this makes sense.

Feel free to send me Private Message if you have more questions.

Peter

jalaram

07-29-06, 08:22 AM

artec just dropped to a nice price at zzf...

$49.99 after a $70 Instant Rebate.

m_vanmeter

07-31-06, 09:08 AM

in regard to several earlier questions....

1. Setup - I had the best luck installing the software first, then when it comes up with a dialog that says the device is not attached, I plug the FujiPlus into the USB port and all continues well.

2. Antenna - the supplied antenna is almost useless. A channel scan with the supplied antenna gave no results, but when hooked to an external TV antenna, the scan found everything it should in my area. I think the little tuner "needs" a fairly strong signal to pass it's receiving threshold.

3. I tried a recording of network HD, but it bombed out.....probably operator error....I have not read the manual yet - that would make it too easy.... 8-}

GeekFunk

07-31-06, 04:27 PM

Astralmind

07-31-06, 09:51 PM

Anyone knows if there is a store online that would ship the Fujiplus to Canada ? Could not find any. I would be really greatful if someone could.

Thanks :)

evandelay15

08-10-06, 01:28 PM

I recently purchased the Artec T14A for 59.99 at zipzoomfly despite reading numerous reviews that ripped mercilessly on this poor little TV tuner. After reading these, I had very low expectations for the Artec and planned on returning it if anything were to go wrong.

I opened up this hoss yesterday and was a little confused by the bizarre antenna. I don't know how they managed to make what looks like a Thai postcard into an antenna, but what I do know is that it works better than the behemoth of an antenna atop my roof. After inspecting the unorthodox antenna, I immediately connected everything and installed it on my new laptop:

IBM Thinkpad Z61t
Intel Core Duo 2.0 ghz
1GB RAM
Intel 945GM graphics chipset (128mb shared)

The installation went smoothly and I then fired up the supplied viewing (not recording) software, which looks like it was whipped up in one day by some underpaid programmer in Taiwan. To my surprise, it found all the digital channels in my area on the first scan. Not only did it find them, I was able to watch them without any signal losses or hiccups in picture quality. I was amazed. After I figured out that recording wasn't possible in the supplied software, I acquired Beyond TV which recognized the tuner without problem and I was watching and recording HDTV in no time.

The Artec T14A is a brilliant, blinding light from heaven.

Boo haters!
Hooray Artec!

hperry

08-10-06, 01:33 PM

Good to hear the positive review on the artec. My only complaint is that it's not compatible with MCE 2005. The Fuji is...

jimwhite

08-10-06, 01:37 PM

Huh? my Artec is and has been working in MCE for two weeks now.... make sure you get the latest drivers from the website... as a side note, I removed the Fuji from my MCE machine since the NTSC section caused MCE to be unstable...

:cool:

Clarence

08-14-06, 09:13 PM

Anyone knows if there is a store online that would ship the Fujiplus to Canada ?
Will newegg?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815132001

clintroberts

08-14-06, 10:08 PM

numerous reviews that ripped mercilessly on this poor little TV tuner
Boo haters!

"Ripped mercilessly" - Now c'mon, just reporting our actual experiences. Glad you got yours to work. Must be the faster processor you're using and you are probably closer to the signal. For me it did not work. Plus I would of needed to upgrade to BeyondTV as I don't have MCE. The OnAir GT was a better solution especially with S-video in from say a satellite and the built in cable tuner... but then again $100 more too! $59 is a great deal especially since you got it working.

hdtval21

08-15-06, 01:22 AM

If anyone wants WatchHDTV support, let me know. I think I have the information I need, but I'll need confirmation from someone that can get the info from graphedit or similar tool.

tuner- "Digital TV Tuner Filter"
capture- "Digital TV Capture Filter"

You can find these under BDA Receiver Component(capture) and BDA Source Filter(tuner) categories. If those names are correct for the tuner and transport stream capture, then that's all I need.

I'm going to update for other tuners as well so I can do them all at the same time.

If you can help, send me a PM with an email where I can send it to you test first.

Thanks.

audiopho

08-19-06, 02:33 PM

Bit the bullet and bought one for $59.99 at ZZF. It will be here sometime end of next week. Will post a review bad or good, let's hope it be a good one. :)

bathomps

08-19-06, 10:36 PM

hdtval21

08-20-06, 01:03 AM

I've updated WatchHDTV to support the Artec. If you want to try it out, send me a PM with an email where I can send it to you.

mb011b

08-20-06, 01:16 AM

Does anybody know whether the FujiPlus (or the Artec) will work with BeyondTV on XP? i.e., does anybody have it working, or think that it ought to work?

ldsguy

08-20-06, 05:51 PM

Allright guys, heres the deal. I've been researching USB HD tuners for awhile now. Originally I was planning on getting the Fusion USB Gold, but cost is quickly becoming an issue. Now I'm looking into the Artec, but I'm worried about what my reception is going to be. I live in the middle of San Diego county (Southern California, zipcode 92064), and according to AntennaWeb, I'm 15-20 miles away from both of the major transmitters. One signal is to the south, and the other to the south-west. If I got the Artec, I'd put the antenna in my bedroom window which faces south. Will the distance from the transmission towers be an issue? My laptop should have no problems showing the signal. It's an AMD Turion 64, 1.8ghz, 1gb ram, ATI Radeon Xpress 200M (128mb), over 400gb of external hdd space, and running Windows MCE 2005. I also already have an analog tuner, Hauppauge PVR2 USB, and my laptop decodes 1080i .tp files just fine. For everyone that had positive experiences with the Artec, how far away from the transmission towers were you?
Thanks!

bathomps

08-20-06, 07:17 PM

I am about 26 miles from the towers. Great reception with the Artec.

jimwhite

08-21-06, 06:13 AM

35 miles but using a Silver Sensor....

:cool:

rdb4133

08-21-06, 06:17 AM

I have tested the Artec with BTV 4.0 and it works fine with it. Just make sure to download the latest drivers from: http://www.ultima.com.tw/ehtm/be124.htm

audiopho

08-21-06, 02:15 PM

pcting

08-21-06, 04:19 PM

Just saw this in its web bsite, spec:

Special System Requirements P4 3.0 GHZ CPU or above
for HDTV function

Which concerns me. I just bought this (being shipped) to use with my Dell Insp 9300 lappy since I'm on the road a lot. My Dell's is Pentium Mobile 1.6ghz I think. Would it still work?

I have tried my ARTEC in my Desktop PC 2.4GHz. It works fine for DTV, and sometimes gets lags for HDTV, but still works.

I have a Dell's 1.6GHz laptop too, performence is ok for DTV and HDTV. However, I just upgraded to a HP 2.0GHz laptop recently. It almost perfect for both DTV and HDTV. (Just make sure you updated to the latest driver and software.)

Todd

08-24-06, 07:44 PM

Here's a dumb question on the FujiPlus tuner. Is the included composite/SVideo connector for video input or output?

jimwhite

08-25-06, 06:10 AM

Input.... it actually does a fairly good job as an MCE analog input...

:cool:

pcting

08-25-06, 09:29 AM

I posted a review of the Artec on pcalchemy after purchasing this. The results weren't encouraging at that point. But I found later that the issues I saw seemed to be coming from the incompatibilities between the ATI HDTV Wonder and the Artec.

Both tuners had issues while in the same computer. If used seperately they worked fine.

Yes! I have tried that too! ARTEC and ATI HDTV Wonder "DO" conflict!! So I removed and uninstalled the ATI HDTV Wonder. Because ATI only scaned 2 or 3 'Digital' channels. Most of it scaned are analog channels. And Using ARTEC, I can see more than 10 channels.

audiopho

08-26-06, 11:42 PM

Installed the latest driver from its web site. Scan which took a few minutes tuned in a bunch or DTv stations but I'm only interested from primary networks. Standard def worked w/o any lagging. HD prgrams worked mostly okay with some lagging, especially when with fast motion like sports. Overall I'm happy with its performance.
My computer is a Dell lappy Ins 9300 (1.6ghz Pent Mobile with 2gb dram)

ldsguy

08-27-06, 02:42 AM

Thanks for all the input guys! I went ahead and ordered one from PCAlchemy yesterday, and it should be here on Monday (Their warehouse is only ~10 miles from here, but I was too lazy to call in and schedule a pickup :cool: ) I'll post my results here once I get it.

jimwhite

08-27-06, 07:41 AM

audiopho

08-28-06, 11:13 AM

note that any complaints about video lagging and such have NOTHING to do with the Artec (or FujiPlus, for that matter) hardware.... I have one plugged in alongside a Fusion5 USB and under MCE, there is zero difference.... I suspect laptop video is the culprit above...

:cool:

I almost concur. The antenna strength is another big factor as always with OTA tuner. I used two different antennas, one being indoor and another is in my house attic. Same dtv station, the indoor lags horrible, the attic one is smooth as silk. the cpu is another pretty big factor in crunching HD data. For $59.99 shipped, this one is clearly a steal! Does it support DVR, anyone know?

westsidejc

08-28-06, 11:22 AM

I am noob and I had a simple question to ask. If money weren't an issue, Which usb tuner would you buy. Currently I have a 2.0 GHz Centrino Processor on my Dell Latitude with 1 gig of ram. The options are the Artec T14A, the FujiPlus, or the DVICO Fusion 5 USB. Thanks!

gjlowe

08-28-06, 11:26 AM

The appeal of the DVICO is the QAM tuner, but is you only care about OTA NTSC, the form factor of the other two are much nicer.

westsidejc

08-28-06, 11:42 AM

The appeal of the DVICO is the QAM tuner, but is you only care about OTA NTSC, the form factor of the other two are much nicer.
I guess the primary things are OTA SD DTV (rather than HD) as well ease of use. Hopefully one is easier to install that the others. I don't think I have the processing power to do HD. I am just leery about the fujiplus and artec because they seem pretty new and less covered (via forums/press). They seem like good deals but I rather spend the extra money if I have to pull out less hair.

pcting

08-28-06, 03:21 PM

I just received my ordered FujiPlus from NewEgg. Here is my comparison:

Extra infomation: I live in the north of Dallas ,TX. It's about 25 miles away from the downtown TV stations. (according to AntennaWeb)

= ARTEC14A =
support ATSC only
Scaned channels : 16~21
Viewable channels (no serious lags) : 10~17
EPG : some
Caption : no
Time shifting : no
Record : no
MCE compatible : yes
BDA compliant : yes

= FUJIPLUS =
Support ATSC/NTSC and (S-Video ?)
Scaned channels : 1~8
Viewable channels (noserious lags) : 1~3
EPG : some
Caption : yes
Time shifting : yes
Record = yes (but haven't try it yet)
MCE compatible : no
BDA compliant : no

Like Audiopho said, I think antenna is a big factor that decides how many channels you can see/scan. Above results are using the same antenna which came with ARTEC, and facing the same direction by my window (the direction also provides by AntennaWeb). However, when I changed to the antenna that came with FUJIPLUS (also by my window), I can scan/view 0 channel! And I saw a note on the box of the FUJIPLUS said, Provided small antenna is for strong signal area use only. So I think this antenna is not for my home location.

