Direct Stream from HDHomeRun

[neush1 1]

I could really use some help as I've been pulling my hair out the last few days over this.

I have an older HDHomeRun Prime (CableCard) and basic cable subscription for just the local channels (poor OTA reception in my area). I've been using WMC on a HTPC for the past 7 years but am now trying to move away from that since WMC is fading away and so much doesn't work correctly anymore (Netflix, plugins, etc.). I've gotten a NAS recently and I've been testing Emby and really like it. I was excited about its Live TV and recording functions and felt like this could finally be something that could replace WMC as our DVR. However I cannot for the life of me get Emby to direct stream from the HDHomeRun. It always transcodes to x.264 and the transcodes look much worse than my WMC video.

I've tried using both Emby's built in TV functionality for HDHomeRun streaming to Emby Theater on my HTPC as well as the ServerWMC plugin and trying to play my .wtv files. Nothing gets me the WMC quality video that I already have.

Is there any way to do this? Is there any combination of Emby (or anything else) that can direct stream the Mpeg2 video and AC3 audio from my HDHomeRun and record? There's no CCI protection on the channels I'm trying to watch/record (NBC, CBS, PBS, etc.).

Am I missing something or is this just not possible with Emby?

[Luke 42078]

Hi there @@neush1, welcome. Please discuss an example and attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue.

 

Which edition of Emby Theater are you running, the Windows Store app, or the desktop app?

 

thanks !

[Sammy 790]

WMC isn't fading away. Use ServerWMC to connect Emby to WMC and be happy with it. Mine works perfectly well this way and I can watch recordings made with WMC on Emby or recordings made with Emby on WMC. Life is good!

[dee1 3]

 

I could really use some help as I've been pulling my hair out the last few days over this.

I have an older HDHomeRun Prime (CableCard) and basic cable subscription for just the local channels (poor OTA reception in my area). I've been using WMC on a HTPC for the past 7 years but am now trying to move away from that since WMC is fading away and so much doesn't work correctly anymore (Netflix, plugins, etc.). I've gotten a NAS recently and I've been testing Emby and really like it. I was excited about its Live TV and recording functions and felt like this could finally be something that could replace WMC as our DVR. However I cannot for the life of me get Emby to direct stream from the HDHomeRun. It always transcodes to x.264 and the transcodes look much worse than my WMC video.

I've tried using both Emby's built in TV functionality for HDHomeRun streaming to Emby Theater on my HTPC as well as the ServerWMC plugin and trying to play my .wtv files. Nothing gets me the WMC quality video that I already have.

Is there any way to do this? Is there any combination of Emby (or anything else) that can direct stream the Mpeg2 video and AC3 audio from my HDHomeRun and record? There's no CCI protection on the channels I'm trying to watch/record (NBC, CBS, PBS, etc.).

Am I missing something or is this just not possible with Emby?

 

I run HDHOMERUN and have standardized on FireTV as clients, even though some of my TV's are first generation smart TV's and have apps that could host silicon dust tuners. 

There are two tuners for OTA (over the air) extend and connect, and now QUATRO.

The extend can trans-code and will do so, but the exact requirements for trans-coding can differ based on your emby settings.  Sound, bitrate, etc..   and network topology.  Actually the silicon dust products are excellent, I use their app on the firetv and get no issues.  I also use the connect and migrated from the cablecardM box as I cut the cord fully.   While kodi is a one-stop solution I have found that using the firetv app and their DVR software and EPG (electronic program guide) was the easiest for me to get the quality I wanted as I actually cut the cord!   I also clearly see the difference in improvement using the connect at true 1080 when comcast calls 720 HD.  I factually get a much better picture from HDHOMERUN.  I however use wired connections to all my devices and a switch (not a hub).  The way that the signal is broadcast from silicon dust products allows for packet loss, and the best pictures come from wired connections.  The extend will in sports slow things down a bit, as an example tonight the eagles play and the game is televised on Amazon prime, watch the game OTA (CBS) and then on prime, huge difference in quality. Where emby fits a nitch is if you wanted to watch local stations on a device while traveling and yes there would be replication degradation.  In respect to analyzing what is happening signal wise from their tuners I recommend using VLC media player which will provide more information about signal than even HDHOMERUN provides.  You will see that different broadcasters use different content and "DOLBY" and "SAP".   These things require Emby to think about them as well as closed caption.  

 

So my recommendation is that you start with the best signal possible (connect) and that you then if you require trans-coding (something to be avoided) set up the resource that will perform that decoding to highest level.  And if you do anything do it well.  In respect to recordings I like the way silicon dust allows me to select a sports team and record all games televised with that team, and the software runs really good on the western digital EX2.

