Do I need HDHomerun to list antenna channels?

Mainly trying to get CW

You need to be near the broadcast tower which sends the CW signal, and you need an antenna that can pick up the signal.

The HDHomeRun connects to the antenna and sends the signal to the Channels app and DVR.

Yes I understand this. I'm asking if I can skip HDHomerun bc that's not an ideal situation for me. The placement requirement is dumb so I refuse to buy it.
Can I load my OTA channels onto here without the use of HDHomerun?

How is the placement requirement "dumb"?

You can't get the CW without OTA that I am aware of.

To my knowledge it's the only it's equipment that forces it to be next to the router. It really limits you!
So no OTA without HDHOMERUN??

Why does it have to be next to the router?

I have my HDHomeRun units in the basement and router upstairs. They work just fine and I have quite a few.

Are you saying you don't have a wired network? That might be inconvenient unless you can somehow run an Ethernet cable from the router to where the antenna cable enters the house, and connect the HDHR to both. (My HDHRs are on a different floor from my router, but I wired the whole house for Ethernet.)

If you don't want it near your router and don't have an ethernet port where you do want it, you can get a WiFi Extender that has an ethernet port and use it that way. That said, I wouldn't recommend it; you want all the speed you can attached to that device!

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I tried the WiFi Extender route and it would drop the 4 port about every other day. I would chum it up to just a faulty extender. I agree that hardwire is the way to go. Or heck you could do power network adapters and they will use your electrical circuit in your house. Network cable is by far the best though.
mine runs up a bedroom wall into the attic and all the way to the other side of a house where I have a switch and I plug my hdhomerun into that. Totally doable.

In my experience the preferred order would be:

  1. Ethernet
  2. Moca
  3. Powerline/wifi

Powerline can be very fast, if it’s a pretty short run with no interference. On the other hand, it can be slow at longer distances and if there is interference. Unfortunately you really have no way of knowing what kind of performance you will get until you buy it and plug it in. That’s why I put it next to wifi.

Aside from all these other great ideas, if you are willing to do some ethernet drops, there are far more uses for having a wired house than hooking up a hdhomerun. You could use it for superior connections to your streaming clients, PoE cameras, additional WiFi access points, a hub/bridge for network home controls and lighting, etc. Plus that HDHR will probably get you a lot more OTA channels than just CW.

If you use networked devices, setting up ethernet makes a home much more versatile and useful.

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Correct

It has to be ethernet into the router and the antenna. Prob 80% of the time this means its right beside eachother. Unless they created an updated version.

how unless you have an ethernet cord ran through the walls to connect them?

I WOULD LOVE TO DO THIS but wife wont let me lol

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Wireless is a bad idea for OTA tuners because of the latency and signal interference. If your home doesn't have ethernet throughout, there is still a high probability that it does have coax throughout you can use for MoCA adapters.

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Moca

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You can run coax to where there is ethernet or ethernet to where there is coax. They don't have to be side by side... You might find a creative way to "meet in the middle" somewhere.

IIRC, you have to use HDHomeruns. I bought 2 quattros from someone on in the for sale section of this site. I agree with most, Ethernet is best I'd say, MOCA is convenient. I'd be interested how it would work on a wireless bridge, not sure I'd try it.