P.S. Using ARTEC's antenna and FUJIPLUS TV Tuner, I can't scan/tune/view any analog channel. So I assume for analog, I should use different antenna?

08-28-06, 05:40 PM

Does anyone know about the tuner described in

http://www.forbes.com/business/2006/08/25/hdtv-autumn-wave-cx_lh_0828hdtv.html

is it a new player? The article says Walmart is selling it, but I didn't see it on their web site.

TPeterson

08-28-06, 05:56 PM

Sheesh. Can nobody use Google anymore?

Try this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=695589).

RussT

08-28-06, 09:18 PM

I think antenna is a big factor that decides how many channels you can see/scan. When I changed to the antenna that came with FUJIPLUS (also by my window), I can scan/view 0 channel! And I saw a note on the box of the FUJIPLUS said, Provided small antenna is for strong signal area use only. So I think this antenna is not for my home location.

P.S. Using ARTEC's antenna and FUJIPLUS TV Tuner, I can't scan/tune/view any analog channel. So I assume for analog, I should use different antenna?
As realtors say location, location, location. I get all 10 digital Austin TX channels just fine with the Fujiplus and the included antenna, and I'm in a bottom area with lots of trees in the antenna farm direction, from about 10 miles away.

The Fujiplus does have BDA drivers and works just fine with MCE. In fact it works w/MCE without a separate analog tuner if you use a part of the Kram Drivers. I'll have a full install routine for the Fujiplus w/MCE on my site www.hdtvtunerinfo.com by the end of the week.

As far as analog, the Fujiplus stinks. I would definitely recommend a real analog tuner if you want SD stuff.

TPeterson

08-28-06, 10:04 PM

Hey, Russ, nice site! Thanks for the link. (One nit: I think that the H2M description would be improved by pointing out that it actually doesn't always work for "converting" and its main purpose is really editing TS without conversion to PS)

pcting

08-29-06, 09:24 AM

Russ,

Thanks for the great website!

I am totally agreed with you! Location is important! Looks like you got a great location with very strong signal (only 10 miles away)! BTW, trees don't blocks the signals, only metal does. And bottom area is not an issue either, as long as it covered by the station's signal tower.

I will try your routine for the FujiPlus w/MCE today. Thanks again!

bathomps

08-29-06, 11:23 AM

By the way. With MCE its no longer required to have a seperate analog tuner, you can just use an ATSC tuner if that is all you want. One of the patches from Microsoft fixed that. I was suprised to find this out when I tried the artec with my laptop, which hasn't had another tuner hooked to it ever before.

Just thought I would point this out, in case you are wanting ATSC and worried that you need a NTSC tuner as well.

gjlowe

08-29-06, 11:25 AM

alcuin99

08-29-06, 11:40 AM

= FUJIPLUS =
MCE compatible : no
BDA compliant : no

Are you sure about that? I thought a previous poster mentioned he got both the ATSC and NTSC tuner working in MCE.

The FujiPlus is MUCH better than the Artek, pulling in as many stations (on the same antenna) as my Fusion USB tuner.... I'm a bit PO'd that they've pulled the claimed QAM support, saying it was a marketing mistake :( .... the REALLY intriguing thing is that it seems to be able to work as BOTH an NTSC and ATSC tuner for MCE !!!

Peter Nagy

08-29-06, 11:43 AM

That's not true for all ATSC tuner cards. I have two VBox Cat's Eye DTA-150 ATSC tuner cards and I spent a whole week trying to get it to work without analog tuner card. I followed other people's procedure including using KRAM drivers and it still does not work. It looks like it will work only if the ATSC tuner card also has an software encoded analog tuner. AKA hybrid. VBox does not have analog tuner. The following ATSC brands that have been reported to work without analog tuner:

ATI HDTV Wonder
DViCo Fusion 5 (possibly Fusion 3)
K-World
Artec?
FujiPlus?

Any other brands I left out?

The reason I didn't want to replace VBox ATSC tuner cards is that this brand is one of the best at filtering multi-path signals. I have tried ATI HDTV Wonder and AverMedia A180 and they don't come close to VBox. I would rather have VBox with analog tuner than crappy ATSC tuner cards without analog tuner card. Fusion is supposed to be very good at filtering multi-path signals but I already have good ATSC tuner cards.

Peter

RAVEN56706

08-29-06, 11:54 AM

does anyone have this tuner used for their home pc?

RussT

08-29-06, 12:44 PM

It looks like it will work only if the ATSC tuner card also has an software encoded analog tuner. AKA hybrid. VBox does not have analog tuner. The following ATSC brands that have been reported to work without analog tuner:

ATI HDTV Wonder
DViCo Fusion 5 (possibly Fusion 3)
K-World
Artec?
FujiPlus?

Peter
Peter,

You are correct. Any tuner that does both ATSC and NTSC should work with Kram in MCE 2005. The Fujiplus definitely works w/Kram and no seperate NTSC tuner.

It is NOT true that Microsoft has "patched" MCE 2005 so no NTSC tuner is required. Vista Beta 2 still requires an analog tuner, but the new Vista general release (RC1), expected in a couple of weeks, will not.

Russ
www.hdtvtunerinfo.com
P.S.
Terry, Suggestion noted. I'll make the change to H2M description. Thanks :)

bathomps

08-29-06, 01:56 PM

No it is true. I am watching ATSC right now on my laptop which has no NTSC tuner in it. Maybe Vista Beta 2 can't do it yet, but MCE 2005 can.

I use an Artec and it works. I have never owned a USB NTSC tuner nor does Artec support NTSC. And since my laptop has no PCI slots I can't install a PCI NTSC tuner. And yet I plugged it in, ran the manual setup for the tuner (automatic did not work), and now I am watching ATSC.

I thought it was impossible as well, but when I posted this in another thread someone said MS had posted a patch that had fixed this.

I do still get the listings for the NTSC stuff, but I can't tune them in. So its not an elegant fix. I just manually remove all the NTSC from the guide listings.

alcuin99

08-29-06, 02:09 PM

Perhaps the Artec works without an analog tuner, because of its drivers? Looking at the .inf file, it mentions analog entries such as
KSSTRING_AnlgCaptureFilter%,TwBdaDevice.AnlgCapture,0
and other strings such as
"Analog TV CrossBar Filter"
"Analog TV Tuner Filter"
"Analog TV Capture Filter"

Perhaps, even if the tuner cannot do or is not capable of analog tuning, the drivers make it appear as though an analog tuner is installed for MCE? Just a hypothesis.

bathomps

08-29-06, 02:23 PM

That could be. But even if that is what is going on, it still lets you use MCE without an analog card. Which is what people want to do, regardless of how its done.

Other manufacturers should do it too.

Peter Nagy

08-29-06, 02:35 PM

You said "manual setup" as opposed to "automatic setup". Please describe exactly step by step procedure of running manual setup? Go to "Settings->TV->????" or "Settings->Guide->????", etc?

Peter

bathomps

08-29-06, 03:29 PM

settings->TV->Setup TV Signal

Select your region, then you get these two options:

"configure my TV automatically (recommended) "
"I will manually configure my TV signal"

Select the bottom option (manual).

I select Antenna for signal type. Run through the rest of the setup etc.

Peter Nagy

08-29-06, 03:41 PM

That did not work for VBox DTA-150 ATSC tuner card. Everytime I go there I get a message "No NTSC tuner card installed" and that's it. It would not let me go further.

Peter

RussT

08-29-06, 03:46 PM

bathomps,

Thanks for the info. Your right that this is what a lot of us want, no analog required for MCE 2005. It just ain't gonna happen (from Microsoft anyway). They have stopped anything but security fixes for MCE 2005. They want nothing to steal the thunder from Vista. It's good to know one tuner gets around it. Makes one wonder if it was an accident or ....

bathomps

08-29-06, 03:59 PM

Ya it definately seems like a driver tweak for the Artec now.

In another thread I had posted my results which had surprised me, and someone posted that the behavior was well know and it was a fix from MS. So I assumed that MS had really done so.

But based on Peter's results this is not the case. Thanks for trying it.

I noticed in the driver docs that it does state it will not work in MCE without a NTSC tuner. So I don't know if it was by design that it works.

Peter Nagy

08-29-06, 05:38 PM

I agree. I seriously doubt MS updated the "fix" to cheat MCE 2005 that there is an analog tuner installed because it didn't work with VBox ATSC tuner.

It's most likely drivers for ATSC tuner cards that cheated MCE 2005. I don't think ATSC tuner card manufacturers would risk advertising that their driver works without analog tuner probably because they could get in trouble with MS but why should MS care?

Could you copy and paste the "Analog" information from Artec's *.inf file so that I could paste it to VBox *.inf file and see if it would cheat MCE 2005?

Thanks,
Peter

RussT

08-29-06, 07:07 PM

Hey Peter,

Go here (http://download.windowsvista.com/preview/prerc1/en/download.html) and download Vista pre-RC1 (for a very limited time). Then you won't have to cheat! ;) The latest Vbox drivers work great with Vista.

Russ

Peter Nagy

08-29-06, 07:28 PM

I thought pre-release Vista still requires analog tuner. The official Vista release will remove the analog tuner requirement.

RussT

08-29-06, 07:53 PM

I thought pre-release Vista still requires analog tuner. The official Vista release will remove the analog tuner requirement.
Nope, this release has no analog requirement. Same goes for the "real" RC1 due out in a couple of weeks or so.

Peter Nagy

08-29-06, 09:02 PM

Cool. Which version of VBox did you use with Vista?

2.1.705.0
2.1.705.7
2.1.705.10

I have found 2.1.705.0 to be the most stable. The other two causes problems. The 2.1.705.10 prevents from starting the computer!!!!!!!

I am download Vista RC-1 right now. This file is huge: 2.58 GB!!!!!!

Thanks,
Peter

RussT

08-29-06, 09:17 PM

Cool. Which version of VBox did you use with Vista?

2.1.705.0
2.1.705.7
2.1.705.10

Thanks,
Peter
2.1.705.7 worked great with my DTA-150 on Beta 2. Version 705.0 won't work per Shimon (before he left Vbox). Looking forward to using it without that analog card I had to install with Beta 2!!! :)

alcuin99

08-29-06, 10:30 PM

I thought pre-release Vista still requires analog tuner. The official Vista release will remove the analog tuner requirement.
FYI:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=709389

Q. Is an analog TV tuner required for Vista MCE?
A. Yes for Beta 2, but not for release 5449 or higher.

So it has been required in past betas, but not for RC1 and the final release.

hdtval21

08-30-06, 01:45 AM

I've posted an updated version with better debugging in the first post in the watchhdtv thread so everyone can try it out.

pcting

08-30-06, 08:46 AM

Are you sure about that? I thought a previous poster mentioned he got both the ATSC and NTSC tuner working in MCE.

Actually, jimwhite had previously install ATI HDTV Wonder, which already passed MCE's analog requirement. (you can read jimwhite recent posts).

