Streaming from HDHomerun tuner

[clarkss12]

I just purchased the new HDHomerun networked TV tuner and was hoping to stream TV broadcast to my TV through my android box. I have a T428 and TV01 (cs968) and was hoping I could stream my TV signal to these boxes for decoding and pass the signal to the TV. The new HDHomerun transcodes the signal to H.264 before streaming the signal. I thought these rockchip 3188 devices would be able to transcode these signals and pass the signal to my tv. The sd signal works great, no lag or stutter or anything, however the hd channels, 720p or 1080i, are all blotchy and stutters badly. Does these 3188 boxes have the guts to transcode H.264, and if so what do I need to do to my android boxes to make that happen. What about an android box with either an amlogic or allwinner processor, would they work for my situation. I had a CS918S (allwinner a31) in my hands, but it was for my daughter. I was not able to test to see if that box would have decoded the H.264 signal without buffering or stuttering. Any thoughts? My objective it to use the android box for all my audio video needs, and eliminate my OTA DVR, my boxee box and other media streaming devices. One device does it all. Is that possible?

[xlux]

YOU'RE SOL with android & 3188

A friend of mine just purchased the HDHomerune Prime with (Xfinity) cable service and he tried several android devices including the SG3 with same results at 720P or 1080i channels you get micro stutter. I rigged her 2 HTPC's with 2 Intel Nucs (Celeron & i3) running a lite version of Windows 7 with Windows Media Center as the media center running everything. ZERO stutter playing anything and I mean ANYTHING. I also tried some 4k vids and they played smooth with i3, the celeron just doesn't have enough horse power for that.

I ran the Nuc with Linux, XBMCBuntu, Openlec and Mountain Lion OS. & it runs like a champ. That type of testing is completely out of the question with these crappy sticks. I have given up on these crappy chinese build android devices because they completely unreliable for video playing. Even the new quad core amlogic has problems playing "true 1080P" vids. Anytime you run android, you are limited to 720P vids and even those with high bitrates won't play properly. Electronic garbage!!!

[clarkss12]

A friend of mine just purchased the HDHomerune Prime with (Xfinity) cable service and he tried several android devices including the SG3 with same results at 720P or 1080i channels you get micro stutter. I rigged her 2 HTPC's with 2 Intel Nucs (Celeron & i3) running a lite version of Windows 7 with Windows Media Center as the media center running everything. ZERO stutter playing anything and I mean ANYTHING. I also tried some 4k vids and they played smooth with i3, the celeron just doesn't have enough horse power for that.

I ran the Nuc with Linux, XBMCBuntu, Openlec and Mountain Lion OS. & it runs like a champ. That type of testing is completely out of the question with these crappy sticks. I have given up on these crappy chinese build android devices because they completely unreliable for video playing. Even the new quad core amlogic has problems playing "true 1080P" vids. Anytime you run android, you are limited to 720P vids and even those with high bitrates won't play properly. Electronic garbage!!!

Thanks for your input. I concur with your conclusion. Where did you find a device that has the new quad core amlogic?? I have been looking but none of them seem to be available yet..

[xlux]

Her husband bought the Onda V975M tab when it came out. Most channels had a small degree of micro stutter here and there but you had to really be looking for it (which I was) otherwise I was really noticeable on some of the 720P channels.

If you really want hassle free viewing then dump Android & go with a Mac Mini (used) or a Intel Nuc (cheapest) if you don't need 3D or gaming. If you don't care about power consumption, then get one of your old pcs's & convert it to a HTPC or build one. Trust me whatever money you're saving with these cheap sticks/set-top boxes, you will pay with frustration at the end. It's not as I haven't giving Android a fair chance on the contrary, I have tested many Android devices including SG3, SG4, Note2 & Note3. All have limitations & shortcomings on simple tasks like streaming 720P video.

[clarkss12]

Her husband bought the Onda V975M tab when it came out. Most channels had a small degree of micro stutter here and there but you had to really be looking for it (which I was) otherwise I was really noticeable on some of the 720P channels.

If you really want hassle free viewing then dump Android & go with a Mac Mini (used) or a Intel Nuc (cheapest) if you don't need 3D or gaming. If you don't care about power consumption, then get one of your old pcs's & convert it to a HTPC or build one. Trust me whatever money you're saving with these cheap sticks/set-top boxes, you will pay with frustration at the end. It's not as I haven't giving Android a fair chance on the contrary, I have tested many Android devices including SG3, SG4, Note2 & Note3. All have limitations & shortcomings on simple tasks like streaming 720P video.

