HDHomeRun (HDHR) Prime + SageDCT

[jbuszkie]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

Maybe something is using the port tuner 0 is using.... you could change the port... in the properties file. and Sagedct

Ok. I think I tried this and it didn't seem to work.

I went to sageDCT config and under the tuners tab I changed tuner 0 to a different port.. I hit save (both of them) and restarted the service.

It still didn't work!

I can see the channel just fine with vlc through the SD config...

[sflamm]

double check to make sure the ports in SageDCT match the ones in the sage.properties file...

Did you make sure that using VLC you were testing each tuner separately? Launching it from the SD config will choose whatever tuner it wants...

[jbuszkie]

Originally Posted by sflamm

double check to make sure the ports in SageDCT match the ones in the sage.properties file...

I'm not using sage for these tests. This is all done through SAGEDCT and SD config

Did you make sure that using VLC you were testing each tuner separately? Launching it from the SD config will choose whatever tuner it wants...

Does it? I can pick the tuner in the tab??

How do I to tell VLC to use a specific tuner? I guess I'm missing that part.
I guess I don't know how to use VLC to get the tuner directly


Jim

[jbuszkie]

Actually.. Looking from the logs... SageDCT doesn't use the same ports that it tells sage to?? so changing the port in SageDCT will only effect Sage?

I can't get it to work from within sageDCT using the test tab!
(just for tuner0)

Jim

[sflamm]

Most likely that is because you need to 'configure credential'...

See #3 here:

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60791

[jbuszkie]

I upgraded to 2.72 (or whatever the latest is..)
And it seems to be working again!

Jim

[BigMac]

Been following this thread (off and on) since it started because I knew I would eventually be hit with Comcast's roll-out of encrypting everything. I was hoping to get some kind of notice (beforehand) so that I could get the right equipment.

Woke up Oct 1st to find (HDHR) tuner errors on SageTV before taking my daughter to school. No notice, no nothing from Comcast. I did a quick verification that all my QAM channels were gone. Went down to Comcast and while checking in I asked about CableCards. Was told they ran out the day before but they'd been restocked before they had opened and to wait for my name to be called.

1/2 hour later they called my name and I asked for two cablecards. Was told by that rep they were all out. I told that rep that I understood they had gotten more in before the office opened. The rep denied they had gotten any so I flagged the rep at the front door to explain. It seems that the rep at the door not only checked inventory but replenished each rep's stash of them in their own drawer.

Got home and ordered two HDHR3-CC from newegg with next business delivery. Then spent the day aligning my "emergency" RadioShack indoor antenna to get a decent OTA signal from my HDHR and set program priorities for the HDPVR and STB. AND of course trying to catch up on this thread.

Oct 3rd I connected everything, installed SageDCT 2.6.0 and then called Comcast. They were nice enough to circle a phone number on my receipt to activate my cablecards, wrong number. Those at the end of that number didn't have a clue about activating anything except a cablebox.

I then jumped on the Comcast forum and found a thread talking about cablecards and the HDHR3-CC. That thread had a phone number to call for cablecard activations.

I called, no wait, tried to go through the activation process but I couldn't answer the questions that rep asked me (not their fault). The rep tried to help by using the Windows Media Center script but I stopped her and said I'll call right back after I find out how to get the Host ID and Data ID. I found it and called right back. I brought up the cablecard status screen and went through the process. The rep asked if I was activating a Tivo or Media Center. I decided to tell her the truth, two HDHR3-CC. She then asked where/how did I located the Host ID and Data ID and how do I check if a channel is visible. I told her and I believe she was entering that info in to help the next person (with the same hardware).

Anyway, my cablecards showed activated within seconds and all the channels were downloaded within a minute or two. Total time on the phone with this rep, 8 minutes.

It behaved as expected until I found a number of channels viewable on VLC but not through SageTV. For those channels I just told SageTV to use the STB and HDPVR.

A couple of days later I found that there were different channels that VLC worked but SageTV wouldn't. That's when I read further in this thread and found the SageDCT VLC workaround.

I did find a couple of shows with the chipmunk voice but I think they recorded before the VLC workaround and may or may not have anything to do with the problem. For critical shows (like The Daily Show, South Park and Anthony Bourdain) I'll continue to record on both my Comcast DVR and SageTV via HDHR3-CC to see if I can "catch" the chipmunks again.

As a side note, I've eliminated my dual NIC setup in favor of a single Intel NIC and a switch at the SageTV server connected to my other switch that connects to all the other PCs and SageTV Clients.

OT: I'm still having a short pause when scrolling through a list of programs or schedule when it hits a program recording. This behavior is only seen on remote clients, not a client running on the server.


BigMac

[jbuszkie]

Yeah... Comcrap Did that to me a couple days ago! My HDHR is now useless!
I'm too far away for OTA! So my second Prime will arrive today. I already have the m-card in hand!
It would have been nice if they would have warned that they were cutting off the locals from clear QAM! Don't they have to provide the locals at least in clear QAM by law?

Jim

[mtenboer]

Big Mac - I am also in San Jose and had similar experience with channels not viewable. I am still running XP which might be part of the problem. DCT 2.7.2 got all channels working except for a few - Encore, AMC for example. Both are subscribed and unrestricted in HDHR Prime and viewable in VLC. Did all your channels become viewable using the VLC process in SageDCT? If so, can someone point me to the place that gives instructions? This thread is really deep to search through every instance of VLC.

