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skeeto2010 · (This post was last modified: 2011-07-21, 06:05 by skeeto2010.)

Hello everyone,

I've combed the forums looking for any recent news pertaining to the HDhomerun as a potential backend to the PVR project. I am currently running XBMC Live 10.0 on a revo 1600 and I'm looking to incorporate Live TV into my already awesome XBMC experience. It's been a bit of a crash course for in the rapid development of this branch.

Is QAM/ATSC HDhomerun a feasible backend? What would be a better option for a front end with support in XBMC? TVHeadend, MythTV? Forgive my ignorance if this has been covered elsewhere. If it has and I missed it, would someone mind pointing me in the direction of a forum that covers it fully? I appreciate all your help.

Rob

rdoac · 2011-07-21, 14:07

The HDHomerun is a network tuner. Although you can get it working in XBMC with a playlist, to use it with the pvr functions, you'll need to incoroporate it into a backend. Either MythTV or VDR (and probably others) will work with the hdhomerun. MythTV may be easier to install out of the box, but the addon isn't quite there yet, so VDR is probably the way to go at the moment.

You'll need to follow one of the VDR guides, but also install the vdr-hdhomerun plugin. This will then use any hdhomeruns as though they were local tuners. The atscepg plugin will allow you to do channel scans.

Kirky99 · 2011-07-21, 16:17

As stated above, it's not a backend, it's a tuner... It does work with mediaportal tv-server as well. Actually very well...

I don't think you want to run the tv-server on your HTPC though. I doubt the Revo has the juice necessary to keep the server running well and display the content.

skeeto2010 · 2011-07-21, 21:43

Noted, thank you for clearing this up. I realize that trying to stay current on this development is like trying to hit a moving target. Part of the problem for me is the sheer number of ways to approch getting started.

As I mentioned before, I am running Live on a revo 1600. Is the newest Live build equipped with PVR or Live TV support? You mentioned the revo being a bit underpowered to handle running the backend as well as the front end. Do you have any good resources for specs on an tv-server that will be able to work with live? I feel pretty confident I could build something if need be. Also, I have a NAS so storage isn't a concern either.

Again, thanks for the help.

ant_thomas · 2011-07-21, 23:34

If you already have USB tuners it's worth giving it a go on your Revo.

My TV Server has an AMD Sempron 2500+ CPU, so nothing great, and it used to be have an AMD Duron 700 CPU and that managed the backend alright too.

Kirky99 · 2011-07-22, 02:46

You may have better luck under Linux. I had Team-Mediaportal TV server running on a Atom 330 w/ 4G memory (win7 x64) and watching one show would send the a CPU to 100%. I never really tried to record one and watch one, etc. My plan was 4 HD Homeruns and that wasnt going to happen.

Running everything now on an Athlon II X4 and barely hit 30%.

So, somewhere in between. I'd go for a couple cores at least. I think you can get a triple core 65w CPU fairly cheap.

skeeto2010 · 2011-07-22, 03:49

I see. I actually don't have a tuner yet so I guess you could say I'm starting from scratch on this. would a revo 3700 have the horsepower to be both back and front end?

Does anyone have any good experiences with ATSC/QAM usb tuners? Obv with a revo, this or a network tuner would be my only options. I hope I'm not limiting myself, but at this point I'm prety comfortable with this machine. Does anyone have any examble frontend/backend setups that are working for them?

Rob

Kirky99 · 2011-07-22, 04:53

What exactly are you wanting to do? Timeshifting, DVR, etc, or just watch Live TV.

If you're just wanting to do Live TV, the Homerun might be your best bet. Once you want to start manipulating those streams, that's where the Atom went belly up for me anyway.

What/where are you going to store those streams? I have an Asus 1501p machine (similar to the Revo 3610) and the hard drive in there was not hardy enough to do the work I think you would require on a "real" TV server. Once I started storing the recordings on the file server it helped, but CPU was still pegged most of the time.

XBMC PVR is still in flux, so anything and everything could change... And that's how I'm approaching it right now.

skeeto2010 · 2011-07-22, 21:51

Well, Live TV is priority one but I would also like the capability of PVR. Does the XBMC interface with HDHomerun include channel listings, etc? I believe that would suffice for the time being until some of the kinks of XBMC PVR are worked out.