I agree about the frustration level that these android TV boxes can cause. Apple products are out of the question for me, they have great products, but I don't like the closed ecosystem they have. As far as a HTPC, that was an Idea that I had a couple of years ago, but tossed that idea. The cost seemed too high for the purpose to be used, also I do not like fans. I am very impressed with these android boxes and it takes a lot to impress me (haha). I have been building my own computers for many years, so I am very computer literate. These boxes are small, use very little power and have NO Fans. I would estimate they have more power than most desktop computers had 10 or less years ago. These boxes are getting better every day, with the support from the devs on this site. These boxes are about 90% there for my expectations, needs and wants. I want a device that is stable and never freezes or reboots, plays all my media with great quality and passthrough Dolby Digital audio. I do seem to recall the blue screen of death in the earlier years of windows, so instability should be expected from this fairly new operation system. Android is very simple to use, unlike Linux that android is based upon. Yes, this is new technology, but in 10 years, it may be market dominate. As per your information about the Onda V975M, I would think if that device was connected via ethernet, even the hd tv channels would play flawlessly.

[xlux]

We both think alike & that's why we both started testing these Android devices. However, fanless doesn't mean a fan is not needed. My 3rd Android device (Matricom MX2) gets HOT & I mean HOT!! I had to modify the case to avoid getting fried. I build my own HTPC a while ago from an old ITX board I had laying around. I bought a small factor case & an a low power psu. You couldn't hear the fan unless you got in all fours & put your ears behind the case. It worked well except for the power consumption. You will see it in your monthly bill.

The other problem with these Android devices is the app discrepancies like Netflix, HBO Go, Xfinity apps,,, etc. You can have one of there other. You either get the XBMC working great but the apps will flop. I agree with you as far as just having an inexpensive fanless HTPC until you come to the realization of the limitations of Android. I saw my neighbor's HTPC (Intel NUC) setup last year & I was impressed! He has the i5 & it is flawless. That's where I got the idea for my friend. I mean this thing packs lots of computer horsepower for its size factor. You can't hear the fan unless you put your ear close to the case outlet. This thing can run the next 3 builds of Windows easily so it will be around in your inventory.

Here where Android lacks bigtime, nobody is going to be running Android 2.2 on purpose. As a matter of fact ICS will be obsolete soon. I still run WinXP as my do it all troubleshooter on an old laptop of mine. That's what I use to flash all my Android devices. Android is simple but lacks refinement.

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[clarkss12]

We both think alike & that's why we both started testing these Android devices. However, fanless doesn't mean a fan is not needed. My 3rd Android device (Matricom MX2) gets HOT & I mean HOT!! I had to modify the case to avoid getting fried. I build my own HTPC a while ago from an old ITX board I had laying around. I bought a small factor case & an a low power psu. You couldn't hear the fan unless you got in all fours & put your ears behind the case. It worked well except for the power consumption. You will see it in your monthly bill.

The other problem with these Android devices is the app discrepancies like Netflix, HBO Go, Xfinity apps,,, etc. You can have one of there other. You either get the XBMC working great but the apps will flop. I agree with you as far as just having an inexpensive fanless HTPC until you come to the realization of the limitations of Android. I saw my neighbor's HTPC (Intel NUC) setup last year & I was impressed! He has the i5 & it is flawless. That's where I got the idea for my friend. I mean this thing packs lots of computer horsepower for its size factor. You can't hear the fan unless you put your ear close to the case outlet. This thing can run the next 3 builds of Windows easily so it will be around in your inventory.

Here where Android lacks bigtime, nobody is going to be running Android 2.2 on purpose. As a matter of fact ICS will be obsolete soon. I still run WinXP as my do it all troubleshooter on an old laptop of mine. That's what I use to flash all my Android devices. Android is simple but lacks refinement.

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My daughter brought over her allwinner quad core (cs918s), and I tested my hdhomerun stream on it. The hd channels were still skipping frames, but not as bad as my RK3188. When the new quad core amlogic boxes hit the street, I will be getting one. I do believe, with ethernet connection, the hd streams will play flawlessly. I love tinkering with these boxes more than just using them. I have a PS3 and a boxee box, which are just collecting dust.

[xlux]

I love testing too but after a while, these Android devices start to add up. I'm contemplating getting an Intel NUC & calling it day. I already setup 2 for a friend so I know their capabilities. The question is whether to go i3 or i5?

For me Android is too limited even at bare minimums. The HBO GO app has never worked correctly & Netflix still lacks quantity.

BTW: it is not wifi that makes the stutter but the lack of proper hardware support.

