Interest in HDHomeRun Prime Network Encoder

[jvl711]

Hi,

I was having some issue with SageDCT, so I decided to make my own Network Encoder for the HDHomeRun Prime. I was wondering if there is interest out there for another option to SageDCT. Let me know if there is and I will package up a beta version of what I have and release if for other people to try.

The encoder was written in Java 1.7, and only requires HDHomeRun_config.exe and ffmpeg.exe. I think it should be able to be used on Windows, Linux and Mac. I am currently using it in Windows Server 2003.

Thanks,
Josh

[nyplayer]

I am interested.

[mechling-burgh]

I would be interested also. home much drag does it put on the cpu my server is only a core duo.

[valnar]

I've never used SageDCT but I'd be interested. I was going to pick up a Prime shortly in hopes that the continued efforts of Sage will use it.

[FriscoJohn]

I'm interested. Appreciate your willingness to share!

[Tiki]

Originally Posted by jvl711

Hi,

I was having some issue with SageDCT, so I decided to make my own Network Encoder for the HDHomeRun Prime. I was wondering if there is interest out there for another option to SageDCT. Let me know if there is and I will package up a beta version of what I have and release if for other people to try.

The encoder was written in Java 1.7, and only requires HDHomeRun_config.exe and ffmpeg.exe. I think it should be able to be used on Windows, Linux and Mac. I am currently using it in Windows Server 2003.

Thanks,
Josh

I'm curious about what issues you had with SageDCT that you were able to address with your version. Having more than one option is great, just wondering why I might want to switch.

[jarredduq]

Will it work with a Ceton tuner as well?

[jvl711]

How much overhead does it take?
I have seen very liitle cpu usage from the application. It utilizes ffmpeg to connect to the HDHomeRun prime and save the stream to a file. ffmpeg on my server has used less that 1% cpu with low memory overhead.


What issues have I had with SageDCT that caused me to write a new Network Encoder?
I have had a few issues with SageDCT that I was not able to resolve. Most noteably I have had to run SageDCT on a seperate box than my server since it requires upnp services, and the windows firewall to be enabled. On top of that I have had issues getting SageDCT to generate perfect streams without pixelation, studdering and audio dropout. The process that I am using to capture the stream seems to be less relient on the network capacity. I have been able to record a stream and copy a file over the network to my SageTV server without any hiccups in the recording stream. I am pretty sure the way I wrote the Network Encoder should work cross platform as well.

Will this work with the Ceton tuner?
It will not work with the Centon tuner. It is specifically designed to work with the HDHomeRun Prime. It may work with other HDHomeRun tunners as well. It releies on the HDHomeRun_config application to change channels and to start the steam to ffmpeg.

I plan to clean up the code this week. I want to add some more logging and write some instructions for use. Then I will put something out in beta next week.

[mgpaulus]

I would be interested in a beta as well.

[rboeser]

I'm interested.

I currently use SageDCT with few if any problems. I could complain but I'm limping along with my system that has not been touched in almost 4 years. Just happy to still be using SageTV.

I can not find anything remotely close to SageTV, I've bought almost every extender that supposedly streamed from a network server. Not one has been satisfactory.

I could help with beta testing if you need some feedback. I have a brand new HD Prime sitting here with the cable card ready to go.

Let me know if I can help.

Rboeser

[valnar]

I run Sage on a Win7 box with the HDHR drivers for a regular HDHR Dual. Will I be able to run this on the same box?

[mikejaner]

I wouldn't mind testing too. I jut bought a second Prime on sale on Woot, and would like to put it to good use. I am also seeing pixelation on some channels and am wondering now if this would make a difference.

[mistergq]

I would be interested also.

[Fuzzy]

With any luck, and if you are interested, we'd be able to port what you've made into the core sage system - once it is made available.

Out of curiosity, have to attempted to do any live transcoding with your ffmpeg process to convert the MPEG2 to H.264, instead of a straight stream dump?

[razrsharpe]

Have you tested it with linux? or are you just thinking it should work? Regardless I'm interested too. SageDCT occasionally gives me borked recordings (unable to start on back to back recordings with the same tuner i think... so I'm either missing the first couple minutes or the entire recording).

[mayamaniac]

I'm very interested. Babgvant's SageDCT was great but wasn't perfect, plus he hasn't updated it in a long while.

[rochurch]

If it could clear the copy once flag that Time Warner puts on almost all of their channels that would be great. I only want to copy once and keep it here in my home network for private viewing. I have a cable box and an HDHR to do one channel at a time. I don't want 3 cable boxes and 3 HDHR's. I have a Silicondust Prime with a cable card in it but it does me no good since it only works with Windows Media Center.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by rochurch

If it could clear the copy once flag that Time Warner puts on almost all of their channels that would be great. I only want to copy once and keep it here in my home network for private viewing. I have a cable box and an HDHR to do one channel at a time. I don't want 3 cable boxes and 3 HDHR's. I have a Silicondust Prime with a cable card in it but it does me no good since it only works with Windows Media Center.

That's not something that will work without getting the system CableLabs certified - not something that Sage ever looked into, because Sage had put their bet on AllVid (they were a founding member of the AllVid alliance). Technically, the CableLabs specs say that you CAN retransmit protected content over unprotected channels, if it's resolution is dropped - so it would potentially be possible to make a protected path from HDHR -> CableLabs certified driver -> Degraded unprotected output - but the time and cost to get it certified is going to be better spent just using an HD-PVR for those channels.

[mikejaner]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

With any luck, and if you are interested, we'd be able to port what you've made into the core sage system - once it is made available.

Out of curiosity, have to attempted to do any live transcoding with your ffmpeg process to convert the MPEG2 to H.264, instead of a straight stream dump?

Yes, this would be an awesome feature!

[jvl711]

Originally Posted by razrsharpe

Have you tested it with linux? or are you just thinking it should work? Regardless I'm interested too. SageDCT occasionally gives me borked recordings (unable to start on back to back recordings with the same tuner i think... so I'm either missing the first couple minutes or the entire recording).

I have not tested it in Linux but I have no reason to believe it would not work. It's only requirements are:

Java, HDHomeRun_config and ffmpeg. All of these items have linux ports.