# OTA Live tv Tuner Options



## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

I have been gifted an HDHOMERUN and I was going to use it to setup live tv channels - maybe also try out the DVR on Plex.

But it looks like AirTV 2 is the tuner you would want in order to have the live channels show up on the consolidated grid (with sling) bit other then that it seems limited.

That got me wondering if anyone else has installed an OTA tuner on their network and how it is working for you?


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

bradleys said:


> I have been gifted an HDHOMERUN and I was going to use it to setup live tv channels - maybe also try out the DVR on Plex.
> 
> But it looks like AirTV 2 is the tuner you would want in order to have the live channels show up on the consolidated grid (with sling) bit other then that it seems limited.
> 
> That got me wondering if anyone else has installed an OTA tuner on their network and how it is working for you?


I use the quatro with Channels DVR. Works great on the TS4k as it can utilize the dvr/guide buttons on the peanut. It also works with android's built in Live Channels. Didn't check if Stream supported it. Have the crappy Locast on there now.

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## Jim1348 (Jan 3, 2015)

Meh, I still have a legacy Slingbox PRO HD that has a built-in aTSC tuner. Also, a TiVo Roamio Mini connected to a Slingbox 500.

I still may subscribe to Locast.org, too.


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## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

bradleys said:


> That got me wondering if anyone else has installed an OTA tuner on their network and how it is working for you?


Too bad TiVo and Sling are not integrating HD HomeRun tuners into the Stream 4K, but unlike AirTV there's no business agreement that would bring in recurring revenue for them so that's not surprising.

I use HD HomeRun tuners with Channels DVR for recording and live TV. Your Stream 4K can host a Channels client and the Channels DVR software. I'm not using a Stream 4K but many are removing all the TiVo stuff and using Button Remapper on the remote for a dedicated Channels solution.

Sometimes I also use the HD HomeRun app for live TV. Other people use Plex or Kodi for DVR and live TV. We love Channels DVR, and are almost completely transitioned off TiVo at this point.


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

Jim1348 said:


> Meh, I still have a legacy Slingbox PRO HD that has a built-in aTSC tuner. Also, a TiVo Roamio Mini connected to a Slingbox 500.
> 
> I still may subscribe to Locast.org, too.


Locast is crap. Quality stinks. Bugs you to donate. Great if you actually need Locast to get broadcast channels, but otherwise it's easier to do an antenna and hdhomerun.

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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

Yeah, I tried Locast and it was worse that crap... unwatchable - luckily, It was so bad I never made it to a donation nag! Lol


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

I setup the tuner trying both the native HDHomerum app and the LiveTV app and I really do not like either, navigation is annoying.

I also setup the Plex Live TV DVR and it is a MUCH BETTER implementation. As I said, it is a little annoying that they are all buried in the apps - but I think I have a solution.


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

bradleys said:


> I setup the tuner trying both the native HDHomerum app and the LiveTV app and I really do not like either, navigation is annoying.
> 
> I also setup the Plex Live TV DVR and it is a MUCH BETTER implementation. As I said, it is a little annoying that they are all buried in the apps - but I think I have a solution.


Why not give Channels DVR a try? They have a free trial.

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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

I swear to god, I have tried every option for live tv and my HDHomeRun tuners - and nothing even holds a candle to Plex.

The HDHomeRun app is absolutely terrible and the LiveTV app isn't much better. The lifting power of the server running in the background is pretty obvious.

I don't expect i will watch much off of OTA - but damn, it would be nice if all my content could be ported through that interface.


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## 241705 (Mar 9, 2010)

dbpaddler said:


> Why not give Channels DVR a try? They have a free trial.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk


^^^ 
Agreed. The Channels trial is free for a month, so nothing to lose except some time. I don't have a Plex Pass so I can't comment on that DVR solution, but I have been using ChannelsDVR with my HDHomeRun for the past several days. It's a very good experience, and the ChannelsDVR team is still developing the product and adding new and useful features - for example, I've seen a Channels "button remapper for TS4K" discussed in their current Beta on their forums. Yeah, I wish the HDHomeRun or Channels integrated into the TiVo app, but I doubt that will happen so my solution to that is just to disable the TiVo app and re-map the buttons. Easy! My family has quickly taken to this setup. So much so, that my TiVo DVR hardware is going up for auction by the weekend.


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

Channels might get stream love at some point, just not yet according to the tivo dev I was chatting with. And the Channels dev's are very active in updating, fixing and adding features. And still the only solution to integrate TV Everywhere into the channel lineup. Of course if you use sling you have integration with their product, but their product only, so you are tired into them.

