TechniSat DVB-PC TV Stars FAQ

DVB-PC TV Stars PCI / USB FAQ

for Driver/Software 4.4.1
Release September 07

Contents
This README.TXT file provides information on the following topics:
- Support information
- Requirements
- Important information
- Troubleshooting

Support information
For the latest information on products and support, please visit our homepage:
http://www.technisat.com/. Owner of a box that is bundled to a service like
Europeonline, Netsystems, OpenSky or T-DSL via satellite should contact the service
provider's support directly. Please review documentation of the service provider to
get detailed contact information.

Visit http://www.technisat.com for current driver releases. There is no need to install

prior software versions than 4.4.1 on your computer and there do exist compatibility
problems with new DVB-PC TV Stars devices in combination with old/prior versions.
TechniSat no longer supports prior driver versions.

TechniSat only provides product and customer support for the software, which was
part of the hard-/software package or downloaded from our websites. If problems
occur during the usage of 3rd party software, please check, if a similar problem
occurs during operation using the TechniSat software. If the problem doesn t occur
during operation in combination with TechniSat software, please get in contact with
the developer of the 3rd party software.

If the DVB-PC TV Stars device is altered or damaged using tools downloaded from
the Internet, warranty is void and no support or replacement will be given. If your card
is locked, please read this FAQ, a solution for this problem is given later in this
document.

System requirements
IBM compatible PC with Pentium III 700 MHz or higher
At least 256 MB RAM
At least 30 MB free hard disk space
SoundBlaster compatible audio card
3D graphic card recommended (with hardware overlay support, up to date
drivers)
Supported operating systems:
Windows 2000 Professional/Server (Service Pack 4 required)
Windows XP Home/Professional (Service Pack 2 required)
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Windows Server 2003
Windows Vista x86/x64
Additional requirements:
Internet Explorer 6 or higher
DirectX 9 or higher

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MediaPlayer 9 or higher
at least 10GB or more hard disc space necessary for PVR functionality

Additional system requirements for PCI devices

one available PCI slot (do not use the one directly under AGP graphic card, if
possible)

Additional system requirements for USB devices

one available USB1.1 port (must be connected directly to PC, not by using a
USB hub)

Recommended system requirements for MPEG-2 HDTV reception

TechniSat SkyStar 2 TV PCI / AirStar 2 TV PCI / CableStar 2 TV PCI
IBM compatible PC with Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon XP CPU with 2400
MHz or higher
State of the art AGP or PCI-Express graphic card recommended (with
MPEG2 hardware acceleration, hardware overlay support and up to date
drivers)
Recommended operating systems:
Windows 2000 Professional (Service Pack 4 required)
Windows XP Home/Professional (Service Pack 2 required)
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Windows Vista x86/x64

Recommended system requirements for MPEG-4/h.264 HDTV

reception (optional)
TechniSat SkyStar 2 TV PCI / AirStar 2 TV PCI / CableStar 2 TV PCI
IBM compatible PC with Intel Pentium 4 DualCore 830 or AMD Athlon X2
CPU with 2 x 3000 MHz or higher
At least 1024 MB RAM
State of the art PCI-Express graphic card with 256 MB RAM or higher, with
MPEG-4 hardware acceleration, hardware overlay support and up to date
drivers)
Recommended operating systems:
Windows XP Home/Professional (Service Pack 2 required)
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Windows Vista x86/x64

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1. Installation

1.1 Hardware
Question: Are there any known compatibility issues in combination with main
boards, which are based on the nVidia nForce 4 chipset?
Answer: Most of our PCI cards are not compatible with most mainboards,
based on the nVidia nForce4 chipset.

Question: I want to use two DVB-PC TV Stars PCI cards or USB boxes in one
computer system at the same time, is this possible?
Answer: It is possible to use multiple PCI cards and USB boxes within one
system simultaneously (based on the used application) since release
4.4.0.
Currently there is one limitation: it is only possible to operate one USB
box for each USB host controller.
If you use a multiple number of PCI cards, you have to calculate with a
current of 4A on the 5V rail for each of the used TechniSat DVB-PC
TV Stars PCI card.

