TV Tuner + Atari 2600 + PacMan

General Discussions
#1

Anyone know of any software for testing if a TV Tuner card works?

I got a DVB-T TV Tuner card with a new laptop and it accepts standard RF cable as input.
Not one to pass up a nostalgic opportunity I dug my old Atari 2600 (wood effect panelling) out the attic, plus a PacMan cartridge.

To test, I hooked it up to the RF socket on my television to make sure everything was working, tuned it in and saw pac man running around a maze.
Without switching off or resetting the atari I hooked this up to the RF socket on the TV tuner card.

Nothing. No signal. Scanning for channels detects nothing. Hook this back up to my television and yep, PacMan is up and running fine.
Zip from the TV tuner card, but it’s detected fine.

I’ve been able to use the software to update itself (the software) but to no avail.
So now I’m looking for some kind of other software to test the TV Tuner card is working, thinking it’s a problem with the software. Any ideas?

The Tuner card is an HP branded ‘ExpressCard’ labelled DVB-T TV Tuner, actually manufactured by YUAN High Tech Development Co Ltd.
The software is HP branded ‘HP TVPlay’ also known as ‘QuickPlay’ - and actually developed by Cyberlink.

But guess what?
HP has no drivers, support docs or FAQs for the device or the software.
YUAN have no FAQs (“coming soon…”) no drivers, no support for the device.
Cyberlink lets you register the software, but it’s not listed as one of their products so their is no support docs, FAQs, etc.

hmm…

In terms of getting a 2600 to display PacMan on the laptop screen, I know someone is going to ask “Why?!!!” but my only answer is “Because!”

#2

I had TV Tuner card in my PC once. I remeber that it had no idea about channels, but knew about frequencies. Which is essentially how a TV works. Each channel represents a frequency. You should set up the card to try and tune in channels first. Once you have channel 3 and 4 set up, you should be able to see Pac Man on one of those channels.

Basically you need to match the frequency output from the RF modulator to the frequency input on one of your channels on the tuner card.

#3

Ah, ok. making a little more sense now. Well since the bundled software only has 2 options “Scan for channels” and “Watch TV” I downloaded: DVB TV Web Scheduler (free) which lets me specify a frequency in KHz and Bandwith in MHz. Now to find out what that is for channels 3 & 4…

#4

Darn, a guy who was trying to build an Atari 2600 ‘portable’ puts channel 3 at ~86 Mhz and channel 4 at ~93 Mhz, but guess what ? Still no joy.

CaptainJester , what country are you in? I think these may be frequencies for US TV channels 3 & 4. (I’m in UK)

#5

Last consecutive post, I promise!

Noticed on my television PacMan is coming through on Band IV channel 36, PAL-I.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/terrestrial/tuning/


Band IV Channel PAL-I Vision (MHz)	PAL-I Sound (MHz)	Centre (MHz) (Digital TV) 
36	                     591.25	                      597.25	                        594

Tuning in using Web Scheduler to freq. 594000 KHz, bandwith 8MHz still comes up blank! Boo! Well, that’s about it for me for tonight. If I get this working I’ll post a screenie (with a suitable high score of course!)

#6

I am in Canada. Same frequencies as the US.

#7

When asked why? I always answer, “Why not?”

http://www.java-gaming.org/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15015.0;attach=600

-Chris