[Znote 6615WD] Hybrid Mini-PCI TV card - a long way...

Hi,

I'd like to share my experience with my Zepto Znote 6615WD and my tv card.

I'd like to mention that whatever you do with your hardware and software is in your own responsibility. If you're not sure what you do, just don't do it!

The option for a built-in tv card was one of the main reasons (beside the option for a docking station) to buy the 6615WD. Germany broadcasts only digital television so I had to wait for Zepto to offer a DVB-T card. End-January a Mini PCI TV Tuner DVB-T & Analog 6x15WD(260411) appeared at Germanys Zepto website and I ordered one. The price then was €86,87. It was delivered without any manual, driver or application software. Well, this is my journey through the installation.

Hardware:
I took some pictures when installing the tv card. The photos also show the card in detail. It is labeled "AVerMedia". Looks as if it is the "M10D", which is not listed on any AVerMedia websites. However there's a German AVerMedia website which has a M10C hybrid card - the "C"-model has a FM tuner, where my M10D has none... Maybe it's the only difference...
Few notes: be careful when removing the keyboard.
Make sure the antenna cable you'll find sits firmly on the antenna adapter of the tv card.
Remember to put the card into its slot with the contacts first and press down the "antenna side" of the card then. You shouldn't need force. Procedure is similar to inserting SO-DIMM memory...

Software:
Mainly I am using the 32bit version of Windows XP professionell SP2 with patches. So this driver from Zepto's FTP works fine with me. The newly built in hardware shows up as a new multimedia device with working drivers.
Before I could use the tv card, I had to patch Windows, something with "DirectShow" and the service pack 2 (KB896626).
Sadly most tv applications I tried still won't work. MediaPortal and GB-PVR won't recognize the card as a tv card. The software runs, but you cannot tune and watch tv.
Sceneo bonavista and Presto!PVR recognize the M10D. Presto!PVR came with the MSI Mega Sky 580, the usb dvb-t tuner I used before...

That's it. Took me a lot of time to have it running, but now it works fine. Still I hope that Zepto publishes some sort of patch that gets the card working with more tv software.

One last thing: I'm not a native speaker, so everyone helps me editing this post to make it more understandable is welcome! Send me a pm and I'll correct my english...

Oh, did I mention that everything you do with your hardware and software is in your own responsibility? If you're not sure what you do, just don't do it!

 

Thanks for sharing your findings with the rest of us, Sramsram. I'm sure it will come in handy for the other 6615WD owners out there like you.

Don't worry about your English. I understood what you wrote .

 

I can tell you as much as the TV card you have bought is not sold with manuals or software as it is intended for XP MCE 2005 and the Media Center Application in Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate, and is on the Danish website only sold when you buy a machine with either of these Operating Systems for your machine.

 

Thank you, Rene S, that explains a lot!

It's a pity that AVerMedia doesn't publish more information about the M10D at their website. If AverTV would run at least...

Could someone explaint the difference between the MCE version of XP and other TV-applications for "normal" XP home/pro to me? The part where it comes to "watch tv" especially... Are the multimedia functions implemented deeply in the os?

 

Hello,
Thank you for an interesting brief of your experience with TV card with XP and 6615. I recently bought the same computer. No one told me that I needed MCE version when I order the computer. To my question: I tried with Sceneo bonavista but I couldn’t get it to work (and it was in German). Then I looked in to your other sites that you described and I don’t really understand what I should download. Could you describe how I should do more in detail? Do you know where to get Presto PVR? Do I need the drivers for MSI Mega Sky 580?
I am a novice but I really want my TV card to work. Best regards /Mikael (from Sweden).

 

Hi Znotemile,

sorry - I've been offline for a while. Hopefully you got things working already...

You should download the patch from the Microsoft Homepage - always asuming that you use Windows XP with the SP2. The Service Pack 2 did something to the DirectShow, DirectView, DirectICannotRememberWhatItWasExcactly which stopped digital tv from working. Get the patch and it will work again.

You should download the latest available driver for your tv card from Zepto.

Look for available TV applications and/or "Media Center" software from the internet and try them - perhaps new versions of one or another programm will work with the Avermedia card. If your tv card is found by the tv application you have to configure it to your wishes - like whether you receive analog or digital tv signal.

Presto!PVR is a commercial non-free TV application software for Microsoft Windows XP at least. It was the packed-in software which came with my tv usb adapter from MSI. This is the tv application software which I use for watching tv with my Znote... You didn't need the MSI Drivers afaik. I don't think that you can get it as free software from the internet.

The Sceneo software seems to be (1) renamed from bonavista to AbsolutTV (2) no longer freeware, at least not available from the manufacterer's homepage (3) only available in German. Well - I didn't use it that often anyway...

 

Thanks for the tips. Yesterday I got it to work with Media Portal. I had to follow these instructions to get it to support the Avermedia M10D. Hope this helps

 

Great thread can't wait to try this out. Anyone knows how to get the card runing under Linux (Ubuntu in my case) ?

 

No, sorry. I got an old Dapper Drake running besides Windows which doesn't let me use the TV card easily...