new to live tv/pvr
#1
so right now i have 40/5 DSL + phone from centurylink (i work from home so phone is necessary) and Dish Network with the 120 package, 2 tvs with shared dvr. Im paying close to $200/mo for the two. Im getting tired of paying so much and i cannot even get faster internet (40M is where they max out, no gig service in my neighborhood).

Starting looking around, and Cox is offering 150/10 internet + phone + 200 channels (including hbo, showtime, and cinemax) for $110/mo (so realistically probably $130 after taxes and fees) . Problem is that includes 1 receiver, no dvr. To add 1 dvr is $22 (2 tuner) or $ 30 for 6 tuner. I need to cover at least 2 tvs (4-5 preferred, but 2 will suffice (thats all i have with dish)).

Cable card is $1.99/mo.

My hope is to use cablecard to keep costs down, but it has to be wife and kid friendly. If they have to jump through hoops, it wont work for me.

My current setup is a windows server, running the mysql server for kodi, acting as central storage, and running sonarr/sabnzbd. It has 6TB of storage. My hope is to utilize this server as a dvr server as well, with DVR recordings going to their own folder on the 6TB hard drive, and then using a shield tv/fire sticks as clients in various rooms in the house.

I started looking into it last night, and hdhomerun seems to be the hardware to acheive this, but then i started reading issues there too regarding DRM channels (which from what i understand is every single channel except locals here).

Here are my wants:
1- would like it to tie into kodi and just be a menu option like movies/tv shows
2- when in tv mode, it should act like a stb, being able to change channels quickly, pause, rewind, record, etc
3- be able to share a single dvr library with all clients in the house, hit record in one room and be able to watch it in any other room.
4- an EPG like a stb, where i can see what is on and whats coming on, and schedule future recordings.
5- be able to watch all channels i subscribe to


Is this acheivable? In my research it seems the only way to do this is via WMC, which isnt going to work because a-all computers in the house are windows 10 and b-i dont want windows pcs as clients for WMC extenders ( i want netflix/amazon 10 ft uis, thus the shield tv/fire tv clients).

Sorry this is long winded, there just doesnt seem to be a straight forward *start here* tutorial and everything ive looked at thus far seems to present its own problems. Thanks in advance for any advice.
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#2
First things first is to find out how the local cable-co flags their channels. Generally their technical support has no idea and the only way to find out is with trial and error unfortunately.

A HDHomerun Prime will run you about $100 at the moment - might be worth the investment to find out for sure. Keep in mind that you also need a pretty decent local network (hardwired) to view the content.

in terms of applications to view the hdhomerun. there is the official here I would start there for basics then move forward. let me know if you have any questions.
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IMPORTANT:
The official Kodi version does not contain any content what so ever. This means that you should provide your own content from a local or remote storage location, DVD, Blu-Ray or any other media carrier that you own. Additionally Kodi allows you to install third-party plugins that may provide access to content that is freely available on the official content provider website. The watching or listening of illegal or pirated content which would otherwise need to be paid for is not endorsed or approved by Team Kodi.
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#3
so there is no way to know if itll work without switching and investing? Looking at Cox in Phoenix, AZ if that helps
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#4
Check dslreports if they have a local sub forum. May be best bet.
first_time_user (wiki) | free content (wiki) | forum rules (wiki) | PVR (wiki) | Debug Log (wiki)

IMPORTANT:
The official Kodi version does not contain any content what so ever. This means that you should provide your own content from a local or remote storage location, DVD, Blu-Ray or any other media carrier that you own. Additionally Kodi allows you to install third-party plugins that may provide access to content that is freely available on the official content provider website. The watching or listening of illegal or pirated content which would otherwise need to be paid for is not endorsed or approved by Team Kodi.
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#5
dslreports tells me this:

"Cox Flags everything except Local Channels.

But all this stops is copying/moving programs between devices. I can stream all channels and programs between all of my devices (Tivo) with no problems.