Will never buy a product again that ties me into a singular company. And with software solutions becoming more of a thing, an hdhomerun just makes sense these days, plus they have an atsc 3.0 solution ready, and Channels can handle that already.

I have no need for a plex pass, and I'm not paying multiple companies to pretty much do the same thing. I have more faith in channels being flexible for future use than I do Plex for future use since Channels is singularly focused on being your one stop shop for OTA based linear TV. 

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## 241705 (Mar 9, 2010)

Sorry I went further off the original topic in Channels. As far as the question on network OTA tuners, I've never owned hardware that was as easy to setup and use as an HDHomeRun: Attach the antenna, plug in the network cable and plug in the device. It just works. In addition to using with my TS4Ks, I now have quick access to anything OTA from my tablet, phone, PC, whatever.


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

blackngold75 said:


> Sorry I went further off the original topic in Channels. As far as the question on network OTA tuners, I've never owned hardware that was easier to setup and use as an HDHomeRun: Attach the antenna, plug in the network cable and plug in the device. It just works. In addition to using with my TS4Ks, I now have quick access to anything OTA from my tablet, phone, PC, whatever.


Yep. Most apps will find the homerun on your network and access it. Non proprietary for the win. Don't think tablo and sling offer that.

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## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

I reviewed Plex in the TiVo Alternatives thread last year. To summarize, my impression of Plex was that it has a very pretty design but tries to do too many things, and ends up doing none of them well. I find Channels to be much more focused on doing DVR well, and I very much appreciate that. The devs are very responsive and I feel listened to ...as opposed to constantly marketed to by Plex.


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

Pokemon_Dad said:


> I reviewed Plex in the TiVo Alternatives thread last year. To summarize, my impression of Plex was that it has a very pretty design but tries to do too many things, and ends up doing none of them well. I find Channels to be much more focused on doing DVR well, and I very much appreciate that. The devs are very responsive and I feel listened to ...as opposed to constantly marketed to by Plex.


I haven't tried Channels yet, but I already have a lifetime Plex pass so it is a sunk cost for me. Something would have to blow me away to get me to consider paying even a minor subscription fee for functionality that I have already pay for - and I doubt channels is doing anything that mind blowing...

Frankly - while I do really like the Plex implementation, it annoys me that those channels are in Plex and the rest of my live tv content is over in Sling.

Since I got the HDHomeRun Quad tuner for free - I might go ahead and buy an AirTV 2 just for browsing and light consumption.


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## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

bradleys said:


> I might go ahead and buy an AirTV 2 just for browsing and light consumption.


If you do, we're looking forward to your report!


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

bradleys said:


> I haven't tried Channels yet, but I already have a lifetime Plex pass so it is a sunk cost for me. Something would have to blow me away to get me to consider paying even a minor subscription fee for functionality that I have already pay for - and I doubt channels is doing anything that mind blowing...
> 
> Frankly - while I do really like the Plex implementation, it annoys me that those channels are in Plex and the rest of my live tv content is over in Sling.
> 
> Since I got the HDHomeRun Quad tuner for free - I might go ahead and buy an AirTV 2 just for browsing and light consumption.


Well there is no charge to try Channels DVR. It has a free trial. If you have a NAS or computer you can leave on, give it a go. And you can use your sling credentials to login to TV Everywhere and add it to your Channels lineup. It will be completely integrated, at least for all the channels that support TVE.

I would do that before buying something. Though encouraging people to be Guinea pigs is always allowed.

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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

dbpaddler said:


> Well there is no charge to try Channels DVR. It has a free trial. If you have a NAS or computer you can leave on, give it a go. And you can use your sling credentials to login to TV Everywhere and add it to your Channels lineup. It will be completely integrated, at least for all the channels that support TVE.
> 
> I would do that before buying something. Though encouraging people to be Guinea pigs is always allowed.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk


Sure it is free for a month and then costs $8 a month after. I like the Plex implementation that I get for free, so there is no reason for me to "try Channels". There is nothing Channels offers that I want fixed - even if it were a slightly better implementation, it would make no sense for me to pay $8 a month when I have an implementation I like for free.

Now, what i don't like is that I am mostly in my Sling guide and I have to go to Another App to consume these channels.

Thus, if I can find a used AirTV 2 tuner on eBay, it would be worth the investment to play with that integration - because it DOES address an issue that annoys me. That way I can run both the HDHomerun Quattro / Plex for a good DVR and the AirTV / Sling integration for casual Viewing.

We will see, I have a bid on a unit.


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

bradleys said:


> Sure it is free for a month and then costs $8 a month after. I like the Plex implementation that I get for free, so there is no reason for me to "try Channels". There is nothing Channels offers that I want fixed - even if it were a slightly better implementation, it would make no sense for me to pay $8 a month when I have an implementation I like for free.
> 
> Now, what i don't like is that I am mostly in my Sling guide and I have to go to Another App to consume these channels.
> 
> ...


