[mythtv-users] PVR-150 Tuner Quality Issues

[Brian Wood]

On Apr 16, 2006, at 2:41 AM, Michael Horn wrote:

> First of all it looks like I mis-spoke in my last reply. It wasn't  
> that my tuner wasnt detected properly, it was that its type was  
> being set incorrectly. I've been playing around with the setup, and  
> if all tuner=xx options are removed,  it is detected as type 4.  
> However, type 4 seems to be equivilent to tuner not found or  
> something of the sort (at least according to /usr/src/Documentation/ 
> video4linux/CARDLIST.tuners) So if I leave it without a tuner=xx  
> option, or try to set it to 4, its unsuccessful, and I can only  
> tune the channel that was last tuned, with no ability to change it.  
> When set as type=50, which I chose originally as it was the closest  
> match to my TCL M2523_5N_E. With that option, I can tune all my  
> channels, but with the quality issues.
>
> As for the connections, I have tried both the vcr and the 150 on  
> the exact same lines, and it appears the issue is confined to the  
> card. I've tried both the 0.4.2 and 0.4.4 versions of ivtv,  
> currently using the 0.4.4
>
> Now, you said one of your 150s is detected as type 4, do you think  
> I could have a look at your modules.conf and appropriate section of  
> the dmesg output? If I can't make any progress soon I guess I'll  
> exchange this card for another 150 to see if perhaps it is just a  
> bad card.
>

My fourth 150 is detected as type 4, and the tuner doesn't work !  
This does not bother me, as I use that card for my Dish receiver and  
thus use the baseband inputs. This is a PVR-150MCE card that has an  
FM tuner.

The relevant portion of modules.conf is:

#IVTV
alias char-major-81-0 ivtv
alias char-major-81-1 ivtv

But I don't see that as being of any help to you.

 From the bootlog: (for the "bad" card)
---------------------------------
tveeprom 5-0050: tuner model is TCL MFNM05-4 (idx 103, type 4)

<skipped lines>

tuner 5-0061: tuner type not set
tuner 5-0061: tuner type not set
----------------------------------

My first three 150s are all detected as type 50 thus:
----------------------------
tveeprom 2-0050: tuner model is TCL 2002N 5H (idx 99, type 50)
----------------------------
And these tuners work fine.



I don't know if you noticed the post right after mine, but the poster  
stated:

" I'm holding off on 150/500's,
though they've been fine for many users---but some users just can't
get them to work reliably.  There have been many reports of "first
tuner can't tune lowband video" which are quite probably FM issues,
and reports of "one of the two tuners is DOA", and things like that."

I have no idea what he meant by "FM issues", but the reference to  
"lowband video" was interesting, but it sounds like he's referring to  
a 500. He might mean that the tuner has a problem with strong FM  
signals on the TV input, more likely a problem with an antenna than  
with CATV.

You might want to take this matter up on the ivtv forums. Replacing  
the card might get you one with a different tuner, I really wish  
HogPaws would stop the "tuner of the week" stuff, but maybe it's a  
supplier issue, or else they can save 3 cents per card by switching.