Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick, my experience

[rdbrindle]

Hey Guys-
I reading all of your comments about the Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick... They all seem preety positive, but I can't get my device to work correctley.
I bought the stick at Fry's and installed it on my computer (Win XP SP2, INTEL 3 GHZ HT, 1 GB ram).
I was very impressed with the ASTC signals... I have not seen anything better.

My problem, I think, is with the software. I have tried all of the patches- upgraded from 4.7 to 4.9 with no luck.
While I am watching the digital channels, the program will occasionally hang- 2 to 3 times in an hour - the screen goes blank and the program doesn't respond- I have to kill the process through the task manager and processes section.
I don't think it has anything to do with reception or my machine. I have even reduced my displays color pallet from 32 bit to 16 bits to see if that could be the problem (I had an old Happuage TV card that did better in 16 bit color). I have re-installed the old software and re-installed the driver. I have researched alternate TV programs and have come up empty handed.

I would like some help... digital channels are the only channels worth watching here... I just want this thing to work.
Do you guys have any suggestions? Things for me to try? I have a few days to solve the problem before I should return it. I don't want to give up because of the favorable hardware reviews.

Any help would be greatly apprieciated.
BRGDS/ Russ

[GreyDeath]

I bought one of these a while back, but returned mine after having a bunch of problems with it. USB2 is required which I didn't have on my encode machine, so I tried it out on my laptop and on my gaming rig, all had problems with the capture or viewing software.

Sometimes the Audio would be out of sync with the Video on some clips. Sometimes I'd capture an hour's worth of The Tube only to find out it only captured 5 minutes, though it seemed to be recording the whole hour.

My solution for capturing HD content was to buy a Samsung DTB-H260F set top box, and just run it through my ADVC-100. Since I don't have an HDTV (but widescreen--it's 10 years old!) and still convert them to DVD, S-video is fine enough for me. It's great watching 16:9 content and not have to zoom in, losing picture resolution.

I'm glad ppl are having a better time with the Pro Stick than I did. It is a neat little device, but I think the software has much to be desired.

[Tchail]

I have been using the PCTV 100e, but found the lure of having access to digital channels too great, so I picked up the HD Pro Stick (which is the 800e model).

After having used Studio 9 Quickstart and the PCTV software for the last two years, I thought I was pretty comfortable with Pinnacle's products. So Friday night, I installed the PCTV software, and Studio 10 Quickstart.

After the channel scan, I was about to pick up about 15 analog channels and 29 digital channels. I have to admit, even using rabbit ears, the quality of the digital channels is pretty good.

I even managed to record this week's Star Trek Remastered off of one of the local digital channels (though it recorded in 16x9).

My trouble began when I tried to use Studio 10 Quickstart to capture an old video tape off of my VCR. When I started Studio 10, I received the error to the effect that I either had an invalid license key or no license at all, and that I should reinstall.

After three attempts at uninstalling and reinstalling the software, I finally decided to contact Pinnacle tech support. They pointed me to a web page to deal with this problem. Apparently, I'm not the only person who has had this error, because Pinnacle makes available a little programe to edit the Windows Registry to remove Pinnacle products. Two attempts later (the first time I didn't read the directions all the way through), I finally get Studio 10 working. But to do this I had to uninstall PCTV.

So I reinstall PCTV, only to discover that I cannot receive digital channels. And PCTV had worked fine the night before!

My solution was to completely uninstall both PCTV and Studio 10 using the method provided by tech support. Then I first installed PCTV, then Studio 10, and finally the Studio 10 patch.

Now I've got PCTV receiving digital channels, and Studio 10 working. Great. Except now when I connect my VCR, I get an error message that there is no valid video signal detected.

Arrrrgggghh!

I checked tech support again, but the only references to this kind of error pertained to either the 500 or 700 series, neither of which applies to my situation.

End the end I gave up and plugged in my old 100e and captured the video that way. It worked with Studio 10 and captured fine.

But I ended up blowing half a day on this.

Am I alone in my experience with this product?

