HdHomeRun - Our Answer to QAM?!

[Keenan]

Whoops, following too many threads/forums, sorry.

[Goodspike]

Okay, I've made great progress. I've bought the cables, splitter, hooked everything up, and have gotten it to actually work. But not reliably. Sage keeps crashing or stopping.

I think one problem is an unreliable direct network connection.

I'm using Tftpd32, but am unsure of the configuration settings. Was something supposed to appear automatically? I did an ipconfig /all to get some values, and did get it working, but again not reliably. I entered IP starting address and Mask values in Tftpd32.

Also, once you hit save with that program, does it ever need to run again (does it need to be added to startup), or is it all just registry entires?

I think the main problem is configuring Zonealarm to allow this new network to run. Any hints there?

[Keenan]

Originally Posted by Goodspike

Okay, I've made great progress. I've bought the cables, splitter, hooked everything up, and have gotten it to actually work. But not reliably. Sage keeps crashing or stopping.

I think one problem is an unreliable direct network connection.

I'm using Tftpd32, but am unsure of the configuration settings. Was something supposed to appear automatically? I did an ipconfig /all to get some values, and did get it working, but again not reliably.

Also, once you hit save with that program, does it ever need to run again (does it need to be added to startup), or is it all just registry entires?

I think the main problem is configuring Zonealarm to allow this new network to run. Any hints there?

Regarding your direct connection, see the following post,

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...402#post192402
HdHomeRun - Our Answer to QAM?! - Page 10 - SageTV Community

[Goodspike]

Now the network connection is working, but when I try to tune to a HDHR tuner, I get a message in Sage that no encoder can change the channel.

When it was working, there was something in the system tray that was part of HDHR, and that is gone now.

[Goodspike]

Thanks, I'd rebooted and forgot to add that.

I'm still having network issues. That tftpd32 program is a PITA if you don't know much about networking. I've tried following the instructions on the post mentioned immediately above, tried doing it like in their help file, etc.

Now it's showing connected all the time, and the repair goes quickly if you try that (before it would stick on refreshing IP address), but there is nothing coming in from the HDHR. Before it was just screaming downloading data when it was connected.

I may have to break down and just by a router.

[Polypro]

Pics:


P

[Goodspike]

Thanks. On your second page I was able to change some security settings, and restrict it just to the second card, but other than that it was correct.

I tried it both with the addresses I was using, and yours in case there was something magical about them. Still no go. Nothing ever in the log file.

Is there something in the network settings itself? Do I need anything other than TCP/IP installed? Authentication on or off? Does the address have to be at all related to the address used by the wireless network? Is rebooting after making the changes part of it?

[Goodspike]

Okay, I got it working with Magik instead. No idea what I did, because it took several attempts with Magik. I think the error I was making at first is Magik's help file was indicating you'd set the DNS server to your IP address. Clearing that seemed to work, but before it was showing connected, and the channel, and ZA was showing material being downloaded, but there was "no signal" and the HR manager wasnot showing any channel information besides the channel number.

But, I've been able to reboot, and all seems fine.

I have some questions, but I'll leave those for a separate post.

[Goodspike]

Okay, the questions:

1. I'm amazed that the channel lineups with QAM and OTA are integrated. How do you determine which tuner you're using. Right now it's using QAM rather than OTA. Can you specify a default tuner somehow?

2. Right now I'm using Sage without the service running. Does Sage need to be started (not just the service) for this thing to record? In other words, is it pointless to use the service? Not a big deal if it is, because service has been causing issues, but I'm just curious.

3. Re-reading the directions, I skipped the step about VLC. Is there any reason I need to go back and do that?

4. I can't get it to play the analog cable channels (e.g. channel 2). Is that not possible with this device? I've seen conflicting reports on that, but thought the weight was it could.

[Keenan]

Originally Posted by Goodspike

Okay, the questions:

1. I'm amazed that the channel lineups with QAM and OTA are integrated. How do you determine which tuner you're using. Right now it's using QAM rather than OTA. Can you specify a default tuner somehow?

Don't you have different channel numbers for the QAM cable and the ATSC OTA?

2. Right now I'm using Sage without the service running. Does Sage need to be started (not just the service) for this thing to record? In other words, is it pointless to use the service? Not a big deal if it is, because service has been causing issues, but I'm just curious.

I'm not sure what the deal is with Sage service, not sure if there's any advantage to running that way or not.

3. Re-reading the directions, I skipped the step about VLC. Is there any reason I need to go back and do that?

If you're getting all the channels you're supposed to, then no, there's no need to utilize VLC.

4. I can't get it to play the analog cable channels (e.g. channel 2). Is that not possible with this device? I've seen conflicting reports on that, but thought the weight was it could.

No analog tuner in the HDHR as far as I know.

[AndyS]

What kind of signal strength/quality and symbol quality are you guys seeing, and what are acceptable values?

I'm seeing 100% symbol quality on all QAM HD channels with varying levels of signal strength/quality. I'm getting bad playback stuttering/breakup on all HD channels and if I view the files offline using VLC or TheaterTek I see some of the breakup existing in the file. This could be caused by any number of things of course but I'm wondering if I have a good feed from my cable provider (analog is fine). I've tried with and without an amp but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Any thoughts guys?

