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HDHomerun Prime Owners Thread - Page 38

post #1111 of 1467
2/18/13 at 3:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxbat121 View Post

No, since he is going to remove the cablebox and save another splitter, the segment of the coax that goes into that TV location will be disconnected from the rest and can be used as direct connect for MoCA. If you want to inject MoCA into CATV coax network, you will need a MoCA fiter to prevent the MoCA signal getting back to the cable provider. But a disconnected coax cable doesn't have any of these problems.

I've not gone down the road of an "extender" yet so it is all new to me. I know there is info here on AVS but HoleeSheet I don't I will live long enough to read it all.
As related to Xbox I found this on Ebay:

Xbox 360 $99.00

In brief, how does it hook up and what is used to view TV and start/view recordings?

I can build another HTPC if that makes life simpler.
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post #1112 of 1467
2/18/13 at 3:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by WaterBoyz View Post

Off Topic somewhat....

The Guide in WMC will have errors.
The channel number will be right.
The channel logo will be right.
The actual program I'm watching will be right.
BUT
The description will be wrong. Both in the little rectangle box and when I click on the "info" button.

I download the Guide from the Task menu and that appears to fix it.

What is happening?
Is that normal?

As a continuing of that post:

Real world example of my problem.
Watching the movie "Missing Baby" on the HD channel. The guide matches and the info matches. All is good.
Move up one position in the guide to the same "Missing Baby" movie but in SD. The info matches the movie. The guide matches the movie.

BUT

I'm actually watching ESPN. Not the movie.

WTH ? ? ?

I've downloaded the guide again using Task in WMC.
I've restarted WMC.
Problem still there.

My signal level issues are on the back burner until I get this fixed and says fixed.

Thanks in Advance...........
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post #1113 of 1467
2/18/13 at 3:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by WaterBoyz View Post

I've not gone down the road of an "extender" yet so it is all new to me. I know there is info here on AVS but HoleeSheet I don't I will live long enough to read it all.
As related to Xbox I found this on Ebay:

Xbox 360 $99.00

In brief, how does it hook up and what is used to view TV and start/view recordings?

I can build another HTPC if that makes life simpler.

Actually an extender makes life much simpler than HTPC. With Extenders, you will need ONE PC that runs WMC and do the recording. That PC will be your whole house DVR (of course, you need Tuner Salad tool in order for WMC to see more than 4 tuners out of your two Primes). All extenders connect to that PC via your home network (don't use wifi as it won't work reliable enough). You can have up to 6 extenders (or maybe 10) all connected to one PC. You will see virtually the same UI as WMC on the PC from the extender. You can view the recordings, live TVs and schedule recordings from any of your extenders or the WMC PCs. Everything is shared. You can't do that with HTPC.

I run 3 Xbox 360s here and on all my TVs.

If you are lucky, you can find new Xboxes around $100.
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post #1114 of 1467
2/18/13 at 3:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by WaterBoyz View Post

As a continuing of that post:

Real world example of my problem.
Watching the movie "Missing Baby" on the HD channel. The guide matches and the info matches. All is good.
Move up one position in the guide to the same "Missing Baby" movie but in SD. The info matches the movie. The guide matches the movie.

BUT

I'm actually watching ESPN. Not the movie.

WTH ? ? ?

I've downloaded the guide again using Task in WMC.
I've restarted WMC.
Problem still there.

My signal level issues are on the back burner until I get this fixed and says fixed.

Thanks in Advance...........

When you setup WMC TV tuners, make sure you put in the correct zip code there. For the same provider, different locations have different line ups. Also make sure you updated to the latest Prime release firmware (just released recently) as it fixed some of these channel line up problems).
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post #1115 of 1467
2/18/13 at 4:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxbat121 View Post

Actually an extender makes life much simpler than HTPC. With Extenders, you will need ONE PC that runs WMC and do the recording. That PC will be your whole house DVR (of course, you need Tuner Salad Yep, did that tool in order for WMC to see more than 4 tuners out of your two Primes). All extenders connect to that PC via your home network (don't use wifi as it won't work reliable enough). You can have up to 6 extenders (or maybe 10) all connected to one PC. You will see virtually the same UI as WMC on the PC from the extender. You can view the recordings, live TVs and schedule recordings from any of your extenders or the WMC PCs. Everything is shared. You can't do that with HTPC.

I run 3 Xbox 360s here and on all my TVs.