-Tchail

[vhelp]

Tchail,

I too have had trouble with running Studio 10 (the one that came with my
pctv stick. I quickly just gave up on it, but only because I knew that it also
came with it's other capture (PVR) software, Pinnacle TVCenter Pro. I use
that to do my capturing of Analog (vcr/cabletv/laserdisc, etc.) and HD ditigal
OTA sources. In addition to HD capturing, the TVCenter Pro also includes
the features for capturing through Composite/RCA and S-Video sources. I've
used it during my initial testing of this product. But, although my system is
capable of capturing analog sources using RAW yuv or Huffy codec, I have
since setteled better, with my Pinnacle Studio AV/DV pci card.

My projects normally go like this:

HD: --> capture using the pctv hd stick using the TVCenter Pro software
Analog anything: --> capture with my Pinnacle Studio AV/DV card w/ VirtualDub

-vhelp 4403

[yoda313]

anyone have problems capturing analog cable through the pctv hd stick? I just bought one for 70.00 at best buy for my vista pc today. I was hoping to use it as a tivo replacement with my new 500gb harddrive. So far it doesn't read my analoge cable stations. It scans them it just won't display them.

I have it split with a four way splitter to three sources - my high def dvr, my tv, and now the usb adapter.

Is there something I'm missing? I'm currently 7th in line for the online chat with support so hopefully I can find out that way.

If this doesn't work maybe I'll return it for the ati usb capture card - by the way I have no free pci slots - a firewire card and a sata card filled up my four slots (well three really since I have a pcie nvidia card in it).

EDIT - I got it working It turns out the software it came with wasn't that red hot.

I actually got it working with windows media center. It even got the program guide listing working properly. I think I will like this. My next step is either to get a bonified windows media center remote or I think I will finally work on getting my xbox set up as an extender. I will use a lan cable to get a constant stable connection at 100 instead of using wifi.

[starwarrior29]

yoda, what software did you use for it to work with media center? I am so tempted to get one of these especially with the sale this week at Best Buy but have stayed away because a lot of reviews were saying it doesn't work with media center, the only HD channels that I would be using it for would be the 4 major networks clear qam channels.

[yoda313]

Actually I haven't rigged it for hd through media center yet. It does basic analog just fine - I'm not using a box by the way just the straight cable.

And no software was needed. I had installed the included software for the stick but I couldn't get it to read the analog channels.

All I did was boot up media center which comes with vista home premium. I went into to tv setup and went through the wizard and worked like a charm.

[edDV]

yoda, what software did you use for it to work with media center? I am so tempted to get one of these especially with the sale this week at Best Buy but have stayed away because a lot of reviews were saying it doesn't work with media center, the only HD channels that I would be using it for would be the 4 major networks clear qam channels.

I'm also watching it for MCE and future clear QAM support from a Vista laptop. So far MCE does not support QAM and the Pinnacle HD stick Utimate only says QAM is provisioned in hardware but not yet in software.

I'm waiting to see if any of this can be documented to work before I spring for a card. I don't trust Pinnacle promises. I want to see proof of standalone QAM and MCE QAM support.

Other USB2 ASTC/QAM cards are coming in the next few months as Feb 2009 approaches. When sombody shows a card that actually works, I'm ready to buy.

[TBoneit]

Actually I haven't rigged it for hd through media center yet. It does basic analog just fine - I'm not using a box by the way just the straight cable.

And no software was needed. I had installed the included software for the stick but I couldn't get it to read the analog channels.

All I did was boot up media center which comes with vista home premium. I went into to tv setup and went through the wizard and worked like a charm.

Lucky you! I run MCE 2005 XP and the wizard wouldn't let me complete the TV setup the first time I tried it without a MCE remote.

[vhelp]

Hi all

I just wanted to make a short update on my PCTV HD Pro Stick experience.

I hadn't used my PCTV Pro for nearly a year. I had other things in-between my pc and various
capture cards (hardware, usb, firewire, and analog) and was mostly settled on my Pinnacle
Studio AV/DV (of which I am still using) but because our great tv series, "LOST" was comming
on today (and yesterday) I needed to re-setup my HD hardware. Well, as it turns out, good
old USB came to the rescue. All I did was re-plug in my PCTV HD Pro into the USB port and it
was that simple. No need to reconfigure anything or software/driver, etc. It just worked like
right out of the box and I was able to record my favorite series, "LOST". The brief details will
follow shortly, below.

