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Windows => Television => Topic started by: benn600 on February 26, 2009, 03:05:48 pm

Title: Support for HDHomeRun?
Post by: benn600 on February 26, 2009, 03:05:48 pm
Does MC support this network based ATSC tuner?  It seems like a much more appropriate system over adding a tuner to all my HTPCs.
http://www.silicondust.com/products/hdhomerun

I do see some posts for MC12.  Any new developments?  I did just order one because if it works (and it has great reviews), it is exactly what I've been dreaming of.  And then I realized it has two tuners in a moderately priced box!  I couldn't hardly buy two tuners for the price of the box and then they're tied to a single computer and require a coax connection.  I've got ethernet everywhere but coax only in certain places.  Plus, more coax means more loss and a need for more amplification.
Title: Re: Support for HDHomeRun?
Post by: benn600 on March 01, 2009, 12:29:43 pm
How many people use the HDHomeRun by Silicon Dust?  When you've got multiple computers or, more importantly, a laptop, then this allows everyone to get television over the always-on network connection (wired or wireless).  It is exactly what I've been looking for.  Could support be added?  Mine should arrive within a few days.  I decided even if it doesn't work with MC, I can use it standalone for desktop usage.  It has two tuners and buying two standalone tuner cards wouldn't be much cheaper--and I've got many computer systems that would benefit from having television but tuner cards are a huge pain.  The network is rock solid, fast, and a must for internet, data, printers, etc.  TV should run over it too!
Title: Re: Support for HDHomeRun?
Post by: benn600 on March 01, 2009, 03:01:34 pm
SageTV supports this.  I know there was interest in learning what SageTV does that MC doesn't.  Here's something!

The list of supported software:
http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/instructions

The product:
http://www.silicondust.com/products/hdhomerun_atsc
Title: Re: Support for HDHomeRun?
Post by: benn600 on March 04, 2009, 04:15:12 pm
Without any concrete response, I still went for this product.  I received it today.  It shows up under tuners in MC and is currently running a scan.  I watched some TV in VLC and was definitely pleased.  I will keep working with it and see what the end result is.  So far it looks promising.  In VLC I was noticing some audio and video artifacting that I didn't like but hopefully they won't be present in MC.

Addition: If this does work as expected, it would solve my deleted TV channel problem because I could EASILY run a channel scan on the server since there is no hardware to install!  Television instantly becomes a network-wide resource!
Title: Re: Support for HDHomeRun?
Post by: benn600 on March 04, 2009, 05:43:26 pm
HDHomeRun works very well with Media Center.  I am currently viewing 720p live television video and it is completely smooth and crisp.  It looks spectacular and is ultra convenient.

The biggest hardware shortcoming seems to be that a tuner streaming, say, channel 9, cannot stream the same channel to a second user.  The simplest solution is to install additional tuners to give everyone who may want a tuner an availability.  I will set it up on other systems, especially some slower computers, and am interested to see how well it works on less powerful systems.
Title: Re: Support for HDHomeRun?
Post by: benn600 on March 04, 2009, 06:38:34 pm
When I start recording from HDHomeRun, the video stops and pauses.  Then it shows for a second or two.  Then, I see a light tan color screen and the recording directory has new files but they are less than 10 MB and do not grow.  If I stop the video and cancel the recording, it works again.