I have just reviewed the Vista View website and found good news. For those users with a Saber DA-1N1 dual tuner Vista View has released the TV Pack Clear QAM drivers. With this news, I believe it is time to check my backups then install the TV Pack update. WooHoo.
Details from VISTAVIEW website.

Name	QAM Patch for TV Pack 2008 - Saber DA-1N1 QAM
Description	This patch allows you tune clear QAM channels on cable ATSC TV.  Run the patch, Reboot, and setup the QAM channels in MCE.

This driver also works for the ViXS tuner that comes in HP's. The cards are the same; HP never updates there drivers.

There are two versions: low profile and full height. Get the correct driver for the card that matches the vistaview card.

I've tried these drivers along with afew other people from another forum and we have been unable to get QAM support using the asus 210e (same vixs chipset). TV pack is installed and I have qam working with my avermedia a180 but not with this card. Another user here has been able to get the QAM to work but myself and around 3 others have not. Still working on the issue and will advise if we are successful.

I tested two of these ViXS cards.

• Version 3.02 (came with my HP m9000t). QAM with this card worked by just installing the Vista View driver. I did not install the patch / registry file.
• Version 2.01 (bought on ebay). I could not get QAM to work with this card. I tried several things and was never abe to get it to work.

I am one of those who got QAM working by using the VistaView driver with my HP ViXS card. But, don't get your hopes up just yet. For some reason, when watching/recording another channel the QAM channel strength drops and they break up. I've had a cable guy out to test signal strength and the problem isn't there. I also have a QAM tuner in my 50" HDTV and it does not exhibit this behavior, either. So, while I definitely do have QAM working in VMC, it is conditional, at best. Even with a 24db signal booster I still can't watch/record a QAM channel while watching/recording another channel.

arandazz:

I tested two of these ViXS cards.

• Version 3.02 (came with my HP m9000t). QAM with this card worked by just installing the Vista View driver. I did not install the patch / registry file.
• Version 2.01 (bought on ebay). I could not get QAM to work with this card. I tried several things and was never abe to get it to work.

The one you bought on eBay, was it from Ascendtech? He advertises it as being QAM. I got mine from them, as well, but I bought directly from his website. He also didn't send any documentation, driver software or instructions. Not that I needed them, but if, as I suspect, he's selling take-outs then they are used and he is not representing them that way.

The ebay seller I bought it from was dealtree-auctions. ebay ViXS Card

The HP card other then being version 3.02 also has a FM tuner campared to the ebay card. My HP card is like this: HP ViXS Card

Unlike what cyclewriter talks about my HP ViXS card has worked without any problems. I use it only for QAM along with an ATI 650 combo for QAM and 4 cable card tuners. I am able to record 6 shows at a time without any issues.

 

arandazz:

The ebay seller I bought it from was dealtree-auctions. ebay ViXS Card

The HP card other then being version 3.02 also has a FM tuner campared to the ebay card. My HP card is like this: HP ViXS Card

Unlike what cyclewriter talks about my HP ViXS card has worked without any problems. I use it only for QAM along with an ATI 650 combo for QAM and 4 cable card tuners. I am able to record 6 shows at a time without any issues.

Neither of those are being sold as QAM-capable, but we both know the 3.02 does do QAM with the VV driver. I'd be interested in knowing if you configured the analog tuner on the card you're using for QAM if it would suffer as mine does. I'm still thinking it is a signal problem with the way TWC transmits QAM channels, though. They have been messing with them for 3 weeks now and the lineup keeps changing. I no longer get Fox-HD, ABC-HD or MOJO, which really sucks.

Well, I just spent some time redoing the connectors from my cable incoming feed all the way to the wall socket in the room where my VMC is. Found a crusty connector in the wall behind the plate and replaced it. Apparently, that was the source of my QAM problems. I can now watch a QAM channel without it breaking up, even if I'm recording something else. Maybe the 1800 I returned was OK after all. Oh well, I now have 2 NTSC, 1 ATSC and 1 QAM all for the price of a lot of aggravation and $37.95 for the 2nd Asus tuner card. I am finally happy with my VMC.

I have the HP Slimline s3321p, and I can confirm that the clear qam is working with the new drivers.

Initially, I upgraded the drivers to the vistaview versions and installed the registry patch, but nothing worked in Media Center.  Then after a reboot, running the registry patch again, and reboot again, all is working.

Another tip.  When I scanned channels in Media Center, no clear qam were found.  I had to manually go into the guide and add the channels for my location.  You can find clear-qam stations for your area here:

http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/channels

I have the HPM8277c with ViXS PureTV-U 48B0.  Reading above I think this will work for me, but one question is how to tell which driver set to download?  They list a "-E" and "-I" driver.  Any help would be appreciated.

E = PCI-Express full height card

I = PCI low profile card

arandazz:  Thanks for the clarification.  One more thing that is fuzzy to me - with my HP stock system (m8277c VistaPro) trying to get qam channels -  the only thing that I need to do is install the drivers mentioned above, reboot, and reconfig MC TV tuner?  Does that sound correct or am I missing something?

id10T:

arandazz:  Thanks for the clarification.  One more thing that is fuzzy to me - with my HP stock system (m8277c VistaPro) trying to get qam channels -  the only thing that I need to do is install the drivers mentioned above, reboot, and reconfig MC TV tuner?  Does that sound correct or am I missing something?

You need the TVPack update and the associated KB updates, as well.

To arandazz and others who have used this driver on HP factory tuners: Stupid question, but which of the three coax inputs on the back of the PC is the one that is QAM capable? Thanks.

 

EDIT: To answer my own question, it's the ATSC/Digital Antenna input, not the NTSC/Cable input, which I presume is only for analog cable.