This page describes how to modify the twinhan software and drivers to work with the Artec. It's not german - scroll down! The Twinhan software I find far superior, and recommend everyone in this thread try out this method.
This works with the TwinhanDTV software version 2.607 (which appeared as 2.606 for me when unpacked...) available at the Twinhan website (go here and download the software for the "DVB-T USB Series".
Be warned: the process is quite complex, but only really involves modifying some inf files and deleting your old Artec/Ultima drivers.
After doing this procedure and installing the drivers, install the twinhan software by running setup.exe from the package you downloaded from twinhan's website. It'll complain that it can't find the hardware. Just click "no" to continue the install of the software, and make sure you don't tell it to install any drivers (you get a selection of check boxes during the setup process for which drivers you want to install - leave them all blank).
Once the twinhan software is installed, reboot, and try it. It should work fine.
I had some initial problems with the Twinhan software and the scan in "Easy Setup" mode where the scanner would lock up. I fixed this problem by using the "Terrestrial Setup" mode. You may not experience this problem.
Advantages of the Twinhan software:
Decent EPG,
Channels can be re-ordered/renamed
Radio works fine
Hardly ever jerks during viewing, even when in background
No A/V sync problems
Always on top option
More configuration options
Better timeshifting support
Better OSD (although still not perfect)
Teletext support (although this does not seem to work on any channels I tried)
The remote control bundled with the hardware also works with the twinhan software but isn't immediately responsive (it takes about a second to react)
The only problem I had with the Twinhan software is that if it locks up or crashes, the application refuses to close (even through task manager) and a hard reset of the machine is required (windows cannot close it during normal shutdown either). This only ever happened to me once during channel scan in "Easy Setup" mode.
For anyone using the artec software, this hack is an absolute must-have. The twinhan software is leagues ahead of the artec crap.
Last protip: clicking on the channel name in the control panel/navigation box thing shows the current and next programme name on the OSD. Also, the commercial myTheatre software works fine with this driver and seems to pick up more channels, although each execution is time-limited for one hour. myTheatre also has the advantage of showing the current programme name and description under the video picture.
We should start a club. I bought the artec box and have experienced all the trials and tribulations that the rest of you have gone through.
I've now experienced another problem that I'm hoping someone can help me with. When I leave the TV running for any longer than about an hour, my system totally hangs. The TV stalls , sound stops, except for an awful crackling noise. At this point i'm forced to do a hard reset. I tried using the Twinhan DTC software and hacked drivers (which worked a treat btw), however I still have the same problem. I've already tried a format and reinstall but still the problem remains. I'm running a Windows XP SP 2 machine, with a GeForce 4 and sound blaster 1024, both of which are running the latest drivers.
I've tried to contact Artec technical support, but unsurprisingly haven't gotten any response. Anyone experienced anything like this? Any suggestions?
Cheers
Neil
Edit: I'm going to try running the MyTheater software tonight, to see if that makes a difference. It probably won't, as I have a feeling that this is a hardware issue
BTW, did anyone try to use a different remote control (from their TV set, or a universal one) with their Artec box?
It would be nice if you could use a 'proper' remote control.
I didn't try an alternative remote (but I do know that if I use any other remotes for my hi-fi for example, the lights on the box flash), but the one that comes with the Artec works with a delay of about 2 seconds.
I have tried the Twinhan software and it is far more polished than the Ultima version, but I'm getting a lot of picture stutter on all channels, though none on sound. The signal strength and quality reported is hovering around 60% (which is good enough for a stable picture on my STBs and with the Ultima software), so perhaps this is one just for those with top quality reception.
Shame, as it really is nice to have the channels listed by LCN and not just by MUX position.
It was mentioned to use Terrestrial Setup for scanning the channels, but then which mode you have to use: scan by country, scan by frequency or scan all channels?
For what it's worth: my firmware loader hardware id is USB\VID_0547&PID_2235
I saw it in the tutorial and did copy the Artec .sys file as mentioned there, but I can't find any channels. While with the Artec software I find 60 channels with good reception.
I have the same firmware as you and used the scan by country and picked up 60 TV/Radio channels, the same as with the Ultima software. I just couldn't live with the picture jerkiness, so have gone back to the Ultima 2.2.2C installed over v2.0.9 and no picture jerks and almost full SNR and RF.
I would much prefer the Twinhan front end, but will live with the Ultima because of the performance it delivers on my particular setup.