Question: My DVB-PC TV device is shown with a yellow exclamation mark in the

device manager of Windows and will not work. Is it possible to
activate/reactivate my DVB-PC TV device?
Answer: Deactivate all installed network devices in device manager and
shutdown your system. Locate the jumper nearby the TechniSat
Flexcop chip and if there is a jumper, set it from open to close. After
this start the system again and activate all devices, you deactivated
before.

Problem: Sound Blaster incompatibility

Solution: Change the IRQ settings to solve the IRQ conflict with the DVB-PC
device assigned IRQ or try to update the driver for the sound device.

Question: I have a motherboard with VIA chipset on it. Does it cause any
problems?
Answer: Make sure you installed the latest software patch from the VIA web
site to enable full performance of your motherboard chipset. Otherwise
the bad PCI performance can cause data loss / malfunction during
operation of the DVB-PC device.

Question: I have a SMP (simultaneous multi processing), HT (hyper-threading),

or DualCore computer system. Does it cause any problems?
Answer: SMP and HT systems are supported since driver version 4.2.11. If you
are using older drivers than 4.2.11 your system will crash. Download
the latest drivers from http://www.technisat.com/and install the latest
drivers and applications.

1.2 Drivers
Question: I want to install the latest software release on my Windows NT4,
Windows 98SE or Windows Me system. Is it still possible?
Answer: No, Windows NT4, Windows 98SE and Windows Me are no longer
supported by our driver and software components.

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Question: When I installed the driver 4.2.11, my CPU usage is 8-25%, until I
tuned a transponder using Server4PC or DVBViewer TE.
Answer: Download the latest driver release 4.4.1 from
http://www.technisat.com/ and install this release using the upgrading
hints from the FAQ or User's Guide Part 4.

Problem: I want to start the installation by double-click setup.exe but an error

message pops up
Solutions: The driver not loaded message occurs when the current DVB-PC
device driver is installed. The DVB-PC device driver is unable to
operate and the Error Code 10 is shown in the device manager.
This device is either not present, not working properly, or does
not have all the drivers installed. (Code 10)
Try upgrading the device drivers for this device.
Regarding the information from the Microsoft Knowledge Base Article
310123, you have to update the driver for this component.
If youve done this and still get Error Code 10, another device is failing
This problem is caused by old driver versions, which do not support
the functions of modern computer systems (e.g. ACPI).
You have to update the drivers for your mainboard, network interface
card, soundcard and graphics adapter to the current version to solve
the problem, possibly you also have to update your system BIOS. If all
described procedures do not work, you have to reinstall Windows
without using ACPI. More information about deactivating ACPI in
windows installer see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 299340.

Please clean the PCI interface (golden fingers) using an eraser. Then
try again.

Problem: DVB Receiver and any network interface card, IP address conflict.
Solution: You should assign a static IP address of
192.168.238.238/255.255.255.0 to the DVB device.

Question: I like to install the new software for SkyStar2; what should I pay
attention to?
Answer: Remove the TechniSat software at Control Panel" => "Add/Remove
Programs". Delete the TechniSat software folders "C:\Program
Files\DVBViewerTE" and "C:\Program Files\TechniSat DVB" then and
uninstall the driver "B2C2 Broadband Receiver" or "TechniSat DVB-
PC TV Star" at "Device Manager" and restart your computer. After
finishing this procedure, you can install the new software.

Problem: I installed the hardware and the drivers successful, but the card is not
getting any tuner lock. The satellite reception equipment is configured
correctly and I can receive channels using a common digital set top
box.
Solution: Install the card into another PCI slot in your system and install the
drivers again, after the New Hardware Found Wizard started up.

Please clean the PCI interface (golden fingers) using an eraser. Then
try again.

