If I have there DVR service will I be able to use a HD Homerun Prime with there cable card and watch or record any channels I subscribe to on three separate channels on three separate TV’s Like there whole house DVR does?
Technically, yes - with a powerful enough server.
A few things:
- You would need to get a cablecard from them for the prime, Spectrum may be more willing but Brighthouse never was.
- What hardware would you be using - currently the only hardware devices that can use Live TV are iOS devices (iPhones and iPades, NOT ATV4) and Android TV (NOT Android app)
- Not knowing what you subscribe to makes it hard to say but some of what you subscribe to may not be available - certain cahnnels are not available even with the cable card. Has nothing to do with Plex or the HD HomeRun, it is cable company/channel issue.
Yes, even with a cablecard some channels are likely copyright protected and can’t be recorded.
Spectrum in my area (Louisville, KY) sets all the HD channels but the local OTA ones to DRM - copy once and therefore are not usable in plex. May want to confirm this first before you invest as it make the HDhomerun prime pretty useless. There are no workarounds to get the drm’d channels into plex’s dvr but you can use component capture and tivo 4 premieres with nextpvr/mythtv to get dvr stuff done. not nearly as convenient
I can tell you that Spectrum/Brighthouse in Tampa encrypts all channels except for your locals (NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CW and PBS). Anything like TBS, AMC, Weather Channel will be encrypted. I found that out the hard way 2 months ago when I went back to using their Cable service after I had left originally in January. It wasn’t an issue in January but it is now.
You are only going to be able to use Windows Media Center to record those channels. You can watch them via the Silicondust software but only on Windows 10 or Xbox One. You can’t record them yet though.
Getting a cable card from them wasn’t an issue. Just go into the local office. I also never had an issue with that when they were Brighthouse either.
There is a difference between encrypted and drm’d channels. In the bright house areas pretty much everything is encrypted. The cable card should get you access to all of that. It is the Drm’d channels you won’t be able to get. If you aren’t getting encrypted channels then you don’t have the cable card configured properly.
Also make sure you get a tuning adapter as that is required since switch digital video tech is used.
I am in the Brandon area just outside of Tampa and get over 400 channels almost all encrypted but a limited number are set to DRM.
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@mavrrick said:
There is a difference between encrypted and drm’d channels. In the bright house areas pretty much everything is encrypted. The cable card should get you access to all of that. It is the Drm’d channels you won’t be able to get. If you aren’t getting encrypted channels then you don’t have the cable card configured properly.Also make sure you get a tuning adapter as that is required since switch digital video tech is used.
I am in the Brandon area just outside of Tampa and get over 400 channels almost all encrypted but a limited number are set to DRM.
Thanks for bringing this up. It has been a while and I always get DRM vs. encrypted mixed up. I did mean that all channels except locals are now carrying the DRM flag.
I am surprised that it isn’t also that way in Brandon.
I have Spectrum in Orlando/FL and use a Tuning device from Cisco (provided by them) and a Cablecard on my HDHR.
Works like a charm, except for the DRM’ed channels: HBO, Showtime, etc. AMC, Disney and everything else works.
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@jasonmcroy Have you made sure your Tuning adapter is working properly. This tells me it likely isn’t.
@mavrrick said:
@jasonmcroy Have you made sure your Tuning adapter is working properly. This tells me it likely isn’t.
That isn’t the issue. The channels are flagged DRM in the HDHomerun webpage UI and they will only play via Media Center or the Silicondust App on Win 10 or Xbox One. The tuning adapter just allows you to view channels that are switched digital video (data goes two ways). I verified the DRM flagging with Spectrum/Brighthouse directly.
I cancelled the cable subscription anyway and went with my OTA antenna only and PS Vue for the other channels. I am very close to the OTA towers so getting the local channels isn’t an issue for me.
