SiliconDust KickStarter

[Titanium]

Just signed up for a KickStart campaign to support the new SiliconDust HDHomeRun DVR project. If you are like me, I can't imagine OTA without my HomeRun units. This new DVR project sounds very interesting as I currently use WMC on WIN7 and not sure how much longer Microsoft will be supporting with EPG, etc. It looks like this will support cross platform DVR via cloud and no need for a connected PC.

Take a read and if it sounds interesting, join me in supporting the SiliconDust HDHomeRun DVR project.

http://kck.st/1DveiZP

Here is a overview announcement for the campaign that I received via email today.

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Watch and record live TV. Your way.

It’s our mission is to simplify and change the way we watch and record live television.

SiliconDust is readying the ultimate live television viewing and recording tool called HDHomeRun DVR. It enables the viewing, scheduling and recording of your full over-the-air and cable TV lineup using your home network.

Live and recorded content can be watched from media devices with our brand new and innovative interface. And yes, it even works with protected content.

HDHomeRun DVR doesn’t require an always on PC - it works with network attached storage devices. The best part? It requires practically zero configuration.

With HDHomeRun DVR combined with current HDHomeRun products you will soon have the freedom to watch and record Live TV. Your way. On your terms.


We're offering some great rewards

Come and help fund us on Kickstarter and turn watching and recording TV on your terms into a reality. You'll get the chance to get our HDHomeRun DVR software before it's released, and there's a great range of other rewards, like HDHomeRun hardware and NAS drives, depending on how much you'd like to help fund us.

HDHomeRun DVR. We believe this is a fantastic opportunity to re-imagine the DVR. We hope you do too.
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[StevenD]

No, thanks! They never delivered the HDHR4-CC. Never gave an explination. They cannot be trusted anymore. Nor am i paying a subscription service for OTA.

 

[Titanium]

I have been a SiliconDust device owner and daily user for over 7 years on my HTPC running WMC on WIN7. They have always provided great technical support and even replaced a failed unit after 5 years of use for only the shipping charges. They are more than OK in my book! ... Lost trust over a product not launching? Must be a recent break-up...

$30 a year ($2.50 per month) for a cloud based DVR service with EPG and icon based lookup for local channels or cable subscription (including DRM protected content). Personally, I think that is one heck of a great deal and well worth 9 cents a day not to need any connected computer to DVR or server then be able to watch recorded shows on any device, anywhere. I am sure that my HTPC costs much more than 9 cents a day just for the power!

Now all they need to do is rent me an antenna connection in the cities of my choice.

 

[. Raine]

Looks like it's a subscription service, $30 a year for the DVR service? To me, it seems kind of silly to be asking the public for money to do the project, not for me. Maybe if they were saying invest a large sum and we'll give you a return on your money...something other than a HD Homerun or a NAS with their software on it, ATSC tuner, etc.

Sorry, but it really seems desperate and lame that they need to go public for $100K to start a project and what they offer in return isn't really much, IMO. If you pay enough, they'll give you the stuff to be a beta tester of the first runs, pay a little and beta test for them, NO.

 

[barleyguy]

I also am an HDHomeRun user. But I prefer to have my DVR on a computer. I use NextPVR with ComSkip. It automatically skips commercials, and I've got it working not only with OTA, but pulling files from my Amiko A3 satellite receiver. The machine is an AMD A8 set to 45 watt TDP.

Also, the H264 transcoding on their latest HDHomeRun was a disaster IMO. If you want transcoding for mobile you're much better off using one of their MPEG2 units and putting Plex Media Server on the PC you use as a PVR.

So in short, unless their DVR is better than NextPVR, ComSkip, and Plex, I don't really see a point.

If low power usage is the goal, a Raspberry Pi only uses a couple of watts, and there's a turnkey MythTV image for it.

$30 a year isn't bad though. That's about the cost of Schedules Direct. So if the PVR includes 2-week EPG in the price, it's competitive price-wise.

 

[ancient]

I agree with barleyguy. The thing I have found out about getting someone's turnkey system is that they typically only issue updates for it until the next iteration of their product comes along, then it becomes less supported. Although Silicon Dust has been pretty good about issuing updates for their HDHomeRun devices, this is a whole new thing and we can't be sure how long they will continue to keep it updated. Whereas, if I am running backend software on my computer, I can make sure that all critical security and other updates are applied.

