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HDHomeRun quad tuner?
- Thread starter mic j
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There has been no announcement on their forums but I can't wait. Would love an AppleTV app to support it but not going to hold my breath.
I'm just starting in my HTPC research, but I though it was possible to use HDHomeRun + EyeTV to record programming to a mac, then share it via itunes so the content is playable via your AppleTV?
The manual seems to indicate you have have EyeTV automatically record programs, then export then to iTunes in an AppleTV resolution:
http://www.elgato.com/sites/default/files/eyetv3softwaremanual_0.pdf
I could then stream them from my mac to apple tv's throughout the house - but I've not tried any of this, very early in my HTPC search
I don't actually have one....yet. But my understanding is that the recorded file is mpeg2 that is transferred to the Mac and the mac does the conversion to h.264 format so that it can be viewed using iTune.I'm just starting in my HTPC research, but I though it was possible to use HDHomeRun + EyeTV to record programming to a mac, then share it via itunes so the content is playable via your AppleTV?
The manual seems to indicate you have have EyeTV automatically record programs, then export then to iTunes in an AppleTV resolution:
http://www.elgato.com/sites/default/files/eyetv3softwaremanual_0.pdf
I could then stream them from my mac to apple tv's throughout the house - but I've not tried any of this, very early in my HTPC search
If this is incorrect, please someone with hands-on experience please feel free to correct me.
Yes, that's exactly the way it works. Or you can just have EyeTV do the recording, then you can come back later and strip out commercials and have EyeTV, or Handbrake, do the conversion.I'm just starting in my HTPC research, but I though it was possible to use HDHomeRun + EyeTV to record programming to a mac, then share it via itunes so the content is playable via your AppleTV?
The manual seems to indicate you have have EyeTV automatically record programs, then export then to iTunes in an AppleTV resolution:
http://www.elgato.com/sites/default/files/eyetv3softwaremanual_0.pdf
I could then stream them from my mac to apple tv's throughout the house - but I've not tried any of this, very early in my HTPC search
Yes. But it does not support the current HDHomeRun Prime which supports the Cable Card. They support the regular HDHomeRum without CableCard. For XMAS 2012 I decided to try and see what I could do with this and got both HDHomeRun devices. The one with the CableCard I use the HDHomeRum on a iPad to watch TV shows on 2 separate iPads. I use the other one that only gets some basic channels to record with EyeTV and auto "convert" to MP4 and auto add to iTunes which I can watch on ATV. I also got the hardware USB Plug to improve conversion from MP2 to MP4. Still quite a bit of overhead on the Mac. I have stopped my experiment with the EyeTV because I prefer just to continue to use my Verizon FIOS DVR for now. I may revisit when the new HDHomeRun comes out and if EyeTV decides to support it. Also, the WD TV had support for DLNA devices which the HDHomeRun Prime supports but not that great of a viewing experience so not using it now. I think a lot or potential here but just not there yet.I'm just starting in my HTPC research, but I though it was possible to use HDHomeRun + EyeTV to record programming to a mac, then share it via itunes so the content is playable via your AppleTV?
The manual seems to indicate you have have EyeTV automatically record programs, then export then to iTunes in an AppleTV resolution:
http://www.elgato.com/sites/default/files/eyetv3softwaremanual_0.pdf
I could then stream them from my mac to apple tv's throughout the house - but I've not tried any of this, very early in my HTPC search
I came to the same conclusions. We really need cablecard support on the mac, and it doesn't exist currently. My current setup is an eyetv HD, hooked to a cable box, I have and still have intermittent issues bad recordings, weird dropouts for no reason, missed recordings and other issues. (I think because it is a USB 2 based capture device, ethernet devices have much more bandwidth available.) I had better efforts using a Silicon Dust tuner, but without cablecard support it really cripples the system. In addition, they haven't even made eyetv compatible with the 3 tuner model, let alone the next upcoming version.
Elgato in my opinion has not kept up with what we consumers want simply because there is no other mac dvr type software on the market. If someone else makes a new mac PVR, I think I will switch to that software.
DNLA (which Elgato is a member of) is hopefully the solution to a new generation of DVR hardware and apps, the sooner the hardware is out the better.
EDIT: The only PDV solution that will capture protected content is Windows Media Center, and it looks like they have not fixed the bugs that were in Windows 7 in the Windows 8 version. (For example, Displayport even with HDCP support cannot display protected content.
The lack of bug fixes is not a good sign that Microsoft is going to continue to activly support the program. I think Silicon Dust is going with DNLA to break free of the microsoft handcuffs, which should also help those of us without windows based computers.
Correct.
The issue is that it is not 'live' conversion. Nor is it especially efficient, even with the latest processors (or the specialty Turbo H.264 hardware encoding dongle Elgato sell.)
