Windows HDHomerun Prime - Backend Woes

I just got my HDHomerun Prime along with the cable card from Verizon FIOS. Scanning with the HDHR Gui Config tool works perfectly and picks up all of the channels, their names and appropriate Verizon channel number too. All three tuners can be tuned to a channel and watched using that config tool.

My backend PC is Win7 Home Edition. I have tried every backend setup that I am aware of and cannot get any of them to work. I could really use some advice from anyone that has gotten the HDHR to work on a TV backend server for streaming to the latest XBMC PVR build also on Win 7.

Here is a list of the options I have tried so far (in this order):

TVGuide Addon - I have tried creating the .strm files from the HDHR content (one for each channel) using the techniques shared here and on the silicon dust website. The built in ability of the Silicondust app does not support Win7. Generating them from a slightly modified Perl script (to run on windows) did not play in XBMC.

CetonTV - This is under heavy development but looks promising. Unfortunately, I am getting errors with this as well and still awaiting a response from the author in his development thread.

MediaPortal TV Server - Doesn't support ATSC for the HDHR (aka the prime). Unfortunately I didn't notice this until after I had everything setup and installed trying to troubleshoot why it wouldn't work.

For The Record - Website says it supports it, scanning picks up a large number of services, but trying to record one per the setup guide alerts saying, "ProgramIsScrambled" on any service (tried one that works in the HD Homerun Setup GUI to be sure).

I'm a bit confused on the problem. You can't use the HDHR for scrambled channels on anything BUT Windows. It is a DRM issue. You can use digital channels fine though.

It says that it is scrambled for all channels. Are you saying that is to be expected from Verizon Fios? Why does it work on the same machine under the HDHR config GUI but not in the tv backed software packages then?

(2012-08-09 17:28)oneadvent Wrote:  I'm a bit confused on the problem. You can't use the HDHR for scrambled channels on anything BUT Windows. It is a DRM issue. You can use digital channels fine though.

This is not entirely true. It works just fine for any channel marked copy-freely. Typically the premiums (HBO, SHO, PPV, etc.) are not. I've heard those are the only ones that FiOS doesn't mark copy-freely.

(2012-08-10 03:31)propJohn Wrote:  This is not entirely true. It works just fine for any channel marked copy-freely. Typically the premiums (HBO, SHO, PPV, etc.) are not. I've heard those are the only ones that FiOS doesn't mark copy-freely.

Correct. Through the tool provided by SiliconDust (GUI Config Tool). I can view the regular HD cable channels such as ESPN, GOLF, History.

I cannot get it working with a back-end though. Has anyone gotten an HDHomerun Prime working as the tuner for ForTheRecord? That is the one server that states it supports it that I cannot get to work.

Bump, any suggestions?

Under WIdnows for recorders like Mediaportal's TVServer or ForTheRecord the HDHomeRunPrime can only be used for QAM stations. You can not record or watch encrypted stations, even those marked as Copy Freely. I beleive the only windows recorder software that currently supports recording copy Freely is NPVR. Of course Windows Media Center can record everything.

HDHomeRUn Prime support for MediaPortal TVServer is in the works but is several weeks out.

Ah I should have done more homework before buying this thing. I really thought it would work.

angrycamel: I have no actual idea how to generate strm files in Windows, but if you're up for a little adventure with Virtualbox (free) and a quick linux install (free), we can have you sorted in no time. You're boned for true PVR integration though


ijourneaux: With respect, encrypted-copy-freely channels work just fine on linux with the hdhomerun-config tool


Tunes in channel 246 (NFL Network HD in Alexandria on Comcast)


Sends it to a lovely http transport stream that I then muck about with for various purposes (routing to tv, transcode and route to phone, etc)

All of this is done on Ubuntu 11.04 (I know, I need to dist upgrade)

I can also use .strm files formatted as such:

To watch it on XBMC

I know for a fact that FIOS in Northern VA, and Southern MD are equally permissive regarding this.

Sadly, no existing backend supports virtual channel assignment, so I'm boned for true PVR functionality


EDITED:

Also, I'm full of crap, I forgot that MythTV Backend worked. But the channel change speed was interminable. So, no backend's OTHER than that

(2012-08-22 06:33)thermite451 Wrote:  angrycamel: I have no actual idea how to generate strm files in Windows, but if you're up for a little adventure with Virtualbox (free) and a quick linux install (free), we can have you sorted in no time. You're boned for true PVR integration though


ijourneaux: With respect, encrypted-copy-freely channels work just fine on linux with the hdhomerun-config tool

Code:

hdhomerun_config discover[code]
yields:
hdhomerun device 131478xx found at 10.0.0.xx

[code]hdhomerun_config 131478EA set /tuner2/channel qam256:447000000
hdhomerun_config 131478EA set /tuner2/program 2241

Tunes in channel 246 (NFL Network HD in Alexandria on Comcast)

Code:

hdhomerun_config 131478EA get /tuner2/vstatus[code]

Yields:
vch=246 name=NFLHD auth=subscribed cci=unrestricted cgms=n/a

And, lastly,

[code]hdhomerun_config 131478EA save /tuner2 - | buffer -s 500k -b 20 -m 20m  | sudo -u nouser cvlc - :sout='#std{access=http,mux=ts,dst=:7474}}'

Sends it to a lovely http transport stream that I then muck about with for various purposes (routing to tv, transcode and route to phone, etc)

All of this is done on Ubuntu 11.04 (I know, I need to dist upgrade)

I can also use .strm files formatted as such:

Code:

hdhomerun://131478EA-0/tuner0?channel=qam256:447000000&program=2241

To watch it on XBMC

I know for a fact that FIOS in Northern VA, and Southern MD are equally permissive regarding this.

Sadly, no existing backend supports virtual channel assignment, so I'm boned for true PVR functionality


EDITED:

Also, I'm full of crap, I forgot that MythTV Backend worked. But the channel change speed was interminable. So, no backend's OTHER than that

Thanks for the help Thermite. I hope I can help with mediaportal support. I'll look into that since they seen to be closest.

I'll get an Ubuntu image (http://virtualboxes.org/images/ubuntu/) setup tonight when I get home from work. I wonder if the Perl script I modified is creating incorrectly formatted stream files. At this point just getting the strm files to play from XBMC's LiveTV add on that uses xmltv would be fine.