Just bought an HD Homerun Network Tuner - Is WMC still the only choice for software?

NoxTek

NoxTek

The Geek Redneck
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So we bought ourselves an HD Homerun network tuner to pull in OTA HD channels here at the casa to ease some of the burden on our Dish Network DVR. I've had zero experience with these tuners, but when I checked into them about a year or two ago I remember that Windows Media Center was the only choice for software to schedule recordings, view the EPG, etc.

Is this still the case or are there any third party solutions to getting full functionality out of the HD Homerun without using Windows Media Center?

Something that integrates with XBMC would be fantastic... any ideas? :)
 
I've had the HD HomeRun Dual for over a year. It works with with XMBC, Sage TV, Beyond TV and several other non-WMC applications.
 
SageTV is dead, and XBMC is going to use something else for it's PVR backend.

Check out the latest beta of XBMC, it'll tell you what you need for the PVR portion. Looks pretty straightforward to me.
 
As far as I know you can use other backends (MythTV, MediaPortal, etc.) with software like XBMC, but you still need to use WMC to watch/record encrypted channels if using a CableCard. Is this still the case?
 
Look at the TV guide plugin for XBMC... It will load an EPG and allow you to link a STRM file to it. Won't do any recording though.

I tried the PVR support with media portal as the back end. It sucked balls and would never work. I might give it another go sometime.
 
Wmc is not the only choice. It is just the only choice that does not require hours and hours of research and system building to make work.
 
I can tune to my PRIME with XBMC, using STRM files. I have to say though that the video quality is subpar in the player for TV. Not sure why, but scrolling text like news captions do not look properly rendered and get horizontal lines. Any other player is fine. I went back to WMC for that reason.

Anyhow, with XBMC you have lots of options, especially for an OTA tuner.
 
bAMtan2 said:
Wmc is not the only choice. It is just the only choice that does not require hours and hours of research and system building to make work.
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It's the only choice if you have encrypted channels from your provider. Which TWC is well known to offer only. Comcast offers everything in the clear however and it would work with non-WMC.

Albeit as you said, it would not be anywhere near as easy, especially with the lack of an already paid for EPG that WMC contains. Of course, at the same time, you could get it to work with XBMX rather than just Xbox 360s and other Media Center Extenders.
 
Pinski said:
It's the only choice if you have encrypted channels from your provider. Which TWC is well known to offer only. Comcast offers everything in the clear however and it would work with non-WMC.

Albeit as you said, it would not be anywhere near as easy, especially with the lack of an already paid for EPG that WMC contains. Of course, at the same time, you could get it to work with XBMX rather than just Xbox 360s and other Media Center Extenders.
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I don't think its encrypted vs. non-encrypted. I wouldn't need a M-Card from Comcast for my HD Homerun if it was.

Its whether its flagged 'copy once' or not, I believe.
 
jpm100 said:
I don't think its encrypted vs. non-encrypted. I wouldn't need a M-Card from Comcast for my HD Homerun if it was.

Its whether its flagged 'copy once' or not, I believe.
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The CCI is the encryption information. Because it's Copy Once, that means it can only be stored in an encrypted format. Whether it comes to your cablecard encrypted or not doesn't really matter so much, but whether the cablecard can tell the tuner whether to store it encrypted or not. That's the encryption that actually matters.
 
Silicondust just announced that DLNA devices will be able to access HDHomerun tuners.

Silicondust USA, Inc. announces HDHomeRun DLNA Live TV Digital Media Server (DMS)

Project:Connect , Phase 1 – Access

Pleasanton, CA – December 4, 2012 - Silicondust USA, Inc., innovators of the HDHomeRun® network attached TV tuners, today announced the first DLNA Certified® live TV Digital Media Server (DMS). As phase one of Project:Connect, SiliconDust’s live TV DMS brings premium cable TV to DLNA Certified® and UPnP devices in the home.

“HDHomeRun Project:Connect targets live TV access on every screen in the home,” said Theodore Head, President and CEO of Silicondust USA. “Our interoperability roadmap includes leading Smart TV's, Network Connected Media Devices, Game Consoles, Smart Phones, and Tablets including iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile.”

The phase 1 release will be available to new and existing HDHomeRun® Prime customers later this month via the HDHomeRun website. After installing the upgrade owners can browse the channel list and play live TV on MPEG2-capable Digital Media Player (DMP) and Digital Media Renderer (DMR) devices. Protected channels are supported on DTCP-IP capable devices such as the Sony Play Station 3.

“We are heading into an exciting TV technology year which will see TV access on a wide range of screens and form-factors” said Nick Kelsey, CTO of Silicondust USA Inc. “We are expanding our product line and will be announcing a number of live TV apps at CES”.

New and existing HDHomeRun® Prime users can sign up for announcement information: http://www.silicondust.com/ext/mailinglist . Customers can submit feedback and connect with the HDHomeRun® community via the Project:Connect forum: http://www.silicondust.com/ext/forum ; on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hdhomerun ; or via Twitter: https://twitter.com/HDHomeRun_US .

About Silicondust USA, Inc.

Silicondust USA, Inc. is a San Francisco Bay Area based technology company that develops computer network attached digital TV devices for consumer and commercial solutions. With detailed knowledge of network platforms and extensive hardware and software engineering, Silicondust continues to introduce revolutionary designs that enable TV viewing from all displays on a home or office network. Silicondust works with OEM companies to integrate IP into custom solutions. For more information about Silicondust USA, Inc and HDHomeRun® products and solutions visit www.hdhomerun.com.

About DLNA
Members of Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) share a vision of an interoperable network of personal computers (PC), consumer electronics (CE), mobile devices and service providers in and beyond the home, enabling a seamless environment for sharing and growing new digital media and content services. Founded in 2003, the group established and maintains a platform of interoperability based on open and established industry standards that, when used by manufacturers will support the sharing of media through wired or wireless networks. More than 200 multi-industry companies from around the world have joined DLNA, committing the time and resources necessary to achieve their vision. DLNA's Promoter Members include: ACCESS, AT&T, AwoX, Broadcom, CableLabs, Cisco, Comcast, DIRECTV, DTS, Dolby Laboratories, Ericsson, HP, Huawei, Intel, LG, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Panasonic, PROMISE Technology, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Technicolor and Verizon. Additional information about the Alliance, its participating companies and membership benefits is available at www.dlna.org.
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Thanks for all the replies guys, but to be clear I'm looking for alternatives that will allow for DVR functionality using the HD Homerun, not just the ability to access the tuner and watch live TV. I'm fully aware that there are a lot of applications out there now that allow you to simply watch live video from the networked tuner.

Nonetheless I really appreciate all of the replies and information. :)
 
Blue Falcon said:
Thanks for all the replies guys, but to be clear I'm looking for alternatives that will allow for DVR functionality using the HD Homerun, not just the ability to access the tuner and watch live TV. I'm fully aware that there are a lot of applications out there now that allow you to simply watch live video from the networked tuner.

Nonetheless I really appreciate all of the replies and information. :)
Click to expand...

PVR = DVR

http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=PVR
 
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