To All With Vista TV Tuner Card Problems

Here's what I found after struggling with the "No TV tuner installed" message
while setting up TV in Vista Home Premium Media Center:
1. Go to Computer Management...Services and Applications...Services
2. Find Windows Media Center Receiver Service (this is what keeps failing)
3. Look at the "Log On" setting (mine said Network Service)
4. Right-click this service, select Properties, select Log On tab.
5. Look at the "This account:" section (should list what login account is
running the service).
6. Change the username to the Administrator account setup within Vista
(usually your username) and enter the password for this account --Select
Browse...type the username...select "Check Names"...click OK.
7. Re-type the password for this account int the Password & Confirm
password fields (don't accept the password it auto-fills with).
8. Click Apply...OK.
9. Left-click the Windows Media Center Receiver Service (if not already
selected) and select the "Restart" button on the Toolbar (last icon with
green arrow).
10. Check service to make sure it's Status is Started.
11. Crank up Media Center and try your TV setup again...it worked for me
after this routine.

So, what this all means...Vista security is a beast (that's why you have to
select allow on everything you try to run). I'm an IT Network Administrator
and this problem just about brought me to my knees! Hell, even Microsoft
apparently hasn't figured this out even with all the forum posters having the
same problem with numerous different "Vista Compatible" TV cards. This isn't
the first time I've had to figure out Microsoft's problems for them.

Anyway, please post back if this helps or doesn't. I'm curious to know if
this resolution helps all or none.

BTW---I have an Angel Dual Tuner TV card, which offered Vista drivers on the
manufacturer's website

I did follow your step in my computer. And then my vista media center can find my AVer TVtuner, but it still no work..... my media center will stop working in my click live TV.......What should I do???

I have a solution for Vista+Tuner problem! MediaCenter don't work for me, i completed these steps, but it simply write me: no tuner found..so i downloaded Dscaler..and it works!!!! And it have sound too!:) I hope i helped..

Nyoung, thanks so so so so so much.. this was of such a help.

here is my story.
i had winfast dvr 2000 xp deluxe.. but i decided to upgrade it with vista since media center wont detect it in vista so i thought i would buy a vista compatible,
so today i bought the Hauppauge 150 MCE, and it just wont cooperate with me.. tried every single thing...changing slots. removing some hardware ..looking for support on hauppauge's site with no luck and finally i found yours and it worked the first time..
the card still wont work in my winfast DVR program but it works in media center...
the only slight problem i had was when i entered my admin account name.. i left the pass field empty since i had no pass setup.. but then it wont start the service... so i setup the password and it did start then...
so its all good..

thanks bunch.. again.

Not a genius, just very persistant!! This beat me all weekend, then, I had an
epiphany all of a sudden. When checking the Services, I'd never seen a logon
account called Network Service (this is new to Vista, apparently). Since I'm
a seasoned IT professional, I've had experiences with having to run certain
networked applications using a specific login account (usually the Domain
Admin). So, I decided to try my local PC admin account (my login) to see what
happens. Luckily, this solved OUR problems. You'd think Microsoft would have
figured this out during testing of Vista, but, I've had to figure out their
problems before and report the solution to them...Go figure. Anyway, I'm glad
I could help another frustrated user. One man's pain is another's pleasure. :)

Dude, you are a genius! I just spent 2 hours on the phone with HP trying to figure out how to deal with this TV tuner problem without actually solving it. The people told me to call my cable provider and then call HP back and if the problem is not in the cable then they will need to send me a new tv tuner card and reformat my computer! Mind you this was AFTER they ran the diagnostic in which the diagnostic showed that I WAS receiving the signal. -UCK- I'm so glad you came up with the solution that the stupid HP people can't even figure out! Thank you SO much!!! :)

I changed the service logon options with no luck. I checked the Microsoft Hardware Compatibility list - ASUS My Cinema P7131 is Vista x64 compatible. I have the right drivers installed. It works in VLC Player from which I can record video and audio just fine. ASUS's EZVCR program is buggy and BSOD'ed on me and caused problems with the driver, but after installing and uninstalling and rebooting about ten times I got it working again.

I tried DScaler 4. It plays video and audio but is too buggy in Vista x64 to be relied upon for something as critical as watching TV! And it didn't seem to help anyway.

I took a shot in the dark and installed XP Codec Pack 2.8.3. No help

This is a 2 day fresh installation of Vista x64 so I don't think that reinstalling the OS would help.

I do have User Account Control disabled though if that would make any difference.

I tried different options in the logon setting for the media center receiver service such as - Local System with Interact with Desktop, Administrator (no password yet - shame on me!) and etc.

Media center still says "No TV Tuner detected!"

Any other suggestions I could try?

I followed your instructions and the problem is now solved, but not without
a final twist. Even after the changes in the Computer Mangements..., I still
got the "No TV tuner installed" in Media Center. However, I've checked with a
third party program, WinTV, and it worked fine with my TV tuners. Therefore,
I tried a final alternative in having this program working with my tuners,
while I tried to use Media Center TV. This time the error message from MC was
"... TV tuner is being used with another equipment...". Then, while still
with MC, I exited WinTV and retried MC TV, and this time I was successful.
From then on I haven't any problem with my Media Center TV.
Once again, many thanks for your help.

Nope, it didn't work for me. Media center still says "No TV Tuner detected".
Sandy in FL

Well, your post does not say "What" didn't workm but that problem can be
caused when your card ie PCIE (PCI Express) and your second PCIE slot is
not enabled. On my Gigabyte motherboard there are jumpers (And they are
a pain in the backside because the fall apart when disturbed)which have
to be set to enable the second slot as "Express). On a later MB this
could be done in the BIOS I think.

Check your MB maker's website.

I have got a slightly different problem.
I am running Vista Home Premium 64 bit version.
And I use a Pinnacle USB HDTV stick.

Everything was working fine.
One a very sudden day last week, the Pinnacle TV Center Software replied that no PLAYER was available.

I did system restore function, reinstallations of drivers and TV Center SW, without success.
The issue is, that Windows Media Center is working again after system restore function, but Pinnacle SW is not.

I want Pinnacle SW to work again, because I can record video using the S-Video or Composite input, which Media Center is not supporting.

I have tried to install different media centers without success also, which makes me wonder if I have some problems with the windows services, or other windows configuration issues.

Changing the Media Center password does not fix the problem in this case.
Anyone a clue?

My tip is for external usb tunners extensive online user revues,very few
neg ratings averMedia h826 usb hybrid tuner 79.95 . Set up atsc/qam
device using supplyed software installed software ,plugged tuner in
,{hooked up antenna first}ran channel scan .If not on internet waching
tv see system specs. had only 2 gig at install 3 months ago,mem not
important for tv

Do you store any of the vdeos or stills on your computer and, if so,
how do you do that.

1st there is a record function in aver tuner prog. I dont think you can
do stills.
2nd reply : i hope
so

I'm having same problem - WMC on Vista 64 does not recognize my USB tuner (pinnacle 800e). I tried the service logon approach, but not sure what logon to use - I have not set up any accounts on my PC, and I do not get the Windows logon prompt when I start up. My logon in the service is set to 'Local System' - should I change that?