Silicon Dust HD Homerun

[olyteddy]

Anyone using one? If so, what app are you recording with? I have one I'm about to RMA because it's a PITA to set up. $130 (US) for a tuner without software??? What a POS... I think I'll get a Hauppauge 1950 instead.

[redwudz]

I've used one for a couple of years with no problems. You can use Windows Media Center with it in Vista or W7 for viewing. Or several add on programs can be used. I don't record with it, so not much help there, though MCE seems to work fine for recording. I just use it to view local HDTV OTA broadcasts over my LAN from any connected computer. They also have a ~$80US version with just a single tuner.

I think it was more designed as a HDTV distribution system than a recording setup.

If you're primarily interested in recording HDTV, the Hauppauge cards may be a better choice.

[usually_quiet]

I don't have one but it is supposed to be compatible with all these:
- Windows Media Center: MCE 2005 / Vista WMC (32/64-bit) / Windows 7 (32/64-bit)
- Elgato EyeTV - DVR for Mac
- MythTV - DVR for Linux
- SnapStream BeyondTV - DVR for Windows
- SageTV - DVR for Windows/Linux/Mac
- MediaPortal - DVR for Windows
- GB-PVR - DVR for Windows

MediaPortal and GB-PVR are free although they are a bit of a pain to set up. Windows 7's Media Center was easy with an antenna. Nothing is easy to set up for QAM, and only a 20+ QAM channels are likely to be present anyway. (...or none in Canada)

You probably already know this, but just in case you don't and you intend to use it for analog cable , the HD Homerun is only for ATSC or QAM. There's no analog tuner'

Most of the time people complain about the software that came with their TV tuner card and opt to use one of the above anyway.

[olyteddy]

Yeah, I know it's clear QAM only, but here in Olympia we get the Seattle stations in HD and the rest of the lowest tier (what we buy) in SD digital. I'm aware that the HDHR works with a variety of media center apps, but they're mostly bloated and overkill. I want a simple recorder that can use TitanTV for scheduling. My HDTV already has a tuner, so using it to just watch TV is useless to me and I do my streaming video from Chrome tabs and MPCHC for recorded files so I don't need a bulky 'media center. The Hauppauge is looking better to me...

[usually_quiet]

If you used cable box line-outs to feed the HVR 1950, and set up the IR blaster to change channels on the cable box, it would greatly simplify things for you. Hopefully WinTV7 supports this option.

QAM set up can't be automated like set-up for over-the-air or analog cable. Since TitanTV's guide uses your provider's cable box channel numbers, and the QAM channel numbers are entirely different, and somewhat unpredictable, QAM set-up is not going to be a simple process. Regardless of the PC tuner or PVR software you pick, it will necessary to scan for the clear QAM channels, maybe more than once, and possibly add some manually, then map them all to the program guide by hand.

Another matter to consider: If you have much more than the digital equivalent of basic cable in clear QAM, and your provider has switched to a mostly digital system, it probably won't last.

For about 6 months nearly everthing in in my lower-tier SD Comcast package was available in clear QAM, but a month ago they encrypted every digital channel that is not also provided in their analog basic cable package, except the TV Guide Channel and their own informational channels.

Comcast stated in one of the FAQs at the website that they do this after the local transition period for digital conversion ends, so I knew it was coming and planned accordingly. I bought a card that has S-Video and audio inputs.