And read RussT's post on 8-28-2006. And go to his website, you can find a hack driver called Kram's driver, which can bypass MCE's analog requirement. I tried, and successfully bypass it and watch some programs in MCE. However, if you uninstalled the Kram's driver, you wouldn't be able to watch in MCE again.

pcting

08-30-06, 09:34 AM

It's most likely drivers for ATSC tuner cards that cheated MCE 2005. I don't think ATSC tuner card manufacturers would risk advertising that their driver works without analog tuner probably because they could get in trouble with MS but why should MS care?

Could you copy and paste the "Analog" information from Artec's *.inf file so that I could paste it to VBox *.inf file and see if it would cheat MCE 2005?

Thanks,
Peter

Peter,
I agreed with you about ARTEC's driver cheats MCE2005. I opened ARTEC's & FujiPlus' cases (these two are similar, and easy to open - with care). I found they both have one LG chip, but only FujiPlus has one Trident chip called TVMaster. And I found that TVMaster is a baseband chip for analog signal. So I assume that their LG chip should be chip for digital signal. Am I right? The another different thing is that ARTEC using LGDT3303 (5th generation chip), and FujiPlus using LGDT3302.
In my PC, I do have better quality in ARTEC than FujiPlus.

I think ARTEC cheats MCE in their driver. If it is so, I don't think paste .inf file will do the same trick too. Just my personal opinions.

Peter Nagy

08-30-06, 10:34 AM

Fair enough.

I will try Vista RC-1 I just downloaded last night.

Peter

CityK

08-30-06, 10:55 AM

I opened ARTEC's & FujiPlus' cases (these two are similar, and easy to open - with care). pcting, thanks for your report. Would it be in any way possible for you to post some pics of the internals for these boards?
FujiPlus has one Trident chip called TVMaster. And I found that TVMaster is a baseband chip for analog signal.Yes. It functions as the A/V Decoder and USB bridge.

You should probably also be able to identify the tuner and the analog demodulator ICs on the board... it quite possibly may be using a single IC, such as an Xceive model, thereby incorporating by functions into one chip

I found they both have one LG chip...So I assume that their LG chip should be chip for digital signal. Am I right? Yes. The LG chips you identified are the digital demodulators for the device.

For analog TV signals the pathway is:
- tuner receives RF signal and converts it to a IF, and outputs it to
- the analog demodulater, whereby it becomes cvsb signal and outputs it to
- the AV decoder, whereby the cvsb undergoes analog-to-digital-conversion into a RGB or YUV bitstream, which is then outputted to
- the usb bridge, which places the bitstream onto the [us]bus, which is then conveyed to the host system for processing

For digital TV signals the pathway is:
- tuner receives RF signal and converts it to a IF, and outputs it to
- the digtial demodulater, whereby the mpeg2 TS is recovered from the IF, and is then outputted to
- the AV decoder, which acts solely as a conduit, passing the mpeg2 TS off to
- the usb bridge, which places the mpeg2 TS onto the [us]bus, which is then conveyed to the host system for processing

The another different thing is that ARTEC using LGDT3303 (5th generation chip), and FujiPlus using LGDT3302.As might be surmised, the 3303 is the newer of the two demodulators.

alcuin99

08-30-06, 08:31 PM

Actually, jimwhite had previously install ATI HDTV Wonder, which already passed MCE's analog requirement. (you can read jimwhite recent posts).

And read RussT's post on 8-28-2006. And go to his website, you can find a hack driver called Kram's driver, which can bypass MCE's analog requirement. I tried, and successfully bypass it and watch some programs in MCE. However, if you uninstalled the Kram's driver, you wouldn't be able to watch in MCE again.
I'm sorry; I guess I'm misunderstanding jimwhite's original post. When he refers to getting his digital and analog tuner working, I thought he was referring to getting both the Fujiplus digital and the Fujiplus analog tuners to recognize in MCE, and getting around the analog tuner requirement in that manner; much like how the Kram driver allows both the digital and analog tuners of the ATI wonder work on MCE (though of course not to allow simultameous viewing).

If he was referring to using the Fujiplus digital and ATI HDTV wonder analog to pass the tuner requirement, I guess that's different; I dunno.

RussT

08-30-06, 10:19 PM

I will try Vista RC-1 I just downloaded last night.
Peter,
Don't do it. RC1 stinks. I spend 4 hours today trying to get rid of a jerky picture. I don't think DxVA works in Vista for some reason, and when I tried two tuners (one was the Vbox), Media Center crashed. I tried both Nvidia and ATI video card and decoders on a 3 GHz, 1 Gig memory, Pentium 4 with various digital tuners. Nothing stopped the jitters. You don't need an analog tuner, but who cares if you can't watch the picture.

Not ready for prime time!!
Russ

Peter Nagy

08-30-06, 11:47 PM

Looks like Vista is a resource hog.

Peter

alcuin99

09-02-06, 10:11 AM

I've posted an updated version with better debugging in the first post in the watchhdtv thread so everyone can try it out.
Your WatchHDTV program is awesome. Picture quality is great, and channel changin is much easier than the built in program. Pause and record don't work for me on the Artec tuner though, just fyi. I haven't been able to get any program to get signal strength from the Artec tuner either. The bundled program does do station name and show schedule info, which is nice. Keep up the great work.

RussT

09-02-06, 02:40 PM

Your WatchHDTV program is awesome. Pause and record don't work for me on the Artec tuner though, just fyi. Keep up the great work.
WatchHDTV will not record or timeshift with the MCE2005 OS, only XP. hdtval21 is aware of the issue.

theonlyone

09-05-06, 10:45 AM

alcuin99

09-05-06, 04:38 PM

WatchHDTV will not record or timeshift with the MCE2005 OS, only XP. hdtval21 is aware of the issue.
Oh ok. I forgot to mention I was using regular XP, but thanks for the info; I'll try reading the docs to see if there's any more tips on getting it to work. I also have a MCE machine, but at the time I was just trying it out on my desktop.

audiopho

09-06-06, 09:23 PM

I've got a dual 1.83GHz w/ 2GB RAM. this should be enough, right?

Yeah. You're fine.

haubrija

09-07-06, 12:38 PM

Hey is anyone using this tuner succesfully with SageTV? I need an additional tuner but can't seem to find any info on it.

audiopho

09-08-06, 04:53 PM

Paladyr1

09-11-06, 01:50 PM

jimwhite

09-11-06, 02:56 PM

or the power circuit of your USB port is overheating and under-volting the Artec.... mine recorded all of the 9-11 documentary last night without a hitch...

:cool:

audiopho

09-11-06, 04:20 PM

My lappie is a Dell Ins 9300 which has the ATI X300Se (128mb/pci-e) card with 2gb of Dram. I've always watched tv with the 9300 plugged into the ac line.

Shift

09-21-06, 09:01 PM

I am wondering, can I run this from my 6600 GT video card to my H31 projector in DVI and get a nice HD reception?? Please let me know?? Thansk!@!

How about this one?? It adds NTSC and QAM !!!!

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA48730

Mwave Part Number: AA48730

Manufacturer Part Number: FDUSB728

Manufacturer Web Site: www.fujiplus.com

Description:

Advanced TV Application Watch atsc/ntsc TV on your PC, instantly playback or fast-forward live programs any time you like.
Digital Personal Video Recording you can record your digital TV programs to your hard disk, and play them back in full original digital quality!
High Definition & Crystal Clear Video Quality Experience the crystal clear video quality of HDTV at high resolution up to 1080i
Features:

HDTV ATSC DTV Receiving
Support NTSC and Analog TV System
MPEG II DxVA Accelerator Support
HDTV Real Time Recording and Scheduling Recording
Analog TV Real Time Recording and Scheduling Recording
Wakeup the System for Recording when PC is in Sleep Mode
DTV Time-Shifting
Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
Closed Caption
Single / Multiple Still Frame Picture Capture (BMP)
Multi Channel Preview
Channels Auto Scan
Scan by Easy / Advance Mode
Off-Center Frequency Scan
Favorite List with LCN support
Multi DTV Language Audio Support
Classify TV Program Management
4:3 / 16:9 Screen Aspect Ratio
Video Adjustment
Parental Control Password
Antenna Utility
Signal Strength / Quantity Indicator
USB Bus Power Only
IR Remote Controller Support
Software Upgradeable

Technical Information:

Tuner

Input Terminal: 75 Ohm Male F Connector
Receiving Frequency: 42 ~ 862 MHz
Operation Condition Temperature Range: -10? ~ 60?
Support MCPC and SCPC
VSB & QAM

Fully ATSC Compliant
ATSC A/53 compliant 8/16VSB and MMDS 2/4/8VSB receiver
ITU-T J.83 Annex B/C, SCTE DVS-031 compliant 64/256QAM receiver
Integrated 10-bit A/D converter
All digital demodulation
Parallel/Serial MPEG-2 transport interface
Supports I2C bus interface
Boundary Scan Test circuit complies to the IEEE Std. 1149.1
Supports 44MHz IF input as well as low IF input (6MHz)
Operating voltage (I/O, Core): 3.3V & 1.8V
USB Interface

Universal Serial Bus 2.0 Standard
Digital Transport Stream Support
Up to 30 MB/sec isochroous Video Pipe Transfer
Up to 0.2 MB/sec isochroous Audio Pipe Transfer
Up to 3 MB/sec isochroous Transport Stream Pipe Transfer
A Type USB Male Connector
De-Multiplexing

Engine: Software
Stream capture: PES & TS
DTV A/V Format

Video format: MPEG-II Main Profile& Main Level
Video Resolution: Up to 1080i
Audio format: MPEG-II Audio layer I & II
Analog Audio / Video Decoder

18 Bits Audio ADC
9 Bits Video Digitizing
NTSC TV System Support
VBI Data Capture
Closed Caption Decode
Software and Hardware capabilities

Software upgradeable
Channel Data Base updateable
Interrupt share avoid hardware interrupt conflicts with other devices
Automatic channel parsing
Environment

Temperature : 0 ~60 C
Storage temperature:-55~85 C
Humidity (Operating): 10%~90%
Atmosphere: 20~95%
System Requirements:

Minimum PC Requirements

Microsoft Windows XP (SP2)
One Free USB2.0 Port
CPU P4 / Turion3.7, 2GHz or Above
256 RAM or up
VGA with 32MB or up
Sound Card or On Board sound Chip
DirectX 9.0 or up
Microsoft Media Player 9.0 or up
UHF/VHF DTV antenna or CATV signal

Shift

09-22-06, 08:19 AM

Hello???

m_vanmeter

09-22-06, 04:00 PM

The little FujiPlus USB tuner does work but required a good antenna signal. Unless you live withing 10 miles of the transmitter towers, you will need a better antenna than the little magnetic vertical provided with the tuner. The little Fuji does get "warm" while working

As for the video card feeding an external projector - that completely depends on the video card. Is it spec'ed to pass thru a DVI signal to an external monitor/projector?

You may have to just gamble $100 and try the FujiPlus......but, if you are using a computer anyway there are far better ATSC tuner cards that are mounted inside the computer using the available PCI bus connectors. Many of the internal cards are specifically designed for external monitors.

