Has anyone tried to rollback the driver version from Device Manager?    Maybe you can get it back to the older driver version.    Also, what about a System Restore to a point when you know the driver was not loaded.

Lastly if someone wants to try to manually override the drivers with the older versions of rndismpx.sys and usb8023x.sys (these show up as the drivers for the tuner) I have loaded them to http://cid-3d6825c0af47bac8.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/TGB

 

 

 

---

Dell XPS420, 2.4GHz Quad Core
3GB 800MHz RAM, 2 x 500GB HD
Dual ATI DCT
HD Homerun
......all feeding directly to a Panasonic 50" Plasma

boxerboys:

Has anyone tried to rollback the driver version from Device Manager?    Maybe you can get it back to the older driver version.    Also, what about a System Restore to a point when you know the driver was not loaded.

Lastly if someone wants to try to manually override the drivers with the older versions of rndismpx.sys and usb8023x.sys (these show up as the drivers for the tuner) I have loaded them to http://cid-3d6825c0af47bac8.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/TGB

I had thought about rolling back, but Device Manager only let's you roll back if there is a previous driver that was ever use.  I don't have a previous version, which tells me the driver version has not changed.

It's something else, it's not the driver, it's not the firmware. 

-D

I realize my situation is different than most because my VMC is a dedicated to TV, and since I don't use it as a computer or to ever access the Internet, I'm not as concerned about having the latest udpates. But right now mine is working perfectly because I have it set to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them." And my policy is, if it isn't borken then don't fix it. Of course this is an unacceptable approch if you use your VMC to access or is exposed to the Internet as you need the secuirty updates.

The other thing I do, is use Acronis to do full system backups of my C drive, so that in the event that something does go south, I can roll back. Of course this doesn't help for firmware updates and any recordings from the DCT I made since the image are unwatchable

Sorry if I came off as "I told you so", I really am just trying to help, and if there is anything anyone in this thread wants me to check on my system to compare, I'd be happy to.

Just in case, here's my setup.
XPS 420
One ATI DCT
One Vbox ATSC
One HDHomeRun, tunning ATSC.

---

Ben
How good can it be, if it isn't HD?
Engadget HD

I one use mine for TV also, and I did not install the MS update or anything the days before it started. It just stoped working. Now days into I can't get it to work at all with cablecards. I am going to do a restore from WHS tonight but I don't think it will help. This is very frustrating. If I pull the cards out I can use the tuners but then I am not getting any of the premium HD channels, which I one of the reasons to get a system like this. Nothing like having a $1500 box that doesn't work correctly.

dravor:

jhale83:

My driver version is 1.17.1.0 after the Windows Update (this matches the firmware number that was upgraded previously). It's dated 4/7/2008.

Can you tell me the KB number of the update? 

Thanks,
Marcus

There was no KB number of the update but here is the information that was listed in the update history in Windows Update.

ATI - Streaming Media and Broadcast Devices - ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner

Installation date: ‎5/‎14/‎2008 5:39 PM

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Optional

ATI Streaming Media and Broadcast Devices software update released in April, 2008

More information:
http://winqual.microsoft.com/support/?driverid=20157052

Help and Support:
http://support.microsoft.com/select/?target=hub

bjdraw:

Sorry if I came off as "I told you so", I really am just trying to help, and if there is anything anyone in this thread wants me to check on my system to compare, I'd be happy to.

Just in case, here's my setup.
XPS 420
One ATI DCT
One Vbox ATSC
One HDHomeRun, tunning ATSC.

This is all fine and dandy, but as of this point, no one has proven that this issue is related to an update.  The update everyone else lists, I don't have.  I don't list any recent updates at all that would of caused this.  Not everyone that's connected is having this issue yet, so I would go knock on wood :) 
 
So even with turning updates off, this wouldn't help.  I would start looking at things like Windows defender, and a possible of it causing this.

-D

jhale83:

dravor:

jhale83:

My driver version is 1.17.1.0 after the Windows Update (this matches the firmware number that was upgraded previously). It's dated 4/7/2008.

Can you tell me the KB number of the update? 

Thanks,
Marcus

There was no KB number of the update but here is the information that was listed in the update history in Windows Update.

ATI - Streaming Media and Broadcast Devices - ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner

Installation date: ‎5/‎14/‎2008 5:39 PM

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Optional

ATI Streaming Media and Broadcast Devices software update released in April, 2008

More information:
http://winqual.microsoft.com/support/?driverid=20157052

Help and Support:
http://support.microsoft.com/select/?target=hub

I don't see this listed, yet I still have had the problem.  I turned off windows defender last night.  As well as reflashing the firmware on the tuners, with no CC inside.  It's been ok so far, only time will tell.

-D

I'm starting to think you guys may have been victim of a bad Cablecard firmware upgrade pushed out by your cable provider. I'm not talking about the ATI firmware. Each Cablecard is running firmware as well that gets installed and upgraded by your cable provider without your knowledge.

