Hey all,
So to follow up I got an antenna and connected it to my TV and I got a ton of channels including NextGen channels. So I was going to get an HDHR. However, the antenna I have is amplified with the amplifier connected at the TV end. So, would I plug the amplifier end into the HDHR like the TV?
Yes and no. First, try it without the amplifier. HDHR tuners are notorious for being overloaded by a powerful antenna signal; using an amplifier could exacerbate this.
I would recommend this:
- Connect the antenna to the HDHR without the amplifier, and run a channel scan on the tuner. Try tuning a few of your more frequently used channels, and take note of the quality.
- Connect the antenna with the amplifierāinstalled between the antenna and the HDHRāand run a channel scan again. Do you have more channels? Less? Try watching some, and see how the quality compares.
TVs have much better handling of broadcast signals that are too strong, or too weak. HDHomeRun tuners have historically done poorly with too weak signals, and very poorly with too strong signals. The situation improves with each new generation of hardware they release, but it is still inferior to the tuning hardware in your off-the-shelf TV.
@racameron I plugged the trigger and got the HDHR. The other question I had was about using the tuners. I just watched a video on YT of a guy setting up the HDHR with Channels. He said that if you're mixing TVE and OTA channels that you can record as many TVE channels as you want and the tuners only amply to the OTA channels, is that correct? It makes sense to me since it's 2 difference feeds but I thought I'd ask.
Also, I took the amplifier off my antenna and plugged it in to the TV that way and my channels went from 76 to 69. But, I got all the major networks and what I'd actually watch. All the NextGen channels are still working. Hopefully that means the HDHR will pick all those up without the amplifier on.
There is no set limit on the number of TVE streams that can be recorded. I'm not sure what you mean by "the tuners only amply to the OTA channels". Channels can only view/record as many concurrent streams from your HDHR as you have tuners; so if you have a 4 tuner model, you can view/record up to 4 separate OTA channels.
How you set up your source priorities will determine how/when your OTA tuners are used. Remember the DVR priorities are for recording only, and that they are separate from the source priorities you set in your client app, which are used for live viewing.
$125...
I bought mine used. Zero issues. And honestly, Locast sucks. Quality is garbage. Like comparing a VHS tape to a blu-ray. And people harp on money so much. For as much tv as you watch, don't you want it to be enjoyable and not just acceptable? You don't drive a crap car with roll up windows, no AC and just an AM tuner. The overall cost is peanuts in the long run for something you use every day.
And I think silicon dust is really pushing the 3.0 4k box. You can't even get the regular connect quatro on Amazon, the listing I put above is one of TWO on eBay. So $200 is for the 3.0 box. And if you want to take advantage of the 3.0 aspect, you're pretty much a beta tester for Channels which is how that thread reads. I'd roll the dice on the regular one for $75 less. Most likely you'd be able to get your money back if you want to upgrade to the 4k one. And by then you'll probably have refurb options for hopefully close to $150.
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I'm all in now. I got my antenna and HDHomeRun connected and the channels look great. I tried to add the NextGen station to Channels but I ended up removing them and just using the HD channels. The NextGen channels would stutter pretty bad and there was no guide data. I'm guessing it's my equipment that is having the issue. I'm using an HD Apple TV 4th gen and this is all so new. But, I'm set and the HD channels look better than Locast anyway.
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Iāve been using Locast for over a year with Channels DVR and thought it wasā¦ fine. My internet is pretty stable. Didnāt really see the need for the antenna setup just to get my local channels. Locast ājust workedā and was a clean setup with no additional hardware or wires required. I knew the advantages available with OTA, I just didnāt think they would be worth the hassle.
But with this HDHomeRun Flex 4K I was gifted from a friend and this antenna I just installed, holy wow. Iām lucky to be in an area that has good reception for all the major channels. The OTA picture quality is quite noticeably better. Channel surfing between them is faster, too. Moreover, the addition of 5.1 audio, especially in my living room, makes a huge difference! Even if I had to pay for the box, Iād say it was worth the upgrade for the audio improvement alone. Iām stoked!
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That's the beauty of NextGen TV. All of the problems of ATSC 1.0 with mutli-path interference are eliminated and signal is many, many, many times better and more stable--even at low power. I don't care one bit about any other feature of 3.0 except that and cannot wait until it rolls out in my market!
Iām so glad I moved to a antenna after today. Iām wondering if this is the beginning of the end for Locast?
See the ruling itself:
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