Newegg: SiliconDust HDHomeRun Dual ATSC/ClearQAM Tuner - $59.99

[SunnyD]

For cord cutters...

Dual ATSC/ClearQAM Network-Attached HD TV Tuner... $59.99 + Ship (Free Ship with ShopRunner)

Regular price is usually around $99

Linky

Note: This does NOT have CableCARD support, ClearQAM only.

 

[Roland00Address]

What is a good win 8 media center replacement for this?

 

[SunnyD]

What is a good win 8 media center replacement for this?

Should work fine with Win8 Media Center.

 

[etrin]

great price.
I have one on a win8 media center.
These are great units, much better than the card it replaced.

 

[skyking]

On the network = get at it directly without the media center. These are so much win.

 

[TwiceOver]

I wish I could get more than one station OTA or that my cable company sent ANY stations in the clear.

Ohh well. Nothing is free in life I guess.

 

[Elixer]

Good for ATSC, but now, most cable companies require a cablecard which this unit don't support, as was mentioned.
You need their updated box for that.

 

[Roland00Address]

Should work fine with Win8 Media Center.

Don't forget windows 8 media center requires this

Windows Media Center is currently available as $9.99 upgrade from Microsoft for Windows 8 Pro users

Not everyone has windows 8 pro and is willing to shell out the $99 to upgrade to pro followed by the $10 to get media center.

So I repeat my question if you are using windows 8 what would your recommend as a media center software replacement for the dvr functionality?

 

[SunnyD]

Don't forget windows 8 media center requires this



Not everyone has windows 8 pro and is willing to shell out the $99 to upgrade to pro followed by the $10 to get media center.

So I repeat my question if you are using windows 8 what would your recommend as a media center software replacement for the dvr functionality?

Just off their product page:

Compatible With:
Windows Media Center
Elgato EyeTV – DVR for Mac
MythTV – DVR for Linux
SnapStream BeyondTV – DVR for Windows
SageTV – DVR for Windows/Linux/Mac
MediaPortal – DVR for Windows
GB-PVR – DVR for Windows
VLC – Multi-platform media viewer
TSReader – MPEG-2 transport stream analysis

I think Myth or Sage would probably be your best bets.

 

[Knavish]

FWIW, the FCC is allowing cable companies to drop ClearQAM. These HDHomeRun's may become completely useless if/when your local cable company starts requiring a cable card for *all* channels. Comcast still broadcasts their ultra-basic stuff on ClearQAM where I live...

See:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...now-encrypt-tv-signals-to-halt-service-theft/

----EDIT----
As corrected below, these will continue work for OTA broadcasts after ClearQAM goes away. I bet it will be at least several years before spectrum auctions start to reduce the availability of OTA television. (I forgot these are useful for OTA because I've never lived somewhere where an indoor antenna could pick up more than about 3 channels.)

 

[SunnyD]

FWIW, the FCC is allowing cable companies to drop ClearQAM. These HDHomeRun's may become completely useless if/when your local cable company starts requiring a cable card for *all* channels. Comcast still broadcasts their ultra-basic stuff on ClearQAM where I live...

See:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...now-encrypt-tv-signals-to-halt-service-theft/

Comcrap will be encrypting ALL tiers of cable, including basic, by year's end.

Please note the first line of my OP. If you require a CABLE tuner, you're much better off waiting for a sale on the HDHomeRun Prime which has CableCARD support anyway, which should be right around the corner with the HDHR4 being released soon.

 

[KeithP]

FWIW, the FCC is allowing cable companies to drop ClearQAM. These HDHomeRun's may become completely useless if/when your local cable company starts requiring a cable card for *all* channels.

They will still work fine with over the air signals via an antenna.

-KeithP

 

[GullyFoyle]

In for one. Thanks OP.
I had trouble getting my hauppage HVR-1600 working in WIndows 7, now I will be able to get my HTPC off of Windows XP! I have to reboot it every couple of weeks when it loses the internet(from trying to download the channel guide(SAGETV)).
MY cable company, Armstrong, has plenty of clearQAM channels...