Connect or Extend?

#1

Hey everyone! I’m new to the group and very excited to add Channels and Channels DVR. I ordered the HDHomeRun Connect and it should arrive this week. Did I order the right device? I’ve read several contradictory comments here on which is better and just wanted some reassurance.

#2

Really depends on your home network setup, but the CONNECT works great for most.

You can read more about the differences on our FAQ: https://getchannels.com/faq/#what-is-the-difference-between-the-hdhomerun-connect-and-the-extend

#3

I’m using a ARRIS SBG6900 AC1900 with 3 ATV’s in my house.

#4

Aman, the FAQ should be updated to reflect that the Extend has been upgraded and no longer has fan. IMO this is significant as the fan in the earlier Extend was a point of failure, generated noise and increased energy usage. The aluminum Extend is a nice upgrade.

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#5

They are both the same, except that the extend has the additional feature of transcoding. It does use less network bandwidth, but Channels DVR users usually use this to allow drive space for more recordings (it is about equivalent to having twice the storage on your server). If you don’t care about this, the cheaper connect does the same thing, you will just get less recordings and your network will be busier.

#6

Another thought regarding the FAQ. The current FAQ is only geared toward live TV viewing. The Extend transcoding plays into DVR functionality in that it can reduce the size of recordings in half with little to no impact on audio or video quality.

#7

Thanks everyone. Any noticeable difference in video quality? Would EXTEND deliver fewer glitches or buffering since it’s using less bandwidth?

#8

Having used both, I can’t say I every saw a difference between them in audio or video quality. Playback was definitely smoother with the extend (due to reduced bandwidth…)

#9

Chris, it depends on your use case. Where you may see an improvement in video quality with the Extend is with wireless. If you will be streaming multiple wireless devices at once, are using wireless devices near the edge of the network range or have an older wireless network then the transcoding can make a big difference. In my case the extend gives me smooth video when viewing on an Ipad in my workshop about 100 feet from my brick house. Otherwise you probably won’t notice any quality differences.

Other advantages of Extend Transcoding:

  1. About 50% saving in DVR recording space
  2. Reduced iOS battery usage with the brand new release of channels version 1.4.