Avermedia H339 Hybrid TV Tuner on the XPS L502X recognized by Windows Media Center and Others as "Avermedia 7231"/Analog only Tuner

Have you tried AVer MediaCenter?  http://www.avermedia-usa.com/avertv/mcs/mcs-3.html    Worth a try.

There is another thread on these message boards with the same problem - no solution.

Thanks ieee488 for the reply! It was worth a try. I was able to install Aver MediaCenter but then when I opened it, the program said: "Can't find avermedia tv tuner cards". Even when I clicked on settings, the same message was displayed. Weird because Windows Media Center recognizes the card; just as being the Analog only 7231... Are you familiar with Aver MediaCenter? Maybe there is a way I could get it to recognize my card.

ANYONE else know of any possible solutions!!???!!??!?

Thanks guys

I used to have a much older AverMedia TV tuner card, but it was analog only.

The problem with the H339 is that it isn't even listed on the AverMedia website. Must be a special for Dell.

Hello, Canadian_nick,

I have the same exact problem as you had.  My Dell XPS 15 L501X laptop is equiped with the "AVerMedia H339 Hybrid Analog/ATSC/QAM" (as reported in the configuration panel) tuner card and Windows Media Center only sees the analog tuner, not the digital one.

When I run the TV diagnostic inside Windows, it sees both tuners : AVerMedia 7231 Analog TV Tuner and AVerMedia 7231 ATSC Tuner but the Windows Media Center only sees the analog tuner.

Because since September 1st 2011, the TV signal in Canadian Cities is only digital, I cannot watch TV with my laptop (I use the provided TV antenna).

On your side, were you able to solve the problem?

Thank you in advance for any feedback!

Pierre C.

Hello Nick,

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you!  Finally, I managed to have my tuner card work with MediaPortal as well.  

I had trouble setting the application to work with my existing MySql server but with their fast and very efficient *free* support I am now running.  I will be glad to make a donation for their excellent application.

As for my hardware, I was suspicious that the TV antenna provided with the computer would be good only for old analog TV but it is working also for Digital TV (in fact analog is now dead!).

Thank you for having headed me toward the right solution,

Pierre C

Glad to hear that you got your TV tuner to work! I just hope Dell recognizes the issue and doesn't reproduce the same problem within its future line of laptops. -Nick

PS: Where are you located in Canada? and how many channels do you receive with the antenna provided?

As for my hardware, I was suspicious that the TV antenna provided with the computer would be good only for old analog TV but it is working also for Digital TV (in fact analog is now dead!).

There is NO difference between an "analog" TV antenna and a "digital" TV antenna.

It is only advertising to convince people who don't know any better to buy something they don't need.

There's a big difference, look at up. You can NEVER get the same resolution with old rabbit ears as you now can with a digital over-the-air HD TV receiver. Not everyone needs digital tv reception sure, but there IS a difference.

Did I say receiver???

I am talking about the physical metal - the antenna.

The frequency band/range allowed for TV signals hasn't changed. Therefore, if the antenna is capable of receiving signals in the frequency in the past, it can receive the digital signals.

Before you go on with this, you had better read 

http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner_5.html#faq2

http://www.dtv.gov/topfaqs.html#faq2

 If you bought a new "digital" antenna you are kidding yourself it works better unless the antenna itself was bigger. For antennas, the bigger the better. And the higher up it is, the better.

You had also better read http://antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx

Right right, my bad. Of course the metal rods are physically the same - that's why the ones included with the laptop in question work for both. I thought you were referring to the apparatus as a whole. We're on the same page then. Do think that this conversation is better left for somewhere else though. Thanks for the input nonetheless! -Nick

Do think that this conversation is better left for somewhere else though.

I just wanted to save some people out there who might be reading this some $$$.  :emotion-1:

Unscrupulous manufacturers try to get people to buy something they don't really need.

Hello Nick,

I live in Montreal and here we can receive digitally the same stations we used to receive before Sep 1, namely :

- CBC and Radio-Canada

- CTV

- V télé (former TQS)

- Télé Québec

- TVA

and, not shure, Global.

And as for your remark, my impression is that the problem lies within Windows Media Center that only recognize the Analog TV card and not the ATSC tuner.  Of course, I agree with you that Dell should put more effort to ship PC with a solution that works right out of the box.  In fact, I also think that the problem lies partly into localization of the WMC.  In my trial and error process, I have tried inputting the US instead of Canada in the WMC setup and then I was offered digital TV frequencies.  But since frequencies varies from town to town, no US cities could allow me to receive anything here.  There is probably a work to be done by Microsoft Canada but maybe they did not even realize yet there was a problem since the developpement is probably done in Redmond.  The transition to digital TV is too recent here.

But I strongly agree with you, Dell should put some pressure on Microsoft to solve the problem.

Pierre

--FYI, anyone reading: Shortish & complete summery of all the documentation you might be linked to about why digital antennas are NOT better most of the time:

Other than a high chance that its a newer, more efficient and effective design, Almost all "Digital Antenna's" get much *less* reception.

IE No FM Radio at all, even a poorly designed digital antenna can trick users into thinking it works better because its tuned tp retrieve a smaller frequency range, which means its picking up less signals and a supported channel will have less interference.

You can perform the same trick on an old antenna with a frequency filtering adapter (looks similar to a splitter but only connects 2 cables together - yet slightly bigger than your basic coupler  (some old rooftop antenna's came with or had this optional). I think they called it a "FM Trap" way back when.

If your using one labeled for analog, FM, digital, and HD, and its getting much better reception then a plain "analog" antenna - It's only because of the design - some combination of the shape, size, the materials, and circuitry. Especially if there's low shielded, long length, spitted, or near something producing a high EMI field - a little signal strength power amp is common now days and can make it seem like it's a better antenna when it's really just doing a better job of getting the signal from the antenna to the receiver(s).

=============

Personal Example 1) I remember back in the 90's doing ton's of searching before I finally found one signal amp, high-powered, supporting cable internet freq boosting, and amp-ing in both directions. My poor often disconnecting modem suddenly got 10 times faster and never dropped out afterwards.

Personal Example 2) Pre-Broadband I would use a short, extra shielded, thicker telephone cable to get quicker ping responses and faster downloads with a 56k dial-up modem.

=============

ieee488: also, for directional longer is usually better, also size of larger metal combined with how many instances and the correct spacing. Compared to Rabbit-Ear's [Antenna's] much better, much smaller can be designed:

Lay-mans terms the shape of the antenna spaces out larger groupings of metal at a distance that's an even multiple of the distance between peeks on the wavelength's freq. more instances makes it absorb far-less non-desired frequency's which can interfere and bleed over. Also signal blocking from non-intended directions (At the very least, Directly Up should be blocked, unless your trying to pickup and record a sunspot or search for aliens with hopelessly underpowered equipment).

ASCII-Art poorly drawn diagram:

        ||=======================]

    +~~||--{|}---{|}---{|}---{|}---{|}--

     |   ||======================]

~~}

You can make a great one yourself with aluminum can-food cylinders (or a Pringles container), looking up the equation and calc the distance for the frequency, a long bolt and a series of bolts (or better, pairs of bolts pancaking a wider diameter washer. Under $20 retail and 20-30+ DB gain when used and tuned for WiFi (2400mhz-ish), a stronger signal like OTA TV might gain more - and that's using the cheaper/lower Quality Pringles can shielding. (those squiggly lines on the left represent the cable wire).