You said you didn't "try" it yet. I didn't say anything about buying it, did I? You're the one that said everything paled to the great and wonderful plex, so.... You didn't qualify before, but appreciate the attitude nonetheless.

And it's cheaper if you pay for a year.

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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

dbpaddler said:


> You said you didn't "try" it yet. I didn't say anything about buying it, did I? You're the one that said everything paled to the great and wonderful plex, so.... You didn't qualify before, but appreciate the attitude nonetheless.
> 
> And it's cheaper if you pay for a year.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk


Nothing is cheaper than free... I paid for my Plex pass, shoot, seems like a decade ago.

I watched a few YouTube videos, Channels seems okay, but they are similar implementations, nothing compelling enough to warrant my time or interest. Both present a well organized grid and have features to help discover and consume content. They both do the same thing in similar ways, one I already have the other I would have to pay for.

it could be the best thing since sliced bread, I still wouldn't be much interested.

I started this by saying the HDHOMERUN and the LiveTV apps were crap, difficult to navigate and lacking any real features. I then said Plex (and I am sure Channels) was a much better and far more feature rich implementation. Boxed checked...

the second issue i have is all my other streaming live tv content is in the TS4K grid and it is annoying that they are not consolidated. Since Sling/TS4K does not directly support the HDHomerun tuners - I am thinking about purchasing an additional Air TV tuner.

Did you notice how none of my concerns or needs had anything to do with Channels and their $8 a month service fee?


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

You mean the concern of integrating the two guides which channels can do via TV Everywhere? I must've missed that concern. 

And that's $6.67 per month. Just FYI. 

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## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

dbpaddler said:


> You mean the concern of integrating the two guides which channels can do via TV Everywhere? I must've missed that concern.
> 
> And that's $6.67 per month. Just FYI.


He wants it in the TS4K standard TiVo/Sling interface. Unlike many here he hasn't hacked in to remove all that.


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

Pokemon_Dad said:


> He wants it in the TS4K standard TiVo/Sling interface. Unlike many here he hasn't hacked in to remove all that.


Well we can only lead the horse to water... 

Didn't we also want a TS4k that integrated into their dvr ecosystem? The old saying, if horses were wishes, hay would be scarce.

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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

dbpaddler said:


> You mean the concern of integrating the two guides which channels can do via TV Everywhere? I must've missed that concern.
> 
> And that's $6.67 per month. Just FYI.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk


Lol - okay, $6.67 per month vs free for essentially the same experience.

Yes, I am happy with the Plex presentation, I am unhappy that my TS4K live TV guide does not include local channels - and don't even think about recommending the Locast crap product! lol

The only option that consolidates the content into a single grid is the AirTV 2 tuner with the Sling integration. I will definitely keep the Plex DVR and HDHomerun tuners In place, but i will likely also get an Air Tv 2 tuner to support casual live tv browsing In the TS4K grid.

Really that is just to make the wife happy.


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

Locast is total crap. Why they're focused on it for such a niche market on top of its donation nag is beyond me.

The integration you want will just take time. I even talked to the one dev about Channels, and he said it could happen over time. This is a long haul project for them so nothing is going to happen overnight. 

I pushed channels because TV everywhere integrates your paid sling into their OTA grid so you have OTA and sling in one grid. I currently use my OTA and my mom's fios credentials, and it's like I have cable again. I can even record unprotected cable channels from the grid and everything is integrated with their dvr.

If that makes it over to the stream app at some point, great. If it makes it into a android tv carousel, great. Heck, even Android tv is in its infancy. Hopefully Android 10 will hit at some point and give better multitasking and open things up more. Imagine if we had PIP again. I'm still hopijg channels will do PIP with their grid and what you're watching now.


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

dbpaddler said:


> Locast is total crap. Why they're focused on it for such a niche market on top of its donation nag is beyond me.
> 
> The integration you want will just take time. I even talked to the one dev about Channels, and he said it could happen over time. This is a long haul project for them so nothing is going to happen overnight.
> 
> ...


I was quite surprised to see PIP on the Plex Implementation - I think that is the value of Channels and Plex. Because they run local servers, they are not limited to the thin client presentation approach that most of the streaming apps have to model.


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

bradleys said:


> I was quite surprised to see PIP on the Plex Implementation - I think that is the value of Channels and Plex. Because they run local servers, they are not limited to the thin client presentation approach that most of the streaming apps have to model.


