Pinnacle HDTV USB pro stick

[tvwolfe]

I have a Pinnacle HDTV USB pro stick. Problem is it requires you to scan and find your ota stations OR you can input them manually, but to add them yourself I need to know some of the techincial data about the stations--data I can't seem to find unless the darn tuner finds them. I had all but given up getting some local channels when I got lucky and "found" their signal. If I could manually add the correct tuning info, I could more easily aim the antenna(s) to zero in on the problem station. The minimum info needed is "Service ID" and "Transport Stream ID". Of course you also need the frequency, but I found a source for that already. I've searched station web sites and the 'net and found nothing. Anyone out there that can help? Next step will be seeing if I can get an answer from stations themselves. Thanks.

[Richard]

The minimum info needed is "Service ID" and "Transport Stream ID". Of course you also need the frequency,

Actual tuning frequency is all we use with consumer set top boxes... If the real channel is 21 then you input 21 and if you can get a good signal it locks in and you have DTV. That other info should not be necessary to capture the channel and that stuff is on it waiting to be ID'd... as soon as the receiver tunes it in.

Something is being missed or they really screwed up in designing that product to require such information.

[tvwolfe]

Hi Richard,
Thanks for the reply. That's what I thought, but I experimented with a channel it was able to pick up and gave me all the info. I made a new channel using the same frequency as the discovered one, and tried tuning it, but it didn't work. From trial and error, I found the minimum info it appears to require. So it would appear to be your second opinion is probably correct--they suck. The software "acts up" sometimes, worse on some machines than others and is a real cpu hog.
I bought it mainly as an inexpensive way to see what hd channels I may be able to get at my house before spending bigger bucks for a real hdtv. So at least it's helping somewhat in that regard.

[eliwhitney]

Hi -
I gather that this is a device that attempts to deliver O.T.A. signals to a standard tv, yet "showing" the headers, etc.. on the screen?? As far as finding out which ones, how many, and so on, doesn't ..... antennaweb.org....fairly well answer these??

And, how can a standard TV 'display' , anyway?

Lastly, with all the "weekly" desperation sales of late,
( C.C., COMP, AMAZON,...) I can't imagine that "BIG BUCKS" are necessarily required anymore! Take a shot....you'll really enjoy O.T.A. HDTV !!
eli whitney

[tvwolfe]

Heard from someone elsewhere they weren't having this issue...reinstalled software on pc and now I can get it to try and tune any station.

This topic can be considered resolved.

[Richard]

Thanks for the helpful feedback!

[gordman]

I was really curious about it as i intend to buy one soon!

[jdevine760]

I purchased one and installed it on my new HP Pavilion laptop 9330...it worked beautifully the first time and then never worked again. After several interactions with Pinnacle support (we tried everything!) we could never get it to work again unless we completely uninstalled it and then reinstalled it...and after that ordeal it still would only work the first time after the reinstall...then never again. So I tried the Hauppage stick (similar problem - great the first time and then never again)...I realize that it may be a problem either with VISTA or the HP laptop - but you might want to be aware that it can be problematic. BTW - the first time was really quite impressive...recorded a high def program from a local ATSC signal and it was excellent! Caveat emptor!

[sjhoxie]

I have one of these resource hogs. It works okay. It is very slow to change channels and navigate through the menus when it is running.