I have a question when it comes to running devices in multiple locations so I will leave the scenario upfront so I don’t lose anyone or its not too long of a read.
I have a server in location A which houses the server and storage, there is now a location B in play which a HomeRun PRIME Tuner has been setup and I would like Location A to pick that device up and run it as if it was part of its own to keep everything simple.
My question would be, has anyone done this and if so how did you do it?
Could I just spend the money on a decent router in location B to run a VPN between the two locations and if so will the PLEX actually allow me to set this up?
I am trying to avoid the setup of a different server due to the fact that now we are talking about more hardware to keep up with, storage and most importantly bouncing back and forth two servers when it comes down to switching between content of location A and live TV using the tuner of location B.
I hope I was clear enough with my description and intent.
Clarify 2 locations… What is connectivity between them? You would need at least 100mb unlimited, routed connection between them. Simply 2 isp internet routers are not enough as you would have to configire them for this (if they woild even support this)
What’s the real need? Are you looking to get the channels in location B because you can’t get them in location A?
Sounds to me that if Location B is the desired channel point, that you should consider moving your server there to accommodate. Then remote access from location A.
Location A only has internet connection and I honestly no longer want to pay for cable or streaming services, that’s how location B comes into play. That location has cable and that is the reason as to why I got the Homerun Prime tuner so I could stream but did not realize at the time that it would only stream within its own network.
Now OttoKerner mentioned UNO coming out which could come in very very handy, honestly I would not rather setup another server since if something happens it can be a PIA to get it up and running again due to the location and lack of physical access, I would prefer to do everything through remote access if possible which is when I thought of the VPN
setting up multiple servers isn’t really a problem as long as you have a PC/device that can run 24/7 at location B.
something as simple as an nvidia shield + usb3 external drive (of sufficient size to hold any dvr storage) should work as a basic dvr/live tv server.
regarding homerun prime, keep in mind, you will need an authorized cable card, but aside from that many cable companies now encrypt most or all channels so that even with a proper cable card, you will still not be able to tune channels.
make sure your cable company provides ‘clear channel’ unencrypted basic cable channels before you spend any money or effort. (premium channels will always be encrypted and thus unavailable via cable card)
all that said, the final hurdle will be internet throughput, the upload speed of location B will be most critical, especially for watching live tv.
OTA streams are of high bandwidth (not sure what exactly the min/max is).
a server of sufficient power will be able to transcode on the fly, if only lower bandwidth is available, so you need to take that into consideration (server power versus upload speed).
I think that effectivly it will not work. @TeknoJunky brought up some good points about encrypted channels. If you are looking for a way to share cable i think you will not be happy. If you are looking to -record unencrypted shows and share them it might work.
You still need a server in the location with the hdhr. Tv shows take a lot of bandwidth to stream and record. Not something you can do over an internet connection. I am able to stream recordings that i have transcoded. But all of my gear is on same network
I’ll be attempting the live stream option by creating a VPN from location B and hopefully allowing my server from Location A to recognize the hardware through the network and setup the desired channels.
As far as the channels go, so far the ones we mainly care about have been able to stream inside Location B to other devices via the HomeRun app without issues so we know the card has been activated correctly and the channel scan was successful.
If this method fails then the Shield is actually a great suggestion, I completely forgot that little device was capable of running it and I’ll just plug in an external hard drive. I would think streaming DVR content shouldn’t be an issue as it will auto adjust to the correct bandwidth but if I have transcoding issues with option A (VPN) I don’t see why I wouldn’t with option B (2nd server) unless I shell out decent money for good hardware.
Trying to keep it under $300 for this project so we will find out in the next few days and I will keep you all updated. Also if there are more suggestions and concerns please let me know so I know what issues I am about to run into ahead of time.
These 3rd party software solutions run on many different platforms, and support live TV from our hardware. We have a DVR Add-on for KODI, and the other software products have their own DVR solutions. DRM content viewing is not available on these platforms.
PLEX
KODI
EMBY
WINDOW MEDIA CENTER WINDOWS 7 AND 8.1
KODI W/OPEN ELEC FOR LINUX
INSTA TV (for Apple TV 4)
CHANNELS (for Apple TV 4)
also, if you are gonna try vpn from the loc b tuner to the loc a plex server, you are going to need high upload bandwidth since the ota stream is going to be pretty high. your vpn will need to be able to be able to sustain the stream or else you will get drop outs and other problems.
I second @TeknoJunky’s suggestion to use an NVIDIA Shield with an external USB3 drive. Its small, uses little electricity (5-10W typical), is easy to configure, and should help you stay within your budget. The bundle with remote control, but excluding the gaming controller is around $165. Add to that a USB3 drive for your library data and media storage, and you should be set. If you’re using this just for Live TV and DVR recordings, a small USB3 powered external drive would do the trick. Something like a Western Digital My Passport Ultra will run you $109 for 4TB. Get both for around $275.
Just to give you an update I ended up going with the Shield and a 4TB external and that seems to be working fine, my current limitation is the upload how ever that will be changing soon.
So far I am able to get all of the channels we really “cared for” ((my wife)) and this means we may be getting away from DirecTV Now and be able to save those extra dollars per month.
I have noticed that Raspberry Pi 4 has come and and the specs seem pretty darn good. I’ll be testing that out as a server in Location B and see how that compares to the Shield.