Shift

09-22-06, 11:21 PM

You may have to just gamble $100 and try the FujiPlus......but, if you are using a computer anyway there are far better ATSC tuner cards that are mounted inside the computer using the available PCI bus connectors. Many of the internal cards are specifically designed for external monitors.

I'm pretty new at this. I am not planning the use my pc as the HTPC, but more just for the tuner card to watch HD NFL football on my projector. May I ask what PCI tuner card you would recommend at about the 100.00 mark??

Thanks a mill

thusgus2

09-24-06, 12:25 AM

I'm thinking about buying a Artec T14A for watching HD/DTV, but I'm concerned that my system might miss the mark.

Is it possible to use VLC's DirectShow input with this card with any of the released drivers? Or for that matter, does WatchHDTV run significantly faster than the included software? Would VLC be able to record a stream even if WatchHDTV couldn't?

Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree, but I gathered the largest speed bottleneck would be software MPG decoding. The Artec is half the price of the Fuji where it seems to have very similar components for ATSC.

Any help I would appreciate.

Thanks,
Jason

Louse76

09-24-06, 03:49 PM

Could anyone confirm that it will work properly as a second HDTV tuner in MCE? I have the ATI HDTV Wonder hacked (as the only tuner in the system) on my two HTPCs and use them for ATSC only.

Thanks!

jimwhite

09-25-06, 05:07 AM

my Artec works second duty with a FusionUSB in my MCE system as the only ATSC tuners...

:cool:

RussT

09-25-06, 08:07 AM

Could anyone confirm that it will work properly as a second HDTV tuner in MCE? I have the ATI HDTV Wonder hacked (as the only tuner in the system) on my two HTPCs and use them for ATSC only.

Thanks!
Nope won't work with HDTV Wonder w/Kram Drivers. Fujiplus works fine though.
Russ
www.hdtvtunerinfo.com

balazer

09-26-06, 11:37 AM

The Artec is on sale for $44.99 with free shipping after instant rebates when you pay with PayPal at ZipZoomfly:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Special/PayPal_landing_200608.jsp?promo=paypal&banner=BTS0906

TPeterson

09-26-06, 03:24 PM

Hey, Jacob, I just noticed your new profile--welcome to No. Calif.! :D

I'll be interested in your perspectives on the Artec if you get one.

Phil Hightech

09-26-06, 06:34 PM

my Artec works second duty with a FusionUSB in my MCE system as the only ATSC tuners...

:cool:
Hey Jim, I purchased a second Artec in the hopes that the first one was the cause of my grief but no luck. I see a slight skip/stutter about every 55 seconds when watching live with the T14a or playing back a show recorded by the T14a. The other ATSC tuners (a180s) continue to work fine. I've tried it in three very different MCE machines. The included Digital TV ATSC app works great with no stutter. MCE and WatchHDTV give me the 55sec skip. The only thing in common with the three machines is the Nvidia decoder. Any ideas? What decoder are you using?

Thanks

megatron

09-28-06, 10:06 PM

well i got mine in from zzz and the drivers are no good! It wont recognize the drive at all. i tried the drivers from their website too with no luck. Any ideas?

I'm running winxp sp2 with athlong 64 3400+ with 1gb ram. I also have an ATI AIW Radeon x9600t card...I was wondering if that might be the issue, but the USB is not being recognized at all so I dont think thats the problem. perhaps i have a DOA piece?

bathomps

09-29-06, 10:21 AM

Megatron,

You may want to check that your USB is set to run as USB 2.0. sometimes in the BIOS it may be set to run in "legacy" mode or 1.0 mode. The T14a requires USB 2.0. I saw this issue on one laptop.

Phil,

My experience is that the skip is actually from the T14a recording the stream. Not from playback. I can take the same file to another computer with a different decoder and I got the same results. Interestingly it also occured with my other Tuner (ATI HDTV Wonder) when the T14a was on the same machine. The techs at pcalchemy.com told me that the T14a doesn't play nice with other tuner cards.

Phil Hightech

10-01-06, 09:12 AM

Megatron,

Phil,

My experience is that the skip is actually from the T14a recording the stream. Not from playback. I can take the same file to another computer with a different decoder and I got the same results. Interestingly it also occured with my other Tuner (ATI HDTV Wonder) when the T14a was on the same machine. The techs at pcalchemy.com told me that the T14a doesn't play nice with other tuner cards.

Glad I'm not going crazy. I guess some people don't notice the skip. My wife didn't see anything wrong until I pointed it out. I agree with you that the skip is actually in the recorded stream. The Artec only randomly affects the other tuners cards in my system. Sometimes the other tuner cards record perfectly sometimes not. I did a lot of experimenting, USB configuration, changing IRQs etc... Complete waste of time. The techs at pcalchemy were only half right. The T14a doesn't play nice with other tuner cards and it doesn't play nice by itself either (unless you use their tuner app). I emailed the tech dept at Artec about a week ago, haven't heard anything back.

-Phil

hypercooljake

10-04-06, 01:26 AM

Does anyone know how well an AMD Turion 64 processor will work with any of the USB HDTV tuners?

Phil Hightech

10-04-06, 05:07 PM

Don't buy the Artec it is flawed. There's a reason why these things are so cheap. A second look at the included tuner app shows that it also suffers from the 55sec skip. Check out this post http://www.freelists.org/archives/opendtv/07-2006/msg00104.html
The company doesn't answer emails so they can go take a hike. I'm sending the second one I bought back. I'm stuck with the first one since its past the 30 day return window.

-Phil

jimwhite

10-05-06, 11:17 AM

I picked up a second Artec so that I could move my FusionUSB to another machine.... when I set up with two Artecs, I get the dreaded "No Signal" on either of them.... If I unplug either one and reboot, they both work fine, individually.... has anyone succesfuly set up two Artec's in MCE ????

:confused:

pasemp

10-06-06, 12:31 AM

I am using the Artec on a 15.4 widescreen (rez 1680x1050) Dell 6000 with a 1.6 Centrino, 2 gb ddr ram, a 128 nvidia video card, and Windows XP Pro. I haven't tried recording anything yet, I have a DVR through cable and only wanted this for tv watching, not recording.

I live in Brooklyn, NY. Depending on how I have the antenna positioned I can pick up to 38 total signals, about 25 of which are tv, several of which are dupes.

Picture quality has been very good but varies between channels. Widescreen HD broadcasts such as tonights Mets/Dodgers game 2 on Fox looked fantastic. Non hd digital tv looks clean but is in 4/3 format. For overall picture quality and range of reception, I'd say this little unit is a good value.

On the negative side, there are occasional stutters and there are some audio sync problems. I'm not sure if these problems are b/c of limitations of my computer or the tuner. One thing I've noticed is that if you resize while playing tv, the audio may get out of sync. Set the size you want then tune into the channel and you should be fine though on full screen there may be no way around the synch issues.

It does get hot. The sides have mesh vents which seem to be for cooling but any extended use will get the temp up.

Overall I wouldn't want to rely on this for my main tv watching but as a secondary and travelling tuner on the laptop I feel it's worth what I paid. Though it may not sound like it I think it's a pretty neat device at a good price.

jstyles

10-09-06, 12:34 PM

I just received one while they where $45 and I am in the process of sending it back. I got it to work fine with the MCE2005 drivers, but it exhibited the 55sec signal lose as someone posted previously. Additionally I am not sure when or if they will have drivers for Vista so I decided even for that great of a price it is not worth dealing with a poorly designed product.

I have a VBOX usb and it works with no problems. Prior to the VBOX I had a dvico fusion 3gold which was buggy in MCE2005 but worked better than the artec.

jebbbz

10-10-06, 03:03 AM

My experience is, on the whole, positive.

I received my $45.00 Artec a few days ago. It works without conflict in an inexpensive system with a VBox 150 and a Diamond 550 PVR, both PCI cards. So far, while I see occasional momentary freezes I do not believe they are any more frequent than with a Dvico Fusion USB I have in another computer or the VBox. My local OTA broadcasts may be to blame. I have checked for the 55 second problem and see nothing like that. (Is it really 55 seconds, plus or minus one or two seconds? I used a stopwatch but didn't see rythmic repeat freezing.)

The Artec gets pretty warm but not so hot that it is painful to hold on to. It is no warmer than a USB WiFi adapter I have used.

For me, it is a keeper. Heck, at the price I may get another.

jimwhite

10-10-06, 08:32 AM

for me, the tuning is abysmally slow, so using it to watch live is a no-show, buts as a recording device it works great...

:cool:

jstyles

10-10-06, 08:40 AM

Regarding how long between signal losses. I did not use a stop watch, but when I watched a recording I noticed that there was a loss of picture every so often.

My VBOX USB doesn't reproduce the same problem. The price is nice, but for me I would rather spend a little more and have a stable supported product.

jebbbz

10-10-06, 12:58 PM

for me, the tuning is abysmally slow, so using it to watch live is a no-show, buts as a recording device it works great...

:cool:

I get a two-second delay whether I use the Artec or the VBox. The Dvico in my other box seems to take about the same amount of time. I got these times using a keyboard rather than a remote to change channels.

jimwhite

10-11-06, 07:27 AM

mine is much longer than 2 sec.... what date driver are you using? I think there are two versions available, and the "newer" one shows up in device-mangler with 2 chip designations....

:cool:

jebbbz

10-11-06, 01:05 PM

mine is much longer than 2 sec.... what date driver are you using? I think there are two versions available, and the "newer" one shows up in device-mangler with 2 chip designations....

:cool:

I am using the drivers off the installation CD. They are dated 07/12/2006 with a version number of 2.0.6.6. Device Manager calls them "Ultima ATSC-LG3303/MT2060 Digital TV Tuner."

I have downloaded but not installed an update file, Artec-t14a-V1.0.3.exe. I don't know what is in there as the site is not excatly brimming with information.
.

bryanw20

10-12-06, 03:37 AM

Any feedback if the Artec will work as a 2nd HD tuner with the Avermedia 180?
For $45 can't pass up the chance to record 2 HD & 1 SD at once. I normally record with mce off, and the most other work to be done at that time is some surfing.

For referance I have a P4 3Ghz, 1G Ram & 128M Video card.

Phil Hightech

10-12-06, 06:36 AM

If you don't mind a skip in your program every 55 secs, then it will work fine! Look back in this thread for more info. I currently have two a180's and a Fusion 3 PCI working together. I've spent a lot of time trying to get the Artec to work properly. I have given up for now.

I know what happens when you assume, but I hazard to guess that some folks are not as critical when it comes to viewng their TVs. I am fortunate to have a rooftop antenna and plenty of signal strength. The video that I see on the plasma is liquid smooth with no breakups, glitches, skips etc... I was initially thrilled with the Artec, but when I hooked up to the main HTPC and viewed it on the plasma, the skip problem was obvious to me ( I had to point it out to the Mrs).
I really wanted three ATSC tuners so I went for broke and installed a spare Fusion 3 in the slot right next to the video card. It does get pretty hot but it has been working for over a week now.