Specifics:
Locals are 0x00 – Copy freely
Everything else is 0x02 – Copy Once – The DVR can make a recording, but can’t transfer/Move it. But it can be streamed"
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#6
Why not just look at plasytation vue ,directtvnow or sling TV and cut the cable box out altogether. Nice feature for playstation vue is that you can use it to sign in through channel apps just like with any other cable subscription. The vue only saves your shows for 28 days but you can look at playon if you want to keep a library. Also you can set up profiles with parental controls

"Is PlayStation™Vue available on devices other than the PS4 and PS3 systems?
Yep! You can enjoy PlayStation™Vue on a variety of devices, including Amazon Fire TV devices, Roku streaming devices, and Google Chromecast devices.
 
In addition, our PlayStation™Vue Mobile experience is available on iOS and Android devices. Note: PlayStation™Vue Mobile requires an activated, TV-Connected device.
 
See more about devices and availability below.

How many devices can I stream PlayStation™Vue on at once?
A single PlayStation™Vue account can simultaneously stream PlayStation™Vue on up to one PS4 console and one PS3 console in the same home. (Note: at this time, you cannot stream on two PS4 consoles or two PS3 consoles at any given time.)
You can also use PlayStation™Vue Mobile on up to 3 iOS and Android devices, as well as PlayStation™Vue on Fire TV, Roku streaming devices, and Chromecast. Up to five total streams are supported at once!"

I would price the difference for Phone + internet bundles + PlayStation Vue Vs the triple play bundles

You should be able to get phone+ internet at the regular price of 88 dollars . Buying a router instead of renting should save you ten bucks a month in the long run plus you 20 dollar off a month for the first year with promotional pricing.

as you mentioned the bundled prices are hardly ever what you actually play.

as fars as the cox cablecard with a retail device like hdhomerun or haugepague
This is what you lose not using a cable box. however most of those ratail boxes have their own epg.

Interactive Program Guide
Can access Cox's interactive programming guide.
NO - Customers will no longer have access to Cox's interactive programming guide.
Pay-Per-View
Can purchase PPV movies using your remote control.
NO - The current CableCARD does not support interactive services.
On DEMAND
Can access On Demand.
NO - The current CableCARD does not support two-way interactive services.
OS :Android 5.1
Box: Matircom G Box AMLS812
Kodi: SPMC
Skin APPTV
Country:USA
Connection ADSL(11MPS) , Ethernet
Game Systems : Wii, PS3
Cable Provider: WOW! (Wide Open West)
Media servers (windows 10 PC) Mediaportal, Playon, Kodi

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#7
(2017-01-09, 01:47)thesuffering Wrote: dslreports tells me this:

"Cox Flags everything except Local Channels.

But all this stops is copying/moving programs between devices. I can stream all channels and programs between all of my devices (Tivo) with no problems.

Specifics:
Locals are 0x00 – Copy freely
Everything else is 0x02 – Copy Once – The DVR can make a recording, but can’t transfer/Move it. But it can be streamed"
Copy once is still considered DRM. You cannot view copy once channels without a protected pathway. Presently, the only way to view and/or record copy once channels with the Prime is with Windows Media Center. SiliconDust has even removed the ability to view DRM channels from their own Windows and Android apps, which used to support viewing them. There is no estimate when it will be reimplemented.

Therefore, you're basically screwed unless you use WMC for all of your needs. Kodi cannot view DRM feeds regardless of OS or PVR backend. Only WMC can.

TiVo hardware can do this because they are a certified protected pathway by CableLabs. That is why you can do this between TiVo hardware. You will also note, though, that you cannot pull copy once channels off a TiVo device onto your iPad for instance, but you can with copy freely channels.
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#8
(2017-01-09, 04:09)tornicade Wrote: as fars as the cox cablecard with a retail device like hdhomerun or haugepague
This is what you lose not using a cable box. however most of those ratail boxes have their own epg.