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1.3 Software
Problem: The installation of the software stops and says that Windows XP
Service Pack 2 is required.
Solution: Please install the Windows XP Service Pack 2. You can download the
Service Pack at http://www.microsoft.com or via the automatic update
function of Windows XP.

Problem: The installation of the software stops and says MediaPlayer and
DirectX recommended.
Solution: Please download from Microsoft website the latest version of
MediaPlayer and DirectX and install it. Another requirement is the
latest version of Internet Explorer 6.
Afterwards you should be able to run the installation process.

Problem: Starting setup.exe results in a missing _setup.dll error message

Solution: It seems you have downloaded the software and extracted the zip file
without the enclosed path-information. Check configuration of the
archive tool used to unzip the downloaded file and reconfigure it.
Unzip and try installation again.

2. Operating

2.1 General
Problem: My signal indicator drops from 0 % up to 50 % within a few seconds.
Solution: Check the valid function of your receiving equipment (dish & cable). If
this is OK please check if your system is installed in ACPI mode. If
yes, try to use the DVB card in another PCI slot on your motherboard.
You also might try to update your system drivers. If this does not solve
the problem, you have to disable ACPI. This makes a new installation
of the operating system necessary. More information about disabling
ACPI during windows installation see Microsoft Knowledge Base
Article 299340.

2.2 Server4PC / Data reception

Problem: After Windows start up Server4PC indicates No signal and I can
hear glitches and cracking noise within the sound output of my
soundcard.
Solution: Server4PC will indicate a tuner lock (green icon) only, if the
application has tuned a transponder successfully. If no transponder
can be received using the current settings, the indicator will be red. If
you select a data profile, which is located on one of the satellites, you
are able to receive, the signal indicator will change to green and the
cracking noise will vanish.

Question: I want to receive a service but do not know the satellite and data
settings?
Solution: Most known services across Europe are already preconfigured in the
software. Just go to system tray, click right and select from the menu
the data service you want to receive. That is it. In case the settings
have changed you have to contact the customer support of your
Internet service provider to get further help and information.

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2.3 DVBViewer / Audio/Video Reception

Problem: After I switched the current channel to another, the picture seems
strange. The aspect ratio is not correct and the position of the video
within the display area is not correct.
Solution: We use a fast channel switching method, which is not compatible to
some MPEG-2 decoder solutions. Please disable the option Fast
channel switch at Settings => Options => Enhanced . The picture
should appear normal now.

Problem: During operation I receive the error message Cannot locate b2c2
mpeg2 filter audio/video ctrl. interface, error: 91000101".
Solution: This problem is caused by some faults within the release 4.3.0. The
problem is fixed since release 4.4.0. Please remove all installed
components and update the driver and software components.

Problem: There are shown items in the EPG window, but the EPG info does not
show anything, except the current TV station and the system time.
Solution: The shown EPG information depends on the system time and date.
Check if the system date and time are configured correctly. After the
system time is corrected, the EPG should show the correct
information.

Question: Can I receive the SFI data without connection to the satellite Astra
19.2E?
Can I receive the SFI data with my AirStar 2 TV PCI, AirStar USB or
CableStar 2 PCI?
Answer: The SFI information is broadcasted via Astra 19.2E only. The SFI
data cannot be received with your AirStar 2 TV PCI, AirStar USB or
CableStar 2 PCI.

Problem: The SFI download takes a long time to complete.

Answer: The SFI are transmitted with a very low bandwidth on the satellite. The
download process might take up to 45 minutes.

Question: Can I download the SFI information via Internet?

Answer: The SFI information is available via satellite (Astra 19.2E) only.

Problem: When I start the DVBViewer TE, sometimes it takes a long time, until
the DVBViewer TE shows any channel.
Solution: The used MPEG-2 codec takes a while until it is ready to be used.
Normally the decoder is ready in a couple of seconds, but sometimes
it needs up to 40 seconds to display.

