Everyone with cable should get the HDHomeRun

[errol]

WOW! What a device. This is one of the best media peripherials you can buy, without a doubt.

For anybody that doesn't know what this is, it's a device that plugs into your router, and has 2 Tuners. You can either use a splitter and plug your cable service into the plugs, or connect antenna. Or a combination of the two.

The HDhomeRun, besides having regular tuners, has ClearQAM capabilities, meaning, it will pick up unencrypted digital signal from your Cable company. I use RCN, but it should work with comcast and the like just perfectly.

Needless to say, I'm getting about 125 channels streaming to my mac(s) with perfect quality. The HD channels look amazing on my 24" LCD. EyeTV is an amazing piece of software, probably one of the most intuitively written I've seen in a long time. After using the software, you'll want to throw away your normal tv's DVR.

The HD signals easily broadcast through my airport extreme to any 802.11n mac. Imagine having a 17" MBP and being able to watch high definition anywhere in your house, wirelessly! Using EyeTV, you can record content, and then share it over your LAN (like an iTunes share), or you can export the content to your iPhone/iTouch/iPod, regular phone, etc. There are many settings in EyeTV and it's a very versatile software, depending on the user's preference.

The best news: The device is not expensive. You can buy the HDhomeRun from Elgato for $199, and it comes with EyeTV 3.0 and a license that allows you to install on two computers. You can get the HDHomeRun slightly cheaper elsewhere if you want to use VLC or other software to watch content (but I think the extra cash is worth it to get EyeTV 3.0).

Anyway, I give this device 5 apples.

 

[clayj]

Errol, very cool! I just checked out Elgato's web site and ordered one of these.

Quick question for you: Are you sure it comes with EyeTV 3? Their site is a little unclear and says EyeTV 3 in some places, EyeTV 2 in others.

 

[GoCubsGo]

Wow ok. So I can just plug this into my router and my cable and get my digital TV content wireless? My router isn't in my actual place, it's in the front house (landlords) so I'd plug this into his router in his house and then his cable will be split between his tv and this device. If that is how it works then I'm ordering one.

 

[GimmeSlack12]

I just got the Elgato EyeTV Hybrid and will vouch for this one. This device (as with the HDHomeRun) is phenomenal. The EyeTV 3 software is just so polished and fun to use. It comes with a remote and multiple inputs. On my 24" iMac it is like having bought a TV and Computer.

Couldn't agree more that Elgato products are excellent!

 

[suprajoe]

This looks really cool. So how do you have it setup? Are you running a splitter before the cable modem? So it goes from wall outlet, to splitter: one cable to cable modem and the other cable to the elgato box?
The reason I ask is I have a home office and my cable mode and router are in my office, but I only have one wall outlet.

Also, it looks like the Hybrid does the same thing, but just for 1 Mac....if I am reading it correctly.

 

[errol]

Errol, very cool! I just checked out Elgato's web site and ordered one of these.

Quick question for you: Are you sure it comes with EyeTV 3? Their site is a little unclear and says EyeTV 3 in some places, EyeTV 2 in others.

Yes, it comes with Eyetv 3

You're going to love this device. It's amazing!!! I have NBC in highdef right now on my second LCD.

 

[errol]

This looks really cool. So how do you have it setup? Are you running a splitter before the cable modem? So it goes from wall outlet, to splitter: one cable to cable modem and the other cable to the elgato box?
The reason I ask is I have a home office and my cable mode and router are in my office, but I only have one wall outlet.

Also, it looks like the Hybrid does the same thing, but just for 1 Mac....if I am reading it correctly.

Yep - a 3 way cable splitter, 1 to the modem, 2 to the HDHomerun. The HDhomeRun has 2 tuners built in, so you can either have two windows open (choosing the sound), having 2 macs (or windows boxes/linux) each running a screen, or run it in PIP (picture in picture).

Yep, you should be fine. Splitters are a very cheap item at radioshack and the like.

 

[jsw]

Just so people are clear: this works only with the unencrypted/non-'digital cable' channels (i.e., the ones you can pick up by directly plugging in a TV, including Clear QAM).

 

[errol]

Just so people are clear: this works only with the unencrypted/non-'digital cable' channels (i.e., the ones you can pick up by directly plugging in a TV, including Clear QAM).

Yep -- a TV that has a clearQAM tuner.

 

[funandblindness]

HDHomeRun

Does it work if you split the output of a Comcast digital box into the tuner or do you split the cable from the wall into the tuner?

 

[Stunod7]

Does it work if you split the output of a Comcast digital box into the tuner or do you split the cable from the wall into the tuner?

I would imagine it would work both ways. I'm pretty sure if you have a coax out on your comcast box that it feeds the same cable signal. But it should absolutely work if you split at the wall or before the comcast box.

Does it have anyway to stream off your local LAN? So you could tune in at hotels, panera bread... work...?

