[zefox]

I've been mostly out of the picture for several years, so I need to catch up!

My requirements (deal breaker if I can't have ALL of those):

• All the classic Android apps (Google Play, VUDU, Amazon, etc)
  
• ATSC Channels
  
• Local media streaming, including files sitting on some network drives (SMB)
  

I don't really need 4K or DVR ability for now...

Here are the 2 solutions I think I found:

1) nVidia Shield + HDHomeRun CONNECT
+ Has 2 ATSC tuners
+ Ability to view the ATSC channels on my PCs (DLNA streaming with the HDHomeRun CONNECT, but is the Shield able to play DLNA? Or would I have to get a HDHomeRun EXTEND instead of the CONNECT?)
+ Ability to act as a real media server (flex on the Shield)
- Cost would be at least $300 ($200 for the Shield + $100 for the HDHomeRun), way more if I get the Shield Pro and/or if I need the HDHomeRun EXTEND

2) Skystream ONE
+ Cost is $150
- Has only 1 ATSC tuner
- Can only view the ATSC channels on the TV connected to the box (or would the SkyStram be able to stream the ATSC channels to, say, a PC?)

What do you think?
Am I right in my assumptions?
Are there other better solutions?
If not, what other plus/minus am I missing in those 2 options?

Thanks

[wrxtasy]

Erm...unless the HDHomeRun Connect transcodes or deinterlaces itself to output progressive Tv streams, be aware
(From the Sticky START HERE thread.....)

Q. I want a Kodi box with quality deinterlacing for Live TV viewing from my backend server or HDHomeRun ?

In order of video quality and device speed:

• Intel boxes like the Chromebox, Cherry trails, Braswells, NUC's
  
• All AMLogic devices like the ODROID C2, WeTek's Hub and Core and the MINIX U1 that all have dedicated deinterlacing Hardware.
  
• The RPi3 that uses high quality Hybrid CPU/GPU software deinterlacing.
  
• Avoid - unless fixed - nVIDIA Shield and the FireTV's and the older Google Nexus Player.
  

And then you should read from here onwards as well:
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=...pid2411826

So you need to work out if this deinterlacing problem is going to apply to you.

We have no idea about the Skystream ONE, never heard of this box and that is not good a good thing for after sales support of a box running Kodi.

But we do know the recently released Play2 from the well known Kodi Sponsor WeTek allows you to use 1 ATSC tuner and run LibreELEC Kodi and the TvHeadend server to feed other devices in the house with Networked TV streams.

In the end a RPi + a Hard Drive + ATSC Dual Tuner running LibreELEC Kodi + TvHeadend, connected to a home Network would be a far more flexible, cheap TV server.

Personally I would stay away from Android boxes, for TV deinterlacing + viewing unless you get a decently supported AMLogic Android device running Kodi Jarvis only.

[wesk05]

There seem to be some misunderstanding about the deinterlacing issue with nVIDIA Shield 3.2 update. The Shield has no issue with interlaced MPEG-2 TS which is what ATSC streams will be. The problem is with H.264 50i streams that you will find in countries outside the U.S.

I understand that nVIDIA has been sitting on this issue for almost 3 months now and I personally don't think it is acceptable. The Shield is available officially in the UK, France, Germany and the Nordic countries. For users in these countries this issue has basically rendered watching Live TV on the Shield useless. In my opinion, nVIDIA should have fixed this issue sooner. Just my 2 cents...

[zefox]

I used to run a highly customized solution with a HTPC and I'm not going that way anymore, too much of a hassle to maintain, things get broken over time very quickly (usually when I'm on a business trip or whatever and the wife is stuck with nothing). Not that I don't like the idea of playing with a RPi with my son, but not for the main living room TV...

Regarding the interlacing, yes I'm in the US so I wouldn't have that 50i issue with the Shield I guess. All Over The Air channels where I am are HD anyway as far as I know, so they wouldn't be interlaced would they (sorry for the newbie question)?
I'm still curious as to what would be the difference of quality using a HDHomeRun CONNECT (pure DLNA) vs EXTEND (transcoding)?
Regarding the Skystream ONE, I don't know, it seems to have good reviews but it was released this year so I don't know how much experience people have with it. It's all in one but can't figure out if it can stream to other stuff on the network or if it's just for whatever TV you connect the HDMI to.

As an added bonus, I wonder if I could stick another HDHomeRun EXTEND into my other home network in Europe and stream the European channels through my IPSec Tunnel to my main US home. But that's a different story...

[wesk05]

Regarding the interlacing, yes I'm in the US so I wouldn't have that 50i issue with the Shield I guess. All Over The Air channels where I am are HD anyway as far as I know, so they wouldn't be interlaced would they (sorry for the newbie question)?
I'm still curious as to what would be the difference of quality using a HDHomeRun CONNECT (pure DLNA) vs EXTEND (transcoding)?

Regarding the Skystream ONE, I don't know, it seems to have good reviews but it was released this year so I don't know how much experience people have with it. It's all in one but can't figure out if it can stream to other stuff on the network or if it's just for whatever TV you connect the HDMI to.