Today, (after "LOST" finishes) I decided to give re-SCANNING of the channels another go, for the
NBC station. Well in short, I am getting it too. If you read on (way above, you'll see that I
did make a special note about some weard phenomina about receiving some stations during a
certain period or time of the year -- last mid February. Well, it seems that I can get these
channels in January too. I wish I had tried in December, but I was too lazy then.

The (1920x1080i) capture/recording details..

I am *VERY* happy to report that I finally managed to test it out on 1920x1080i sources, and it
was a smashing success. The picture quality and the picture/sound all previewed (played) inside
the PCTV HD Pro's (Pinnacle) software flawlessly. No hickup in the audio (like in my Hauppauge
1600 experience) and recording was as simple as recording my usualy (ABC-7) 720p source.

Playing back the 1080i (note, for some reason, DGIndex is reporting it as 1088i) is without a
hitch -- perfect.

I don't know.. I just love this little stick. It just works..!!

Hmmm... other than that, I don't know what else to report. I'm so happy
-vhelp 4509

[dphirschler]

It's on woot this morning for $39.00


Darryl

[jagabo]

How well is the QAM enabled beta software working now?

[edDV]

It's on woot this morning for $39.00
Darryl

Note that is the older PCTV HD Pro Stick (ATSC/NTSC only), not the "Ultimate" that has promised digital QAM support.

[vhelp]

[UPDATE]

Hi all

I've been busy this last week testing Pinnacle's latest TVCenter v5.4 software. So far, I like. The response time has improved--the tv pops up much quicker than it did in the prev CD version. Note, the PCTV Pro HD Stick I have is the model 800e. See below for file Download.

I am still testing this new software out, so I haven't found all the PROS/CONS out just yet, but heres a snifflet of what I found so far, and I'm pleased with this upgrade:

Some things I noticed (from personal experience) in this upgrade version:

1. has signal stregnth meters for Quality and Reception
2. quicker response time: tv opens up faster
3. improved channel scanning, though I'm still debating this
4. in addition to PS (program stream) it now includes TS (transport streams) though I think its still PS
5. a change in EPG feature, incluces a free'er tv guide version, though I haven't trided it
6. has some DVXA support, though I haven't looked into that area
7. clearQAM support, according to their website, even the pctv pro hd stick.

CONS:
1. I did notice that they now incorporate some kind of fail-safe < 2% HDD space nonsense.
2. if signal is too low (and glitche out) while recording, it can stop recording, though still debating this

Please note, the info provided below related the the pctv pro's "tvcenter" software.

excerpt from Pinnacles website

PCTV HD Pro Stick: Downloads
* TVCenter Pro 5.4 Update - 12/18/2008

TVCenter Pro is a fully featured TV viewing and PVR application for Windows XP and Vista.
Supported hardware:
* PCTV HD Card (800i)
* PCTV HD mini Stick (80e)
* PCTV HD Pro Stick (800e, 801e)
* PCTV HD Stick (800e, 801e SE)

Installation:
Uninstall any previous installation of Pinnacle TVCenter Pro. Reboot your PC if the uninstall wizard asks you to do so.
Click the download link below and choose “save as” to download the update to e.g. your desktop.
Once the download is completed, double-click on the downloaded file.
Follow the instructions of the installation wizard.
When the wizard asks you for a serial number, please enter the serial number that has come with your product, printed on a label on the sleeve of the original TVCenter Pro installation disk.
Please reboot your PC if the install wizard asks you to do so.

Notes:
With this version, the integrated Electronic Program Guide (EPG) with its “list view” has been replaced by a direct link to TitanTV.com. TitanTV is a free and user-friendly Internet-based program guide that can be used for scheduling recordings with TVCenter Pro. If you want to keep on using TVCenter Pro’s former built-in premium or free EPG (as included until version 4.98), you may prefer not to update to this version.
This software is intended ONLY for the use with the PCTV products listed above and cannot be used with any other product. If you are looking for an update for PCTV HD Ultimate Stick, please click here.
For the installation of this update, a valid TVCenter Pro serial number is required. You can find your serial number on the sleeve of your original PCTV install disk that has come with your product.

What’s new:
* Full support for Windows Vista 64 bit.
* Parental control for digital TV (ATSC, ClearQAM).
* Direct link to TitanTV.com’s Internet-based TV program guide.
* General performance and robustness improvements.

