The VideoLAN Forums

I recently got a Hauppauge WinTV 1600, for tuning into the local ATSC, and wanted to use VLC to do so. However, no matter how hard I tried, VLC refused to work. I searched these forums, and Google, for answers but found none. Most everybody was not doing ATSC tuning, so it didn't even apply to me.

No matter. After three or four days of playing with DirectShow filters I discovered that VLC was using the wrong Network Provider. Consequently it would fail to connect a Tuner to the provider, since the Tuner was not compatible with the provider VLC was choosing. VLC chooses the provider specified by the ATSC Tuning Space. That would seem correct, but in all of my experiments I have never seen it work. WinTV 7, the application that comes with the card, specifically uses Microsoft Network Provider as the Provider.

After learning all of that, and getting a few graphs working in GraphEdit, I set out to modify the dba access module. Took me all of today and tonight to do it, but I got the code compiling in Cygwin. I added a new FindFilter method which looks for a named filter. In this case, I request "Microsoft Network Provider". I use that instead of the Tuner Space defined provider. Once that provider is in place, every other filter connects perfectly.

Well, to my dismay, VLC cannot submit the tune request properly to MNP. I coded the dba module to ignore such errors and push on forward, but since the card isn't tuned VLC gets no data. Well, easy enough to hack that! I inserted a "Sleep(10000);" after the graph has been built. During that time I can open WinTV 7, tune the channel I desire, and close it. Once VLC kicks back in the card will be properly tuned. Indeed it is, and VLC happily plays live digital TV

So, tomorrow I will investigate the tuning issue and see if I can get VLC to tune the card itself.

I wanted to post this for several reasons. One, to vent. Two, in case others find it insightful. Three, in case I missed something obvious and VLC has worked with this card all along! I'd love to hear that I was mistaken, although a bit disappointed for the work I put in. Please, let me know if this work is useful, I'd be glad to post the changes.

Did you try to run VLC as Admin?

Correct. I tried darn near everything I could find and think of. The network provider that VLC 1.0.3 sets up refuses to connect to the WinTV 418 Tuner. Obviously, since that doesn't connect, nothing else will work. I verified this by using GraphEdit and making my own C++ app. Neither could connect the Tuner to anything except "Microsoft Network Provider."

Now, it could very well be that the other providers need to be configured properly. Perhaps the tuner will not connect to a provider with an invalid tuning request. I have not ruled that out. However, through inspection of the WinTV 7 program, the TV application packaged with the card, I have determined that it uses the Microsoft Network Provider. It hooks that up to a filter or two, and then a Transport Writer. Then it later builds a graph from a Transport Reader. This provides the DVR functionality. The TS written is a Pause Buffer, and the actual player just plays off of the TS file. I'm thinking of doing the same thing with VLC. Hopefully I can develop a TV Guide function as well, but for now I am just glad to be able to see any signal in VLC.

My thinking is that if the MNP is good enough for the application specifically designed for the card, then it must be at least one of the correct choices. As I have yet to find any other correct choices, it is the one I am going with for now.

I would be interested to hear from a VLC developer familiar with the BDA module. My ultimate goal is to get something working, but it would also be good to hear what the "correct"' thing to do is.


Well, it is a fresh morning. With a Dr. Pepper by my side I shall begin the quest to get a proper tuning request to the MNP.


P.S. Big shout-out to Roman Ryltsov and his DirectShow Filter Spy. Just what I needed, when I needed it.

I should mention that I'm using:
Windows 7 64-bit.
Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1600 NTSC/ATSC/QAM Combo
VLC 1.0.3
Tuning in the currently overcast Irvine, CA, USA.

Both WinTV 7 and Windows Media Center work with the card out of the box.

Huzzah! I've got it tuning properly now. No more weird hack to have WinTV tune the card for me.

None of my tuning code is hooked into an interface at the moment, so that is next on the list. Should be able to flip through the channels in no time.

Microsoft Network Provider was introduced in Windows 7. Under XP the Microsoft ATSC Network Provider was needed for VLC to work and I suspect is still needed.