As an added bonus, I wonder if I could stick another HDHomeRun EXTEND into my other home network in Europe and stream the European channels through my IPSec Tunnel to my main US home. But that's a different story...

You will have a mix of 720p (ABC, Fox, ION) and 1080i (CBS, PBS, NBC) broadcast channels.

I do have the HDHomeRun Extend (old version), but it is not something that I use regularly. I haven't compared the quality of native vs transcoded stream. I have only tested it with the native streams.

From the description it is quite clear that the Skystream ONE comes installed with illegal/piracy promoting add-ons. There is no other way that you can stream blockbuster movies for free. I believe there was discussion on this particular box before.

Theoretically speaking you should be able to stream through your IPSec tunnel, but I have no experience with that.

[Tinwarble]

I understand that nVIDIA has been sitting on this issue for almost 3 months now and I personally don't think it is acceptable. The Shield is available officially in the UK, France, Germany and the Nordic countries. For users in these countries this issue has basically rendered watching Live TV on the Shield useless. In my opinion, nVIDIA should have fixed this issue sooner. Just my 2 cents...

Well, it's not as simple as that. From what I was able to pry out of them, they are "doing something different" with respect to how interlaced content is handled, though I can't say more than that since they didn't go into details.

[Ned Scott]

I'm sure all 20 EU live TV users that use the Shield TV are very upset about that.

To answer OP's question, get the HDHomeRun option. You'll pay a little more, but it's really worth it. You'll have an excellent network tuner that should outlast the actual TV box itself and works with almost any video player. If you're worried about the interlacing thing, get the Extend model which will transcode, but I wouldn't worry about it with a Shield.

[zefox]

To answer OP's question, get the HDHomeRun option. You'll pay a little more, but it's really worth it. You'll have an excellent network tuner that should outlast the actual TV box itself and works with almost any video player. If you're worried about the interlacing thing, get the Extend model which will transcode, but I wouldn't worry about it with a Shield.

Yes regarding the HDHomeRun I think I'm almost ready to order it, but two more questions:

1. Does the EXTEND stream both the DLNA/Mpeg2 and the H264 transcoded signal, or is only the CONNECT streaming the native DLNA/Mpeg2 one?
   
2. How much bandwidth does the H264 transcoded signal eats? (I believe the native DLNA/Mpeg2 is about 15Mbps, right?)
   

Regarding the Shield, I'm still a bit unsure, it's tempting though but maybe not 100% perfect (well, nothing is...)

[wrxtasy]

Be aware, you need Amazon FireTV's if you want a Amazon Prime 1080/2160p streaming App with full support.
Android TV on the nVIDIA Shield comes from Google, Amazon's direct competitor, so no HD Amazon Prime on the Shield.

[Tinwarble]

Regarding the Shield, I'm still a bit unsure, it's tempting though but maybe not 100% perfect (well, nothing is...)

Your right, nothing is 100% perfect. However, one thing that will make the Shield more appealing is that it will get a Android 7.0 update (at some point) and will be one of the first devices to do so.

What makes it more appealing with Android 7.0 (Nougat) is that it will bring native support for USB tuners and will have built-in DVR features, in supported apps.

Be aware, you need Amazon FireTV's if you want a Amazon Prime 1080/2160p streaming App with full support.
Android TV on the nVIDIA Shield comes from Google, Amazon's direct competitor, so no HD Amazon Prime on the Shield.

Actually, sideloading the Amazon Prime app from Sony TVs works just fine for at least 1080p streaming.

https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic...g-mostly-/

Also, sideloading the Twitter Live app from the Fire TV works just like a native Android TV app, if you want to live stream something like Thrusday night NFL. https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic...n-shield-/

[wrxtasy]

What makes it more appealing with Android 7.0 (Nougat) is that it will bring native support for USB tuners and will have built-in DVR features, in supported apps.

Tuner and deinterlacing support Worldwide or just for you ATSC - Septics in the land of the Free ?

[wesk05]

I'm sure all 20 EU live TV users that use the Shield TV are very upset about that.

Here:

That is 24 users on the Shield forum who have reported this deinterlace issue in one thread alone. 4 more than what you said

[wesk05]

Does the EXTEND stream both the DLNA/Mpeg2 and the H264 transcoded signal, or is only the CONNECT streaming the native DLNA/Mpeg2 one?

It streams both, but I think it is only format at a time. I could be wrong about this. I will have to check.

[Tinwarble]

Tuner and deinterlacing support Worldwide or just for you ATSC - Septics in the land of the Free ?

Deinterlacing should be what ever the device supports, but as for tuners, that's an unanswerable question until something other than the Nexus Player actually gets a Nougat update.

[wrxtasy]

Actually, sideloading the Amazon Prime app from Sony TVs works just fine for at least 1080p streaming.

How is Dolby Digital 5.1/7.1 Audio handled in this "tweaked" for Shield - Amazon Prime App ?