BTW, the software automatically offered to scan when I first installed the Twinhan drivers, without my having to choose how. It was only after 6pm when I wanted to pick up ITV4 that I used the scan by country and then again after 7 to get BBC3 & 4. If you know which UHF channels your local multiplexes are on, you can select only them to be scanned, which is much quicker than going through lots of empty UHF frequencies.
Fudge, so you did copy also the dgtvload2.sys to the Twinhan driver folder and renamed it?
If so, which version of the Artec drivers did you use for this? The 2.0.9 or the 2.1.7?
Come to think of it I must have used the 2.0.9 driver files because I had two versions of the software on here. 2.0.9 came on the CD and had a working automatic aspect ratio switch feature which I used for viewing TV, and 2.2.2C which had a working EPG function that I used for recording, 2.2.2C came with no drivers on the download.
Thanks for the kind words everyone. I found this thread a few days back and it helped a lot, then did some research based on some findings here and discovered the twinhan modifications.
I've done a lot of searching for BDA drivers but they just do not seem to exist. I've been considering trying to code some, but they look very difficult and a lot of reverse engineering of the existing firmware would probably be necessary.
As for the channel scan questions, I recommend you try easy mode first and if that locks up, try the terrestrial scan mode. I used "Scan by country" with "UK". Some versions of the firmware I tried (dgtvload.sys, dgtvload3.sys) caused problems (to try different firmware I just overwrote UDTTload.sys in c:\windows\system32\drivers with dgtvload.sys/dgtvload2.sys/dgtvload3.sys, unplugged the box and re-attached it), where they did not find any channels at all. You may have better luck with the other firmware. You may even find that the original Twinhan firmware works, it doesn't wreck anything if you try it.
Edit: If you get picture stutter, try enabling the hardware acceleration mode (Enable MPEG2 DxVA Accelerator) in the configuration. Also try enabling "Force Decoding Noisy video frames", which is what normal DTV set-top boxes do anyway. You could also try setting "Set application thread priority" to "high", and set "Reject" for the power management option.
You're talking about dgtvload3.sys, but I only have seen dgtvload and dgtvload2. Is 3 from a newer driver set?
About the BDA drivers; on the Twinhan download page there is a section with BDA drivers, but I couldn't find if there was a version which we should use. Maybe you know where to look for.
Fudge, so you did copy also the dgtvload2.sys to the Twinhan driver folder and renamed it?
If so, which version of the Artec drivers did you use for this? The 2.0.9 or the 2.1.7?
Yes, I used dgtvload2.sys from 2.0.9 and renamed it (just had a look at the file modification dates for dgtvload2.sys in 2.0.9, 2.1.5 and 2.1.7 and they are all in the range 21-22 June 2004). Over the course of about an hour the software locked up on several occasions (it even went into the hardware failure 'blue screen of death' once) and I needed to put my PC through a hard reboot.
I tried all the options for video acceleration, full processor power (I have an Athlon 64 3000) with no power saving and every other option I could find to try. Nothing corrected the extreme picture jerkiness, even by setting the application priority to high. Perhaps my old ATI Radeon 7000 is too slow to deal with the load.
Yes, I went through each step of the instructions, down to removing the 'oem' files in the inf Windows folder. I have tried it again using the same setup, (also with the original Twinhan UDTTLOAD.sys file, which resulted in sound but no picture) and after a few channel changes it was back to the stuttering.
I think it is probably the signal strength that's causing it, as I kept geting a 'weak signal' message. This doesn't happen with the Ultima software and I actually managed to record a film on More4 with no serious flaws using that straight after I reinstalled it, so I'll stick with 2.2.2C for now.
I tried every possible combination of driver files, reinstalled everything from scratch, but still no channels.
I also installed MyTheatre which says 'no signal' when I do a scan. But I know for sure that I do have a strong signal here.
Would anybody be so kind to email me the drivers (modified) which he/she used successfully? Maybe that those work on my machine. Thx!
Did you check the device ID in device manager and use the appropriate dgtvload.sys file renamed to udttload.sys? That is also one of the factors that could affect its operation.
I have followed this thread for sometime and have found it a great help, so first of all thanks. I have struggled with the Artec software and have found it very problematic, stuttering and that it loses sync.
So I was pleased to see the detailed instructions in link from a previous posting which provided detailed guidane in setting up the Artec T1 to work with the Twinhan front end.
Well I messed it up! Typing was never my strong point.
However I found a simple resolution that may be of help to others. Having got to the point wher I had removed all traces of the Artec Drivers, I attempted to reinstall the device.
