HDHomeRun

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HDHomeRun is a network-attached digital television tuner box, produced by the company SiliconDust USA, Inc..

Overview[]

Unlike standard set-top box (or set-top unit) appliances, HDHomeRun does not have a video output that connects directly to the user's television. Instead it receives a live TV signal and then streams the decoded video over a local area network to an existing smart phone, tablet computer, smart tv, set top streaming device, computer, or game console. This allows it to stream content to multiple viewing locations.[1]

General details[]

There are currently a number of HDHomeRun models on the market:

  • single-tuner ATSC/clear QAM
  • dual-tuner ATSC/clear QAM
  • dual-tuner commercial (TECH) ATSC/clear QAM
  • dual-tuner DVB-T/unencrypted DVB-C
  • three tuner CableCard/clear QAM

All models are designed to receive unencrypted digital broadcast or cable television and stream it over a network for use by any PC on the network. HDHomeRun normally receives an IP address via DHCP but will also work via an auto IP address if no DHCP server is available.

The HDHomeRun Windows driver presents the tuners as standard BDA tuners, enabling BDA-compliant applications to work with the HDHomeRun. The HDHomeRun can also be controlled via a command-line application which is available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD, and other POSIX-compliant operating systems. The control library is open source and is available under the LGPL for use in custom applications.

Select retail packaged HDHomeRun units are distributed with Arcsoft TotalMedia Theatre.

Technical specifications[]

ATSC models[]

  • 8VSB (ATSC over-the-air digital TV)
  • QAM 64/256 (unencrypted digital cable TV)
  • CableCard (encrypted digital cable TV)
  • 100Mbit Ethernet RJ45 connection

QAM model[]

  • QAM - North American cable with protected content support for USA cable using CableCARD for access control

ISDB model[]

  • ISDB-T - South America over the air

DVB models[]

  • DVB-T / DVB-T2 over-the-air unencrypted digital TV
  • DVB-C - QAM 64/128/256 (annex A/C) unencrypted digital cable TV
  • 6/7/8 MHz channel bandwidth (Australia, Europe, New Zealand, Taiwan)
  • 100Mbit Ethernet RJ45 connection

Compatibility[]

The HDHomeRun can be controlled and viewed from a wide variety of DVR/PVR software. Microsoft provides Windows Media Center for Windows XP through 8, but discontinued the product in Windows 10.[2] Apple macOS 10 runs EyeTV 3.[3] Linux runs Myth TV.[4][5]

Newer models of HDHomeRun are DLNA device compatible.[6]

HDHomeRun Tuners[]

Consumer Tuners

Line Model Part Number Number of Tuners Tuners Coax Ports CableCARD Slots USB Hard Drive DLNA/UPnP Hardware Transcoder Notes
ATSC 1.0 QAM 64/256 ATSC 3.0 CableCard DVB-T DVB-T2 DVB-C ISDB-T
Flex Flex 4K HDFX-4K 4 Yes Yes Yes
(2 of 4 tuners)		 No No No No No 1 0 Yes No Yes No
Flex 4K
Development Edition		 HDFX-4K-DEV 4 Yes Yes Yes
(2 of 4 tuners)		 No No No No No 1 0 Yes No Yes No Comes with developer firmware for deep signal inspection/tinkering
Flex Duo HDFX-2US 2 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 Yes No Yes No
Flex Quatro HDFX-4US 4 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 Yes No Yes No
Connect Connect 4K HDHR5-4K 4 Yes Yes Yes
(2 of 4 tuners)		 No No No No No 1 0 No No Yes No
Connect Duo HDHR5-2US 2 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 No No Yes No
HDHR5-2DT 2 No No No No Yes Yes Yes No 1 0 No No Yes No
Connect Quatro HDHR5-4US 4 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 No No Yes No
HDHR5-4DT 4 No No No No Yes Yes Yes No 1 0 No No Yes No
Connect HDHR4-2US 2 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 No No Yes No
HDHR4-2DT 2 No No No No Yes Yes No No 1 0 No No Yes No
HDHR4-2IS 2 No No No No No No No Yes 1 0 No No Yes No
Scribe Scribe 4K HDVR-4K-1TB 4 Yes Yes Yes
(2 of 4 tuners)		 No No No No No 1 0 No 1TB Yes No
Scribe Duo HDVR-2US-1TB 2 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 No 1TB Yes No
Scribe Quatro HDVR-4US-1TB 4 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 No 1TB Yes No
Dual HDHR3-US 2 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 No No No No
HDHR3-DT 2 No No No No Yes No No No 1 0 No No No No
HDHR3-EU 2 No No No No Yes No Yes No 1 0 No No No No
HDHR-US 2 Yes Yes No No No No No No 2 0 No No No No
HDHR-EU 2 No No No No Yes No Yes No 2 0 No No No No
Single HDHR-US-T1 1 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 No No No No
Extend HDTC-2US 2 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 No No Yes MPEG2 → h.264 Plastic case and fan
HDTC-2US-M 2 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 No No Yes MPEG2 → h.264 Metal case, fanless
HDTC-2US-L 2 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 No No Yes MPEG2 → h.264 2US converted to fanless case
Expand HDHR3-4DC 4 No No No No No No Yes No 1 0 No No Yes No 5V 2A power adapter
HDHR5-4DC 4 No No No No No No Yes No 1 0 No No Yes No 5V 1.5A power adapter
Prime HDHR3-CC 3 No Yes No Yes No No No No 1 1 Yes No Yes No
HDHR3-6CC-3x2 6 No Yes No Yes No No No No 1 2 Yes No Yes No
HDHR5-6CC 6 No Yes No Yes No No No No 1 1 Yes No Yes No