Phil

shanewenc

10-19-06, 02:46 AM

Watching NFL game Thursday special last night first time with my T14A and I have some concern about it already. First the unit tends to run very warmer to the touch after running longer than ~ 20-30 minutes, then the lagging or stuttering started to occur and it was getting from bad to worse (near freezing).
Turned it off for about 10 or so minutes to give a chance to cooling down, then I turned it back on then the same sequence repeated again. meaning it worked fine for the first 15-20 minutes w/o any lagging then here came the stuttering.
Is mine a bad unit? Just purchased from ZF less than 3 weeks ago and last night was the very first time that I'd used it longer than 20 minutes.
The pict quality was very impressive btw, only when it worked, however. :confused:

Hi

I just got my artec from zzf, and I am having the exact same problems as you. I dont think its my computer, it has a 3.4Ghz P4 Extreme Edition, 2GB ddr2 ram, raptor hard drive, audigy 2 sound card, and 128mb ati video card. I also tried it on my laptop and it does the same thing. I downloaded the latest driver from the website as well. It would be perfect for about 15-20 minutes, then the audio gets out of sync, then it starts to stutter. If I press the stop button and play, or change the channel it would work for awhile, then start up again.

Is anyone else having this problem? Should I try to exchange it? Also, on a side note, the artec is pretty good, clear picture, the little antenna picked up all the local dtv channels, audio is good too. Only if it didnt start crapping out in 15-20mins it would be awesome!

ocharlies

10-19-06, 07:54 AM

I have the T14A from zzf too. I have same problem with the bundled software (stuttering, stops etc).

Using WatchHDTV, watching is continuous. Last night I let it run overnight tuned to cbs. When I woke up this morning the tv show is still going on. I did notice the antenna position can cause stuttering and lip sync problem in WatchHDTV. Right now I am watching Fox5 without any stuttering. The picture in 1280X720 is beautiful! I would highly recommend the free WatchHDTV! - No, I have nothing to do with the software or its author.

I am really satisfied with this tuner. It let me watch TV whereever I go (when signal is available of course).

I am running this on a Dell xps M1210 laptop with built-in Intel 954 graphic card.
Hi

Is anyone else having this problem? Should I try to exchange it? Also, on a side note, the artec is pretty good, clear picture, the little antenna picked up all the local dtv channels, audio is good too. Only if it didnt start crapping out in 15-20mins it would be awesome!

jimwhite

10-19-06, 07:55 AM

I never saw this behavior with the Artec under MCE.... must be their software...

:cool:

shanewenc

10-19-06, 11:45 AM

I have the T14A from zzf too. I have same problem with the bundled software (stuttering, stops etc).

Using WatchHDTV, watching is continuous. Last night I let it run overnight tuned to cbs. When I woke up this morning the tv show is still going on. I did notice the antenna position can cause stuttering and lip sync problem in WatchHDTV. Right now I am watching Fox5 without any stuttering. The picture in 1280X720 is beautiful! I would highly recommend the free WatchHDTV! - No, I have nothing to do with the software or its author.

I am really satisfied with this tuner. It let me watch TV whereever I go (when signal is available of course).

I am running this on a Dell xps M1210 laptop with built-in Intel 954 graphic card.

thanks for the tip, i will try WatchHDTV!

edit: I downloaded WatchHDTV and it works Great! However, I have the 55 sec skip problem that others have reported as well, but it doesnt bother me that much. If they can fix this skip, this product would be AWESOME!

Do you guys think the 55 second skip problem is with the unit itself or software related?

Phil Hightech

10-19-06, 05:09 PM

Do you guys think the 55 second skip problem is with the unit itself or software related?

I think the device is flawed. Check out this link http://www.freelists.org/archives/opendtv/07-2006/msg00104.html

I don't think it's a coincidence that the price of these things has dropped so much.

RoundSparrow

10-20-06, 06:12 PM

Anyone been able to get the T14A to work with Windows Vista RC2? It blue screens the driver when I try to use it.

32-bit Windows Vista RC2.

rsandor

10-20-06, 07:14 PM

Anyone been able to get the T14A to work with Windows Vista RC2? It blue screens the driver when I try to use it.

32-bit Windows Vista RC2.
Same thing happened to me when I try to load the Artec XP drivers in RC2. I have emailed Artec tech support several times with no reply whatsoever.

My ATI HDTV wonder is working fine.

I finally gave up on RC2. Although the new MCE was cool, and I liked the Vista GUI, I had multiple other problems including:

1. Could not get a sound board running correctly. Using on board SoundMax chipset I could not get proper SPDIF runnig. Using Audigy had flaky results with SPDIF.

2. S3 resume problems, S3 did not always work, or work predictably. Using Asus A8N-VM-CSM motherboard.

bobn4burton

10-20-06, 10:11 PM

I was thinking about snagging this little guy from zzf tonight. The paypal coupon expires tomorrow. So what is the final verdict? Do all of them have the 55 second bug?

Is it worth the 45 bucks? I need a USB HD tuner...but don't want to get one that I won't be happy with.

jmarkley

10-20-06, 10:48 PM

I've had mixed success with the T14. It seems to pick up stations just fine using the included software, but I can't get beyond tv to tune to a station with it. I've downloaded the 1.0.3 drivers from the artec website, and still no luck.

Has anybody gotten this thing to tune using beyond tv?

jebbbz

10-21-06, 10:52 AM

I used it with BTV 4.4 for a couple of weeks with no real problems but after that the Artec began to fail. It would take two, three, or more attempts to get it to tune and begin playing audio and video which meant scheduled recordings were likely to fail. I have sent it back for a replacement as I thought it worked acceptably before that and the price was right. I had no problems getting it up and running in BTV. I never tried the included software.

The box I was running it in was newly assembled and also had a new VBox 150 in it. I didn't have enough time to determine what was responsible for my occasional video glitches but I could not see a 55 second problem unless it was 55 seconds plus or minus two minutes or so.

RoundSparrow

10-22-06, 06:45 PM

If they don't support Windows Vista (next Windows MCE) at this stage I worry if they will support it at all.

The every 55 seconds skip bug seems to be a hardware problem with this chipset?

RoundSparrow

10-25-06, 07:59 PM

I wanted to post a warning... I tried this on Vista RC2 and it seems to damage Vista in a way that a newly installed ATI HDTV PCI card won't work. The Media Center program will crash wen being told to Setup TV.

I put a empty hard drive in and installed Vista RC2 from scratch... and the same drivers work fine for the ATI PCI card.

So not sure what it mucked up... I uninstalled the driver, but no fix.

RoundSparrow

10-26-06, 09:56 AM

I did get a reply today from Artec regarding possibility of Vista driver update:

Dear Customer,
Thank you for your mail. Our Artec T14A can not working with Windows Vista RC2 right now but we
will release new drvier for support Vista RC2 soon. We feel sorry about this inconvenience.

Best regards

Customer Service Department

Soon!

jebbbz

11-03-06, 12:50 PM

I used it with BTV 4.4 for a couple of weeks with no real problems but after that the Artec began to fail. ... I have sent it back for a replacement as I thought it worked acceptably before that and the price was right...

Alas, the replacement was even worse. It began to fail after only two days. In both cases the first symptom was failure to tune to the local ABC digital affiliate broadcasting on UHF 56. The problem then spread to other channels. Multiple tries might succeed in tuning a channel after which other channels would tune but once the Artec was switched off the problems would appear the next time I tried to use the tuner.

Occasionally, with the second Artec, I noticed a 35-40 second glitch that would repeat two to five times and then disappear for several minutes or an hour or so.

I noticed that the second unit would, on occasion, not even power up when Beyond TV tried to use it (the power LED would stay dardk). This may have been true for the first unit but I didn't notice.

Too bad. Nice and small and inexpensive but not reliable or dependable. Hope others had better luck.

mattpattberg

11-03-06, 02:04 PM

Mine works fine, except for the hang up every now and then, everything tunes just fine. Would be nice if I could get skip free playback, but for the price I guess I can't complain too much.

ocharlies

11-03-06, 06:40 PM

I have had the T14A for about two weeks now. The stuttering is completely gone in WatchHDTV if the signal is good. As I type this I am watching ABC on a Dell inspiron E1505 laptop full screen without any stuttering or lipsync problem.

A couple of times I was playing with BeyondTV, AgeTV, BlazeTV, and some other software, and the driver messed up badly. At one point it did not work at all with any software. I almost sent it back. Luckily I found out the problem was caused by driver messup, so I uninstalled the driver from device manager and reinstalled the 1.0.3 driver, and it worked again.

audiopho

11-08-06, 06:34 PM

Has anyone been able to use it with Window XP Pro Edition x64 O/S?

Relampago

11-13-06, 04:04 PM

I did get a reply today from Artec regarding possibility of Vista driver update:

Soon!

Any word on this yet?

My wife is going to kill me soon as i upgraded my HTPC to Vista RC2.

jebbbz

11-18-06, 07:05 PM

joeyjoeyjoey

11-18-06, 07:44 PM

jebbz, thanks for the coupon code. I had ordered it yesterday but got cold feet and canceled it a few minutes later. But with this coupon code what the hey.

benwilard

11-23-06, 12:01 PM

I just got mine yesterday. I installed the 1.3 beta driver that came with the tuner and couldn't get it to work consistantly. Then I installed the 1.03 off the Artec site and now it works a lot better, no probs. I use WatchHDTV (great program, thanks!), I can't get record to work yet, I'll try other programs. I'm pretty satisfied for $40! I'm running it off my Inspiron 9300, 2.13 Ghz(pin modded), 2 GB Ram, 256 MB 7800GTX, and it uses about 70%- 80% of my processor.

jimwhite

11-24-06, 07:31 AM

"it uses about 70%- 80% of my processor."

more accurately, the software MPEG playback decoder is using 70-80% of your processor :D

kklarson

11-26-06, 01:33 AM

I thought I'd add my experience on reception issues. When I first tried out the Artec, I hooked it up to a rooftop antenna with line of site to transmission towers. Surprisingly, I was only able to receive the weakest stations. When I hooked it up to the supplied funky antenna, I actually received more channels - in a basement below ground level! This made me suspect that the Artec was having difficulty handling a strong signal. So I hooked up a variable attenuator between the rooftop antenna and the Artec. I started out at 50% and got most of the channels. I increased it to 75% and got most of the rest. BeyondTV shows every channel as either 100% or 0% reception. I manually added the few 0% channels and they work fine. So, my conclusion is that the Artec T14A is very sensitive and cannot handle a signal that is too strong. If you get the weak channels but not the strong ones, signal attenuation might be a solution for you.

threeply

11-27-06, 05:51 PM

For those interested I have made GB-PVR work with this unit and its good so far. I have not figured out on all the intricacies but the recording and viewing is fine and I receive 99% of the OTA channels in my area using Rooftop Antenna (still trying to figure out how I can get KCOP-only channel missing).