If you are lucky, you can find new Xboxes around $100.

Ok, sold me on the Xbox 360.
Strolled thru Ebay and found a bunch.
Looks like there are different models and styles and generations of them.
What should I be looking for?
What should I be avoiding?
I did read that some had power issues of some kind.

Anyway, I'm guessing that the Xbox hooks into the Ethernet network and connects to the TV.
What is the generally accepted human input device?
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post #1116 of 1467
2/18/13 at 4:38pm
Ideally, you should get a Xbox Slim. That is the latest version and is much quieter and sips less power than older ones. The first two generations are prone to heat related failure (RROD) and sound like a vacuum machine. The 3rd generation is great as well but you can't tell it apart from the older gens easily because they look exactly the same.

A universal remote like Harmony will do or any Windows Media Center remote. That;s why it will make your life much easier because you can't use HTPC without keyboard and mouse until you enter into WMC app.

Also, unlike use multiple HTPC, multiple extenders can share single tuner as well if they watch the same channel. WMC, when you let it to do the job, can use tuners much more efficiently.
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post #1117 of 1467
2/18/13 at 8:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxbat121 View Post

Ideally, you should get a Xbox Slim. That is the latest version and is much quieter and sips less power than older ones. The first two generations are prone to heat related failure (RROD) and sound like a vacuum machine. The 3rd generation is great as well but you can't tell it apart from the older gens easily because they look exactly the same.

A universal remote like Harmony will do or any Windows Media Center remote. That;s why it will make your life much easier because you can't use HTPC without keyboard and mouse until you enter into WMC app.

Also, unlike use multiple HTPC, multiple extenders can share single tuner as well if they watch the same channel. WMC, when you let it to do the job, can use tuners much more efficiently.

Thanks for the info.

My checkbook says that the Xbox Slim will not be considered.
Gonna have to locate a less expensive version.
This unit is in the bedroom and only gets used in the morning get-ready time (maybe) and the go-to-sleep time so not much usage compared to the main unit in the living room.
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post #1118 of 1467
2/18/13 at 9:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxbat121 View Post

When you setup WMC TV tuners, make sure you put in the correct zip code there. For the same provider, different locations have different line ups. Also make sure you updated to the latest Prime release firmware (just released recently) as it fixed some of these channel line up problems).

Both of my Primes are running the current release of 20130117.

I re-did the setup and it had the correct zip code but I went on with it anyway.

Media Browser shows the correct city.

I downloaded the Guide again to be sure.

I'm still getting ESPN on the "Missing Baby" SD movie channel

Now what?.
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post #1119 of 1467
2/19/13 at 4:18am
Go to http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/ and verify the guide data there using your zipcode.
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post #1120 of 1467
2/19/13 at 5:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by WaterBoyz View Post

Thanks for the info.

My checkbook says that the Xbox Slim will not be considered.
Gonna have to locate a less expensive version.
This unit is in the bedroom and only gets used in the morning get-ready time (maybe) and the go-to-sleep time so not much usage compared to the main unit in the living room.

Like I said, you may get a brand new Xbox Slim in stores for around $100 or so from time to time. If that is still too much for you, there are plenty of old Dlink or Linksys WMC extenders on eBay. They are slower than Xbox but should work fine as long as you are not using Windows 8. Those typically sell < $100.
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post #1121 of 1467
2/19/13 at 7:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sammy2 View Post

Go to http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/ and verify the guide data there using your zipcode.

The TV Listings allows me to enter my zip AND gives me options for which Comcast area I'm in.
I select the "Comcast Atlanta" and the listings it gives me matches my WMC guide as to the channel line up that I'm focused on. Which is channel 202 is listed as "Missing Baby" movie but what I'm watching is ESPN.

I go back to the online TV Listing and select the other Comcast which matches my exact area which is "Bartow/Forsyth". The zip code stays the same.

BINGO

Channel 202 in the online TV Listing shows channel 202 as ESPN. Which is what I'm actually seeing.

During the WMC TV setup, I can enter my zip code and the next screen lists various cable companies and it only has one Comcast which is "Comcast Atlanta" and not the one I need for my exact locale.

