El Cheapo 'DVBT USB DONGLE' (EC168 chip) aerial question

Forums › Freeview (DVB-T/DVB-S) › El Cheapo "DVBT USB DONGLE" (EC168 chip) aerial question

tristanb

89 posts

Master Geek

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#25011 9-Aug-2008 15:13

Has anyone else tried one of the no-name brand USB tuners? For instance this DVB-T USB Digital Tuner on trademe?

I bought one of these, with no reception using the provided aerial. Problem is the adapter to use with an external aerial is a female one (same as the wall socket)! Is this right?

Has anyone had any luck with this device? Drivers and software were easy enough to install, and although I usually hate software included with these cheap products, but it's not that bad. (Having said that, I haven't used it yet.)

Thanks for your help!
Tristan

Here's a pic similar to mine: (Mine's a different 'brand', but contents look near-identical)

langi27

675 posts

Ultimate Geek

#156312 12-Aug-2008 16:10

I too have purchased one of these no name el cheapo USB Dongle TV tuners, and un-like you my driver CD was damaged on arrival. The trademe guy was useless and couldn't email or send me the driver CD....... That got me asking some questions as to who the hell makes this thing. (cos there is no manufacturer markings on it) After a few hours of Google time I found that they are made by a Chinese company called ForwardVideo and the drivers I downloaded were for the DUTV009 model. See link http://www.szforwardvideo.com/support/Support_List_4.html

After getting the hardware recognized on Windows XP, I had to download the ffdshow codec’s (which support the H.264 standard freeview uses) and the MediaPortal application to scan the channels and view the actual video in (both free to download and use), I finally had things nearly up and running.

I live in a good reception area of Christchurch and found the supplied aerial marginal, MediaPortal could scan the channels but found the picture quality a bit jerky and pixilated. I haven't tried an external aerial yet but would assume this will make all the difference. Also I've tried the same setup on my old work laptop and I can't seem to get any picture at all. So the performance of the reception may also be linked to the performance of your computer not just the poor reception from the supplied aerial.

Not sure if that helps, but would be interested to hear from anyone who has tried this with an external aerial.

tristanb

89 posts

Master Geek

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#156500 13-Aug-2008 09:04

I've still had absolutely no luck with the portable aerial. I think the drivers and software are working properly, but can't really be sure.

Both gbpvr and the supplied "DVBT Player" seem to detect the device. There's no LED flashing or anything to confirm this, but they do complain if i unplug it. The software I've tried just scans every frequency to no avail. I haven't yet had to worry about codecs as i've got no channels.

I've got a Freeview set-top box that works well with my UHF reception (normally snowy, but good sound on Prime etc). I can't work out how (without buying some extra adapter) i'd connect the USB stick to my outdoor aerial. On the adapter they supplied one end is MCX and the other is a PAL socket. Surely the adapter should have a PAL plug (male).

The MCX (left picture) plugs into the USB. Unfortunately the other end is a the female PAL (left of right picture) - a male PAL connector (right of right picture) is needed to plug into wall.

Hopefully if I had an adapter I could get some Freeview on my computer, but i don't want to buy one if the whole thing's a dud.

cyril7

9058 posts

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Trusted

Subscriber

#156524 13-Aug-2008 11:13

With regards to PAL/Bellinglee connections, by convention the wall plate and the TV_input/DTT_STB/VCR_input should both be female, there is a standard male to male cable to connect between the two, see DSE. A device that supports RF passthrough (VCR/DVR or DTT STB) will as said above have a female to accept an input, the passthrough output will be male, thus a interconnect with a female and male on each end us used to connect the two together.

From what you describe the MCX to female PAL/Bellinglee is correct and presents the same situation any TV, VCR or DTT STB would to accpet an antenna feed.

On other matters regarding drivers or setup, so cannot help.

PS: this cable here is male to male with a female to female barrel to allow extention or use as TV>VCR etc.

Cyril

langi27

675 posts

Ultimate Geek

#156526 13-Aug-2008 11:17

I tried gvPVR but couldn't get it working either, the only success I had was with MediaPortal, the LED should turn on RED when scanning and receiving. If your LED isn't working the USB Dongle isn't scanning or receiving.

lchiu7

6470 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#156673 13-Aug-2008 19:03

Are they much cheaper? I use a Hauppauge HVR900H and this gives me problems with gbpvr (it keeps losing the device and when it works it will record a zero byte file and thankfully try again so I usually don't lose a program) so I would be really reluctant to try an el cheapo device.

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langi27

675 posts

Ultimate Geek

#156716 13-Aug-2008 21:25

I paid $44+$6 postage for mine of trademe. Have seen the same ones sold for $38.

This is the guy I brought mine off.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Electronics-photography/TVs/Cables-aerials/auction-170463689.htm

Cheap as chips if your prepared to configure it

tristanb

89 posts

Master Geek

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#156745 13-Aug-2008 22:53

Thanks for your help on the aerial cable thing! I really should have worked that out for myself :-D I can just steal a TV's cable to try it out.

I still haven't got that LED working though. I tried the drivers langi27 was using, but their install didn't seem to detect the device. The drivers that came with the stick can detect it (at least they realise when it's not there) but during scanning I don't get any LED.

Sadly I can't use MediaPortal as I'm using Windows 2000. But i'd have expected their software to at least make the stick look like it's scanning.

Just to add some more pictures, this is a screenshot of my driver installed. You can see the software not finding channels in the background.

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langi27

675 posts

Ultimate Geek

#156929 14-Aug-2008 15:40

Sorry to hear, things not going to plan.

The other bit of software I had some success with was BlazeVideo HDTV Player 3.5.

I downloaded the 14 day trail version, it automaticlly scanned the channels when I loaded the program for the first time.

Its seemed to work ok, but didn't want to pay for the full version when I could use MediaPortal for free.

PedroHernandez

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#160974 31-Aug-2008 07:08

Hi
I
've just purchased one of these cheapo Forward Video "DVB-Terrestrial solutions/DUTV009". My instalation CD also is defective and the DUTV009 USB DVB-T receiver application download on there website is not available at the moment. Anyone got any idea's? is there an alternative download site available.
any help much apreciated. cheers.

Pedro