GB-PVR has integrated EPG with Zap2It and many recording options as well as remote serving aka MVP. I've tried most of the recording functions and that works great with the EPG. It doesn't have the window scaling functions that WatchHDTV has but the EPG is definitely very functional.

So far I have tried the tuner on MCE2005, WatchHDTV, GB-PVR, and Artec' S/W and haven't decided on which is the best. I'm leaning toward GB-PVR but its many settings is complex but the EPG is easy to use and very functional.

bitpoh

11-28-06, 12:16 AM

Quick question: Does the T14A do FM reception by any chance?

tt08

11-28-06, 09:42 AM

For some reason, I cannot upgrade my computer USB to 2.0. Would USB 1.1 be too slow to be used w/ this tuner? thx!

CityK

11-28-06, 12:12 PM

Quick question: Does the T14A do FM reception by any chance?No, it lacks the demodulation capabilities for FM reception
Would USB 1.1 be too slow to be used w/ this tuner?Unfortunately, yes. The highest theoretical transfer rate that USB 1.1 offered was 12 Mbps (whereas USB 2.0 bumps it up considerably to 480 Mbps). Demodulated Over/off-The-Air transport streams have a bitrate of ~19.4 Mbps.

threeply

11-29-06, 12:14 PM

Does anyone have two (2) of these Artec tuners functioning in MCE 2005? I cant't seem to get them both working. There might be some tweaks. Any help would be much thanked.

T

venk25

11-30-06, 02:58 AM

theereply,

Can you please post how you got the Artec T14A to work with GB-PVR ? GB-PVR site doesn't mention Artec in the supported hardware list. How did you get it to work ?

Thanks.

For those interested I have made GB-PVR work with this unit and its good so far. I have not figured out on all the intricacies but the recording and viewing is fine and I receive 99% of the OTA channels in my area using Rooftop Antenna (still trying to figure out how I can get KCOP-only channel missing).

GB-PVR has integrated EPG with Zap2It and many recording options as well as remote serving aka MVP. I've tried most of the recording functions and that works great with the EPG. It doesn't have the window scaling functions that WatchHDTV has but the EPG is definitely very functional.

So far I have tried the tuner on MCE2005, WatchHDTV, GB-PVR, and Artec' S/W and haven't decided on which is the best. I'm leaning toward GB-PVR but its many settings is complex but the EPG is easy to use and very functional.

threeply

12-01-06, 02:12 AM

Heres what you need to do setup GB-PVR

1) Find the bda.ini file
2) Modify with the following entry

[ARTEC 14A HDTV-USB (ATSC)]
TUNING_TYPE=ATSC
FILTER_TUNER=Digital TV Tuner Filter
FILTER_CAPTURE=Digital TV Capture Filter
PIN_TUNER_IN=Input0
PIN_TUNER_OUT=MPEG2 Transport
PIN_CAPTURE_IN=MPEG2 Transport
PIN_CAPTURE_OUT=MPEG2 Transport

Thats it.

3) Start config program
4) On Capture Source Tab Add your new tuner
4) Select BDA Recording Plugin for Recording Source Dropdown.
5) EPG Source (your choice)
6) Read instructions on gppvr web site
There it is

venk25

12-01-06, 09:04 AM

Thanks theereply. One more quick question. Doesn't this assume you have installed BDA drivers for the card (Artec T14A) ? Where to get it ? Thanks.

threeply

12-01-06, 03:18 PM

Thanks theereply. One more quick question. Doesn't this assume you have installed BDA drivers for the card (Artec T14A) ? Where to get it ? Thanks.

These drivers should come with the driver install CDROM or download from the Artec site

Marky_Mark896

12-03-06, 02:21 PM

ZipZoomFly.com has the Artec T14A for $59.99 with free shipping. Apply $20.00 coupon code "ART12" to cut the total price to $39.99. Coupon ends December 5.

(Although I had bad experiences with two of them when the PayPal $15.00 was in effect some people here have had satisfactory experiences. Such a bargain tempts me again...)

Thanks for the coupon code jebbz! I'm willing to risk 39.00 for being able to record and timeshift from OTA. This would be awesome, because I don't get fox hd or cbs hd on cable. I'm using MCE 2005 with a 3GHz P4, 1GB RAM, 250GB HDD. I have onboard intel graphics (yuck). But hopefully it will work well. I am able to play smooth HD video that I have recorded from the cable co.'s DVR through the firewire port, so I hope it works well. Can't wait to get it.

Thanks again,
Mark

lucida

12-03-06, 05:42 PM

Got this card 1 week ago and learned alot from this thread. Thanks!

Slight problem: under windows xp, I use watchhdtv but cant record/timeshift(watchhdtv simply crashes when I enable these features). I live only 11 miles from tower but WatchHDTV reports a signal strength of 0% or 1% though the play is smooth(no 55sec problem or whatever) and BeyondTV can only pickup 3-4 stations by automatically scan.

Under MCE2005, the T14A rocks. It gets full signal on all channels and closed caption works fine as well.

Marky_Mark896

12-03-06, 06:02 PM

Good to hear lucida! I'm planning on only using it for XP MCE 2005, so it sounds like it should work great for me. I'm picking up the channels I want great through my TV's atsc tuner with a set of amplified rabbit ears with a UHF ring. Hopefully using the same antenna, I'll get the same channels, and be able to record and timeshift them.

Thanks,
Mark

gulfwindx

12-04-06, 05:27 AM

First post .....So I tried some different antenna's including the "post card" with hit and miss results 1 was even a powered antenna. I went to Walmart to see what they had, I ended up with the cheapest one there by RCA 8 dollars Model ANT111 I'm now getting all HD and SD in my area. I'm 15 to 19 miles from the towers on the ground floor of a CBS home here in Fla. I'm using Version 1.0.3 and 1. 30 1.0.3 gives program list 1.30 has PVR the skip tab's raise or lower the channels in you channel list. When I click the record bullet it reads record but I can find where the show has been recorded. I'm really not looking for PVR function. As far as tuner it get's what I need TV where I have a remote viewing location with no cable.....

Jerrylo

12-04-06, 06:15 PM

Well guys... I just ordered my At14 on Saturday at the $39.99 price.
The question that everyone who has been having the 55 second stall in the picture has been answered... My son the Ph.D. in CS gave me the answer last night. It is a Microsoft MC problem. With the incoming stream MPEG, MS does not like to use any " standards ", so they decode and re-encode the incoming MPEG to the Microsoft standard for display... 8-(!!! THE PC chokes on this decode-encode every 55 seconds!! A "Microsoft Feature" that you get to pay extra for!!

Oh well. C U Later

JL

Timpanogos

12-04-06, 08:29 PM

Any way to compensate for this 55 secons "skip"? Others report no problems with Watch HDTV, etc. but I can't get it to work right. It just freezes on me and won't respond when I try to scan for channels. The little Artec gizmo is neat, but with plain vanilla Win XP (not MCE), the 55 second skip drives me up the wall. I am considering the Hauppauge version of this USB tuner, but if it has the same skip problem, why bother.

CityK

12-04-06, 08:36 PM

The question that everyone who has been having the 55 second stall in the picture has been answered... My son the Ph.D. in CS gave me the answer last night. It is a Microsoft MC problem. With the incoming stream MPEG, MS does not like to use any " standards ", so they decode and re-encode the incoming MPEG to the Microsoft standard for display... 8-(!!! THE PC chokes on this decode-encode every 55 seconds!! A "Microsoft Feature" that you get to pay extra for!! Sorry, but that explanation is inappropriately slanderous against MS....(and trust me, I'm like the last guy in the world to stick up for MS)

What your son was likely thinking of or reffering too is the DVR-MS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVR-MS) file container. The MPEG2 transport stream is wrapped/placed within the container format -- no decoding and re-encoding is performed.

DVR-MS would be used by MCE, as well as WatchHDTV. Now those two apps would likely account for a great number of users who are experiencing the problem. But, I don't think the Artec included windows viewing app uses the DVR-MS. Nor do I believe that Rod Hewitt, with his TSBrowser (http://www.freelists.org/archives/opendtv/07-2006/msg00103.html) app would be either. Or other PVR apps that support the T14A.

Nonetheless, your son's thoughts towards some problem with DVR-MS is interesting. It would be interesting to see, from those who are reporting problems, what app they are seeing the trouble with.

CityK

12-04-06, 08:39 PM

I am considering the Hauppauge version of this USB tuner, but if it has the same skip problem, why bother.The Hauppauge and the Artec devices, while somewhat similar, are different

bbchucks

12-04-06, 10:21 PM

I'm using the Artec usb model and i'm wondering if i can connect TimeWarner Cable TV to the USB end instead of using the supplied Antenna.
When i use the supplied software TV ATSC and do a channel scan after connecting the CableTV digital coax to the USB end no channels are found.

Any assistance would greatly be appreciated.

thanks.

CityK

12-04-06, 11:50 PM

I'm using the Artec usb model and i'm wondering if i can connect TimeWarner Cable TV to the USB end instead of using the supplied Antenna.
When i use the supplied software TV ATSC and do a channel scan after connecting the CableTV digital coax to the USB end no channels are found.The Windows drivers for it only support OTA reception

Timpanogos

12-05-06, 03:07 PM

Okay Artec T14A dudes and dudettes: Try this new software. They really did an upgrade on the interface. Hopefully the performance, too. I just scanned a grundle of channels and will test the performance tonight.

ftp://info.ultima.com.tw

user ID = fae_customer

password = fae_customer

Timpanogos

12-05-06, 03:28 PM

Just tried the software and I still have the 55 second "skip." DOH! I also just tried with Artec with beyondTV 4.5 and there is no skip. So perhaps it is not the hardware. The new interface has signal to noise ratio and signal level read outs that actually work. My "skip" is still occurring with 100% S/N and 93% signal level (+90% on most all channels). I am running Win XP Pro service pack 2 (no MCE) and a 2.8 GIG Pentium D duo with 1 Gig RAM.

The new interface now gives you options on where to park captures files.

Dukenightvision

12-06-06, 01:05 PM

got my Artec today and with the supplied antenna it pulls in the same channels as my MyHD MDP-100 with Silver Sensor antenna up in my 3rd floor walk-in-closet office.... no recording in the supplied app (I updated to the 1.0.3 version on the website), but MCE works fine with it.... wish my ancient circa 2001 Vaio laptop had a USB2 port.... :(

my Fujiplus should come next week....

:cool:

I have a question if you don't mind. I received the Artec tuner today and I'm having trouble connecting the antenna to the unit. The connector at the end of the supplied antenna is an F connector. I can't connect this directly to the Artec. Is this unit supposed to ship with an adapter so I can connect the supplied Artec antenna to the unit?

Any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

UPDATE:

Well, it looks like I was shipped an open box item that must have been returned. I talked to zipzoomfly and according to them, the Artec was supposed to ship with two adapters that connect to the antenna. ZZZ informed me that they are going to ship out the two adapters today.

threeply

12-06-06, 04:05 PM

Timpanogos

12-06-06, 07:34 PM

I gave them feedback that it didn't solve the 55 second skip and perhaps they pulled the update. The new interface is great though...