Interactive Program Guide
Can access Cox's interactive programming guide.
NO - Customers will no longer have access to Cox's interactive programming guide.
Pay-Per-View
Can purchase PPV movies using your remote control.
NO - The current CableCARD does not support interactive services.
On DEMAND
Can access On Demand.
NO - The current CableCARD does not support two-way interactive services.
While true that you lose the guide and on-demand with your box because there is no way to display them, usually cable providers have an app for Android/iOS that implements a guide and on demand, and sometimes even live streaming or download depending upon your provider.

The advantage, though, is lower fees. I am currently with Charter, and other than the price for my programming package, I have no additional feeds. I pay $2/mo for each CableCARD I have (which is 3, one for each of my Primes), and that is it. I don't pay the $10-15/mo for DVR fees, or the $10-20 for whole-home DVR fees, or the $11/mo they charge for interactive guide fees, or the $6-20/mo for box rentals. I only pay $6/mo plus the regional franchise/broadcast fees that everyone must pay.

Granted, not having access to DRM channels means no HBO/Showtime/&c. ... but I am lucky that Charter doesn't mark any regular channels with copy once flags. (I know that Comcast flags nearly all FOX owned networks with DRM, and apparently Cox marks them ALL.)

(Of course, you may want to check your information for the difference between encrypted channels versus DRM/copy-once channels. On Charter all of my channels are encrypted, meaning I need a CableCARD and subscription to even tune/view them; however, this is different from DRM/copy-once flagged channels, which in my case would mean that while I subscribe to them, I cannot tune/view them because there is no certified encrypted pathway.)
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#9
(2017-01-09, 04:09)tornicade Wrote: Why not just look at plasytation vue ,directtvnow or sling TV and cut the cable box out altogether. Nice feature for playstation vue is that you can use it to sign in through channel apps just like with any other cable subscription. The vue only saves your shows for 28 days but you can look at playon if you want to keep a library. Also you can set up profiles with parental controls

"Is PlayStation™Vue available on devices other than the PS4 and PS3 systems?
Yep! You can enjoy PlayStation™Vue on a variety of devices, including Amazon Fire TV devices, Roku streaming devices, and Google Chromecast devices.
 
In addition, our PlayStation™Vue Mobile experience is available on iOS and Android devices. Note: PlayStation™Vue Mobile requires an activated, TV-Connected device.
 
See more about devices and availability below.

How many devices can I stream PlayStation™Vue on at once?
A single PlayStation™Vue account can simultaneously stream PlayStation™Vue on up to one PS4 console and one PS3 console in the same home. (Note: at this time, you cannot stream on two PS4 consoles or two PS3 consoles at any given time.)
You can also use PlayStation™Vue Mobile on up to 3 iOS and Android devices, as well as PlayStation™Vue on Fire TV, Roku streaming devices, and Chromecast. Up to five total streams are supported at once!"

I would price the difference for Phone + internet bundles + PlayStation Vue Vs the triple play bundles

You should be able to get phone+ internet at the regular price of 88 dollars . Buying a router instead of renting should save you ten bucks a month in the long run plus you 20 dollar off a month for the first year with promotional pricing.

as you mentioned the bundled prices are hardly ever what you actually play.

as fars as the cox cablecard with a retail device like hdhomerun or haugepague
This is what you lose not using a cable box. however most of those ratail boxes have their own epg.

Interactive Program Guide
Can access Cox's interactive programming guide.
NO - Customers will no longer have access to Cox's interactive programming guide.
Pay-Per-View
Can purchase PPV movies using your remote control.
NO - The current CableCARD does not support interactive services.
On DEMAND
Can access On Demand.
NO - The current CableCARD does not support two-way interactive services.

sling-not enough channels i want
playstation vue- only live local is fox and spanish in phoenix, abc/nbc/cbs are on demand only, screw that and i dont want to deal with ota and some kind of pvr just for locals. has to be family/wife friendly and switching all over the place doesnt work. also no viacom channels with ps vue
direct tv now- no locals besides fox and spanish. No dvr

Trust me ive looked into going those routes.
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#10
(2017-01-09, 04:24)rpcameron Wrote:
(2017-01-09, 01:47)thesuffering Wrote: dslreports tells me this:

"Cox Flags everything except Local Channels.

