HDHR Quatro 4K (ATSC 3.0) on its way

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by Zogg

Three years ago I moved from Fios-land to a new city where Spectrum Time Warner was the best option, but most channels are set to copy-once. It felt like going back to the stone age to pull out the HDPVRs and use STBs again.

I do have one WMC live tuner that is now pretty stable, so that helps quite a bit though.

I must be missing something. If I understand this correctly, to set up a one-tuner instance using WMC live tuner requires a Windows PC, with the video output connected to a capture device (e.g. HDPVR). Multiple tuners would require multiple Windows PCs, each connected to their own capture device. Am I understanding that correctly?

If so, I'm missing what the benefit is over just using a cable box connected to a capture device.

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by KeithAbbott

I must be missing something. If I understand this correctly, to set up a one-tuner instance using WMC live tuner requires a Windows PC, with the video output connected to a capture device (e.g. HDPVR). Multiple tuners would require multiple Windows PCs, each connected to their own capture device. Am I understanding that correctly?

If so, I'm missing what the benefit is over just using a cable box connected to a capture device.

There's a couple of benefits that may not apply to everyone.

First, you can use an Xbox360 instead of a PC if you have one. But I think the main one is cost. Each STB is $8-10 per month, whereas you can get 3 outputs effectively from an HDHR Prime for less than one STB per month.

And the PC's don't have to be new hardware either, just enough to run Win 7 or Win 8 and MCE. The protection restrictions are a lot less than on Win 10, so older hardware that is laying around is actually better to use.

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by Zogg

Each STB is $8-10 per month, whereas you can get 3 outputs effectively from an HDHR Prime for less than one STB per month.

Sorry, I may not have been clear in my last post. I wasn't trying to compare benefits of using an HDHR Prime versus WMC live tuner, I was trying to understand the benefit of using a WMC live tuner setup versus just using a cable box connected to a capture device like an HDPVR. So avoiding the monthly cable box rental charge is certainly a benefit. I'm thinking it also avoids needing a USB-UIRT or equivalent to do the channel changing. Any other benefits?

Again, I'm just trying to gain knowledge so that when the time comes, I have a plan B that I can jump right on.

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by KeithAbbott

Sorry, I may not have been clear in my last post. I wasn't trying to compare benefits of using an HDHR Prime versus WMC live tuner, I was trying to understand the benefit of using a WMC live tuner setup versus just using a cable box connected to a capture device like an HDPVR. So avoiding the monthly cable box rental charge is certainly a benefit. I'm thinking it also avoids needing a USB-UIRT or equivalent to do the channel changing. Any other benefits?

Again, I'm just trying to gain knowledge so that when the time comes, I have a plan B that I can jump right on.

The WMC live tuner has to capture the channel from somewhere, and that is from a Prime. I guess I didn't make that connection clear, sorry.

WMC Live Box would be a better name, because it still needs a tuner. So you have to pay for the cablecard but you can get 3 channels for 1 cost.

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by Zogg

The WMC live tuner has to capture the channel from somewhere, and that is from a Prime. I guess I didn't make that connection clear, sorry.

WMC Live Box would be a better name, because it still needs a tuner. So you have to pay for the cablecard but you can get 3 channels for 1 cost.

Ahh, that makes sense. So for all three Prime tuners to function (with a single cable card), you would need three Windows PCs or Xbox 360s, each with video outputs connected to their own capture devices. Is that correct?

Also, would this setup allow capturing “copy never” recordings, or only “copy freely” and “copy once”?

[Zogg]

Originally Posted by KeithAbbott

Ahh, that makes sense. So for all three Prime tuners to function (with a single cable card), you would need three Windows PCs or Xbox 360s, each with video outputs connected to their own capture devices. Is that correct?

Also, would this setup allow capturing “copy never” recordings, or only “copy freely” and “copy once”?

That's correct, one device to play the show on and one recording device to capture the output. An HDMI splitter and an HDPVR2 that can capture HDMI work well.

I think copy never shows would work. You're only allowed to view them, not save them at all, correct? So if you can view it, then the recording device is capturing what you are viewing so I believe it will work.

It's definitely Rube Goldberg-esque, but it does work pretty well.

[phelme]

hey, what's this?




I probably won't get to this until tomorrow. It looks like it needs Ethernet and I'll have to find a longer cable to put it near an OTA antenna.

[wayner]

Sweet. It will be interesting to see if you can add the ATSC 3 tuners into SageTV.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by wayner

Sweet. It will be interesting to see if you can add the ATSC 3 tuners into SageTV.

It presents itself like any other HDHomeRun tuner so I do no think there will be a problem.

[phelme]

Originally Posted by wayner

Sweet. It will be interesting to see if you can add the ATSC 3 tuners into SageTV.

Originally Posted by nyplayer

It presents itself like any other HDHomeRun tuner so I do no think there will be a problem.