Andy.

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by Keenan

Don't you have different channel numbers for the QAM cable and the ATSC OTA?

No analog tuner in the HDHR as far as I know.

I have different channel numbers in the setup, but in the program guide it's somehow integrated. Maybe the channel names match up?

As to analog, damn. I was telling the wife that this would be a way to once again record her HGTV crap. I'm not really big into that, but between her watching Access Hollywood, Oprah, etc., I'd rather have her watch HGTV!

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by AndyS

What kind of signal strength/quality and symbol quality are you guys seeing, and what are acceptable values?

I'm seeing 100% symbol quality on all QAM HD channels with varying levels of signal strength/quality. I'm getting bad playback stuttering/breakup on all HD channels and if I view the files offline using VLC or TheaterTek I see some of the breakup existing in the file. .

I'm new to this device, but on the channel I'm watching now, it's about 80%+ on strenth, signal qualty is about 90% and Symbol quality is 100%. Edit: I checked a second one and it was the same or better.

I have flipped through the channels, and haven't noticed any breakup.

[Muchacho]

Originally Posted by Goodspike

1. I'm amazed that the channel lineups with QAM and OTA are integrated. How do you determine which tuner you're using. Right now it's using QAM rather than OTA. Can you specify a default tuner somehow?

You can increase the encoder merit so that one is preferred over the other. That is what I did so that QAM channels are preferred over the OTA ones. Works well for me.

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by Muchacho

You can increase the encoder merit so that one is preferred over the other. That is what I did so that QAM channels are preferred over the OTA ones. Works well for me.

I'd heard that term ("encoder merit") thrown around, and looked for something in setup, but didn't find it anywhere. Rather obviously, I'm new to dual (or tripple) tuner in Sage. How do you do that?

[Muchacho]

Originally Posted by Goodspike

I'd heard that term ("encoder merit") thrown around, and looked for something in setup, but didn't find it anywhere. Rather obviously, I'm new to dual (or tripple) tuner in Sage. How do you do that?

Close sageTV completely, open the sage.properties and find the encoder_merit for the tuner, and then increase the number (0-9). The higher the number, the higher the merit. It will use the encoder with the highest merit, if all else is equal.

[Goodspike]

Originally Posted by Muchacho

Close sageTV completely, open the sage.properties and find the encoder_merit for the tuner, and then increase the number (0-9). The higher the number, the higher the merit. It will use the encoder with the highest merit, if all else is equal.

Thanks. I'm thinking I should set OTA as having the higher merit:

1. Because I know it works.

2. Because it doesn't go out. (And if it does, my higher priority program should record OTA.)

I'll be able to disconnect the splitter running to the Fusion card now, so the signal it gets should be stronger (hopefully that won't make any multipath issues worse!).

[Keenan]

Originally Posted by Goodspike

I have different channel numbers in the setup, but in the program guide it's somehow integrated. Maybe the channel names match up?

As to analog, damn. I was telling the wife that this would be a way to once again record her HGTV crap. I'm not really big into that, but between her watching Access Hollywood, Oprah, etc., I'd rather have her watch HGTV!

I don't have any OTA through the HDHR. I'm using both tuners for cable so there's only one listing for each channel. If I were to hook up the second tuner to OTA, then I'd imagine I'd have a listing something like the below.

KPIX-OTA_ch 5.1
KPIX-QAM-ch 67.3(cable guide ch 705)

I do have a second device, a Star Choice STB(R5000 modified) and the channel listing is integrated with the HDHR channel listing.

I've got a question now that you've brought this up. I'm assuming the HDHR doesn't do anything with the PSIP data being carried with the signal as far as channel number goes. In other words, with the QAM tuner in my display, I can get KPIX-cable feed-to reflect a channel number of 5(5.1) as the ATSC channel number is being sent with the signal. With the HDHR, I'm using the actual QAM RF channel number-67.3(remapped in Sage from the cable guide number of 705).

Is that what others are doing? Or are you getting the actual channel number that's associated with the station, such as ch 5 instead of 67.3?

For example,

OTA ch numbers:
KPIX-5.1
KNTV-11.1
etc..

QAM tuner in display(cable fed)
KPIX-5.1
KNTV-11.1
etc..

HDHR
KPIX-67.3(QAM-RF remapped from guide channel number 705)
KNTV-75.1(QAM-RF remapped from guide channel number 703)

Is there a way to get the Sage guide to display the actual channel number the station is identified by?

<edit> Are you saying that your cable channels have the same channel number as your OTA channels, and that the Sage guide reflects that?

[Keenan]

Originally Posted by Muchacho

Close sageTV completely, open the sage.properties and find the encoder_merit for the tuner, and then increase the number (0-9). The higher the number, the higher the merit. It will use the encoder with the highest merit, if all else is equal.

Is there any disadvantage to not setting this property if both tuners are being used with a cable feed?

[Goodspike]

Within SageTV I'm getting the OTA HD channel number (39 for what would be Channel 7 if it were SD), even though it's the QAM recording. The HDHR manager is reporting it as recording 86-2--the QAM assignment (within Comcast it would be 107).