But all this stops is copying/moving programs between devices. I can stream all channels and programs between all of my devices (Tivo) with no problems.

Specifics:
Locals are 0x00 – Copy freely
Everything else is 0x02 – Copy Once – The DVR can make a recording, but can’t transfer/Move it. But it can be streamed"
Copy once is still considered DRM. You cannot view copy once channels without a protected pathway. Presently, the only way to view and/or record copy once channels with the Prime is with Windows Media Center. SiliconDust has even removed the ability to view DRM channels from their own Windows and Android apps, which used to support viewing them. There is no estimate when it will be reimplemented.

Therefore, you're basically screwed unless you use WMC for all of your needs. Kodi cannot view DRM feeds regardless of OS or PVR backend. Only WMC can.

TiVo hardware can do this because they are a certified protected pathway by CableLabs. That is why you can do this between TiVo hardware. You will also note, though, that you cannot pull copy once channels off a TiVo device onto your iPad for instance, but you can with copy freely channels.

ya this is what worried me, though hopefully Silicon Dust can figure out a DRM solution for their DVR software. From what Im reading they are working on it. Fingers crossed because going with WMC just isnt going to work for what i want to do. How can it be 2017 and its still such a PITA to have one device to achieve everything? ugh
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#11
(2017-01-09, 05:28)thesuffering Wrote:
(2017-01-09, 04:24)rpcameron Wrote:
(2017-01-09, 01:47)thesuffering Wrote: dslreports tells me this:

"Cox Flags everything except Local Channels.

But all this stops is copying/moving programs between devices. I can stream all channels and programs between all of my devices (Tivo) with no problems.

Specifics:
Locals are 0x00 – Copy freely
Everything else is 0x02 – Copy Once – The DVR can make a recording, but can’t transfer/Move it. But it can be streamed"
Copy once is still considered DRM. You cannot view copy once channels without a protected pathway. Presently, the only way to view and/or record copy once channels with the Prime is with Windows Media Center. SiliconDust has even removed the ability to view DRM channels from their own Windows and Android apps, which used to support viewing them. There is no estimate when it will be reimplemented.

Therefore, you're basically screwed unless you use WMC for all of your needs. Kodi cannot view DRM feeds regardless of OS or PVR backend. Only WMC can.

TiVo hardware can do this because they are a certified protected pathway by CableLabs. That is why you can do this between TiVo hardware. You will also note, though, that you cannot pull copy once channels off a TiVo device onto your iPad for instance, but you can with copy freely channels.

ya this is what worried me, though hopefully Silicon Dust can figure out a DRM solution for their DVR software. From what Im reading they are working on it. Fingers crossed because going with WMC just isnt going to work for what i want to do. How can it be 2017 and its still such a PITA to have one device to achieve everything? ugh

I wouldn't put my hope in SD and their DVR. It was supposed to be released in Oct 2015. It's over one year overdue and still in beta. Add to that the removal of features (such as DRM viewing in their Android app), and I would steer clear of their promises.
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#12
Ugh. So glad my FiOS plan is wide open. I had cablevision and they would randomly encrypt channels depending on the day and program. So annoying to deal with.
first_time_user (wiki) | free content (wiki) | forum rules (wiki) | PVR (wiki) | Debug Log (wiki)

IMPORTANT:
The official Kodi version does not contain any content what so ever. This means that you should provide your own content from a local or remote storage location, DVD, Blu-Ray or any other media carrier that you own. Additionally Kodi allows you to install third-party plugins that may provide access to content that is freely available on the official content provider website. The watching or listening of illegal or pirated content which would otherwise need to be paid for is not endorsed or approved by Team Kodi.
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