Poor Video Quality

[itsernst]

Hi Guys and Gals,

A newb here just have a few question for ya, thanks to all in advance!

PC is running Windows 7, 4GB Ram, Q6600 OC'd 3.0ghz, ATI 5770, 26" Dell 1080P Monitor connected via HDMI cable.

I have a TV Tuner card installed. It was a Hauppauge branded Gateway card. I do not know the model number off hand, but i can get it if need be. My problem is my tv tuner quality is very very very grainy. Tuner card has 4 Outputs: CATV, NTSC, S Video & RCA. I do not have a digital cable box hooked up just coax that has been split to my room from outside. I can plug into CATV and i get picture, but it is grainy. I am guessing the reason i cannot get tv through NTSC is because no cable box? I have tried changing settings and software (Windows Media Center & PowerCinema 6) and the one thing that remains constant is tv quality. I would really like to get the picture better looking. Now my questions to you are:

-Should i just splurge and get a new TV Tuner card?
-Would a cable box make a difference?
- Can I get better quality with some tweaks?
-I know i lose resolution with cable input split, any way to improve?

Thanks in advance and any help would be appreciated!

-Sean

[lowellriggsiam]

There could be many issues, right off I'd blame your tv tuner card, I am not running off a cablebox in NTSC and mine workes really well. I had a USB hookup that has better quality than the above pic. This is how mine turns out using a coax
There is a possibility that your coax is responsible.

[jagabo]

That's an awful lot of noise -- not normal for a Hauppauge capture card. If you hook that cable coax to a TV is it noisy too? If so, a different capture card won't help.

[itsernst]

First time I am going to try when i get home is checking if direct tv connection produces same results. If it does I will know my answer. If not, I am guessing tv tuner card is the culprit?

[SHS]

Sean are they on all channel like that screenshot?
To me it look like the Tuner it self may be bad

[itsernst]

Sean are they on all channel like that screenshot?
To me it look like the Tuner it self may be bad

Yes all channels look like this. I am getting the feeling this will be the general consensus.

[itsernst]

Anyone have any guess as to why I wouldn't be able to get NTSC? All channels will only come in on Analog signal.

Thanks!

[jagabo]

Anyone have any guess as to why I wouldn't be able to get NTSC? All channels will only come in on Analog signal.

I don't know what you mean by this. Are you asking about getting input from the composite or s-video port? Do you have a composite or s-video source (you said you don't have a cable box)?

Does the card have a QAM tuner? If so, you can use that to tune clear QAM (digital) cable channels. But that will probably be restricted to your local broadcast channels and a few others.

[itsernst]

I don't know what you mean by this. Are you asking about getting input from the composite or s-video port? Do you have a composite or s-video source (you said you don't have a cable box)?

Does the card have a QAM tuner? If so, you can use that to tune clear QAM (digital) cable channels. But that will probably be restricted to your local broadcast channels and a few others.

I was misunderstanding a how this worked. My apologies;

[ronnylov]

Have you tried an antenna amplifier on your cable?
For me it helps a lot with analogue cable TV here in Sweden (although I have PAL, not NTSC).

[itsernst]

Tested TV Signal and it was poor in all aspects besides my HD Cable Box. I am going to order an ATI CableCard OCUR.

Any thoughts on this card?

Thanks

[lordsmurf]

I don't think the card was the issue. It looks more like poor splitting. Use 2Ghz splitter and RG6 cable. That standard cheap 900Mhz and RG59 isn't good enough for digital.

There have been discussion on TV capturing at the TVPreservation forums in the past - http://www.tvpreservation.com/forum/forumdisplay.php/record-video-tech-21.html -- I don't know if I've seen or been in many coax capture discussions on VH. If so, it was years ago.

[jagabo]

I am going to order an ATI CableCard OCUR.

Hope your cable company supports it. And with reception that bad a digital tuner will probably have problems too.

Try your cable box at that cable drop. Can it get anything?

[itsernst]

I am going to order an ATI CableCard OCUR.

Hope your cable company supports it. And with reception that bad a digital tuner will probably have problems too.

Try your cable box at that cable drop. Can it get anything?

Good thought. With the cable box connected, do I just run coax into the house to the box, and then from the box to my tv tuner card?

Thanks

[itsernst]

So...

Spoke to cable company and they informed me that my house was only set for two tv's. Adding a third tv would require them sending out a technician (for a nominal fee of course) to setup a third room for digital tv quality. Even though the whole house is wired for tv, does this seem correct?

[edDV]

Did you ever connect a TV to that cable and view the quality on the TV?
Did you connect a cable box to that cable and view the quality on the TV?

You need to fix the cable connection first regardless of tuner.

You say the house is "wired for cable". Map the splitters between the incoming cable and every room outlet. Show us the cable map.

If the house is properly wired, the cable tech is talking about adjusting the gain of the signal coming into the house. You can pay them extra to recable the house and check levels ane equalization at each outlet.

For example, here is the approximate cable map for my house. There is considerable splitter gain loss to those bedroom TV outlets. It needs to be compensated at the cable company amplifier up on the telephone pole. If you can't get the cooperation of the cable company, you would replace the first splitter with an amplified model.

[edDV]

Tested TV Signal and it was poor in all aspects besides my HD Cable Box. I am going to order an ATI CableCard OCUR.

Any thoughts on this card?

Did you ask the cable company if they support cable cards for this tuner? They will probably charge again for an installation visit.

[itsernst]

Did you ever connect a TV to that cable and view the quality on the TV?
Did you connect a cable box to that cable and view the quality on the TV?

You need to fix the cable connection first regardless of tuner.

You say the house is "wired for cable". Map the splitters between the incoming cable and every room outlet. Show us the cable map.

If the house is properly wired, the cable tech is talking about adjusting the gain of the signal coming into the house. You can pay them extra to recable the house and check levels ane equalization at each outlet.

Connected tv to coax and it produced the same results. Tested this before and after coax splitters outside of house with tube and lcd and both results were the same. I have not tested with cable box hooked up to tv tuner, this will be my project tonight. Diagram is: Cable box is mounted outside of house; It has coax going in both directions around the house. One goes to a splitter which then goes to main tv with digital box and cable modem. The other end goes to splitter, which then goes to seperate rooms, one of which has a digital box and the other does not (one with the issues.)

Provider said 3rd room needs to be setup for digital cable, as that is why my reception is so bad. Cable card is 3 bucks a month, and they would install, but I am pretty sure I could do this myself.


Thanks!

[itsernst]

Tested TV Signal and it was poor in all aspects besides my HD Cable Box. I am going to order an ATI CableCard OCUR.

Any thoughts on this card?

Did you ask the cable company if they support cable cards for this tuner? They will probably charge again for an installation visit.

Yes they said it would work, 3 dollars/month plus install charge.

[itsernst]

Here is an awful diagram.

[edDV]

So what quaity does a TV show at the noisy location?

Does the "digital box" TV show good quaity on all channels?

Sorry you answered that. The problem is with the cabling or splitter from that outside cable connection.