Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)OK, let's get the cons out of the way first: This box does not have a slot for CableCards, which means that you are not going to use it to record anything except either OTA digital TV (from an antenna) or the major networks on clear QAM from your cable. That's just the way it is, that's what this box was designed to do, and that cannot be changed. It will not pick up analog or encrypted-digital cable channels. It does not interact with your television at all, unless you are using your TV as a computer monitor. This is NOT the way to convert your old TV to receive digital TV.
So what good is it? You can use it to pick up digital TV from an antenna or unencrypted QAM (usually network) cable signals, and stream to your computer for watching or recording.
I have two of these on my local network. I use them to stream Fox, NBC, ABC, and CBS to my MythTV box, where I record everything broadcast by the Big 4 in primetime onto 2 750GB disks, which hold about 2 weeks of the programming I record. I have demoted my TiVos to cable-channel and backup network use.
If your computer is not dual-core, it's not powerful enough to watch HDTV with (though it will do OK recording, if you have something else to watch with/on).
This unit also has a builtin infrared port that will transmit the codes from your remote control to your computer after you configure it.
It does come with some software, but I don't know what it does, I already had my older HDHomerun hooked up, and just added this one in MythTVSetup. As another reviewer mentioned, there is not a toll-free number to call for support, they use the internet and forums at silicondust. It's worth some time poking around those forums to see what people are doing, and what problems people are having, to see if this item is really what you are looking for.
It does exactly what I want, and I'm considering adding a third one for PBS and CW recording, and to experiment with building a Gray-Hoverman HDTV antenna.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST It is very important to use only RG6 coax cables and 2MHz-rated splitters for most cable HDTV. 1 foot of RG58 between my splitter and my HDHomerun completely destroyed the signal to that input. Don't convince yourself yours is broken until you know your cables are good.
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Product Description:
One Box - Two Digital Tuners - Anywhere on Your Network / Dual Digital Network Attached Tuner Device / Watch - Pause - Record Digital and HD Content from Over-the-Air and Cable from any computer on your home network system.Cross OS Compatible with Windows / MAC / Linux.Total Media DVR software included.
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