HdHomeRun - Our Answer to QAM?!

[Keenan]

I just hooked one of these up but I can't get passed the following line in the instructions posted at SiliconDust,

In step 2 it says,

When the firmware upgrade is complete, wait 20 seconds for the HDHomeRun to reboot and click "Rescan".

Nothing happens when I hit "Rescan", then I go to step 3 and try the following and again nothing happens,

Use the CLI version of hdhomerun config to run a channel scan.

Open a cmd prompt (Start, Run, "cmd") and run:
C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\hdhomerun_config FFFFFFFF scan 0 qam:1

I get a Windows popup saying can't find or run the file even though I directed right to the command in the SageTV directory, although it does not appear the same. I tried removing the ".exe" and adding the "FFFFFFFF scan 0 qam:1", and tried it as it appears in the SageTV directory...and tried it by typing in the command directly as it appears in the instruvtions...nothing happens..

I have followed the previous instructions to a tee, but that's as far as I get, cables are connected, power, it reflects showing the latest firmware, Sage is closed/not running...

FW is 20061127 and the green light is lit on the box.

[AndyS]

Originally Posted by Keenan

Open a cmd prompt (Start, Run, "cmd") and run:
C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\hdhomerun_config FFFFFFFF scan 0 qam:1

Try this:
Start, Run, "cmd"
cd \progra~1\SageTV\SageTV
hdhomerun_config FFFFFFFF scan 0 qam:1


That might do the trick.

Andy.

[thomaszoo]

Maybe I just haven't waited long enough, but the HDHR has never automatically rebooted itself. I always have had to power-cycle it after updating the firmware. I too had trouble with the CLI version; never did get it to work. Other than the above, the HDHR has been a first-rate product for me. I have already set the encoder merit on it to the highest level so that my HD recordings are done through it. I may end up removing one of the HD cards in the PC!

[Kimper]

You have a power light and ethernet light both, right?

If so, forget about the cli thing.
Just download and install VLC, then download and run hdhomerun_config.exe.

Do not open VLC. Run hdhomerun_config.exe. Configure the correct tuner for qam256 in the drop down box (or ota if going that route).

Hit scan. Hdhomerun_config.exe will stop once it hits a channel with signal. Hit launch VLC. You probably won't have a picture at this point unless you are lucky and the first one you scan is unencrypted. Confirm that subchannels are present (picture or no picture present) in VLC by hitting Navigation in VLC and seeing several little numbers in there. Now if you do not have a picture time for the work. Manually click through all the digital channels with signal. Once you hit an unencrypted one a picture and audio will pop up in VLC.

Hit navigation and write down channel-subchannel and what network it is.

Go back into sage and follow posted instruction for mapping physical channel there in Sage so EPG and all lines up correctly.

Good luck

[Keenan]

Got it working, thanks.

Have another question though. I also have a R5000 equipped Star Choice sat STB running with Sage. When I click Watch Live TV all I get is the channels for Star Choice.

How do I access the cable channels from the HDHomerun? Both tuners have been added as video sources/encoders etc. and the channels have been selected, but I don't see any way to view them.

Nevermind, forgot to actually add to the channel guide lineup.

This whole process was actually fairly easy once I got past the initial CLI/command line setup part.

[Polypro]

For using the CLI version...Microsoft has a PowerToy called something like "Open Command Window Here". You right-click on a folder containing the CLI program you want to run and hit that, then type or copy/paste:

hdhomerun_config.exe" FFFFFFFF scan 0 qam:1

DOS syntax always get's me...this fixes that

P

[MeInMaui]

Hi guys,

I'm thinking about picking up one of these. I don't have any ATSC tuners at the moment, so I have to ask a really stupid question. Are ATSC tuners (and the HDHR in particular) able to receive SD digital broadcasts as well? Thanks.

Aloha,
Mike

[thomaszoo]

The short answer is yes. An ATSC tuner is a digital tuner. It will not receive any of the analog stations (which someday won't be an issue).

[Keenan]

Just to be sure I'm not missing something, there is currently no guide/program info available for this unit? Yes? No? Or is there another step I need to do? I have the channel mapping done, but no program info.

[Polypro]

Yes, guide data is available from Sage. If you're using OTA, when you add each HDHR tuner, set it up as Digital Tuner/Antenna-OTA/Zip Code/HDTV Market/Don't Scan For Channels/Disable All Channels/Done Then go back into the channel line-up after you've scanned for the channels (with either the command line or GUI HDHR config) and gotten the actual number...and re-map and activate them.
For QAM it's basically the same, but you choose Cable instead of Antenna, and the Digital Cable lineup for your area...as opposed to the Basic Cable line-up you'd use for analog tuners. My syntax may be off as I'm at work.

P

Edit: If you've done all that...I don't know. Can you try to force an EPG update by cycling off/on a channel in your analog guide?

[MTuckman]

My HDHR arrived yesterday afternoon, and I was able to view QAM channels including HD channels within 5 minutes of having it plugged into the coax and network It even picked up more channels than my HDTV digital tuner, and I yanked out my PVR-150 so I went from 3 tuners to 4 with this install.