Problem: When I choose a HDTV channel in DVBViewer TE, no picture is

shown, the video stops and resumes again and again, or large
coloured fields are shown in display area.
Solution: Check, if your PC matches the system requirements for HDTV
reception. If yes, update the chipset and graphics card drivers to the
latest version available.
If you are using an onboard graphics adapter, this device might not be
able to show HDTV content, upgrade your graphics board to an
AGP/PCIe card with MPEG2 hardware acceleration and hardware
overlay support.

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Problem: The video stops from time to time and little squares appear
Solution: Please check the quality of the input signal. The minimum satellite
signal should be 50- 55 dbV or the level indicator in Setup4PC or
DVBViewer should be minimum 55-65 % for proper TV function.
Another possible source of trouble can be your graphic card that must
support hardware overlay. Please check the documentation of the
graphic card if hardware overlay is supported and make sure latest
driver for the graphic device is installed.
If you are using an AirStar 2 PCI Card or AirStar USB box you should
check the signal quality and BER using Setup4PC. If the problem is
caused by a bad signal quality you should correct the position or
alignment of the used antenna.

Problem: WinLIRC is configured correctly and the remote control is enabled in

DVBViewer, but the remote control will not work with Windows XP
SP2.
Solution: It is possible, that the Windows Firewall blocks WinLIRC. You can
unlock the WinLIRC in "Control Panel" => "Security Center" =>
"Manage Security Settings for: Windows Firewall", then switch to the
"Exceptions" tab. Search the entry "ts_winlirc" and enable the
checkbox. Press "OK" to confirm the setting.

Problem: After installation of DirectX9 my DVBViewer doesn t work anymore.

Solution: DirectX9 installation overwrites some needed files and settings. This
requires reinstalling the user software again. A new driver installation
is not needed. Go to start/settings/control panel/software and remove
the TechniSat DVB package. After reboot take your installation CD
or downloaded and extracted files. Go to subdirectory INSTALL. Click
the SETUP.EXE and follow the instructions given during software
installation. Reboot afterwards.

Question: I have successfully installed the software logged in as administrator

using Windows 2000/XP/XP x64/2003. When I log in as a user with
restricted rights, the following error message appears: "The Microsoft
Jet database engine cannot open the file 'C:\Program
Files\DVBViewer\epg.mdb'. It is already opened exclusively by
another user or you need permission to view it's data."
Answer: It is recommended that you are logged in as administrator or the user
has administrator rights on the computer.
If you have experience in changing permissions of folders and files,
you should add "Full Control" permissions for "Everyone" to this file.

Problem: I have some trouble with recorded programs, which contain AC3 audio
tracks.
Solution: Sometimes AC3 sound causes trouble while played with DVBViewer
or other applications. In channel list, there is a checkbox "AC3" for
every channel. Verify, if this checkbox is selected for the channels with
AC3 sound.

Question: I want to enter an IP address into the field "Multicast IP Address of

the IP-Settings option of DVBViewer TE, but after I entered the
address the field remains red. What is the problem?
Solution: The multicast IP-address range is specified in RFC1112. This
document specifies the range 224.0.0.0 through 239.255.255.255 for
the purpose of IP multicast. Other addresses are not allowed, so the

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DVBViewer TE is programmed to deny IP addresses which are not

reserved for IP multicast.

Problem: After I started the multicast transfer, my network slows down.

Solution: Please ensure that you are using a 100MBit/s Ethernet Hub, a
10/100MBit Ethernet switch or a direct cable connection between the
streaming server and client.

Problem: The multicast does not work properly in my wireless 802.11b/g WLAN
Solution: Sending high data rate IP multicast streams over a wireless LAN
might overload the used WLAN. Use a cable connection for IP
multicast streaming.

Problem: The multicast stream worked fine for a couple of minutes, and then the
transfer stopped and the whole network is not accessible.
or
The multicast option does not work after I changed the IP address of
my LAN interface without reboot.
Solution: Reboot your machine and try again.