And it requires a workflow that can break at several different points, and has the potential to be complicated, hence not many people using it to get content to an AppleTV.
Yes. This is how it works. I have been using this as my family's TV/DVR system doing for about 1.5 years now.
OTA Antenna ----> HDHomerun (HDHR3) ---> router ---> Macbook Pro running EyeTV ---> EyeTV records a show, then auto-transcodes it to .m4v format (takes about 2x the length of the show on my MBP 17" 2009, 2.8 GHZ Intel Core 2 DUO), and imports it into iTunes Library.
The end result is the shows automagically pop up as available to watch on every Apple TV in my house. (Only one copy of the show is stored on your mac or external hard drive, and that one file is available to stream to any Apple TV. Beats any other DVR setup I've seen, Tivo, cable companies, etc.) Very good setup, and I'd recommend it to anyone.
I am eagerly awaiting the new HDHR with built-in transcoding (to H.264) as well. However, one thing that is unclear is whether EyeTV will support the new device. I asked this of Silicondust (who makes HDHR) and they said it was "unsure" at the moment.
See here:
http://www.silicondust.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?t=14888&p=87377
As long as the device does the transcoding "on the fly", the whole setup should result in me seeing my shows sooner after they are recorded.
If the HDHomeRun produces an m4v (on it's own), would the EyeTV software just be need for scheduling the recordings?
Yes. EyeTV uses an electronic program guide (with data provided by TV Guide at a cost to the user of $20/year, free for the first year) to schedule recordings. It also stores and lets you manage the recordings, and provides a nifty easy-to-use tool for cropping the video (read: editing out commercials).
For those who don't want to use iTunes, you could just watch everything in EyeTV. It is an excellent DVR interface, especially if you hook up your mac directly to your TV. I only use the transcode to iTunes option because I don't want to dedicate an expensive mac to my TV. That's what the cheap Apple TV is for (IMHO).
No. The EyeTV recordings are in uncompressed mpeg2 format. (ending in .mpg I think.) They are not in H.264.
iTunes can only play: "QuickTime and MPEG-4 movie files that end in ".mov", ".m4v", or ".mp4" and are playable in QuickTime Player." - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2729
So you have to transcode to play them in iTunes. (You can do this in EyeTV automatically, or you can do it yourself using Handbrake.)
But. BUT!
It looks like the new HD Homerun tuner from Silicon Dust (HDHR4, supposed to be released sometime this year) will transcode to H.264 using its own hardware before the video stream even gets to your mac, let alone EyeTV. I use an HDHR3, so I'm looking forward to this new device, as it should make my recordings viewable sooner, and cut down on the demand on my laptop's processor, freeing it up for more useful things.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/08/silicondust-announces-two-new-hdhomerun-network-tuners-with-tr/
http://www.silicondust.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=14888
Delete from iTunes after Viewing
I did the EyeTV Recording and auto import into iTunes and it worked ok but not as good as a regular DVR so I stopped doing it. Also, was not sure if there was a good way to delete the recordings after you watched. Of course with regular DVR you can delete with your remote control.
How do you handle the deleting?
I did the EyeTV Recording and auto import into iTunes and it worked ok but not as good as a regular DVR so I stopped doing it. Also, was not sure if there was a good way to delete the recordings after you watched. Of course with regular DVR you can delete with your remote control.
How do you handle the deleting?
Personally, I just do it manually on my mac. About once every couple of weeks or so, I set in front of iTunes for 5 minutes, and go through and delete the watched shows. I then go and delete the watched shows from EyeTV as well. It doesn't take long.
However, there are ways to automate this, and others have told me their methods (can't find the right thread right now, but I know others on MR have done this).
-You can make an applescript that deletes all TV shows from iTunes when they have been marked as watched. Note you can "mark as watched" directly on your apple tv by holding down the select button when your cursor is on the show in a list of shows, so doing this is pretty similar to having the ability to delete shows from the couch on a DVR. Should work, but haven't set it up myself. http://coho.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/applescript-for-deleting-watched-shows-and-podcasts-in-itunes/
-In EyeTV, when you schedule your recording you can set EyeTV to keep the 3, 5, or 1 most recent recordings of a particular series. This way you don't have to manually delete the EyeTV recordings. The old episodes will delete themselves automatically when a new episode is recorded.
The new HDTC-2US (the next HD Homerun with transcoding capability) is now available for pre-order from Newegg for $150! Note that it is only 2 tuners though, not 4 as originally speculated. I'm still getting it though as the transcode feature itself will improve my home-dvr system experience immensely. (No more tasking my mac to do the transcoding and having to wait until the next day to watch the show on Apple TV!)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815345014
Details on this device at the silicon dust forum:
http://www.silicondust.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=15822&start=30