I have been really happy with my Freeview HD tuner card Blackgold’s BGT3620 (apart from the MCEBuddy issues). Having Freeview HD in Windows Media Center is great and so much better than the SD content. However I have had a couple of what seemed random issues recently, every so often one of the tuners on the dual tuner card seems to fail. I get the “No Tuner of Signal Error” message in Media Center when I try to record and I found that a reboot didn’t seem to fix it. The first time it happened I took the card out and re-seated it which seemed to fix it and since then I found turning the PC off and giving it a couple of minutes before rebooting also fixed it
It turns out what there is a thread going on about this on TGB and Mark Weston alerted me to the issue. Blackgold are investigating the problem but it looks like its a problem with Windows/Windows Media Center and Microsoft are aware of the issue. Whether it can be fixed by a workaround by Blackgold or we have to wait for Microsoft time will tell. I suspect Blackgold could get a fix out quicker than Microsoft so I hope they can get it sorted as its starting to drive down the WAF of my system.
No tuner or no signal error. This is a Windows/Media Center issue that was confirmed by Microsoft late last week. News on this issue is what BG have been holding out for. The resolution is not straight forward. BG are looking into the posibility of a work around that they could implement at the driver level. But it is not clear that there is a work around as the problem stems from a higher level in the OS. They will spend another week working on it – the feasibility of a driver level solution that is – then issue an email to all customers to explain the situation. If a driver update cannot fix this, we will have to wait for a Microsoft update :-(.
Lets hope we get a resolution soon as I think this is one of the best tuner cards available for Windows Media Center
9 thoughts on “Blackgold Investigating BGT3620/Windows Media Center Tuner Issue”
Ian, this could be an issue that DVB Logic could help with since using DVB Link would mean Media Center isn’t talking directly to the card. Could be something worth investigating.
Is this a BlackGold only problem – i am experiencing similar problems when placing 2 PCI dual tuners in the same system. It will start working great then lose tuners and no signal errors. I am interested that its an OS issue. but is it to do with HD and Blackgold or something that could be inheriant in other tuners?
just an update, following a re-test today my system had dropped one of the two tuners on the card as media centre complains with error -xxxxxxxxx? when you try and record 2 programs at the same time.
so much for the work round! Don’t like re-installing as you have to re-scan channels etc that a pain.
Anyone else got any ideas?
{"id":null,"mode":"button","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"GBP","currency_symbol":"\u00a3","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/thedigitallifestyle.com\/w\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/thedigitallifestyle.com\/w\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":500,"top_media_type":"none","featured_image_url":false,"featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for being a supporter!","payment_confirmation_title":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
Ian, this could be an issue that DVB Logic could help with since using DVB Link would mean Media Center isn’t talking directly to the card. Could be something worth investigating.
Jason your right, I think it would.
I get the same on my BGT3595, so I think it’s not just isolated to the 3620.
When this happened twice over the weekend the wife was like ‘what now’, its issues like this that make me doubt Media Center!
TRY THIS!! it worked for me!
I had the same problem with my ixl, first I tried the latest driver (V8) from blackgold’s site but it was still the same. (not good for wife acceptant factor)
Then I found this http://tranquilpc-support.co.uk/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/240/111/ixl-media-centre-update-1
Here it describes the update and also a reg change to disable the media centre scan as below.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\BackgroundScanner]
“LastPeriodicScanHighDateTime”=dword:01c9ee86
“LastPeriodicScanLowDateTime”=dword:cd522408
“PeriodicScanIntervalSeconds”=dword:7fffffff
“PeriodicScanEnabled”=dword:0
As I said Worked for me!
Maybe a good work around for now until we get a proper fix.
thanks, i will give it a try. I also have a problem with BBC 1HD no longer working, it used to and the other channels still work
for me it was the system would drop 1 tuner (can’t record 2 channels) and then nothing. no tuner!
Is this a BlackGold only problem – i am experiencing similar problems when placing 2 PCI dual tuners in the same system. It will start working great then lose tuners and no signal errors. I am interested that its an OS issue. but is it to do with HD and Blackgold or something that could be inheriant in other tuners?
just an update, following a re-test today my system had dropped one of the two tuners on the card as media centre complains with error -xxxxxxxxx? when you try and record 2 programs at the same time.
so much for the work round! Don’t like re-installing as you have to re-scan channels etc that a pain.
Anyone else got any ideas?