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Windows => Television => Topic started by: DocLotus on August 30, 2015, 06:41:53 pm

Title: TV Tuners not being freed up after use?
Post by: DocLotus on August 30, 2015, 06:41:53 pm
CountryBumkin on another threads got me to thinking about this...
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BTW - just tried to watch some Live TV on the client machine in the bedroom. Says I have no Tuners available.

I too have been having some problems freeing up TV tuners after use.  On several occasions I will see the dreaded "No Tuners Available" message or the MC TSRRender message (meaning "No Tuners Available"). This happens even when only one of my three tuners are actually in use either watching (or recording) a channel. Each time it happens I check my current recordings in use and there is never more than two under way so I should be able to watch a third channel but sometimes can't as the message comes up telling me i have no free tuners.

When I first boot Windows all three tuners are available as I can record three channels at once, watch one & record two, etc. After using MCTV for awhile it seem that the number of tuners is reduced as the error messages start flowing.

I'm beginning to wonder if once a tuner is used it may not (under certain conditions) be completely freed up after use.

I'm also wondering if still having WMC installed in my Win 8.1 system may be a contributing factor?
Title: Re: TV Tuners not being freed up after use?
Post by: Yaobing on August 30, 2015, 07:07:55 pm

I'm also wondering if still having WMC installed in my Win 8.1 system may be a contributing factor?

WMC is OK as long as it is not scheduled to use a tuner.  Check WMC and make sure you have no scheduled recordings in it.
Title: Re: TV Tuners not being freed up after use?
Post by: DocLotus on August 30, 2015, 07:41:03 pm
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WMC is OK as long as it is not scheduled to use a tuner.  Check WMC and make sure you have no scheduled recordings in it.

WOW; when I read that I thought "That's it" but sorry to say upon checking WMC the recordings are completely empty... no recordings to be made, under way, or in storage.

Can anything else keep a freed tuner from working?
Title: Re: TV Tuners not being freed up after use?
Post by: RoderickGI on August 30, 2015, 09:26:03 pm
WMC is OK as long as it is not scheduled to use a tuner.  Check WMC and make sure you have no scheduled recordings in it.

Or automatically update its EPG data, OTA.
Title: Re: TV Tuners not being freed up after use?
Post by: DocLotus on August 31, 2015, 10:25:28 am
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Or automatically update its EPG data, OTA.

Interesting. I always thought that EPG updating was mostly a Web function; how does it effect tuners in use?
Title: Re: TV Tuners not being freed up after use?
Post by: JimH on August 31, 2015, 10:30:06 am
Interesting. I always thought that EPG updating was mostly a Web function; how does it effect tuners in use?
You could learn more with an Internet search or maybe at Wikipedia.  In some countries, there is program guide information embedded in the signal.  Our experience in the U.S. has been that it isn't very good.  It's usually OK for a day or two.  It may be better other places or have improved here.
Title: Re: TV Tuners not being freed up after use?
Post by: DocLotus on August 31, 2015, 12:15:25 pm
Don't use the embedded EPG OTA data. Use only either SD or MS Rovi via mc2xml in MC 21.

I initially tried the embedded EPG OTA data but boy was it slooooo to scan. Was very glad to see mc2xml in MC 21 :D.
Title: Re: TV Tuners not being freed up after use?
Post by: Yaobing on August 31, 2015, 02:26:09 pm
I have now seen one instance of "no tuner available" error on my computer, and I am investigating the cause.  The trouble is that it is not reproducible at will.
Title: Re: TV Tuners not being freed up after use?
Post by: DocLotus on August 31, 2015, 02:28:44 pm
Ahhh... THANK you so much ;D