The updated software was 160 MB, compared to less than 10 MB or so with the old software.

Dukenightvision

12-06-06, 08:28 PM

I have a question if you don't mind. I received the Artec tuner today and I'm having trouble connecting the antenna to the unit. The connector at the end of the supplied antenna is an F connector. I can't connect this directly to the Artec. Is this unit supposed to ship with an adapter so I can connect the supplied Artec antenna to the unit?

Any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Does anyone know if the antenna adapter is a proprietary connector or would I be able to purchase this somewhere. I found a picture of the adapter connected to the Artec, but I'm not allowed to post a url at this time.

Thanks.

Dukenightvision

12-06-06, 08:30 PM

Does anyone know if the antenna adapter is a proprietary connector or would I be able to purchase this somewhere. I found a picture of the adapter connected to the Artec, but I'm not allowed to post a url at this time.

Thanks.

Sorry for the duplicate posts. I reached the magic number of five posts, so I now can post a picture of the antenna adapter. Would I be able to purchase the adapter online?

http://i17.tinypic.com/4hvhu0n.jpg

Marky_Mark896

12-07-06, 12:28 AM

Sorry for the duplicate posts. I reached the magic number of five posts, so I now can post a picture of the antenna adapter. Would I be able to purchase the adapter online?

I thought ZZZ was shipping you one? I haven't ever seen a connector like it before. I'm not sure why they went to that extra expense. It's a push on type connector, and I am pretty sure proprietary. Who knows. On a side note, I got mine today, but haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Having other issues at the moment with the HTPC. Driver conflicts or something it seems.

Dukenightvision

12-07-06, 12:54 AM

I thought ZZZ was shipping you one?

I never received a confirmation that they shipped the adapter. This is the first time that I ever purchased something from zipzoomfly, so I really don't know what to expect.

Marky_Mark896

12-07-06, 01:41 AM

This was the first time I dealt with them as well, but everything came through beautifully and quickly. I ordered it the day before yesterday (12/4), and it came the afternoon of 12/6. So, I'd give them a day or two, and maybe a followup email or something today. I don't think you'd find this connector anywhere online anyways, though I could be wrong. I've never seen one before.

jimwhite

12-07-06, 09:32 AM

if not you can get many of these type of connectors (they're NOT cheap) at Pasternak Enterprises http://www.pasternack.com/

:cool:

Timpanogos

12-07-06, 09:54 AM

The manufacturer, Artec/Ultima, sent me another software driver directly to try from Taiwan. It is version 3.0.3.0 and unfortunately, I still have the skip with Windows XP (non MCE). But they must be on the right track because the picture and sound "skip" or number of dropped frames is much less intrusive now. I gave them feedback and they are working on it. I was frankly surprised that I even got an answer to my inquiry. They seem genuinely concerned about fixing the problem.

I was ready to dump the Artec and go with Hauppauge's HDTV stick, but will hold off for now to see what Artec can do with the driver.

anderdea

12-07-06, 11:12 AM

I just purchased the Artec T14A Tuner to use with my laptop. I can't get it to work with MCE and from reading the previous posts, assume it's because I don't have an analog tuner installed. I Keep getting at black screen that says essentially, can't receive channel and then MCE locks up. MCE does however scan and store all my available channels (with a signal level) and the guide does come up. I'm using the 1.3.1 (I believe) software that came with it.

I would prefer NOT using MCE but when I install the software, Artec recognizes that I have MCE and only installs the remote control software. Is there any way that I can also get it to install the Artec tuner software?

Thanks, Don

msongkra

12-07-06, 01:15 PM

It worked once and afterward I got blue screen of death.
I wish I will get access to driver version 3-0-3-0 as Timpanogos.

I think if we all report the problem to artec they will get better solution (in the form of driver file) for all of us to make this nice little tuner work.

Last night I used version 2-0-0-11, it also worked only one time on another notebook I tested.

Song

msongkra

12-07-06, 01:23 PM

On system 1 (HP dv6113us), this was my first time it worked right after
version
1.30 installed.
When I turned off PC and came back it was not work any more.
I uninstalled and reinstalled the driver 1.30, 2.0.0.7, 2.0.0.11, it still
failed with same blue screen and restarted computer.

1. HP dv6113us notebook PC
Windows XP Media Center Edition
AMD Turion64x2 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM, 256MB VDO
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150

msongkra

12-07-06, 01:25 PM

On system 2 (Compaq r3410us),this was my second and the last time I saw it
worked.
After nothing work on my system 1, I used all driver 1.30, 2.0.0.7 and only my
last attempt with the new 2.0.0.11 that work.
I saw nice HDTV out of it once. When I had disconnected the tuner to
rearranged
the attenna, it was no longer work.
I repeated with uninstalled and reinstalled with 2.0.0.11, nothing work and I
got only blue screen of death after I connected -
the tuner back to the USB port after the system is ready (after Windows
restarted, I wait until harddisk light went off and got
all the icons ready on my Windows desktop and Windows notification area).

2. Compaq r3410us notebook PC
Windows XP Professional Edition
AMD Athonlon-XP 2.6GHz, 512MB RAM, 32MB VDO
NVIDIA GeForce4 Go

msongkra

12-07-06, 01:32 PM

Please see attachment.

Any solution?

threeply

12-07-06, 01:34 PM

msongkra

12-07-06, 01:54 PM

Who do you email to get support? I have not experienced any problems with the current drivers from the inbox CD using either MCE or XP but would like to get a driver that support dual tuners.

Will you please tell me about your display adapter that work with Artec T14A?

My both Nvidia GeForce Go 6150 and GeForce4 Go on my two laptops were no GO with this tuner. They both work only once and crash afterwards.

My ATI Radeon Xpress 200 on my desktop got crash after Windows said found new hardware and activated tuner's driver.

Anybody who has
- Nvidia GeForce Go 6150 and GeForce4 Go
- ATI Radeon Xpress 200
has your Artec T14A works?

Song

mpenn75

12-09-06, 11:33 PM

Please see attachment.

Any solution?
I had the same issue on my laptop running xp sp2 (blue screen - which i have never seen using XP). After trying other versions of the driver, i finally got it to work. I installed the driver from version 1.3, and used the player from the latest ver.2 software. I found 15 local channels and works perfectly now. I love this device.

msongkra

12-10-06, 12:31 AM

I had the same issue on my laptop running xp sp2 (blue screen - which i have never seen using XP). After trying other versions of the driver, i finally got it to work. I installed the driver from version 1.3, and used the player from the latest ver.2 software. I found 15 local channels and works perfectly now. I love this device.

Dear mpenn75,

Thank you for your response.

I had used version 1.3 and been able to see it worked only once with WatchHDTV_V1.93 but since I restarted my notebook now I get only dead blue screen.

What is your display adapter?

I am curious that it may be the problem only with my NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 and
GeForce4 Go (on my two notebook) and ATI Radeon Xpress 200 (on my desktop).

I hope I will get some new driver from either Artec or Nvidia or ATI to make it works for me, too.

I also love it once and only one time it worked on each of my notebook (but it did not work at all on my desktop.

1. HP dv6113us notebook PC
Windows XP Media Center Edition
AMD Turion 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM, 256MB VDO
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150

2. Compaq r3410us notebook PC
Windows XP Professional Edition
AMD Athonlon-XP 2.6GHz, 512MB RAM, 32MB VDO
NVIDIA GeForce4 Go

3. Compaq sr1810nx desktop PC
Windows XP Home Edition
AMD Sempron 2800+ 1.2GHz, 512MB RAM, 256MB VDO
ATI Radeon Xpress 200

terrific

12-11-06, 03:21 PM

hi everyone!
i read the posts here before buying artec t14a, and i was a little worried about the signals and the picture qualities. now i am using it and the pictures are beyond my expectation. really nice!
my notebook has intel duo core and 512M ram, the system is windows xp media center edition. i download the 2.0-edition driver on their website. it can detect around 15 chanels with that small antenna. btw: i am in nyc. it runs smoothly for most of the chanels.

my concern is that the usb tuner is very hot. i am afraid it won't last long.

TPeterson

12-11-06, 04:10 PM

I wonder how it gets so hot while dissipating "<2.3W" ? ;)

atperson100

12-11-06, 07:23 PM

I did a test last night where I captured a program with MCE.. the resulting capture did have a noticable skip.. I, then, converted the file to Windows Media Video. The skip was not present in the WMV file. I went from DVR-MS -> MPG stream -> WMV... I'm not sure what this means...but if the skip I captured was one of Artec's notorious skips, then perhaps it really isnt a hardware issue.

ayman86

12-11-06, 08:59 PM

has anyone successfully recorded tv shows using WATCHHDTV?

mines simply crashes every time i try to record.

mpenn75

12-11-06, 09:46 PM

Dear mpenn75,

Thank you for your response.

I had used version 1.3 and been able to see it worked only once with WatchHDTV_V1.93 but since I restarted my notebook now I get only dead blue screen.

What is your display adapter?

I am curious that it may be the problem only with my NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 and
GeForce4 Go (on my two notebook) and ATI Radeon Xpress 200 (on my desktop).

I hope I will get some new driver from either Artec or Nvidia or ATI to make it works for me, too.

I also love it once and only one time it worked on each of my notebook (but it did not work at all on my desktop.

1. HP dv6113us notebook PC
Windows XP Media Center Edition
AMD Turion 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM, 256MB VDO
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150

2. Compaq r3410us notebook PC
Windows XP Professional Edition
AMD Athonlon-XP 2.6GHz, 512MB RAM, 32MB VDO
NVIDIA GeForce4 Go

3. Compaq sr1810nx desktop PC
Windows XP Home Edition
AMD Sempron 2800+ 1.2GHz, 512MB RAM, 256MB VDO
ATI Radeon Xpress 200

A Pentium M 1.7gig with the crappy intel integrated video. Maybe there is an issue with the Geforce drivers? All I know is that I had trouble getting it to work also, but after re-installing different versions of the software it wound up working.

ayman86

12-12-06, 01:50 AM

hmm. silent recording works perfectly. at least thats something.

anderdea

12-12-06, 11:59 AM

I've tried this USB tuner in two machines.

(1)
Gateway Laptop Model MX7118
Amd Athelon 64 3400+ 2.2 Ghz
1 Gig of Ram
Integrated Ati Mobility Radeon X300 Video with 264 MB assigned to it
XP SP2, and MCE (tried both MCE and product software)

(2)
HTPC: Amd Athelon 64 3400+ 2.31 Ghz (Overclocked)
ATI 9500 Video Card
1 Gig of Ram
XP Home SP2
Fusion HDTV PCI tuner

My problem:
On each machine, the software that came with the tuner (1.3.1) installed OK. The system recognized the tuner and the drivers but in both cases when I scan for channels using my large amplified roof antenna, No channels are stored. I have about 15 in my area that my Fusion PCI HDTV picks up in the HTPC without a glitch.
Has anyone had this issue? I think there is a possible issue with the coax adapter or with the Tuner. The green light does turn on, on the Tuner and it does get warm.

