CableCard refugees: What's next?

[Flt505]

@maddox

How fast is it from a channel change to a tuned channel?

Maybe 8-10 seconds? per bnhf
This is a deal killer for me, I was pursuing Bobby Vaughn's setup, but i can't put up with this.
.
BTW, for everyone, and I'm sure most know this.
The $58 Gemini DTV box from Walmart works great, its a regular Google tv box with the Google Play Store etc, AND if you install CHDVR on it all the buttons work, including FFWD, Pause, REW, Channel numbers buttons, if you have a need for that with you custom channels with Channel numbers assigned (tvg-chno="06") or as they come 6003 etc.

[Curtis]

@maddox

I don't love that this is wifi, but I can't not be impressed with what this setup can do, vs the footprint.

You can get a PoE ethernet adapter for the FireStick - kills 2 birds with one stone: Amazon.com: UCTRONICS Upgraded Ethernet and Power for Raspberry Pi Zero, Micro USB to Ethernet/PoE Adapter for Fire TV Stick, Chromecast, Google Mini and More, IEEE 802.3af Compliant : Electronics

[chDVRuser]

@maddox

Let's use this as a fresh thread to discuss modern options for Device + Encoder. If anyone has good success stories with what they're pairing with their encoders, this would be a great place to post it.

What this solution is, is essentially us building our own HDHomeRun Prime devices. Which, those that have one, know is the best solution for Live TV in Channels.

So, what's the best pairing for the least amount of maintenance?

I noticed you didn't include software solutions, like PrismCast.
When my Xfinity cablecard or HDHR Prime no longer works, that's what I plan on using (assuming the dev still supports it). No additional hardware required (other than my existing M4 Mac Mini to run it).

[maddox]

Because the topic was specifically about hdmi encoders.

[mackid1993]

There is actually quite an interesting development going on with ah4c currently and Fast Channels. I thought I just mention that here. I haven't personally tested it myself, but there's a bridge that gets installed on the Android box that's being used and it connects to Fast Channels. It seems that it can therefore integrate Fast Channels with HDMI encoders and also tune a few apps a little bit more reliably, such as Philo for example.

Also, just in terms of recent developments, I was able to integrate AI-generated closed captions with ah4c. If that helps anyone migrating over from CableCard, who's used to closed captioning, they're not perfect because they are generated by a Parakeet model. I actually added a few models as options in ah4c to choose from depending on your specific hardware constraints. Regardless, they're slipstreamed in as regular closed captions and appear in channels as regular closed captions, which is kind of nice.