I recently purchased a HDHomerun (about $170) to watch and record unencrypted television shows from my cable provider. My cable modem is right next to my computer so I just added a splitter and connected a coaxial cable to the HDHomerun and cable modem.

Setting up the HDHomerun requires two steps: 1) find unencrypted channels and 2) map those to channels so that the program guide is correct. Being a longtime user of BeyondTV, I initially looked to that program to use in conjunction with my new network tuner. I soon realized that using BeyondTV and a HDHomerun together requires a work around to properly map the channels to allow downloading of the relevant program guide information. While the steps are outlined at Silicondust’s website, I still had some issues, mainly with my Snapstream.net account, which is used in the work around.

I had an extra copy of SageTV sitting around (thanks Dave!) that I had been meaning to write a review about. I figured now would be a good time to jump into the world of SageTV, which has buillt-in support for Clear QAM and does not require any hacks. Setting up SageTV for Clear QAM was much easier than BeyondTV. Both steps outlined above can be handled by SageTV. Re-mapping a channel is as easy as clicking the channel shown in the set-up dialog. One tip: you should set-up the HDHomerun as an “antenna.”

The HDHomerun is a great product that is a worthy addition to any HTPC. The main drawback is the lack of software. Sure you can use VLC (which is free), but the interface is awkward. To get the most out of the HDHomerun, you need a program like SageTV or BeyondTV. If you are planning on making the jump into the Clear QAM world and already do not have DVR software, consider buying SageTV instead of BeyondTV. While Sage’s interface is not as nice, the streamlined set-up process is well worth it.

I am in the process of switching over to capturing shows via Clear QAM. I currently use an indoor antenna and an ASTC tuner card but the reception is just bad enough for me not to want to record anything. Some days the reception is good, some days it is pretty poor. Such reception is fine for the occasional televisions watching but for some reason the occasional stutter really bugs me on a recorded program.

In order to get channels via Clear QAM you need the following items:

1) A QAM tuner like the SiliconDust HDHomeRun ($125). More QAM tuners are hitting the market all the time.

2) A nearby cable TV connection and a splitter. For most people with cable modems near their computer, this should be pretty easy. Take the line going to the cable modem and split it, with one line going to the tuner and one line going to the modem.

3) DVR software. Vista has built in software in Media Center to record TV via QAM. BeyondTV and Sage TV both can record via QAM as well. I currently use BeyondTV.
With the above hardware and software, you can record HD programming wth the following benefits.

• Remove the commercials. This is what separates home theater computers from Tivo and cable DVRs. There are a ton of ways to remove commercials from the recordings. If you are using Vista, try eith LifeExtender or DVRMS Toolbox.
• Encode the file to whatever format you want. This is a personal choice for most people. You can leave the program in its native format or convert it to somehting like DiivX or Xvid.

Recording in HD and removing all the commericals is a great way to archive your favorite shows. Even if you have a high-end CableCard system to record HD cable, Clear QAM offers you the ability to record DRM-free.

Getting television recordings onto a portable device has always been easier said then done. Snapstream is looking to make that process easier with its updates to BeyondTV, their digital video recorder software for the PC.

From Snapstream’s announcement:

This is an innovative feature that uses the H.264 format to re-compress your Beyond TV recordings and sync them to your iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV. Using an iTunes podcast rss feed you can now automatically sync your television recordings to your iPod or iPhone. With the recent split between NBC and iTunes this feature will serve as a new outlet to get your recordings on to your iPhone or iPod without a hitch.

Snapstream also offers a step-by-step walkthrough on getting video to your iPhone or iPod. I use BeyondTV to watch HD shows over the air but I do not own a iPhone or iPod Touch to make this worthwhile. Has anyone tried this out?

BeyondTV will start supporting recording in h.264 and a rss feed that makes getting shows into iTunes automatic. Unfortunately, these features will cost you extra, similar to the DVD burning plugin they offer. From the announcement:

The plugin allows recompression to the h.264 format and an rss feed that makes getting shows into iTunes automatic (which then can sync to your iPod video, iPhone or Apple TV). The plugin will be bundled for sale/trial with the DVD burning plugin. Any user that already bought the DVD burning plugin will get h.264 at no charge.

I am all for different compression formats being covered. I think this is a good strategy for BeyondTV. They need to continuously add more features to compete with Vista Media Center. Since BeyondTV is a smaller application than a full blown operating system, frequent updates could really help BeyondTV. They do need to get away from the “nickel and diming aspects” of releasing plugins for a price.