Now What?
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post #1122 of 1467
2/19/13 at 7:18am
You can try a nearby zip code that only served by Comcast Bartow/Forsyth, not by Comcast Atlanta. It is probably a rare case for two different providers serve in the same zip code and WMC listing is not up to date. But getting any fix from Microsoft for WMC is almost impossible.
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post #1123 of 1467
2/19/13 at 7:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxbat121 View Post

You can try a nearby zip code that only served by Comcast Bartow/Forsyth, not by Comcast Atlanta. It is probably a rare case for two different providers serve in the same zip code and WMC listing is not up to date. But getting any fix from Microsoft for WMC is almost impossible.

This is what I was going to recommend next if your results were as described. Try this.
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post #1124 of 1467
2/19/13 at 8:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxbat121 View Post

Like I said, you may get a brand new Xbox Slim in stores for around $100 or so from time to time. If that is still too much for you, there are plenty of old Dlink or Linksys WMC extenders on eBay. They are slower than Xbox but should work fine as long as you are not using Windows 8. Those typically sell < $100.

My first look around for the Slim was too much.
I guess I need to read more.

Didn't know about Dlink or Linksys.

I'm using W7.

Thanks
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post #1125 of 1467
2/19/13 at 8:13am
The echo works well for me but may be out of your price range for sure.
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post #1126 of 1467
2/19/13 at 9:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxbat121 View Post

Like I said, you may get a brand new Xbox Slim in stores for around $100 or so from time to time. If that is still too much for you, there are plenty of old Dlink or Linksys WMC extenders on eBay. They are slower than Xbox but should work fine as long as you are not using Windows 8. Those typically sell < $100.

I've never seen the 4GB slim go that cheap on sale, best is around $130-140. However craigslist is another good option, should be able to get a banned or broken DVD drive slim for less than $100. Might not play games but works fine as an extender.
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post #1127 of 1467
2/19/13 at 10:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sammy2 View Post

The echo works well for me but may be out of your price range for sure.

Currently, that is too much money for less functionality than Xbox Slim. Until Ceton can fix all the issues, I would not recommend it to anyone.

You should be able to find some Linksys WMC extenders on eBay:
Linksys DMA 2100
Linksys DMA 2200

DLink version is rare.


If you ever plan to upgrade your main PC to Windows 8 in the future, currently only Xbox 360 will work. The Linksys and Dlink extenders are discountinued long time ago and hence won't be updated anymore.
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post #1128 of 1467
2/19/13 at 10:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxbat121 View Post

Currently, that is too much money for less functionality than Xbox Slim. Until Ceton can fix all the issues, I would not recommend it to anyone.

You should be able to find some Linksys WMC extenders on eBay:
Linksys DMA 2100
Linksys DMA 2200

DLink version is rare.


If you ever plan to upgrade your main PC to Windows 8 in the future, currently only Xbox 360 will work. The Linksys and Dlink extenders are discountinued long time ago and hence won't be updated anymore.

I have pretty good playback of Live/Recorded TV which is the OP's desire. I get playback of quite a few mkv's too, but yeah when the bitrate exceeds something around 12Mbps or maybe if it contains subtitles it stumbles.. but I am even using mine with a wireless bridge now with no problems.

I give you that a used or banned slim is probably going to be cheaper but I really like the SFF of the echo.
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post #1129 of 1467
2/19/13 at 3:59pm
Is the HD Homerun Prime, on Windows 8, with WMC stable enough to fully replace my DVR from the cable company?
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post #1130 of 1467
2/19/13 at 4:00pm
Yes.
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post #1131 of 1467
2/19/13 at 4:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GrantMeThePower View Post

Is the HD Homerun Prime, on Windows 8, with WMC stable enough to fully replace my DVR from the cable company?

Win8, not so much. There are plenty of unhappy Windows 8 users on Silicondust forums. Personally, I have two Win8 WMC PC and none of them are stable enough (can't locate the tuners) for daily use. My trusty Win7 PC has been quite problem free for over a year now.
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post #1132 of 1467
2/19/13 at 4:51pm
I thought it was stable in Win8.. My bad. Another reason to use Win7 it would seem.
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post #1133 of 1467
2/19/13 at 5:29pm
I use my Prime on 5 different Windows 8 computers, all of them work great. No issues at all.
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post #1134 of 1467
2/19/13 at 8:38pm
I'm running Win8 WMC at 720p to feed an older Samsung LCD. Aside from having to use a third party program to get WMC to auto launch it's pretty trouble free. This is on an Acer Revo 3610 (Atom 330 processor, nVidia ION graphics). For the most part Metro apps don't run at 720p but WMC is fine.
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post #1135 of 1467
2/20/13 at 8:19am
Folks on TGB say that Xboxes seem snappier on 8MC, but given all the other issues and the way too expensive Win8 Pro requirement now I don't see much point to using anything other than 7MC. Pretty sad, we'll have to hope that someone else will develop a DVR package that includes protected content support or we're going to get screwed eventually by MS.
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post #1136 of 1467
2/20/13 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxbat121 View Post