I have the exact same problem with Insight Cable in Cincinnati, so not sure its the cable co firmware. Very annoying, wife not at all happy.

superswiss:

I'm starting to think you guys may have been victim of a bad Cablecard firmware upgrade pushed out by your cable provider. I'm not talking about the ATI firmware. Each Cablecard is running firmware as well that gets installed and upgraded by your cable provider without your knowledge.

I would almost go for that, except what are the chances that every national provider suddenly updated firmware?  We've now seen this from I believe Comcast, TWC, and Verizon users.  They all just happened to push out new CC firmware on the same day?  Hardly likely.

I also see a pattern now.  It's every evening at 10PM.  If it were a bad cable card firmware upgrade, I would imagine I would not be able to make it work again.  Why would it work for the entire day, and only stop every evening at 10pm?

Is anyone else seeing this happen every night at the same time.  I've got Verizon Fios, it happens 10pm EST every night.

-D

And let's not forget Cox Cable in San Diego.

Mine seems to be working tonight, after another couple of hours into it. At 8:45pm PT, it's been giving me two channels since 6.
I had scheduled Cox to come and swap out my MCards for SCards (to hopefully fix the general flakiness I've had since February).  And BTW, my flavor of the Restricted Content fiasco had nothing to do with recording: I could not tune any channel, even for viewing.  Also, for the record, my Windows update showed NO update installed other than Defender stuff, and I had NOT installed the 1.17 firmware until trying to fix the RC problem

After he re-did the cards (one was bad; 3 hours to get one SCard and one MCard working) and left, things seemed OK, but we never left a channel up for more than 5 minutes. Later, when I did, the movie stopped and I was back to square one with Restricted Content.  I remembered the msg here about the "critical timing" of installing the firmware, a paragraph that both I and the Dell tech doing a remote session missed.  In  the meantime I had installed the 1.17 firmware, but with the CCards in. So I powered down, did the raindance and re-installed without them, rebooted everything, and I've been OK since.  FWIW I don't think that was really a "fix" to the RC issue, as much as random kicking things around seems to knock things loose sometimes. And yes, I *am* a software developer, and I stopped calling it Computer Science a long time ago.

Thanks to all for the posts here. It helped keep me sane. I'll let you know if it sticks.

BH

bhays:

And let's not forget Cox Cable in San Diego.

Mine seems to be working tonight, after another couple of hours into it. At 8:45pm PT, it's been giving me two channels since 6.
I had scheduled Cox to come and swap out my MCards for SCards (to hopefully fix the general flakiness I've had since February).  And BTW, my flavor of the Restricted Content fiasco had nothing to do with recording: I could not tune any channel, even for viewing.  Also, for the record, my Windows update showed NO update installed other than Defender stuff, and I had NOT installed the 1.17 firmware until trying to fix the RC problem

After he re-did the cards (one was bad; 3 hours to get one SCard and one MCard working) and left, things seemed OK, but we never left a channel up for more than 5 minutes. Later, when I did, the movie stopped and I was back to square one with Restricted Content.  I remembered the msg here about the "critical timing" of installing the firmware, a paragraph that both I and the Dell tech doing a remote session missed.  In  the meantime I had installed the 1.17 firmware, but with the CCards in. So I powered down, did the raindance and re-installed without them, rebooted everything, and I've been OK since.  FWIW I don't think that was really a "fix" to the RC issue, as much as random kicking things around seems to knock things loose sometimes. And yes, I *am* a software developer, and I stopped calling it Computer Science a long time ago.

Thanks to all for the posts here. It helped keep me sane. I'll let you know if it sticks.

BH

I switched from flashing with cable card to without cable card, and still had the same issue.  Every evening at 10pm it seems.

-D

Where has everyone received the 1.17 firmware from? Going to ATI's site it looks like theyve taken it down.

Makes me sad to read this thread 1.17 is the thing that finally made my system stable. I do have the option for the windows update but haven't done it (and won't after reading here)

My system is still stable and no problems at all.

---

Dell xps420 w/ dual ATI cable cards
Hdhomerun for QAM
Panasonic 50" Plasma fed by xbox 360
Panasonic 42" plama fed by xbox 360
3TB in storage and counting

superswiss:

I'm starting to think you guys may have been victim of a bad Cablecard firmware upgrade pushed out by your cable provider. I'm not talking about the ATI firmware. Each Cablecard is running firmware as well that gets installed and upgraded by your cable provider without your knowledge.

That can't be it because the problem is across all parts of the country and across many different providers.

---

Jon
Carrollton, TX

Dell XPS420, 2.4GHz Quad Core
3GB 800MHz RAM, 320GB 7200rpm HD
NVidia 9600GT 1GB w/Display Port
BD Drive + DVD-RW, ATI DCT
Dell 3008 WFP 30" 2560x1600 Monitor/TV