FILE DOWNLOAD:
version 5.4.0.3032 -- 12/18/2008 -- exe -- 251 MB

TVCenter Pro v5.4.0.3032

-vhelp 4995

[vhelp]

Regarding the clearQAM feature..

I would love to test this out on my model 800e, but because I am still receiving analog cabltv, I don't believe it will bring them in unless I call my provider and ask for "digital" setup. That would require them to come in and make a few switches at the junction box. And, since I'm receiving *free* analog cabletv, I don't want to risk loosing that--least not till Feb/2009 or later. I am testing to see whether my tv goes out or not or falls under the 2012 final deadline. If it still airs analog, at some point I may request the digital "basic" package. They did just sent me yesterday, an $19/mo deal for the year, plus StarZ/Encore movie channel free. So, I dont' know just yet.

Regarding TV Reception..

I found a few *new* digital channels were added in my aprox area: There's a 30.3, and a 810.4

WVIT-DT 30.1 (WNBC, jay leno, etc etc) @ 1920x1080i < 20 MBit/s
NBC WX+ 30.2 (weather) ??
US 30.3 (Universal Sports) @ 704x480 < 3MBit/s
.
810.4 -- news/weather 12 (westchester,ny area)
.
WEDW-1 49.1 -- PBS @ 1920x1080i < 20 MBit/s

All these and a host of other not-so-worthy-to-watch channels I already have. Anyway.

In order for me to get the {WEDW} and {810.4} I have to turn off my main computer. I don't know what it is about the computer, but as soon as I turn it on, then both channels go blank on me. Turn off the main computer, and it comes back on. All these weard and unexplanable phenominas for poor reception -- I give up.

-vhelp 4996

[SandGunner]

[UPDATE]

I've been busy this last week testing Pinnacle's latest TVCenter v5.4 software. So far, I like. The response time has improved--the tv pops up much quicker than it did in the prev CD version. Note, the PCTV Pro HD Stick I have is the model 800e. See below for file Download.

-vhelp 4995

I also have the 800e but the 5.4 software doesn't work at all for me. Not only that but the built in infrared receiver hasn't worked since version 4 of the software yet all other HD tuner software
will work with the 800e just fine, sans the remote of course. The TVCENTERPRO software complains "can't change channel" it always displays a black box were the video should be and the remote never
works and the "test" option from the icon shows solid green on both lights always. NOTE: TVCenterPro does tune available channels but the software can never display those channels.
Using other software such as WatchHDTV and Snapstream and the channels display just fine.

OS Windows XP professional Service pack 3, CPU Core-2 DUO 3.1 Ghz, 2GB ram, 4 TB HD space, USB 2.0 confirmed

SandGunner

[vhelp]

honestly, I'm not sure what your issue(s) are with your pctv stick. Mine was from the first editions I guess, and I've'never had a problem with (or none serious enough) that I can recall to mention. It just worked, and worked better than my hauppage hvr-1600 at the time..different computer i/o's ago now.

But in all honesty, I couldn't test it even if I wanted to, ever since analog shut down over here and everything switched to OTA this past June, I have not been able to get the hard-to-reach channels I was able to back then before the switch. Ironically, I was expecting the swtich to actually raise wattage so that those other weaker channels I was having problems with would finally come in clear-er when the switch occured--that didn't happen however. Seems the broadcasters didn't realize how expansive the wattage would turn out to be or something and they (must have) lower thiers since, cause I can't get anything I used to where I'm at now..sorry. I'm waiting for this to change, but here it is now, October and still blank screen oh well. I think I am the only person in the whole world that actually got screwed!

So, it seems that this may have happend to a lot of people (and including some of the members on this forum) and explains why no discussion about (successful and/or improved) OTA brodcasts since the switch. At least I haven't seen any members from New York posting success, not a smiggen.

Back when I did get OTA broadcasts, on the pctv pro stick, the latest 5xxx suite worked without problems.

However, the only issue I can recall about it (that I didn't like about it) was that the feature to "save channels" was not the same, it would sometimes delete the previous channel lineup so no chance of restoring when you would rescan. I used this as a cheat-sheet when I wanted to keep those hard-to-reach channels, the ones that would only come in at certain (calendar) seasons, and when reception conditions would change, I would re-load (or, restore) those old channels, but 5xxx messed that up.

Maybe consider a replacement, either of it or a new brand/model/make alltogether. Good luck.

-vhelp 5221