Win8, not so much. There are plenty of unhappy Windows 8 users on Silicondust forums. Personally, I have two Win8 WMC PC and none of them are stable enough (can't locate the tuners) for daily use. My trusty Win7 PC has been quite problem free for over a year now.

Ok...thank you.

Is there any downside to WIn 7 at all?

What about issues with hibernation/sleep/stanby/etc and resuming automatically to record ?

My old XP machine could NEVER do it properly and that is important to me...
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post #1137 of 1467
2/20/13 at 12:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GrantMeThePower View Post

Ok...thank you.

Is there any downside to WIn 7 at all?

What about issues with hibernation/sleep/stanby/etc and resuming automatically to record ?

My old XP machine could NEVER do it properly and that is important to me...

Win7 is quite stable at this time. Hibernation is not going to work. S3 sleep works fine but it is highly dependent on your machine (BIOS, drivers etc). My main PC always sleeps when I'm not using it. There is zero problem with sleep and wake up. Then again, my old XP PCs can sleep and wake up fine as well. I consider any PC that can't sleep and wakeup as broken.
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post #1138 of 1467
2/20/13 at 12:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxbat121 View Post

Win7 is quite stable at this time. Hibernation is not going to work. S3 sleep works fine but it is highly dependent on your machine (BIOS, drivers etc). My main PC always sleeps when I'm not using it. There is zero problem with sleep and wake up. Then again, my old XP PCs can sleep and wake up fine as well. I consider any PC that can't sleep and wakeup as broken.

My issue wasn't with going to sleep and coming back...it was that if it went to sleep it wouldn't wake up on its own to record a show, then go back to sleep. I had to leave the computer fully powered up 24/7 for the DVR to work.

Is that how it is with the HDHomerun and Win7 still?
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post #1139 of 1467
2/20/13 at 12:53pm
WMC on Windows 7 is light years better than what's on XP. Yes, the PC wakes up roughly a minute before the scheduled recording to prepare for recording. After it finished recording, it will then go into sleep again based on your power settings. That part has been working quite reliably well for me for over a year now. As I posted earlier that I'm using Xbox 360s exclusively on my TVs, the Xbox 360 can even send magic packet to wake up my PC.
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post #1140 of 1467
2/21/13 at 9:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxbat121 View Post

WMC on Windows 7 is light years better than what's on XP. Yes, the PC wakes up roughly a minute before the scheduled recording to prepare for recording. After it finished recording, it will then go into sleep again based on your power settings. That part has been working quite reliably well for me for over a year now. As I posted earlier that I'm using Xbox 360s exclusively on my TVs, the Xbox 360 can even send magic packet to wake up my PC.

Hummmm
Another one of my "next steps" to do.
Does your W7 sleep based on WMC or somewhere inside W7 or a BIOS setting?
Is it natural for the Xbox to waken the W7 or is there a "setting" somewhere?
I would guess that a movement on the MC Remote will also waken the PC?

I'm not worried about the kilowatt consumption of the HTPC it is just the my Supervisor is starting to focus on the blinking lights.
Yea, I know, grey duck tape will fix that.
Like the old days of black tape over the blinking 12:00 on VCRs.

Back to the Xbox Slim, I've trolled thru Craig's List and found some for less than $150.
What should I be looking for or avoiding?
Quote:
$120.00 I'm selling a Microsoft Microsoft Xbox Slim ( 32GB) Black Console with Wireless controller, A/V, Power cables and an HDMI cable. System is in great working condition and great cosmetic condition. It has been updated to the latest Xbox Live dashboard, and it is Xbox Live/Kinect ready.
Or...
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xbox 360 slim w/hdmi/power cord great condition 4 gb - $85
Or...
Quote:
Cheap Xbox 360 - $75 (Atlanta)
I have the new xbox 360 slim. Will come with Black Ops 2, 2 controllers, 200+ gb hard drive. I no longer have time to play due to school and multiple jobs
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