Problem: My DVBViewer TE is not streaming into my local area network and

traffic is shown at the "TechniSat DVB-PC TV Star" interface. What's
wrong?
Solution: Reboot your machine. If the multicast is not sent to the LAN interface,
check your LAN connection and if your network components are
connected properly and all devices are operable.

Problem: I have a TechniSat DVB PCI card or USB box operated with the latest
software release and the multicast streaming doesn t work properly.
Data are sent to the network, but the VLC is not able to receive the
content.
Solution: Use Netmeter to check, if there is traffic streamed into your network. If
traffic is indicated within your local network on the streaming server,
you should do the same on the client PC. The indicated traffic should
be similar to the traffic indicated on the server. If the streaming is
working, but the stream cannot be received with VLC, you should
remove all channels from the channel list and scan for channels and
try again.

Problem: After the start of DVBViewer TE, the error message "division through
zero" appears and the DVBViewer TE is not operable.
or
The picture shown by DVBViewer TE is freezing and sound glitches
appear after the installation of a DVD-player software.
Solution It might be possible, that the problems are caused by different MPEG-
2 codecs, which are installed on the machines.

Sonic MyDVD:
To solve the problem, you have to remove the audio filter of Sonic
MyDVD. This procedure will be done under the usage of the command
line application RegSVR32.exe. Locate the file Impgad.ax and
remember the path. Press "Start" => "Run" and enter the following
command: regsvr32.exe /u "<PATH>\lmpgad.ax"
After the procedure is completed, you have to restart you system.

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Problem: I use multiple TechniSat DVB-PC TV Stars within my computer, but I

can open one DVBViewer TE only.
Solution: Since release 4.4.1 the TV application DVBViewer TE support multiple
cards/USB boxes simultaneously. Please read the users guide of
DVBViewer TE 4.4.1 for further information.

Problem: After a channel scan I can see some channels with the suffix h.264 .
If I select one of those channels nothing happens.
Solution: Those channels are using MPEG-4/h.264 instead of MPEG-2. Please
install a MPEG-4/h.264 decoder to the system to watch those
channels.

3. Other
Problem: If I switch to another user using the Fast User Switching function of
Windows XP
- Server4PC will not appear
- the audio playback of DVBViewer TE will stop
Solution: If you switch to another user, the application requested is still running
and cannot be started for a second time. You should log off the
system and log on with the other user. Then you will get Server4PC
and you are able to start DVBViewer TE without any problems

Question: I have installed other software (e.g. alternative TV software, unlock or

EEPROM tools) and my DVB-PC device is unable to operate (no TV
or IP reception, but tuning works). Is it possible to fix the DVB-PC
device?
Answer: You should try installing a clean Windows 2000/XP with the current
Service Pack, MediaPlayer9 and DirectX9. Then install the software
release 4.4.0 or higher to your system. After this procedure the DVB-
PC device should work again. If you altered the firmware of your DVB-
PC device by using a tool, you may have damaged the firmware and
this procedure won t work. Please note, that after the usage of a tool
to modify the firmware of the DVB-PC device, the warranty is void and
TechniSat will give no support or replacement.

Question: I want to develop my own application for TechniSat DVB-PC devices.

What do I need?
Solution: Check the TechniSat website http://www.technisat.com. There you ll
find a Windows SDK for our DVB-PC device products. No support for
the SDK will be available.

Question: Are there drivers for Linux available?

Answer: TechniSat doesn t provide drivers, software and customer support for
Linux operating systems. There are open source projects existing,
which are developing drivers for many DVB cards.
http://www.linuxtv.org is one of those projects.

Question: Do you provide BDA drivers for Windows XP Mediacenter Edition?

Answer: Since release 4.4.1 we also provide BDA drivers for our TechniSat
DVB-PC TV Stars PCI cards and USB2.0 boxes. Please read the FAQ
of the BDA driver package for further information about those drivers.

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