HDHomeRun DVR Kickstarter

[reluctantflux]

Just wanted to put this out there.  This would be a fantastic match with Unraid.  I don't think any work would need to be done from Lime Tech, as they're going to release Linux version of the software, so I imagine a docker will get released pretty quickly once released.

 

 

Just want to get the word out so people can contribute.

 

I'm not affiliated with Silicondust.  I just love their products and find it relevant to other users that enjoy their Unraid.

[StevenD]

No, thanks! They never delivered the HDHR4-CC. Never gave an explination. They cannot be trusted anymore.  Nor am i paying a subscription service for OTA.

[blontic]

I agree the $30US a year seems a bit steep for OTA. Considering I still have to pay a premium to get a HDHomerun.

[blontic]

But if it has amazing integration with kodi I will probably get one and pay

[BRiT]

Yearly subscription is a non-starter.

 

They also don't indicate how they plan to deal with the required DRM PlayReady CableLabs restrictions for US-based CableCard channels.

[sgibbers17]

I'm confused, what's the subscription even for?  I pay them $30 per year to use their tuner software?  There is at least 5 free programs out there that will do the same thing that they want $30 a year for.  Even windows 8 mce is cheaper at a flat $20 all of witch work with kodi.

[Brian B.]

I think commercial software can't just tell you to go pirate a feed from <redacted> tv listing provider. So they have to pay $1 or 2 a month per subscriber, and they mark it up and sell it off as a yearly subscription. This appears to be how EyeTV (which is what I use) works. Some commercial software allows you to bring your own guide data in via XML, in which case, you can do what you want without them encouraging you to pirate guide data. I'm quasi interested in this, as certain things EyeTV does really annoy me; but EyeTV's very easy way to edit out commercials is a compelling feature I don't see in Silicon Dust's feature set.

[StevenD]

It also reeks of desperation that an established company like SiliconDust does a KickStarter.  I bet they have no idea how this will be received, so this is the how they are figuring it out.

[BRiT]

I was hoping this announcement project would have included some NEW hardware, such as a hdhr-6cc transcoder unit would have been nice. I dont need DVR software, mediacenter and media center server already has that covered.

 

I too was waiting for their 4 stream cablecard transcoder unit just to be disappointed years ago. Hardware is a lot more interesting and useful.

[GreggP]

Wow, so much negativity. I'm a happy hdhomerun prime owner and would be willing to pay $30/year if this works as well as Windows Media Center. Since Microsoft disbanded their WMC team years ago, I worry that it will no longer be supported. Maybe this will be a replacement. I too would like this to work on my unRaid server.

 

I also don't think some of you understand how this works. I have a cable TV subscription with Charter. Most of the channels are encrypted. My HDHomeRun Prime connects to my Charter cable and because it is CableCard tuner, I can view the encrypted channels without the Charter set top box. The HDHomeRun is also connected to my home network, so any PC on the network can be used to watch cable TV. Using Windows Media Center, I can view and record anything I get from my Charter subscription. At this time you can't do this with any other software. If Microsoft stops supporting WMC, I think people like me will be screwed. If you know of another program with the ability to watch and record (also, schedule recordings in the future) encrypted channels, let me know.

[RyC]

The problem is not encrypted channels, it's channels marked copy-once, like HBO and other movie channels for example. Kodi+ServerWMC and other programs can already tune to encrypted channels using the Prime as long as they're marked copy-free. WMC is the only program that can record copy-once content. SD is trying to get the licenses so the HDHR DVR can also record copy-once content, we'll see if they succeed

 

[GreggP]

The problem is not encrypted channels, it's channels marked copy-once, like HBO and other movie channels for example. Kodi+ServerWMC and other programs can already tune to encrypted channels using the Prime as long as they're marked copy-free. WMC is the only program that can record copy-once content. SD is trying to get the licenses so the HDHR DVR can also record copy-once content, we'll see if they succeed

 

I don't subscribe to any of the premium movie channels, so I probably don't have to worry about copy-once channels. I assume you need WMC for the Kodi+ServerWMC to work, right? I'm satisfied with the WMC UI, so I haven't tried Kodi.

 

I'm trying to figure out how I can play and record encrypted channels with a nice EPG and UI, like WMC's, without WMC.

 

[RyC]

 

The problem is not encrypted channels, it's channels marked copy-once, like HBO and other movie channels for example. Kodi+ServerWMC and other programs can already tune to encrypted channels using the Prime as long as they're marked copy-free. WMC is the only program that can record copy-once content. SD is trying to get the licenses so the HDHR DVR can also record copy-once content, we'll see if they succeed

 

I don't subscribe to any of the premium movie channels, so I probably don't have to worry about copy-once channels. I assume you need WMC for the Kodi+ServerWMC to work, right? I'm satisfied with the WMC UI, so I haven't tried Kodi.

 

I'm trying to figure out how I can play and record encrypted channels with a nice EPG and UI, like WMC's, without WMC.

 

Yeah Charter is pretty leniant with marking. MythTV might work too. But the point is there already exist programs other than WMC that more or less replicate WMC for copy-free content. SD wants to create a true WMC replacement for all content

[keland44]

I'm stuck with time Warner, they mark everything except ota channels as copy once. I invested my 60 I don't understand the 30 buck yearly. I've been rooting for them to go for unraid but like the original post mentioned they will be doing a Linux version of the server. Will be nice to have the dvr run off my unraid box and I can dump Windows Media Center and Xbox 360 as extenders. It's a decent setup but what SiliconDust is trying to is streamline things it seems like. Going after the licenses I think will help them move up to helping provide us better hardware. Plus this might  get them some of ceton users at least on the software side. Have three primes works pretty good so far. Based on the demo the dvr software is better much ready to go from the Windows side.