Now... It took a lot longer to get it running from my Sage server, but that was only because I had a lot of trouble getting the .NET 2.0 fix installed - nothing related to the HDHR. I hate Windows!!!

Getting it configured within Sage could not have been easier. I followed the directions on the Silicondust forum, and it was up and running.

But... It looks like my server is not powerful enough to both record and display the HD programs. I ended up moving the HDHR encoder to a spare laptop that I had lying around, and having it write out to the server drives. It's better, but still not that great.

Part of the problem is the server started to act up over the weekend, and after a lot of diagnosis, it looked like the memory card (1GB) was going bad. Replaced the card with two 256MB cards and one 128MB card(it's all I had on hand) and the server was up and running. Since then the performance of the server in general was down, and now it is just barely keeping up. A lot of jerking, stuttering, etc.

Well, off to pick up some more memory, bring it back up to at least 1GB, and see if that resolves some of the issues. I would like to get the HDHR encoder back on the server and off of the laptop, but we will see.

This is one of those products that you cannot believe how good it is until after you try it yourself - installed beautifully, worked as promised, too simple to imagine!

If you have QAM or OTA, you need to get this! I asked for another one for my birthday or Xmas, once that is done I will switch back to the PVR-150 and ditch the PVR-500!!!!

Originally Posted by MeInMaui

Are ATSC tuners (and the HDHR in particular) able to receive SD digital broadcasts as well?

Mike: I am pretty lucky in that my local Comcast is broadcasting what looks like a good portion of their lineup unencrypted, so most of the channels I was receiving are coming in digitally and clearer using the HDHR. YMMV though...

P.S.: I am cleaning up the channel mapping I did, and will post it in the other thread for anyone else in Northeast Florida.

[salsbst]

The thing that keeps surprising me is that people actually want 2 of these (for a total of 4 tuners). Do you get so many channels via QAM or OTA that you actually have more than 2 digital airings to record at a time?

[ToxMox]

Most of my favorites are on the major networks ie: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW
and often there are 3-5 shows on at the same time that I watch and I'd rather have the HD versions of them so 4 tuners for me. Will probably get a 3rd HDHR eventually.

[bhyman1]

Are you guys doing the channel remapping within Sage? Or do you have to edit a config file somewhere by hand?

Mine arrives today!

[ToxMox]

Originally Posted by bhyman1

Are you guys doing the channel remapping within Sage? Or do you have to edit a config file somewhere by hand?

Mine arrives today!

In Sage.

[bhyman1]

Sweet. Thanks!

[eMajor]

I received my HDHomeRun yesterday. Setup was a breeze and I'm really happy with how well its working with Sage.

Is anyone using ShowAnalyzer to detect commercials in QAM HD recordings? I'm having a problem where it seems to be leaking memory. Its using upwards in 1GB within the first 20 seconds of scanning which is bringing my PC to its knees. I've had to turn it off (via DirMon) which means no SD shows are being scanned either.

[ToxMox]

There is a property in Sage (can't think of it right now) that you can set so that TS streams are saved as .TS files instead of .MPG and that will solve your problem of no SD shows getting scanned.

[Keenan]

Originally Posted by Polypro

Yes, guide data is available from Sage. If you're using OTA, when you add each HDHR tuner, set it up as Digital Tuner/Antenna-OTA/Zip Code/HDTV Market/Don't Scan For Channels/Disable All Channels/Done Then go back into the channel line-up after you've scanned for the channels (with either the command line or GUI HDHR config) and gotten the actual number...and re-map and activate them.
For QAM it's basically the same, but you choose Cable instead of Antenna, and the Digital Cable lineup for your area...as opposed to the Basic Cable line-up you'd use for analog tuners. My syntax may be off as I'm at work.

P

Edit: If you've done all that...I don't know. Can you try to force an EPG update by cycling off/on a channel in your analog guide?

Got the guide data finally, not sure what I was doing wrong but it's there now and everything seems to be working good.

Had some instances of the image freezing and locking up Sage which took a reboot of the system to clear, but it's only happened a few times, otherwise the unit appears to be operating as it should.

Given the differences in cable systems around the country this unit is quite an accomplish, and for the price, I don't think there is any 2 tuner card setup that could compete with the HDHomeRun.

Are there any simple setup instructions for connecting the unit directly to the PC instead of going through a hub/router? With my setup the unit is connected by 100' of e-net cable to the hub and the PC is connected by another 100', so the signal has to go about 200' from the HDHomeRun to the Sage PC. Which shouldn't be a problem as far as I know, but we are talking about two 38mbps streams on the connection. It seems a direct connection might help eliminate any possible latency problems, if they are in fact an issue, I'm not that familiar with when one might see bandwidth/distance issues with a home network.

[eMajor]

Thanks ToxMox, I tracked it down (encode_digital_tv_as_program_stream=false). That did the trick! Now I wonder if ShowAnalyzer will have better luck with the .TS extension, though I'm doubting this will change anything. At least I can turn DirMon back on.