subject: Tips To Install And Troubleshoot A Digital Tv Tuner [print this page] Technological advances have rendered some of the devices of the good old age obsolete and are slowly being phased out. The Walkman, Compact Discs, the Mir Space Station are some examples that show the propensity of man to choose newer and improved versions of products to replace the old. Charles Darwin would see the similarity between the living and non-living here! Some devices are invented to aid in the transition from one technology to another. Digital TV tuner cards have started to replace TVs with the versatility of the computer. Here are a few tips to help you install and troubleshoot a Digital TV tuner.
The Tuner
There are two types of digital TV tuner cards: External and Internal with respect to its position in the computer. Internal tuners require a free PCI slot and are usually used in desktop computers. They can be installed without much hassle and take up less space. Its external counterparts are used for the smaller and portable laptops. This too requires a free USB port to ensure connection.
Installing
Installing an internal Digital TV tuner:
Ensure all connections are removed and open the cover of the CPU. Insert the internal TV tuner card gently into the free PCI slot and push firmly until the locks of the slot falls right. A click sound should let you know that it is done. Replace the cover and connections of the CPU. The product must have an installation CD or it could be downloaded from the internet. If the computer did not detect the new hardware, right click my computer, select manage, and right click device manager and find the name of your card under sounds, video and game controllers and update it. Visit the companys website and register for important updates or install all the software from the CD.
Installing an external Digital TV turner:
Connect the cable to the Digital TV Tuner instead of connecting it to the TV. Lead the output of the digital TV tuner to the input of the computers input USB port. Some digital TV tuners come with a VGA cable that can be directly plugged-in to the monitor and audio cables can be connected to the speakers. Install the software that comes with the Digital TV tuner to make the computer compatible with the tuner.
Troubleshooting
If the picture quality is lousy, check the signal compatibility of the tuner with signal transmission through the cable. The type of signal that is received should match the signal compatibility of the digital TV tuner. A mismatch can give you poor quality and could potentially damage the device. Ask the cable operator for the incoming signal type before installing the tuner.
Ensure that your computer has the latest versions of software to capture and process the incoming video stream. Windows Media Center and Real Player are recommended.
Ensure the connections are proper and tight. Those who have fiddled with computer hardware would agree that most of the problems are caused due to faulty connections. Re-do the connections once again following the instruction manual to the letter if the picture quality is not clear.
Test the connections with another device. Your computer can receive feed from camcorders, use them to test whether the trouble lies with the signal provider.
If all this fail, contact your nearest service center for assistance.
