[mythtv-users] HD HomeRun 1012xxxxx vs later models (Rev1 vs Rev2 tuners)

Jay Summet jay at summet.com
Thu Feb 12 17:44:58 UTC 2009


I have been using a Silicon Dust HD HomeRun networked HDTV tuner (with
integrated IR receiver) for a littler over a year. Overall, I have been
very pleased with the unit. I think having the tuner outside of the
computer case offers a lot of flexibility (and reliability), plus the
built in IR-receiver solved that problem for me easily. At $170 new,
it's a good price point for two tuners.


A few hiccups:

 -Early versions of the unit shipped with faulty power supplies (They
had a capacitor that would eventually burst, causing a small dot of
plastic to appear on the case, and would stop producing power.) I went
through two faulty power supplies (about one every 6-8 months) before
Silicon Dust changed their supplier:
http://www.summet.com/blog/2008/01/21/failing-power-supplies/
http://www.summet.com/blog/2008/08/15/silicon-dust-replacing-hd-homerun-power-adaptors/

I believe that the constant EIT scanning performed by MythTV raises the
current consumption of the HDHomeRun (it grows warm to the touch) and
stresses the early faulty power supplies more than other software. When
I disabled the EIT scan in Myth, the HDHomeRun unit was no longer warm
to the touch when not recording a show, and I must assume that the total
current draw (on average) is less for the power supply.

FYI- It takes about 5 watts of power even when idle.

-The devices that have a device ID starting with 1012xxxxxx are using an
earlier generation HDTV tuner chipset. This chipset is not bad, but it's
not as good as the ones in devices with device ID 1013xxxxx and higher
(I currently upgraded to a 1016xxxxx device...)

The built in tuner in my Vizio LCD TV performs slightly better than the
rev1 tuner (1012xxxx devices). The types of errors I saw were mostly
visual artifacts on one station that was "too powerful" and overloading
the tuners. [I used attenuators to reduce the signal strength of that
station to make it acceptable, but it still had a few artifacts, and the
attenuators prevented me from picking up another station that was far away.]

When I upgraded to a rev2 device (1013xxxx and above) the visual
artifacts I saw on the one "too-powerful" channel went away even after I
removed the 16db of attenuation I had added. Being able to remove the
attenuators also allowed me to tune in a low power station that I had
not been able to receive before.

All in all, the rev2 tuners work better than the rev1 tuners (But the
rev1 tuners worked for all but one of my stations, and an overly strong
station is not a problem faced by most consumers.)

Because I use a crossover cable to connect my HDHomeRun directly to my
backend box (which gets Internet via a USB wifi adapter) it would
require me to add a hub/switch to use two boxes. Since we very rarely
need more than two tuners (for our 10 OTA stations) I've decided to sell
my used rev1 tuner, so if you are looking for one, it's on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150326545480

Jay




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