 

[bobcubsfan]

MacBook Pro cannot find it

I have a MacBook Pro attached wirelessly to an Apple Time Capsule. eyeTV cannot find the HD Home Run. Says device not found. Our iMac which is connected via ethernet cable to the same router finds it just fine. Any ideas?

 

[suprajoe]

I have a MacBook Pro attached wirelessly to an Apple Time Capsule. eyeTV cannot find the HD Home Run. Says device not found. Our iMac which is connected via ethernet cable to the same router finds it just fine. Any ideas?

Do you have your firewall enabled? If so, you need to allow EyeTV in the Firewall.

Hopefully the guy, or anyone at that, that started this post can answer this question. I bought this product based on this thread. In the thread JSW says this:
"Just so people are clear: this works only with the unencrypted/non-'digital cable' channels (i.e., the ones you can pick up by directly plugging in a TV, including Clear QAM)."
I can only get 6 HD Clear QAM channels. That is it. I cannot get the "non-digital cable" channels. I paid $200 just to get 6 channels. After reading more from Elgato, they state that this product is only good for Clear QAM. How are you guys getting these other channels? Oh, and I have TWC. thanks.

 

[br0nc080]

Do you have your firewall enabled? If so, you need to allow EyeTV in the Firewall.

Hopefully the guy, or anyone at that, that started this post can answer this question. I bought this product based on this thread. In the thread JSW says this:
"Just so people are clear: this works only with the unencrypted/non-'digital cable' channels (i.e., the ones you can pick up by directly plugging in a TV, including Clear QAM)."
I can only get 6 HD Clear QAM channels. That is it. I cannot get the "non-digital cable" channels. I paid $200 just to get 6 channels. After reading more from Elgato, they state that this product is only good for Clear QAM. How are you guys getting these other channels? Oh, and I have TWC. thanks.

I'm pretty sure ClearQAM likely means you get the standard channels like CBS, FOX, ABC, NBC, PBS, CW, but likely will not get any of the other channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, etc unless your cable provider forgets to encrypt them. They really are only forced to keep those first few unencrypted. However, the HDHomerun seems like quite the piece of equipment, I'm looking to pick myself up one in the near future.

 

[spacecadet610]

i've had the hdhomerun since it was first released. Have had GREAT experience with qam cable. get hdtv for the basic networks on my mac mini and macbook.

 

[suprajoe]

The quality is awesome, no doubt about that. For me paying $200 to get around 6 HD channels so I can watch them on my Mac is not worth the money. Unless I am doing something wrong.

br0nc080 - I will sell you mine if interested. I'd be more than happy to take pics/video so you know the unit works and are comfortable with it.

 

[br0nc080]

The quality is awesome, no doubt about that. For me paying $200 to get around 6 HD channels so I can watch them on my Mac is not worth the money. Unless I am doing something wrong.

br0nc080 - I will sell you mine if interested. I'd be more than happy to take pics/video so you know the unit works and are comfortable with it.

I sent you a PM

 

[dawgfang]

I love mine. I can have two hd windows open at once very small and the sound only comes from the one hi-lighted. Very cool.

 

[tollboothwillie]

Slingbox does the same thing except you can watch anywhere you have internet you do not have to be connected to your network. example my wife and i are in the military she is currently deployed i bought the sling media tuner box plugged into the cable and network. her being where she is can watch all local channels where she is. the quality works off of your upload speed.

 

[br0nc080]

Slingbox does the same thing except you can watch anywhere you have internet you do not have to be connected to your network. example my wife and i are in the military she is currently deployed i bought the sling media tuner box plugged into the cable and network. her being where she is can watch all local channels where she is. the quality works off of your upload speed.

As far as I know slingbox doesn't actual do any recording of shows, it just either streams your input (analog cable or output from a cable box) or can access a dvr's recordings. I think you need a separate DVR or other way to do the actual recording, which is a nice feature to have.

I do agree though, a slingbox would be really useful if you are out of the country.

 

[jwt]

I got the Hybrid two weeks ago, and after I ran through the setup I found that the cable company was sending HBO-HD, Cinemax-HD, and Showtime-HD unencrypted for a few days. I was able to record 8 full-length movies in HD. Too bad they found the problem.

 

[PcBgone]

Sorry to bump this, but I was wandering if this could be used with DishNetwork? Im soon getting ready to fire Dish, and just go with an Antenna(we dont watch much tv anymore) but want the record feature. Will it work with Dish until I get the antenna installed?

 

[glacy31]

HDHomerunner mac - mini question

I have an older mac mini ( 1.66 GHZ Intel Core Duo
1 Gb 667 mhz mem ) and was wondering if the processor requirements were only to display the hdtv not to store it, it is used as a pure audio device and a library store..

Any help would be appreciated, I dont want to upgrade just yet ( possibly memory ) and no other computers are ALWAYS on ( I can time reboot the mini with a timer, was going to anyway. Was going to run the scheduling etc and put the shows in the itunes library to share throughout the house.