Exactly. They're not tied to platforms or hardware. They'll use standard and generic hardware. As long as a NAS or windows device supports the decoding, you're good. So my celeron j nuc will be good to go for quite a while. And when atsc 3.0 hits, I just update the homerun tuner and keep on chugging.

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## 241705 (Mar 9, 2010)

@bradleys I'm trying out the Plex DVR, also. Question for you: if you're watching live TV does it take a long time to change channels (spinning circle for almost 10 seconds)? My NAS is not powerful and I'm wondering if that slows down Plex.

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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

blackngold75 said:


> @bradleys I'm trying out the Plex DVR, also. Question for you: if you're watching live TV does it take a long time to change channels (spinning circle for almost 10 seconds)? My NAS is not powerful and I'm wondering if that slows down Plex.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


At the beginning yes, but it seems to get better over time - like it is learning.

you can see that in the video I posted right after setup.


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## 241705 (Mar 9, 2010)

Looks like the PlexDVR could be interesting, but I don't think my NAS (ReadyNAS 102) is up to the task. It seems like an eternity when selecting or changing channels, and I do watch a fair amount of OTA.


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## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

blackngold75 said:


> Looks like the PlexDVR could be interesting, but I don't think my NAS (ReadyNAS 102) is up to the task. It seems like an eternity when selecting or changing channels, and I do watch a fair amount of OTA.


Plex benefits from a strong server, but in my experience the power on the client platform can dramatically affect performance too.


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

blackngold75 said:


> Looks like the PlexDVR could be interesting, but I don't think my NAS (ReadyNAS 102) is up to the task. It seems like an eternity when selecting or changing channels, and I do watch a fair amount of OTA.


Are you using the TiVo 4K as your client? What kind of termed are you using? When I change the channel in the native HDHomerun app that came with the quad it takes a bunch of time to tune in as well.

It lagged a bit when I first set it up, but i changed the location of the antenna and everything sped up nicely. So it may just be your tuner trying to get a good lock on the signal and have nothing to do with Plex or your server.


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## 241705 (Mar 9, 2010)

TS4K is the client. It's not the tuner, because selecting a channel with the HDHomeRun or Channels apps is almost instantaneous. 

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## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

blackngold75 said:


> TS4K is the client. It's not the tuner, because selecting a channel with the HDHomeRun or Channels apps is almost instantaneous.


Plex does transcoding on the server, while Channels does it on the client and offers a choice of hardware or software decoding. With Plex I grew very frustrated at the lag time between each video or music stream, especially with older client equipment. Sad to hear it's also got some lag on the latest TiVo dongle, but maybe there's some optimization you can do.


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## 241705 (Mar 9, 2010)

Pokemon_Dad said:


> Plex does transcoding on the server, while Channels does it on the client and offers a choice of hardware or software decoding. With Plex I grew very frustrated at the lag time between each video or music stream, especially with older client equipment. Sad to hear it's also got some lag on the latest TiVo dongle, but maybe there's some optimization you can do.


That validates what I was thinking: that my NAS (ReadyNAS102) is not powerful enough to use with Plex LiveTV&DVR. Makes sense because some other things in Plex take a little longer than I wish they would. I'm not determined to use Plex as my DVR, just trying out that solution in addition to Channels before I commit to something.


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## dbpaddler (Sep 25, 2004)

Pokemon_Dad said:


> Plex does transcoding on the server, while Channels does it on the client and offers a choice of hardware or software decoding. With Plex I grew very frustrated at the lag time between each video or music stream, especially with older client equipment. Sad to hear it's also got some lag on the latest TiVo dongle, but maybe there's some optimization you can do.


So with OTA Plex doesn't send the mpeg2? It transcodes as well?

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## Pokemon_Dad (Jan 19, 2008)

dbpaddler said:


> So with OTA Plex doesn't send the mpeg2? It transcodes as well?


I don't know what it's doing specifically, maybe deinterlacing something, but when you see a lag like that then in my experience Plex thinks the client requires preprocessing of some kind.



blackngold75 said:


> That validates what I was thinking: that my NAS (ReadyNAS102) is not powerful enough to use with Plex LiveTV&DVR. Makes sense because some other things in Plex take a little longer than I wish they would. I'm not determined to use Plex as my DVR, just trying out that solution in addition to Channels before I commit to something.


I expected that behavior when I had Plex on a little PC with an Atom CPU, but when I installed it on an i7 PC it was still slow whenever it thought the clients required transcoding, and that's when I gave up. But most of my frustration occurred when I was trying to use Plex clients on older devices. I'm really disappointed to hear this happens on the latest dongle, and I'm hoping there's some way to adjust settings in the app to tell Plex to give it a rest and just send the signal.


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