Well the merged drivers I attempted to produce would not install so I pointed the device back to the 2.2.2c Artec Drivers.
Then in the WinXP device manager I right clicked the DVB device and did an update driver, manually forcing the device to use the Twinhan Drivers (USBDTT - USBV1.1 DVB-T adapter Driver) and repeated this with the firmware loader (to USBDTT - USB adapter firmware loader).
I then restarted the machine and installed the Twinhan software. This protested that the required device was not present. This I ignored and selected to press on, not that confident that it would work.
Well when it ran, no problems, I ran a scan and hew presto 56 channels (UK - Mendip Transmitter).
The software has transformed the use of the box. It works flawlessly. Perfect picture and audio, no sync issues. I can now record straight to DVD-RW. No issues with CBBC / BBC4. The favorites rembers all the channels. Also, I can now pin the application above MS Word when working. I know think the £39 quid I spent in Dixons as excellent value. The Twinhan software looks far more profeesional and has allot more configuration options too.
Comments
This works with the TwinhanDTV software version 2.607 (which appeared as 2.606 for me when unpacked...) available at the Twinhan website (go here and download the software for the "DVB-T USB Series".
Be warned: the process is quite complex, but only really involves modifying some inf files and deleting your old Artec/Ultima drivers.
After doing this procedure and installing the drivers, install the twinhan software by running setup.exe from the package you downloaded from twinhan's website. It'll complain that it can't find the hardware. Just click "no" to continue the install of the software, and make sure you don't tell it to install any drivers (you get a selection of check boxes during the setup process for which drivers you want to install - leave them all blank).
Once the twinhan software is installed, reboot, and try it. It should work fine.
I had some initial problems with the Twinhan software and the scan in "Easy Setup" mode where the scanner would lock up. I fixed this problem by using the "Terrestrial Setup" mode. You may not experience this problem.
Advantages of the Twinhan software:
Decent EPG,
Channels can be re-ordered/renamed
Radio works fine
Hardly ever jerks during viewing, even when in background
No A/V sync problems
Always on top option
More configuration options
Better timeshifting support
Better OSD (although still not perfect)
Teletext support (although this does not seem to work on any channels I tried)
The remote control bundled with the hardware also works with the twinhan software but isn't immediately responsive (it takes about a second to react)
The only problem I had with the Twinhan software is that if it locks up or crashes, the application refuses to close (even through task manager) and a hard reset of the machine is required (windows cannot close it during normal shutdown either). This only ever happened to me once during channel scan in "Easy Setup" mode.
For anyone using the artec software, this hack is an absolute must-have. The twinhan software is leagues ahead of the artec crap.
Last protip: clicking on the channel name in the control panel/navigation box thing shows the current and next programme name on the OSD. Also, the commercial myTheatre software works fine with this driver and seems to pick up more channels, although each execution is time-limited for one hour. myTheatre also has the advantage of showing the current programme name and description under the video picture.
I've now experienced another problem that I'm hoping someone can help me with. When I leave the TV running for any longer than about an hour, my system totally hangs. The TV stalls , sound stops, except for an awful crackling noise. At this point i'm forced to do a hard reset. I tried using the Twinhan DTC software and hacked drivers (which worked a treat btw), however I still have the same problem. I've already tried a format and reinstall but still the problem remains. I'm running a Windows XP SP 2 machine, with a GeForce 4 and sound blaster 1024, both of which are running the latest drivers.
I've tried to contact Artec technical support, but unsurprisingly haven't gotten any response. Anyone experienced anything like this? Any suggestions?
Cheers
Neil
Edit: I'm going to try running the MyTheater software tonight, to see if that makes a difference. It probably won't, as I have a feeling that this is a hardware issue
Insectecutor, you deserve the Nobel prize for TV card help. Thanks a million!
Next we just have to get BDA drivers so we can use 3rd party apps!
Can't wait to try this out... are the Sync problems definately sorted?
It would be nice if you could use a 'proper' remote control.
Shame, as it really is nice to have the channels listed by LCN and not just by MUX position.
Watching perfect audio/picture sync fat birds wrestling so its the perfect solution for my particular problem (sound & pic sync out)
Chuffed as nuts!
Ill report back if i get any problems later.
I did a scan, but couldn't find any channels
I saw it in the tutorial and did copy the Artec .sys file as mentioned there, but I can't find any channels. While with the Artec software I find 60 channels with good reception.
