Hauppauge WinTV + Dell SupportAssist

Elle__

Commendable
Dec 16, 2016
24
0
1,560
Hi. I've been using a laptop in place of a traditional TV and up until today it was working fine. I don't know what happened, but two days ago I noticed something on the laptop that I didn't install. I thought it was just some help file that I accidentally clicked to place a shortcut on the desktop, but nope. Dell automatically installed, without informing me, Dell SupportAssist. It turns out to be similar to Norton or similar programs. Fine, it seems useful. BUT! Like I said, I'm not able to use WinTV properly.

Normally, I could have it open 24-7-365, recording shows back to back [start at :59, end at :58, then something new starts at :59], while remaining open, I was able to go into On Demand, etc.. No problems with the computer or the program. Now, I tried recording something through On Demand and wasn't able to. I restarted the computer several times, but wasn't even able to watch live TV!! I thought the problem was with the Hauppauge PVR, so I checked Hauppauge Capture, and was able to watch live TV there [which I haven't done in ages, thus it doesn't explain the WinTV problem. I'm familiar with when you switch between programs, you need to unplug the PVR]. So, I reinstalled WinTV, using the latest update from Hauppauge [wintvsetup_36137, updated May 17, 2018 I think]. I recorded something from :59 to :58, but when it was done, WinTV froze! I forced it close through Task Manager, but WinTV wouldn't relaunch unless I used it to play a video. When I tried switching to live TV that way, WinTV froze.. again.

The Dell SupportAssist seems to be the only explanation since I've been using the laptop for the last six months, not using it for anything else [thus bare minimum internet usage]. I've also had problems with updates in the past, so I disabled them as well [but somehow Dell got through, although, I think I only disabled Windows, not Dell]. I checked Dell SupportAssist, hoping there would be a setting I could change that removes Hauppauge software from being viewed as malicious, but there doesn't seem to be that option. Plus, other than being installed two days ago, it hasn't done any scans or anything, so why it's affecting WinTV doesn't make sense.. Along with I didn't have a problem with Capture before reinstalling WinTV [only]
 

Elle__

Commendable
Dec 16, 2016
24
0
1,560
UPPDATE
I recorded something with WinTV closed, and was able to watch live TV after the recording was complete [without restarting the laptop], which I wasn't able to do before. But I want to schedule something new, but I get "WinTV is unable to schedule the specified recording. No tuner is connected that can provide this channel" even though I am currently watching live TV in WinTV

Also, because of that problem, I tried using the basic Record button, and it seems to work. Hit record, something records, hit Stop, it stops.. without locking up WinTV. While this is a valid option for future use 1. I'm not able to use WinTV the way it was intended 2. if you want to record something while you're asleep or away from the computer, it isn't possible. Also, I liked that when recording through Scheduler, you would see the file name at the top of the window. When using the Record button, everything is named Local, so it's not any different than the channel I'm on
 

Elle__

Commendable
Dec 16, 2016
24
0
1,560
UPDATE 2
I had things already in the Scheduler which fortunately remained after uninstalling then reinstalling WinTV. I wanted to update one and didn't have the problem that I had creating a new event. The situation was identical. I had created the event weeks ago, while watching live TV, and updated it today while live TV was playing, just like I had tried with the new event from earlier, but for some reason the new event wasn't possible.
 

TRENDING THREADS