Sort of have it working, I was trying it with PrimeNetEncoder as that's what I've been using successfully with my Prime, but that doesn't appear to tune ATSC subchannels correctly, keep getting invalid virtual channel errors in the tuner log for the xx-xx-xx format that Schedules Direct gives for the channels. So I'll have to install OpenDCT and try that.

Not a huge rush to get it working as who knows when we'll actually get ATSC 3.0 content here in Silicon Valley.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by phelme

Sort of have it working, I was trying it with PrimeNetEncoder as that's what I've been using successfully with my Prime, but that doesn't appear to tune ATSC subchannels correctly, keep getting invalid virtual channel errors in the tuner log for the xx-xx-xx format that Schedules Direct gives for the channels. So I'll have to install OpenDCT and try that.

Not a huge rush to get it working as who knows when we'll actually get ATSC 3.0 content here in Silicon Valley.

Mine is on the way and I have OPENDCT installed so will see if it works.

I have quite a few ....

The Portland stations that are broadcasting ATSC 3.0 are the Meredith-owned KPTV (Fox) and KPDX (MyNet), Nextsar’s KOIN (CBS) and KRCW-TV (CW), Sinclair Broadcast Group’s KATU (ABC), Tegna’s KGW (NBC) and KOPB-TV (PBS). With the new technology, these stations will be able to support new developments like immersive audio and video, advanced emergency alerts with rich media, broadcasting to mobile devices and personalized viewing tools.

[JustFred]

Originally Posted by phelme

Sort of have it working, I was trying it with PrimeNetEncoder ...

See if Sage is able to talk directly to the Quatro 4K (may need to restart Sage). Since CableCard isn't involved, it shouldn't need either PrimeNetEncoder or SageDCT.

[phelme]

Originally Posted by JustFred

See if Sage is able to talk directly to the Quatro 4K (may need to restart Sage). Since CableCard isn't involved, it shouldn't need either PrimeNetEncoder or SageDCT.

It’s only showing up in the PrimeNetEncoder discovery ports I’ve set up. And it records fine there, just won’t tune.

How would it find the Quattro otherwise?

[wayner]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

The Portland stations that are broadcasting ATSC 3.0 are the Meredith-owned KPTV (Fox) and KPDX (MyNet), Nextsar’s KOIN (CBS) and KRCW-TV (CW), Sinclair Broadcast Group’s KATU (ABC), Tegna’s KGW (NBC) and KOPB-TV (PBS). With the new technology, these stations will be able to support new developments like immersive audio and video, advanced emergency alerts with rich media, broadcasting to mobile devices and personalized viewing tools.

To be honest, I am not really intersted in much of this other stuff and much of it isn't even relevant if you record all of your content. I just care about 4K and HDR. And I hope we don't get hammered by DRM.

[JustFred]

Originally Posted by phelme

How would it find the Quattro otherwise?

Setup instructions for the non-cablecard HDHomerun series of tuners has been discussed in these forums. Silicon Dust used to have the setup info on their website, but it disappeared long ago. Without resorting to the Wayback machine, the Silicon Dust HDHomerun Setup Instructions is also here, last info on the page.

[phelme]

Originally Posted by JustFred

Setup instructions for the non-cablecard HDHomerun series of tuners has been discussed in these forums. Silicon Dust used to have the setup info on their website, but it disappeared long ago. Without resorting to the Wayback machine, the Silicon Dust HDHomerun Setup Instructions is also here, last info on the page.

well I'm an idiot.

that works! no PrimeNetEncoder needed. (thanks JustFred!)

it's been so long since I did that 2-step, channel scan setup with the HDHomeRun Setup I just forgot about it and assumed I'd have to use another means. heh.

for some reason though with the Schedules Direct guide for my zip I'm getting some OTA Los Angeles stations in addition to ones from SF. I'll have to start weeding those out and let SD know.

there is something else that's a bit disconcerting in that when I first set this up I was getting constant exceptions and the connection to the client kept being reset. It seems to have settled after restarting all the processes but I'll have to check the logs.

[KeithAbbott]

Originally Posted by phelme

that works! no PrimeNetEncoder needed. (thanks JustFred!)

But just to be clear, for those of us who need to use OpenDCT anyhow to support our Prime tuner, OpenDCT has other benefits (I think) beyond just using the native SageTV support for the new HDHR 4K tuner. Tuner pooling comes to mind, for example.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by KeithAbbott

But just to be clear, for those of us who need to use OpenDCT anyhow to support our Prime tuner, OpenDCT has other benefits (I think) beyond just using the native SageTV support for the new HDHR 4K tuner. Tuner pooling comes to mind, for example.

Yep gotta love the OPENDCT pooling.

[nyplayer]

So far total failure in Channels DVR ... SageTV they cannot "Handle The Truth" I mean the ASTC 3.0 streams.

[KryptoNyte]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

So far total failure in Channels DVR ... SageTV they cannot "Handle The Truth" I mean the ASTC 3.0 streams.

What's been your experience with its ability to tune the older ATSC, compared with the older Quatro for example? Any better ability to tune OTA channels?