CATV Question

[nickolasj80]

I am having issues with my analog cable, which is running to my capture card, on certain channels (about 15 out of 70), the picture is black and white and fuzzy. Is there anything I can try to resolve this issue?

Thanks

[tim6661234]

Sounds like macrovision. Many cable companies transmit it especially on pay for view events. I have a video signal conditioner that I bought at maplins that I used to get round this on some of my video tapes. Filters out the macrovision part leaving you with the picture.

[hudsonf]

If they are regular channels do you have your capture card set to cable? I would also check your connections. If they are premium channels you will have to use your cable box as the tuner and subscribe to those channels.

[nickolasj80]

Thanks for the replies. My cable company (Comcast) does not have PPV on their analog packages, only their digital, does that rule out macrovision?

Here are some screen caps ot give you an idea of what I am talking about, if that will better help solve the issue.

[tipstir]

First thing which CAP card are you using?

I have Comcast too with digital access, but the a nalog channels with a WDM CAP (software encoder card) wasn't that great.

When I replaced it with a MPEG Hardware Encoder CAP the picture was better. Make sure you don't use wrong coax cable. Since you're in the USA there should be Wal-Mart near you. Go and buy yourself RCA DSS Coax cable cost $17.97. That is R6 2.3GHz (23000Mhz) coax cable with ground wire.

But again your problem might be with the tuner with the CAP card? If you get WinTV PVR-150 which has MPEG Hardware Encoder, CATV Tuner with Stereo dbx.

But first check your connections, splitters and make sure your cable coax is not touching power plugs, since that can cause interference also.

[gadgetguy]

I also have Comcast Analog cable. I have seen similar problems on my cable and what others have suggested (replacing with quality cables) should help. I don't know what kind of capture card you have, but my old ATI AIW Pro had problems with certain channels depending on which drivers I used. (The latest drivers for that card would not allow several channels to be recognized at all.) I reverted to some older drivers and they work better on my setup.
Also make sure your cable entrance point is properly grounded at the same source as the rest of the house. If it was not grounded at the entry point to the house, then you are relying on the ground point from the cable company, which could be very near or very far, but either way could create a current potential in the shield of the cable that could cause this type of interference.

[nickolasj80]

thanks for the additional suggestions. I have checked the splitter by going sraight to the wall, same result, I have tried the cable used for my cable modem, which is the stiff, thick kind, which I assume is good qaulity, same result. My cap card is a 878A hardware encoder, the specs are here: http://www.eurocomla.com/ttom878a.htm

I've had the card for a couple of months now, and at first it did not do this, it just started recently, in the last few weeks or so. anything else i can try?

thanks

[tipstir]

nickolasj80,

I've check out this CAP card which is not a MPEG1/2 Hardware Encoder, it's software based WDM (Conexant 878A chipset) that needs the CPU and software encode. This process doesn't give you the best picture in playback, viewing and recording with a fuzz or grain.

The WinTV PVR series 150(10-bit)/250/350 has the MPEG1/2 Hardware Encoder chip and 10-16 bit video procesor stereo dbx audio chips which doesn't use the CPU and frees that up for other task.

If you want go to Circuit City and head for Computer department look for WinTV PVR 150 cost is around $69 to $99 depending on the store location. Try out this card in your system and if you're not happy return it.

The coax cable you have is R6 2.3GHz or 3.0GHz, Comcast only uses R6.
The Tuner CAP WDM you have might be faulty or the drivers or since your using Cable Modem was that just put in?. Again I can only advised you what to get and use. I was like you with pretty much the same problem, until I decide to fix it with the WinTV PVR-150.

If you have some time visit www.gbpvr.com and learn what you can do with a WinTV PVR-150.