[BRiT]

The $30 yearly is for electronic program guide data. SD will have integrated program guide and they have to pay for it from a provider. So you pay SD $30 a year, they take their profit from that and maybe pass on the actual cost of $10 a year per subscriber for EPG to the provider. The reason people balk at the subscription price is there are some free EPG providers out there.

[BRiT]

Also, with what SD has said in the past and failed to deliver on, I will wait until they actually deliver before investing any money on them. The major deciding point is if and how they actually handle the CopyOnce content. I'm expecting utter disappointment on that front.

 

[StevenD]

Also, with what SD has said in the past and failed to deliver on, I will wait until they actually deliver before investing any money on them. The major deciding point is if and how they actually handle the CopyOnce content. I'm expecting utter disappointment on that front.

 

 

This! Exactly!

[interwebtech]

My Channel Master DVR+ (ota only) has no fees for the guide. Just requires an internet connection. Have to disconnect the external HDD and use windoze prog to copy the recording tho.

[GreggP]

My Channel Master DVR+ (ota only) has no fees for the guide. Just requires an internet connection. Have to disconnect the external HDD and use windoze prog to copy the recording tho.

 

Currently, we don't pay anything for the EPG that we get with WMC and with my equipment (SD HDHomeRun Prime) I can watch and record encrypted cable channels with every PC on my network. So, what's your point? As far as I know, WMC is the best solution for watching and recording encrypted cable TV with a PC. Eventually Microsoft will stop supporting it. I'm willing to pay $30/year for a good replacement.

[brimnac]

I'd be a little more trusting. I'm not going to back them, necessarily, but kodi.tv just did an update today mentioning one of their team members is working on this with the SD guys. I have more good faith in the Kodi people than bad-vibes from Silicon Dust (and the current integration of Silicon Dust's software into Kodi is awesome for anyone that hasn't tried it yet).

 

TL;DR: I'll wait and be cautiously optimistic. If it comes out, I can spare $30 a year. Cheaper than TiVo.

[garycase]

A few thoughts ...

 

Note one of the remaining "to do's" in the recording area is "... In particular recording protected content and preventing duplicates from recording."

 

Clearly they haven't yet resolved just how to do this.

 

Another thing to consider:  Copy Once media doesn't just apply to premium content.  There are two aspects to this:  the content provider tells the distributor (e.g. your cable company or satellite provider) how a specific show must be marked;  but the distributor can be more restrictive if they choose ==> as another post earlier noted, Time Warner simply marks everything as "copy once" ... even otherwise non-protected content.

 

The implication of this is that it can be recorded; but you can't then copy it to or view it on another system.

 

Note that Windows Media Center works very nicely (as already noted) ... and the tuner restrictions on it (4 tuners) can easily be removed with an inexpensive 3rd party product (Tuner Salad).      My main frustration with WMC is that a PC can't be an extender ==> i.e. if you record protected content on a one PC, you can't watch it on another one ... you have to use a Media Center Extender (e.g. X-Box).    You can watch any non-protected content with no problem on any other PC.  [Note, by the way, that this restriction is on the SYSTEM -- not the physical disk.  You can copy the content to another disk; to a NAS; etc. ... but it will only play on the system that recorded it -- or a valid WMC Extender that's registered to that system.]

 

It'll be interesting to see how SD resolves the copy once content issue => if they treat all viewing devices as extenders and simply don't allow the actual content to be copied (which I'd think would meet the requirements of the providers), then they'll have a real winner.

 

As for the $30/year subscription fee ... if this works anywhere nearly as "slick" as HD is implying it will, a $2.50/month cost is clearly not an issue !!

 

[garycase]

... By the way, for those using WMC, note that Windows 10 is apparently NOT going to support this anymore.

 

Personally, I've left my HTPC's all on Windows 7, as that allows the use of 3rd party extenders (e.g. Ceton) which DO NOT work on Windows 8.  But anyone using WMC on either '7 or '8 needs to know this, so they don't "upgrade" to 10 and suddenly discover they've lost WMC 

 

I assume this won't be an issue with KickStarter -- but only time will tell.

 

[BRiT]

One more piece of information that I'll have to wait on is seeing how it integrates with existing Ceton Tuner devices. The Ceton tuners automatically expand the "tuner restriction" of Windows Media Center to allow for more, so no need to pickup Tuner-Salad there.

 

It all comes down to how they handle the copy-once items.

 

I can live with the $30 a year subscription cost if it's more flexible with other PCs acting as 'extenders'.

 

I hope the UI / Software look-n-feel can be tuned so I'm not as concerned with the distinct PC flavor to it instead of a nice 10-Foot UI. I'm talking about the 'Search' screen and the 'Recording Listings'. It's entirely unworkable since they have entirely way too small of text and try to cram too much information on that screen. If they can provide for a flexible engine then I know the community will provide the UI customizations or other front-ends to it.

[garycase]

One more piece of information that I'll have to wait on is seeing how it integrates with existing Ceton Tuner devices. The Ceton tuners automatically expand the "tuner restriction" of Windows Media Center to allow for more, so no need to pickup Tuner-Salad there.

 

Agree -- it would certainly be nice if this works with the Ceton infiniTV6 card  [6 tuner cable card PCIe card]

 

Yes, I know that Ceton includes a utility to increase the tuner count.  But I already have Tuner Salad so I can use all of my Hauppauge tuners (8 tuners).    Note that it's only $3.40 anyway ... and expands the tuner limit to 32 tuners