Another thing that rubs me a bit the wrong way is, why is an established company like Silicon Dust asking users to fund their development costs? It's not like this is some brand new company coming out with a new and unique product; it's pretty much a variation on what we can already get using software like MythTV, or TVHeadEnd if you can figure out how to get it to recognize a HDHomeRun, or other backend software. Normally when a company needs Kickstarter funding it's because they are a new company with a unique product that's trying to get established. This simply seems like they are trying to get people to kick money into their company. Which brings me to the point that...

To me, the rewards don't seem very rewarding. I don't know if anyone else had difficulty understanding exactly what they are offering that they think is so enticing, but the whole pitch kind of fell flat with me, because I didn't see where contributors were getting anything of significant value that would approximately match what they are putting in. Again, this is an established company, why are they looking for a handout? If they really need people to fund their development then the rewards ought to truly show their appreciation, not look like they had a meeting where they said "Well, we have to give the contributors SOMETHING, so what can we give that won't cost us much?"

But you might say that if you give them $30 or more they are giving you a one year subscription to their DVR service, which is a $30 value. Really? I can currently get schedule information into the MythTV backend using the mc2xml or zap2xml software, and it doesn't cost me a dime, and even those inclined to pay for such a service can get the commercial service for $25/year. So basically if you give the $30 you are simply paying in advance for their service. Again doesn't seem very rewarding. If that's all I'm going to get, I might as well wait until the product is actually out and see if the reviewers and early adopters think it's any good.

As for some of the higher rewards that include a NAS, I'm pretty sure you can buy or build a decent NAS for less than what you'd have to contribute to get theirs, and you'd be able to control the software you use and make sure that software updates are applied as needed. For example if you give $439 you get a 4TB NAS (I can buy a 5 TB external drive for under $150 on sale, and they go on sale quite frequently), a HDHomeRun Prime CableCard unit (useless if you don't subscribe to Cable TV), and a HDHomeRun Connect 2 Tuner ATSC (nice, but I already have a couple of their dual tuner ATSC units, and those go for under $100 on Amazon). So if you actually need all those things and you don't mind waiting for an indeterminate amount of time to get them and you just want a turnkey system that might or might not receive critical software updates, maybe this will seem like an enticing offer to you, but it doesn't to me.

But to me the really dumb move is listing Kodi support as a "stretch goal." Are they totally oblivious as to how many people use Kodi as their frontend these days? I don't know about anyone else, but I do not want to watch TV on my computer or phone - I am not a teenager or a college student. I want to watch TV on my TV.

So, sorry, but I'm simply not impressed.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Now if this ever could do cable card and stream at up to three devices at the same time I would be interested.

At the moment I use myth TV worth Kodi as my front end, from an hd homerun box with cable card support.

 

[jegrant]

Sort of interesting but disappointed they don't support Roku, and from the sound of it, don't intend to. I'd also like more details on how recordings will work of protected content. For example, can I record things off of non-premium cable channels (encrypted but no broadcast flag) and will those recordings stay encrypted or what?

 

[Titanium]

First goal reached. Now the stretch goals for Kodi and Roku are closing in. Looks like these stretch goals have a great chance of being reached. Think it was a good move to launch the main campaign with a low goal, quickly achieve then go for stretch goals. Seems to have built quite the momentum.

Nice to see they added multi-year discounts for Kickstarters.

 

[Titanium]

Stretch goal has been far exceeded for Kodi (XBMC) support! This is BIG for Pi2 hardware integration.

Next goal for PLEX integration is getting close with only 6 more days.

 

[TroubleshooterMike]

I'm trying to get a setup going but have never setup a HTPC before and still learning... My friend built my rig and it has a dual tuner card in the PCI slot, which WIN7 sees all the channels but has no guide of course but WMC does not automatically see all the channels plus the guide info in media center if about two hrs off. I've remapped some of the clear QAM channels in WMC but still cannot use it as a DVR due to the guide info not being correct, any help would be great.

 

[primestar31]

QAM channels don't have guide info.

 

[TroubleshooterMike]

I'm not getting guide info on the OTA channels either.

 

[Titanium]

With 48 hours remaining, the Kickstarter stretch goal for PLEX has been met! Plex library integration, HDHomeRun DVR Channel and Kodi projects have been funded.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I got in a few weeks ago. At first I didn't understand what it did, but now I understand and jumped on it. This will allow me to free up a computer I have been using as a myth box setup.