Also I tried to install "WatchHDTV" on my laptop and when I go to start the software I get a Windows "there is a problem etc." and it won't start. Could MCE be stopping it from launching? I am using the latest version, I believe it's 1.93.

Thanks, Don

Dukenightvision

12-13-06, 12:10 PM

[QUOTE=jimwhite]if not you can get many of these type of connectors (they're NOT cheap) at Pasternak Enterprises http://www.pasternack.com/

Thanks for the recommendation. Zipzoomfly actually did a good job of shipping out the adapter on the same day that I called (even though it took customer service three days to inform me that it shipped).

For the past day, I've been using the Artec USB tuner, and I'm pretty happy with it. I haven't installed the PVR software at this time. I'm using the Artec with SageTV.

I live approximately 22 miles from the TV towers located in downtown Chicago and the included antenna does a good job of picking up the local HD stations. When I position the antenna correctly, I receive a clear HD signal. Last night, I watched a travel show my local PBS HD feed and I was amazed at the beautiful and clear picture on my Olevia 532H. Bavaria never looked so good. The antenna must be UHF only because I can't pick up our local CBS affiliate (broadcast on VHF).

The unit does get hot, especially the cable adapter. I was surprised that the unit didn't consume as many computer resources as I expected. When watching/recording a HD show, only twenty percent of my CPU resources are being utilized. I also have an Adaptec GameBridge TV tuner (software encoding) connected to my computer and when that is recording a show, it uses approximately 32 percent of my CPU cycles. I would think that the Artec, since it doesn't use hardware encoding (HD signal doesn't need to be encoded?), would utilize more of my CPU.

Last week, when I received my unit sans the included cable adapter, I called the number listed at the manufacturer's website and left a message. I received a call today and the person I spoke with actually designed the antenna. He was a nice guy and more than willing to discuss any questions I had about the product. He seemed appreciative of the feedback he received. If anyone has any issues with the latest drivers/software, it wouldn't hurt to give the company a call.

HTPC setup:

Dell Inspiron E1705
XP Professional
Dual Core 1.83 GHz
1 GB RAM
256 MB Nvidia Geforce Go 7800
SageTV PVR Software Using Nvidia Purevideo Decoder
250 GB Western Digital MyBook USB Hard Drive

jobedo

12-13-06, 01:12 PM

Can someone explain how to set up WatchHDTV to use with the Artec
Thanks Joe

CityK

12-13-06, 07:54 PM

I was surprised that the unit didn't consume as many computer resources as I expected. When watching/recording a HD show, only twenty percent of my CPU resources are being utilized....I would think that the Artec, since it doesn't use hardware encoding (HD signal doesn't need to be encoded?), would utilize more of my CPU.That's correct - there is no encoding operation with DTV, as the device is simply receiving a digital bitstream that is already in the encoded to a compression format (MPEG2 in this case). The flipside of that, though, is that the compressed stream must be decoded in order for it to be rendered onto your viewing device, and this does indeed require a significant processing power (in the case of HD sources). Your low utilization is indicative that the mpeg2 decoder and viewing app that you are using are capable of offloading some of the decode functions onto your graphics adaptor....either that, or you're decoding stricky in software (i.e. just the cpu is handling the decoding algorithms), and it speaks volumes about the strength of the processors available today ... is that a core 2 duo that you list ? (I haven't ever bothered to notice/look to see what kind of utilization the C2D processors would face doing straight software decode as opposed to also utilizing acceleration features of a video adaptor....and now that I've presented that question to myself, I'm kind of interested to know .... scurries off down some hole on the internet to find out ;)
I also have an Adaptec GameBridge TV tuner (software encoding) connected to my computer and when that is recording a show, it uses approximately 32 percent of my CPU cycles. To what type of container and compression format (as well as what res, frame rate, and bitrate) are you using to make your captures .... If IIRC, the GameBridge defualts to
mpeg2 , does it not?.

I received my unit sans the included cable adapter.... Zipzoomfly actually did a good job of shipping out the adapter on the same day that I called (even though it took customer service three days to inform me that it shipped). Its nice to see that that worked out for you in the end ... I hate when things are missing from the package -- it just brings back all those torturous times as a child when the lego company failed me :p .

Dukenightvision

12-14-06, 10:09 AM

Your low utilization is indicative that the mpeg2 decoder and viewing app that you are using are capable of offloading some of the decode functions onto your graphics adaptor....either that, or you're decoding stricky in software (i.e. just the cpu is handling the decoding algorithms), and it speaks volumes about the strength of the processors available today ... is that a core 2 duo that you list ? (I haven't ever bothered to notice/look to see what kind of utilization the C2D processors would face doing straight software decode as opposed to also utilizing acceleration features of a video adaptor....and now that I've presented that question to myself, I'm kind of interested to know .... scurries off down some hole on the internet to find out ;)

Thanks for the explanation. To answer your question, my CPU is not a core 2 duo. After reading your explanation, it looks like I am utilizing the acceleration features of my Nvidia Geforce Go 7800 when using the NVIDIA Purevideo decoder.

You can see how well the NVIDIA Purevideo decoder uses the acceleration features of my GPU by comparing these two screenshots.

The first screenshot is my CPU utilization when viewing/recording an HDTV stream using SageTV with the bundled Sage TV video decoder. It looks like my CPU is doing all of the decoding work.

The second Screenshot is my CPU utilization when viewing/recording an HDTV stream using SageTV with the NVIDIA Purevideo decoder (utilizing the acceleration features of my GPU).

Screenshot 1 - CPU utilization using SageTV viewing software with it's bundled SageTV decoder.

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m163/dukenightvision/tm_sage_artec_purevideo.jpg

Screenshot 2 - CPU utilization using SageTV viewing software with the NVIDIA Purevideo Decoder.

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m163/dukenightvision/tm_sage_artec.jpg

If you would like to see the CPU utilization when viewing/recording with SageTV using NVIDIA Purevideo decoder over a sustained period of time, you can download the 12MB video here. (http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=1A991FA76EE94B1C)

I used a screen capture program that recorded the HDTV feed at 15fps, so the TV feed isn't fluid. You will also see the screen capture program utilizing a fair amount of CPU cycles of its own. Look for the SageTV.exe process in Task Manager to view CPU usage.

To what type of container and compression format (as well as what res, frame rate, and bitrate) are you using to make your captures .... If IIRC, the GameBridge defualts to
mpeg2 , does it not?.

Yes, the Adaptec GameBridge defaults to mpeg2. I don't know the answers to all of your questions, but I can say that the GameBridge utilizes 3.2 GB of disk space per hour of recording. Is that standard DVD quality? SageTV allows me to change the recording quality to a variety of settings/bitrates (13 varieties of bitrates--from 0.6 GB/hour to 5.9 GB/hour). It's interesting that no matter what bitrate I choose to record with the GameBridge, it always defaults to 3.2 GB/hr.

Dell Inspiron E1705
XP Professional
Dual Core 1.83 GHz
1 GB RAM
256 MB Nvidia Geforce Go 7800
SageTV PVR Software Using Nvidia Purevideo Decoder
Artec T14A Mini USB 2.0 HDTV tuner
250 GB Western Digital MyBook USB Hard Drive

CityK

12-14-06, 11:42 PM

To answer your question, my CPU is not a core 2 duoYep -- I discovered that it is an earlier Core Duo --- I checked google last night for what the specs on your laptop are ... (which I should have done in the first place prior to asking, given how easy it was to find)

it looks like I am utilizing the acceleration features of my Nvidia Geforce Go 7800 when using the NVIDIA Purevideo decoder.

You can see how well the NVIDIA Purevideo decoder uses the acceleration features of my GPU by comparing these two screenshots. Most definitely indeed.

If you would like to see the CPU utilization when viewing/recording with SageTV using NVIDIA Purevideo decoder over a sustained period of time, you can download the 12MB video here.

I used a screen capture program that recorded the HDTV feed at 15fps, so the TV feed isn't fluid. You will also see the screen capture program utilizing a fair amount of CPU cycles of its own. Look for the SageTV.exe process in Task Manager to view CPU usage.Thanks.

Yes, the Adaptec GameBridge defaults to mpeg2.Yep, google refreshed my memory -- I had previously read this review (http://hardware.teamxbox.com/reviews/general/45/Adaptec-GameBridgeTV-AVC1410/p3).I can say that the GameBridge utilizes 3.2 GB of disk space per hour of recording. Is that standard DVD quality? 3.2GB/hr is ~7.6Mbit per second ....Wihout checking some sources, I would guess that that's probably pretty representative (if not, then higher) then what the avg bitrate is for most DVDs ... (most software DVD players will have an OSD option to view the video & audio bit rates ... with that you can observe how the respective rates jump around due to the use of vbr encoding, but can get a feeling for what the over all avg would be ..... If memory serves correct, the max rate that all the combined bitsteams can be is ~11.2Mbps... of course, you can't fit as much material on the disk if you're always encoding at the max supported .... personally, I wish most movies would try to use more of whats available, as I for one don't care for special bonus material that includes everyone's, from the director's to the best boy's, commentary for the feature etc etc.

SageTV allows me to change the recording quality to a variety of settings/bitrates (13 varieties of bitrates--from 0.6 GB/hour to 5.9 GB/hour). It's interesting that no matter what bitrate I choose to record with the GameBridge, it always defaults to 3.2 GB/hr.The article I just linked mentions that the included capturing software (looks to be InterVideo) uses 6.4Mbps for its best setting. Its likely that whatever the mpeg2 encoder is that you are using inconjunction with Sage tops out at a bitrate of ~7.6Mbps. Perhaps you can select another encoder that is not bitrate limited?

I haven't ever bothered to notice/look to see what kind of utilization the C2D processors would face doing straight software decode as opposed to also utilizing acceleration features of a video adaptor....and now that I've presented that question to myself, I'm kind of interested to know .... scurries off down some hole on the internet to find outMy search turned up squat for this. Though, the recent Anandtech articles about bluray playback give a bit of an indication:

With a one minute test sample from the movie "Click", for which Anandtech claims "saw bitrates of 50-60 Mbps throughout our test", and a C2D 6300 without GPU assistance, an avg. CPU utilization of ~51% was recorded. Another source lists the movie as having an avg bitrate of ~38Mbps for the mpeg2 video stream (and ~44Mbps with audio and other streams), so perhaps the 51% would trend downwards given the lower avg bitrate of the movie ... though there is also a good chance that Anandtech is just incorrect (unless they happened to choose one of the heavier bitrate moments of the movie --- that very well could be the case, as they did that with their AVC testing, but I didn't spot them making any mention of intentionally seeking the highest bitrate scene in their mpeg2 testing. And, indeed, it read more like they just choose a random scene in their mpeg2 test). Whatever.

Anyways, that still doesn't answer the question about what typical utilization would be like for a transmitted HD source (OTA/Dig Cable/Sat) with C2Ds ... (obviously it would be less then what's seen with higher bitrate bluray/hd dvd sources). Perhaps I'll pose this as a question in the forum ... and include AMD cpu's in the query too.