[jbuszkie]

Originally Posted by mtenboer

Big Mac - I am also in San Jose and had similar experience with channels not viewable. I am still running XP which might be part of the problem. DCT 2.7.2 got all channels working except for a few - Encore, AMC for example. Both are subscribed and unrestricted in HDHR Prime and viewable in VLC. Did all your channels become viewable using the VLC process in SageDCT? If so, can someone point me to the place that gives instructions? This thread is really deep to search through every instance of VLC.

I also have trouble with Encore.. but it's flagged as copy once! So I wouldn't expect that to work?

[mtenboer]

I thought copy-once still allows it to be recorded and played as long as the file is recorded and played from the same drive.

[BigMac]

Originally Posted by jbuszkie

Yeah... Comcrap Did that to me a couple days ago! My HDHR is now useless!
I'm too far away for OTA! So my second Prime will arrive today. I already have the m-card in hand!
It would have been nice if they would have warned that they were cutting off the locals from clear QAM! Don't they have to provide the locals at least in clear QAM by law?

Jim

Not anymore.

BigMac

[BigMac]

Originally Posted by mtenboer

Big Mac - I am also in San Jose and had similar experience with channels not viewable. I am still running XP which might be part of the problem. DCT 2.7.2 got all channels working except for a few - Encore, AMC for example. Both are subscribed and unrestricted in HDHR Prime and viewable in VLC. Did all your channels become viewable using the VLC process in SageDCT? If so, can someone point me to the place that gives instructions? This thread is really deep to search through every instance of VLC.

All my channels are viewable except my premium channels, Encore, MGM and HBO. As I said in my earlier post, without the VLC option, my non-premium channels seem to change from viewable to non-viewable on a daily basis. As for SageDTC, I'm running 2.6.0. Everything's okay except a pausing issue while scrolling but that's for another thread.

As for my install/setup, I got it working but went back and did a clean Sage.properties and again added the stuff from SageDCT. There was a LOT of garbage in my properties file. I've used that same one since 2003. Lots of garbage from old analog tuners and such. From what I've read so far, SageDCT 2.7.2 maybe a little different in its solution for the VLC problem but this post talks about an XP installation.

My only issues, so far, are just waiting & catching the chipmunk sound issue, my pause during scrolling while recording (another thread) and a Comcast issue where they deliver TOONHD east coast schedule to Zap2it but broadcast TOONP (pacific). I called Comcast and their response was to go online to Comcast and check THEIR broadcast schedule. REALLY!!!


BigMac

[Tiki]

Originally Posted by mtenboer

I thought copy-once still allows it to be recorded and played as long as the file is recorded and played from the same drive.

Yes, that's right. But it also means that the system that decodes, records, stores, and plays back must use DRM to enforce that rule. The DRM scheme must be tested and certified by Cable Labs. Sage does not support DRM.

Windows Media Center is currently the only PC-based software solution that is certified by Cable Labs to handle recording and playback of Copy Once programming. I think TiVo is the only other solution (but it is "closed" piece of hardware).

[waynedunham]

A couple questions, one about ongoing EPG maintenance and the other about adding another Prime.

With the Prime, does it keep itself and SageTv up to date on any EPG changes? (moves, renames, added or deleted channels)? Or do I have to use the HDHR utils to request a lineup update? Do I have to do anything within SageTv?
The reason I ask this one is that I have had a couple channels coming up unable to tune in the last few weeks. Both of them are sub-channels of a local PBS station.

2nd question. I have just bought another Prime for one of my machines and want to add it in. Now can I add it in without futzing with the Prime settings in sage.properties for the existing tuner, or do I have to redo them all at once?

[ace007]

So I came home from work today and I obviously missed the flyer was Comcast that they were about to give Denver the shaft because all channels are encrypted now. So I'm down to one analog tuner running through one of their DTAs.

I tried doing a OTA antenna once but was not getting very cool signal strengths. Possibly because of the big highway wall between me and the mountain where they have most of the antennas so I guess I may look at going the cable card route. I start reading through the forums again but I thought I'd ask the question.

Which do you think is the best cable card solution people have gotten to work with Sage. I know its not supported but thanks to Google the whole thing is not officially supported anymore except for the excellent peer support here.

Thanks

Rob

[sflamm]

HDHR Prime

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by waynedunham

With the Prime, does it keep itself and SageTv up to date on any EPG changes? (moves, renames, added or deleted channels)? Or do I have to use the HDHR utils to request a lineup update? Do I have to do anything within SageTv?

SageTV will add channels to the EPG as your lineup changes (assuming that the data is correctly represented in the source). You shouldn't have to do anything there.

The Prime should update itself automatically, but you may need to scan for channels if you get a tuning failure.

[jbuszkie]

Originally Posted by waynedunham

2nd question. I have just bought another Prime for one of my machines and want to add it in. Now can I add it in without futzing with the Prime settings in sage.properties for the existing tuner, or do I have to redo them all at once?

I think you have to make sure the port numbers are all different.
I assume Sage DCT will add new ports when it sees the new tuner.. but it's something to check quickly

Comcrap must be doing this all over the country now! It happened to me about 10 days ago!

[ace007]

I tried downloading it from babgvant's site but even after creating it a logon it told me I did not have permission to download it.

I ordered the Prime from Amazon with next day shipping so it should get here tomorrow and I'll go get a Cablecard from Comcast on Friday and try to get it working before the weekend and the Denver Broncos game.