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[kblgy]

hi, i have 2 hdhomerun dual gen 3 hdhr3-us.
i think i figured out how to help. i use my minic neo x7 at times just figured out tonite how to sop the stuttering, i went into the settings in mx player and changed it from software decoding to hardware decoding, also deinterlace is on. and it ran fine , no pixelation and no streaking.

hope this helps.

[clarkss12]

I love testing too but after a while, these TV droid devices start to add up. I'm contemplating getting an Intel NUC & calling it day. I already setup 2 for a friend so I know their capabilities. The question is whether to go i3 or i5?

For me Android is too limited even at bare minimums. The HBO GO app has never worked correctly & Netflix still lacks quantity.

BTW: it is not wifi that makes the stutter but the lack of proper hardware support.

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After tweaking and fine tuning my hdhomerun duo and my android tv box, everything is running great. My HD channels are running flawlessly in xbmc. The picture and audio quality are fantastic. The audio is 5.1 Dolby digital. You were correct about wireless NOT being the problem of poor picture quality. I tested my setup with my wireless G and everything played perfectly. I can say that my $85 box now will compete with a $350 mini htpc.

[kblgy]

After tweaking and fine tuning my hdhomerun duo and my android tv box, everything is running great. My HD channels are running flawlessly in xbmc. The picture and audio quality are fantastic. The audio is 5.1 Dolby digital. You were correct about wireless NOT being the problem of poor picture quality. I tested my setup with my wireless G and everything played perfectly. I can say that my $85 box now will compete with a $350 mini htpc.

is it possible to let us know what you did? settings?

[clarkss12]

is it possible to let us know what you did? settings?

I have the new Hdhomerun Plus which encodes the signal to H.264, also uses Upnp. Here are some pics of my tuner set up.

[clarkss12]

I have the new Hdhomerun Plus which encodes the signal to H.264, also uses Upnp. Here are some pics of my tuner set up.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5276[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]5277[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]5278[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]5279[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]5280[/ATTACH]

Here are some quick pics from my phone, showing what it looks like using my hdhomerun plus and XBMC. Just to give you an idea of how to use your tuners. Again, forgive the poor quality of the photos. Also, showing a pic of my A/C receiver showing Dolby digital 5.1

[xlux]

After tweaking and fine tuning my hdhomerun duo and my android tv box, everything is running great.

KUDOS!! bro, good job...

I can say that my $85 box now will compete with a $350 mini htpc

Nahhh!! NOT EVEN CLOSE. Your $85 box can will only run android & in a year it will be obsolete. You can't really play full blown 1080P, You can't really see 3D movies, you don't really have a full guide, XBMC is still not be fully supported on android and it could just die for no apparent reason at any time???

I can run whatever OS I desire or run 2 OS's if I decide to test. I have full 1080P, full 3D, 30 day guide and it will be competitive for the next 5 years. Ever heard of gingerbread, yeah I don't think you would wanna run that & that's what will happen to JB after a few months. Like I said, NOT EVEN CLOSE...

Then again, android was never meant to replace a PC nor windows for that matter. When it comes to price, it has PC in the dust; no doubt!! You pay for what you get & if all you want is to just do bare minimums; then android is a good choice...

[clarkss12]

KUDOS!! bro, good job...



Nahhh!! NOT EVEN CLOSE. Your $85 box can will only run android & in a year it will be obsolete. You can't really play full blown 1080P, You can't really see 3D movies, you don't really have a full guide, XBMC is still not be fully supported on android and it could just die for no apparent reason at any time???

I can run whatever OS I desire or run 2 OS's if I decide to test. I have full 1080P, full 3D, 30 day guide and it will be competitive for the next 5 years. Ever heard of gingerbread, yeah I don't think you would wanna run that & that's what will happen to JB after a few months. Like I said, NOT EVEN CLOSE...

Then again, android was never meant to replace a PC nor windows for that matter. When it comes to price, it has PC in the dust; no doubt!! You pay for what you get & if all you want is to just do bare minimums; then android is a good choice...

Ah, but I can sit here and count all my$$$$$ that I have saved. You are absolutely correct about these Android devices not replacing a real computer. But I do have a real guide in xbmc with 12 days of data. It looks and works great. Not as good as windows media center, but pretty darnclose. I am now sstreaming HD channels flawlessly. However, my Android box does freeze,crashes, and reboots too often. Sometimes, I feel like tossing it out the window. As I recall, I used to have those feelings in the early days of windows. I am even the pre DOS days (old man). For the most part, I love tinkering with it.