Kirky99 · (This post was last modified: 2011-07-23, 02:30 by Kirky99.)

Channel listings would appear much like your movies do. The way I had mine setup was a list of STRM files; channel name and tuning info. When used that way, there's no EPG, no pause, no fast forward, no recordings, etc.. If you have multiple clients, it's possible that you steal each other's tuners, etc.

The backend handles all that stuff. If you want DVR type capability, THAT is what the PVR branch is trying to accomplish. PVR includes client functionality along with a unified "API" of sorts to interface with any one of the many backend servers out there. VDR, TVHeadend, MediaPortal, etc. In laymans terms of course... The backend consolidates all the tuners you have, the EPG data for each channel on each tuner, what tuners are available to record, or can be served up to a client for Live TV, etc. XBMC would make the request for channel 30 for example to the backend, and the backend needs to figure out which tuner to give up to the client.

But JUST Live TV, you don't even need the PVR version of XBMC if you use a HD Homerun...

skeeto2010 · 2011-07-23, 04:08

Are most people who are interested in pursuing PVR using separate machines to run their backend? Of course Live TV interests me but I'd like to be able to plan for the future and get the most value for the money. I'd hate to buy an HDHomerun and then find out that I should probably have waited and set up a separate machine to run a backend and have PVR capability (along with Live TV). I appreceate everyone's input here.

Kirky99 · (This post was last modified: 2011-07-23, 10:21 by Kirky99.)

My guess is its probably a 50/50 split. Anyone with their media centrally located on a file server would probably try throw a PVR backend on there. Those running a NAS are going to probably have difficulty.

I see a lot of people running high powered clients that play content, but also store media, gaming, etc.

My setup is a low power file server with three clients. Two clients are Atom/ION based clients, and when I decided to go PVR I built a third client that is overpowered to take on the TV server role. Reason being the file server can't handle the TV backend (CPU is doing software raid). It's also Linux, and l'm too old/stupid to want to struggle through setting up my tuners (Requires me to build kernels, etc). Windows makes it easy for me with my tuners, and Team Mediaportal TV Server does what I need and is a capable backend. When I built the third client, I also went diskless (OpenELEC) on the other two clients.

If I were to advise anyone just starting out, I would suggest to start with a low power client, but plan on a mid power backend soon. Plan on that backend being your NAS, download client if you do that, SQL server for a centralized library database, as well as your TV server if you plan on implementing PVR. I like having all the noise/heat/etc away from the TV. OS choices are another debate, I say use what you're comfortable with.

Going with a HD Homerun wouldn't be throwing money away right now though. To the contrary, it can be used standalone or with a TV backend. Im not sure how one would use an internal tuner (or USB tuner) without a TV server within XBMC. But I never tried either.

ant_thomas · 2011-07-23, 16:26

In my case my backend is a separate system due to where my satellite is. It also means that you don't need to have a satellite cables in the room you want your frontend. For me my backend is in the attic.

Kirky99 · 2011-07-23, 23:23

True, I forgot about that. Depending on the need, your backend could be all over the house.

For the above, I'm assuming that they need a IR Blaster to change the channels on the satellite receiver. If that's your case, your "server" would tend to be closer to your receivers, which may not be near a TV.

That's another advantage of the Homerun that I like. I have two, they are stuck to the wall in my basement near my cable modem. All the ugly COAX (my old styles have 2 COAX cables coming into each Homerun instead of the internal splitter) is stapled to the wall there, just a few Cat6 cables coming up to my data closet.

Everyone is different... You just need to sit and plan your setup. I'm wary of the "One Ring To Rule Them All" HTPC concept. I like small and dumb at the TV and the business end hidden away from view if possible.

skeeto2010 · 2011-07-24, 03:42

Ok, so I think I'll wait up a bit to go fullblown PVR until some of the dust settles on development. I am going to go ahead and pick up an HDHomerun though.

Is there a new version of XBMC Live with the "Live TV" option available from the home menu? If so, is this be compatible with an HDHR stream? That would be pretty slick if doable.

Thanks,
Rob