Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:04 am
Correct. This is purely to keep things simple - it is hard to tell multiple tuners apart in windows. The multi-tuner support will likely be released next week. Nick

http://www.silicondust.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2511

Is there any resource out there to see what channels are in the clear?  I know it's specific to each area, but is it the Metro area, the town, the neighborhood.  Has anybody started a listing of what channels are available in a particular area?

Also with these things on the network can you use one tuner on one PC and the second tuner on another PC.

Your best bet would be an internet search for the Clear QAM channels. They would be clear for the entire Cable broadcast for that city (whatever your guide data is).

One tuner can be used for MCE and the other can be used with the HDHomerun App. MCE always (right now) uses tuner0.

Anyone know how this would work on a network with multiple Media Center PCs?  Since there's no softsled (and never will be) this might be a good way to bring live TV to my laptop.  How would the resources be prioritized?

I realize only one tuner is availble for MCE now.  Could I use Tuner 1 for MCE.A and then Tuner 2 for MCE.B?

I'm really tempted to dive in, but I should probably wait until the dual tuner functionality is added soon.  This could potentially alleviate the need for my firewire setup with 2 set top boxes.  It also means I can skip out cable card, which has me scared with the restrictions such as no playback on my portable media center.

I have 2 MCE boxes that both share the tuner now. I ran a test where one was displaying a live QAM channel, and then I tried to show a channel with my other box, it grabbed it and the other quit showing. So (right now), which ever request lasts gets the display of live tv.

Maybe the 2 tuner driver would let them share? We'll have to wait and see. ;)

Thanks for the info!  It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.  I wouldn't mind it kicking off live tv viewing somewhere else, but I would mind if it pulled the tuner off a scheduled recording.  I look forward to seeing how the new drivers works... the potential is definitely there!

and silicondust's stock just doubled in media center enthusists everywhere!!!!!!!

---

Looking for a way to have your Recorded TV shows on your Zune?
zunetvwatcher.com

SUCCESS!!!!

I received my tuner this evening.  After about 2 hours of channel scanning and figuring out the channel mapping thing, IT WORKS!!!!

I'm going to write up the full procedure and post it here later.  There are a couple of gotcha's doing it on Vista Ultimate. 

One big one I'll mention now, after you run your tuner setup (manual mode) the setup wizard will ask if your digital antenna is connected, say yes.  It will then take you to a guide download.  CANCEL this.  If you don't you won't be able to add your channels from the mapping file as there will be a conflict.  That's if you used the real major and minor channels (which I did). 

Bottom line, I'm recording 24 right now, without an antenna and I'm loving it.

 

Phillyjaq

Phillyjaq:

SUCCESS!!!!

I received my tuner this evening.  After about 2 hours of channel scanning and figuring out the channel mapping thing, IT WORKS!!!!

I'm going to write up the full procedure and post it here later.  There are a couple of gotcha's doing it on Vista Ultimate. 

One big one I'll mention now, after you run your tuner setup (manual mode) the setup wizard will ask if your digital antenna is connected, say yes.  It will then take you to a guide download.  CANCEL this.  If you don't you won't be able to add your channels from the mapping file as there will be a conflict.  That's if you used the real major and minor channels (which I did). 

Bottom line, I'm recording 24 right now, without an antenna and I'm loving it.

 

Phillyjaq

I had the same problems with the guide and the mapping file. What I did was USE the actual reported numbers from the astcchannels.xml file (I'm in 2005 not sure how Vista does it). Since then no problem at all.

ANOTHER SUCCESS!!!!

I'm up and running in Vista as well, no problem using the HDHomeRun in the same system as a PVR-150 and an HDTV Wonder. Using Tuner priority I have the HDHR as the first digital tuner and HDTV wonder as the second (The PVR-150 is the first analog, HDTV wonder second, 4 tuners in all). As long as the mapping contains the same major/minors as the OTA signals (and physical analog channels - taken from antennaweb.org) I didn't even have to manually add my channels, just re-use the existing OTA digital channels.

HDHomeRun rocks! I was getting so sick of cruddy OTA channels, or bad analog tuning. This is the way it should be.

baldbear:

I had the same problems with the guide and the mapping file. What I did was USE the actual reported numbers from the astcchannels.xml file (I'm in 2005 not sure how Vista does it). Since then no problem at all.

Exactly what I did, used the same major, minor, and phyical from my existing atscchannels.xml file (in Vista) for my existing OTA setup.

Finally, CBS in Chicago (WBBM OTA is on physical channel 3 (VHF), broadcast at the strength of a 60 watt lightbulb - a lost cause) - Just in time for the Superbowl.

The whole CBS thing is a pain.  I get all of the other channels fine.  I've been using the firewirestb tool, but I'm going to switch to this.

I just ordered mine...

I've been around a bit so I know MCE's limits on tuners. I currently have 2 STB's from TWC (along with 2 PVR-150s) and an OTA HDTV tuner. It all works. I have the 2 STBs so that I can get digital cable (quality and extra channels). What I want is to get rid of one of the STBs ($10 a month). When both tuners from HDHR are available to MCE - it is a no-brainer I think.

But for now - can I get HDHR and use it to give me access to my digital cable so I can drop a box? Sure I'd love HD from cable but what is more important to me is to drop this STB. Can I remap this to make it work without losing my OTA HD?

I guess what I really need is to figure out how this remapping works and what the real world limits are. I am ok to ditch my OTA HD if I can have 2 tuners working on the HDHR but not until then - because it would seem like a step backwards to go to 2 tuners (from my current 3).

Phillyjaq & dschur would you mind posting some instructions on how you got the HDHomerun working?  I am really interested in purchasing one but I don't have the whole mapping of channels down.  I currently have dual analog tuners and a usb digital tuner with OTA antenna

Have any of you been able to get the channels to work over extenders?

How do you set the priority for tuners in Vista?

Thx,

Will

- Directions on doing the channel mapping are on the SiliconDust Beta forums and explained better there than I could here, but if it helps, here's my channelmap so far for Comcast is Chicago:

; Format:
; - Fake virtual channel number ("Digital TV Channel" field in MCE).
; - Fake ATSC physical channel number ("Assigned Frequency" field in MCE).
; - Channel command to be sent to the HDHomeRun.
; - Program number to be sent to the HDHomeRun.
;

; WBBM-DT
2-1 3 qam256:747000000 1
; WFLD-DT
32-1 31 qam256:753000000 2
; WMAQ-DT
5-1 29 qam256:753000000 5
; WLS-DT
7-1 52 qam256:717000000 1
; WGN-DT
9-1 19 qam256:717000000 2
; WTTW-DT
11-1 47 qam256:747000000 2
; WPWR-DT
50-1 51 qam256:567000000 8
; WCIU-DT
26-1 27 qam256:567000000 7
; WYIN-DT
56-1 17 qam256:567000000 6
; WYCC-DT
20-1 21 qam256:567000000 12
; WCPX-DT
38-1 43 qam256:567000000 2

I could map about 40 channels if I wanted, but these are just the equivalents of my OTA channels

- The channels work just fine over extenders.

- Use the same program to set tuner priority:

http://www.salloway.org.uk/mediacenter/util/index.htm

It's been updated for Vista