Are you an HDHomeRun user, and if so, how are you using it?

[Lou Jacob]

If you are an HDHomeRun user, we'd like to know more about how you are using it. Please answer the poll question and if you have time, please post a little information on how you are using it. What we'd really like to know is the type of PC you are using, what PVR software you are using, and anything else interesting about your implementation.

Some other questions:

Are you using a set-top box, such as a Neuros, XBOX360 or some other device, to view your recorded material on your TV?

Do you watch your recorded material on your PC, laptop or other portable device?

We think that the HDHomeRun is a great product, but there are a variety of ways to implement and use it; we'd like to hear more about how folks are doing it!

Lou

PS I can edit the poll choices as I get more data... Lj

[velcro]

Works great!

Running with XP MCE on an Aopen HTPC (EPC945-M8) nice form factor (TiVo sized).

Using DVI to HDMI cable to watch at 720P on my HD TV. I almost always use the TV to view the recordings, its hard to watch the full HD content anywhere else, like on my laptop, as its not beefy enough for HD video, however, using WebGuide http://www.asciiexpress.com/webguide/ I can stream and transcode video anywhere and schedule recordings via the guide. It makes MCE much more useful, and its free!

I especially like the fact that I can record 2 HD programs and 1 SD program (using my Hapauge tuner and HDHomeRun) at the same time.

The power supply went out on my HDHomeRun after nearly a year, and the guys sent me a new one free of charge. Now that's service!

[Lou Jacob]

Please note that ArcSoft TotalMedia is now available at no charge for all HDHomeRun Users.

For information and instructions, please see the forums area of SiliconDust's web site:

TotalMedia for HDHomeRun - Download Information and Instructions

[MatthewFlook59289]

I'm using the HDHomeRun with my custom built Vista Home Premium Media Center PC. I use it to pick up the unencrypted QAM HD channels from my cheap Comcast cable TV service. It's a miracle to be able to view these channels perfectly in the MCE interface instead of using an unreliable OTA HD antenna.

I actually do most of my TV viewing via an Xbox 360 running as an Extender. The QAM HD channels come across great on my modest gigabit LAN. This provides a great viewing experience for my girlfriend and I and comes at a great price considering our low monthly cable bill.

The only drawback is the messy guide data in MCE - a lot of my channels report "no data available" despite the HDHomeRun software grabbing all appropriate channel info from zap2it.

[FlorinAndrei59479]

Using it with MythTV. One input for OTA, the other for unencrypted Comcast digital channels.

[EarlGuyer64433]

I built a new computer just before Christmas. It's an Asus motherboard, Intel E6850 processor and 4 GB of Ram. I'm running Vista 64 bit. This computer is primarily my Media Center computer and I use it for everything video. I have some great programs for converting DVDs to Mpeg files that I can watch on my TV. I have 2 HD TVs. One is 52", 1080i and the other is a 32" 720p. Both have Linksys Media Center Extenders connected to them and I love being able to watch all the content on my computer in HD on my TVs. I am getting about 14 channels in clear quam over cable. About 90% of what I usually watch is available in HD and I have everything scheduled to record on my MCE computer. The HDhomerun has worked perfectly from the first day and was really pretty easy to set up.

Earl in Plano

[rprochnow]

I purchased our 2nd HDHR from DVRupgrade.

Our local Comcast recently added clear QAM channels for most of the standard analog cable channels, in addition to the HD local broadcast channels. This has eliminated any need to use an analog cable tuner - because all of the channels we watch are now in digital.

Our primary media center is running Vista Ultimate - with two Hauppauge PVR-150 analog cable tuners, plus it is configured with 3 HDHR tuners (from the 2 HDHR boxes we now have).

The remaining HDHR tuner is available for use on my desktop or laptop - both running Vista Ultimate.

The network capability of the HDHR gives a lot of flexibility in sharing the HDHRs between multiple PCs and with 2 HDHR boxes, it's now possible to reserve one HDHR tuner for 'floaters' and keep 3 tuners dedicated to the primary media center.

A minor complaint with the HDHR is that their channel editor - to make the QAM to Media Center channel assignments still needs work. The limitations of the editor are a bigger problem right now since Comcast seems to be changing their digital channel assignments every few weeks.

Only major complaint is actually with Comcast - and not with HDHR. Comcast has decided to encrypt the HD 'standard analog' cable channels. This means that in order to get Fox Sports HD or ESPN HD, we can't use the HDHR and instead must use the Comcast DVR (which has very, very poor software!).

Hopefully DVRupgrade will stock other solutions to this problem - which will probably either be Hauppauge's new HD-PVR component-to-digital converter (when it's supported by Vista Media Center) or the HDPC-20 DirecTV USB dual-tuner (assuming it works better than the very limited ATI OCUR CableCard tuner). But even with those other technologies, we'll probably continue using our HDHRs to access the unencrypted digital cable channels - because the networking feature makes it possible to share the tuners across multiple PCs.

[Lou Jacob]

Only major complaint is actually with Comcast - and not with HDHR. Comcast has decided to encrypt the HD 'standard analog' cable channels. This means that in order to get Fox Sports HD or ESPN HD, we can't use the HDHR and instead must use the Comcast DVR (which has very, very poor software!).

I'm curious... what does Comcast charge for their DVR and why is TiVo not an option in your current environment? Is it a pricing issue, a technical issue or something else?

[rprochnow]

On our last bill, Comcast is charging us $7.49 for the HD DVR box and an additional $9.95 for the "HD DVR service". So we're paying almost $17 per month for Comcast's DVR - vs. free for the HDHRs with Media Center!

[Lou Jacob]

On our last bill, Comcast is charging us $7.49 for the HD DVR box and an additional $9.95 for the "HD DVR service". So we're paying almost $17 per month for Comcast's DVR - vs. free for the HDHRs with Media Center!

Wow. You may want to keep something like the TiVo HD on your radar. The initial cost of the hardware may put you off, though - the MSRP is $299. The cost of the service is $12.95 / month (lifetime subscription is $399). And Comcast will want to charge you about $5 / month for the CableCard that is required; so the monthly fees are pretty much a wash. You'd definitely get a lot more for your money with the TiVo's additional features.

With all of that said, the HDHomeRun is definitely the best 'value' - its just those encrypted channels that are a problem...