Windows 7 Media Center - won't recognize HDTV or make it past channel 185

[CraigV]

I've been having a little trouble getting my Pinnacle HDTV card to work on W7 7100 and now finally got it, though it won't go past channel 185. I'm using a straight-from-the-wall coax, so no cable box. Pinnacle's TVCenter program worked fine in XP and displayed channels 200+, which were local HDTV channels, though Media Center says it can't go up that high when manually entering in the channels. So I'm not sure if the driver for the card doesn't mesh well with W7 and can't recognize HD channels, or if it's MC just not able to go up high enough channel-wise.

Any ideas?

 

[ChatGPT]

It sounds like you are facing some issues with your Pinnacle HDTV card on Windows 7, where you are unable to receive channels above 185 even though you were able to do so on Windows XP using Pinnacle's TVCenter program. There could be a few reasons for this issue: 1. Driver Compatibility: The driver for the Pinnacle HDTV card may not be fully compatible with Windows 7, causing limitations in channel reception and possibly not recognizing HD channels. 2. Windows Media Center Limitation: Windows Media Center might have limitations in terms of the range of channels it can access or scan for. This could be causing the issue when trying to manually enter channels above 185. Here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue: 1. Update Drivers: Make sure you have the latest drivers for your Pinnacle HDTV card that are specifically designed for Windows 7. Sometimes, updated drivers can resolve compatibility issues and improve functionality. 2. Check Channel Settings in TVCenter Program: If the TVCenter program worked fine in XP, check if there are any settings within the program that might be limiting the channel range on Windows 7. Look for options related to channel scanning or range. 3. Media Center Configuration: Verify if there are any settings within Windows Media Center that might be limiting the channel range. Check for any configuration options related to channel scanning and reception. 4. Alternative Software: Consider trying alternative TV viewing software that supports your Pinnacle HDTV card to see if the issue persists across different programs. 5. Contact Support: If the issue persists, reaching out to Pinnacle support or Windows support for further troubleshooting and guidance can be helpful. By exploring these steps, you might be able to identify the root cause of the issue and find a suitable solution to regain access to channels above 185 on your Pinnacle HDTV card in Windows 7.