Commercial Tuners

Line Part Number Number of Tuners Tuners Coax Ports CableCARD Slots USB Hard Drive DLNA/UPnP Hardware Transcoder Rackmount Notes
ATSC 1.0 QAM 64/256 ATSC 3.0 CableCard DVB-T DVB-T2 DVB-C ISDB-T
Tech TECH3-6CC-3X2 6 No Yes No Yes No No No No 2 2 Yes No No No Yes
TECH4-8US-2X4 8 Yes Yes No No No No No No 4 0 No No No No Yes
TECH4-8DT2x4 8 No No No No Yes Yes Yes No 4 0 No No No No Yes
TECH4-2US 2 Yes Yes No No No No No No 1 0 No No No No No
TECH4-2DT 2 No No No No Yes Yes Yes No 1 0 No No No No No
TECH4-2IS 2 No No No No No No No Yes 1 0 No No No No No
TECH4-8IS 8 No No No No No No No Yes 4 0 No No No No Yes
TECH5-4K8-2X4 8 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No 4 0 No No No No Yes
TECH5-16US-4X4 16 Yes Yes No No No No No No 4 0 No No No No Yes
TECH5-16DT-4X4 16 No No No No Yes Yes No No 4 0 No No No No Yes
TECH5-16DC-4X4 16 No No No No No No Yes No 4 0 No No No No Yes

Sources: [7] [8]

HDHomeRun PRIME[]

Introduced Fall 2011, the HDHomeRun PRIME provided the ability to view and record all the digital cable channels they subscribe to without using a cable supplied set-top-box. The device employed a CableCARD to replace the set-top-box. The rental fee was usually much less than the rental fee for the cable box. The HDHomeRun PRIME integrated easily with Windows Media Center (WMC), included with Windows 7 and available with Windows 8, and turned your PC into an HD DVR. With 3 tuners, the PRIME let you record two programs and watch another live all at the same time. Although a few HDHomeRun Prime boxes can be found for sale on the internet, they are no longer in production. Cessation of production has been attributed to a change in FCC regulation, which no longer requires cable service providers to make CableCARDs available to their customers.[9]

  • CableCards are still available from many US digital cable providers.
  • The Prime can be used without a CableCard in cable systems that still have clear QAM channels available.
  • The Prime does not support digital cable on demand, but can receive PPV that is ordered on the phone from your cable provider.
  • The Prime is a dedicated cable TV device with no ATSC tuner and thus can not be used with an antenna.
  • Windows Media Center is the most widely used software available for use with the Prime, and the only one with Digital Rights Management (DRM) to view and record premium cable channels like HBO. Many other software options are available; please see the list in this Wiki and the Silicondust website for details. When running WMC, an additional, separate ATSC tuner can be used with the PC and WMC will combine both the Prime and ATSC tuner in the guide for live TV and recording. By default WMC has a 4 tuner limit for each type (ATSC, CableCard) of tuner, but a 3rd party software product called TunerSalad increases the number of tuners to 32 per type; you can use up to 32 cable tuners (11 Primes = 33 cable tuners) and 32 ATSC tuners, for a total of 64 tuners. There is also another 3rd party software called My Channel Logos that adds channel logos to the WMC channel guide. For detailed discussion of WMC, please see TheGreenButton.tv website.

WMC was included with Windows 7 but is an additional $100 for Windows 8/8.1 and an additional $10 for Windows 8/8.1 Pro. It is not available from Microsoft on Windows 10 but members at The Green Button are developing a way to use a modified version of WMC with Windows 10.

HDHomeRun DVR[]

The HDHomeRun DVR is a DVR software designed for installation on a network-attached storage device. It is intended to be used with a HDHomeRun tuner and is expected to overcome digital rights management complications.

HDHomeRun Premium TV[]

Launched in 2018, HDHomeRun Premium TV was a virtual MVPD service that worked with the HDHomeRun Prime and HDHomeRun DVR service. A unique feature of this service over most other MVPDs was the ability to record the channel streams to a local hard drive for time-shifted viewing. In March 2019, HDHomeRun announced that it would shut down its Premium service.[10]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/10/30/engadget-hd-review-hdhomerun/
  2. ^ "Windows Media Center is not available". Microsoft.com.
  3. ^ "EyeTV 3 TV Software for Mac". Archived from the original on 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  4. ^ https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Silicondust_HDHomeRun
  5. ^ http://www.linux.com/articles/61518
  6. ^ "HDHomeRun CONNECT - Silicon Dust".
  7. ^ https://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/
  8. ^ https://info.hdhomerun.com/info/
  9. ^ Pollard, Josh. "The HDHomeRun Prime is Back in Stock!". The Digital Media Zone. The Digital Media Zone.
  10. ^ https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/hdhomerun-premium-tv-is-shutting-down

External links[]

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