I would much prefer the Twinhan front end, but will live with the Ultima because of the performance it delivers on my particular setup.
BTW, the software automatically offered to scan when I first installed the Twinhan drivers, without my having to choose how. It was only after 6pm when I wanted to pick up ITV4 that I used the scan by country and then again after 7 to get BBC3 & 4. If you know which UHF channels your local multiplexes are on, you can select only them to be scanned, which is much quicker than going through lots of empty UHF frequencies.
If so, which version of the Artec drivers did you use for this? The 2.0.9 or the 2.1.7?
I've done a lot of searching for BDA drivers but they just do not seem to exist. I've been considering trying to code some, but they look very difficult and a lot of reverse engineering of the existing firmware would probably be necessary.
As for the channel scan questions, I recommend you try easy mode first and if that locks up, try the terrestrial scan mode. I used "Scan by country" with "UK". Some versions of the firmware I tried (dgtvload.sys, dgtvload3.sys) caused problems (to try different firmware I just overwrote UDTTload.sys in c:\windows\system32\drivers with dgtvload.sys/dgtvload2.sys/dgtvload3.sys, unplugged the box and re-attached it), where they did not find any channels at all. You may have better luck with the other firmware. You may even find that the original Twinhan firmware works, it doesn't wreck anything if you try it.
Edit: If you get picture stutter, try enabling the hardware acceleration mode (Enable MPEG2 DxVA Accelerator) in the configuration. Also try enabling "Force Decoding Noisy video frames", which is what normal DTV set-top boxes do anyway. You could also try setting "Set application thread priority" to "high", and set "Reject" for the power management option.
About the BDA drivers; on the Twinhan download page there is a section with BDA drivers, but I couldn't find if there was a version which we should use. Maybe you know where to look for.
Yes, I used dgtvload2.sys from 2.0.9 and renamed it (just had a look at the file modification dates for dgtvload2.sys in 2.0.9, 2.1.5 and 2.1.7 and they are all in the range 21-22 June 2004). Over the course of about an hour the software locked up on several occasions (it even went into the hardware failure 'blue screen of death' once) and I needed to put my PC through a hard reboot.
I tried all the options for video acceleration, full processor power (I have an Athlon 64 3000) with no power saving and every other option I could find to try. Nothing corrected the extreme picture jerkiness, even by setting the application priority to high. Perhaps my old ATI Radeon 7000 is too slow to deal with the load.
I shouldn't imagine you would have any problems with your AMD 64 3000 setup, did you remove the old drivers properly?
I think it is probably the signal strength that's causing it, as I kept geting a 'weak signal' message. This doesn't happen with the Ultima software and I actually managed to record a film on More4 with no serious flaws using that straight after I reinstalled it, so I'll stick with 2.2.2C for now.
I tried every possible combination of driver files, reinstalled everything from scratch, but still no channels.
I also installed MyTheatre which says 'no signal' when I do a scan. But I know for sure that I do have a strong signal here.
Would anybody be so kind to email me the drivers (modified) which he/she used successfully? Maybe that those work on my machine. Thx!
mottebelke at hotmail.com
So I was pleased to see the detailed instructions in link from a previous posting which provided detailed guidane in setting up the Artec T1 to work with the Twinhan front end.
Well I messed it up! Typing was never my strong point.
However I found a simple resolution that may be of help to others. Having got to the point wher I had removed all traces of the Artec Drivers, I attempted to reinstall the device.
Well the merged drivers I attempted to produce would not install so I pointed the device back to the 2.2.2c Artec Drivers.
Then in the WinXP device manager I right clicked the DVB device and did an update driver, manually forcing the device to use the Twinhan Drivers (USBDTT - USBV1.1 DVB-T adapter Driver) and repeated this with the firmware loader (to USBDTT - USB adapter firmware loader).
I then restarted the machine and installed the Twinhan software. This protested that the required device was not present. This I ignored and selected to press on, not that confident that it would work.
Well when it ran, no problems, I ran a scan and hew presto 56 channels (UK - Mendip Transmitter).
The software has transformed the use of the box. It works flawlessly. Perfect picture and audio, no sync issues. I can now record straight to DVD-RW. No issues with CBBC / BBC4. The favorites rembers all the channels. Also, I can now pin the application above MS Word when working. I know think the £39 quid I spent in Dixons as excellent value. The Twinhan software looks far more profeesional and has allot more configuration options too.
Regards,
Bradders20
I'm still struggling to get it to work...