 

If you cut the cord it should not be a substandard replacement for pay tv, but combining content appropriately to get a tailored solution that meets your needs and preferences.  Taking a look at VLC should so you what is included in signal from silicon dust, VLC is the right place to gather that info.  Hope this helps

[neush1 1]

Hi there @@neush1, welcome. Please discuss an example and attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue.

 

Which edition of Emby Theater are you running, the Windows Store app, or the desktop app?

 

thanks !

 

Thanks Luke. I'll get the required information together when I get home and provide that. Been through a bunch of issues with this so far but I've learned a lot.

 

Currently, this is my setup. I've got an older HDHomeRun Prime with CableCard for basic cable (Cox). I only need local channels (NBC, CBS, ABC, etc.). On my HTPC I run WMC and my HDHR works perfectly I get Live TV and recording with no problems, good quality (albeit large .wtv files, don't care).

 

For the future I built a NAS running unRAID and an Emby Server Docker container. Set up Emby love the look, feel, metadata scraping, everything. That all works great. Emby Server detected my HDHomeRun with no problem and I threw together a quick XMLTV file to get EPG data. When I tuned in to a TV show on my iPad the quality was poor and Stats for Nerds told me it was transcoding. Read some more and found out that neither the iOS app nor the browser client supported direct play. No problem, I installed Emby Theater on my Windows 7 HTPC and tried again, still transoding.

 

Did some more reading, learned about ServerWMC. Set that up on my HTPC, configured it to work with Emby Server. Tuned into ServerWMC channel through Emby Theater on my desktop PC, still transcoding. It seems that no matter what client I try it will not play a direct Mpeg2/AC3 stream. I don't believe my HDHomeRun supports HW transcoding. Frankly I don't want transcoding at all. What I would like is something that mirrors what I'm able to do with WMC - watch Live TV and record shows as a DVR in as close to cable-stream quality as possible.

[Luke 42078]

If you remove ServerWMC and use Emby native live TV, then Emby Theater will not transcode with your hd homerun.

[neush1 1]

If you remove ServerWMC and use Emby native live TV, then Emby Theater will not transcode with your hd homerun.

 

That's what I tried first. After I had Emby Server installed the first thing I did was go to Live TV and 'Detect Tuners'. It found my HDHomeRun and I could tune to the available channels but all were being transcoded. Is there a setting in Emby Theater that I need to change to prevent this?

[Luke 42078]

That's what I tried first. After I had Emby Server installed the first thing I did was go to Live TV and 'Detect Tuners'. It found my HDHomeRun and I could tune to the available channels but all were being transcoded. Is there a setting in Emby Theater that I need to change to prevent this?

 

None, it will direct play in Emby Theater out of the box, as long as you are using the downloaded desktop app and not the app from the Windows Store.

 

Does this help?

[Guest asrequested]

The one question you haven't answered, is what version of Theater are you using? This is important, as the store version doesn't support MPEG2, so that will always transcode. MPEG2 isn't well supported, generally. You'll need to use the app from the Emby web site.

[neush1 1]

The one question you haven't answered, is what version of Theater are you using? This is important, as the store version doesn't support MPEG2, so that will always transcode. MPEG2 isn't well supported, generally. You'll need to use the app from the Emby web site.

 

I'm using the standalone version on Windows 7 not the app store version.

 

I've included a screencap below with the stats for nerds displayed. Any ideas? 

 

In my server setttings I have the following:

 

Automatically convert recordings to a streaming friendly format - OFF

Preserve original video when converting recordings - ON

Preserve original audio when converting - ON

 

 

 

 

[dee1 3]

 

I'm using the standalone version on Windows 7 not the app store version.

 

I've included a screencap below with the stats for nerds displayed. Any ideas? 

 

In my server setttings I have the following:

 

Automatically convert recordings to a streaming friendly format - OFF

Preserve original video when converting recordings - ON

Preserve original audio when converting - ON

 

 

 

 

 

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/15587-dolby-truehd-output-configuration/

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=5.1+audio&rlz=1C1KMZB_enUS572US586&oq=5.1+audio&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.6662j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Dolby my guess but I'm new, I have a HDhomerun connect

 

 

Edited October 13, 2017 by dee1

[Luke 42078]

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/15587-dolby-truehd-output-configuration/

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=5.1+audio&rlz=1C1KMZB_enUS572US586&oq=5.1+audio&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.6662j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Dolby my guess but I'm new, I have a HDhomerun connect

 

In your case you're using a browser, and there is no browser with mpeg2 support so that will always transcode.

[Luke 42078]

 

I'm using the standalone version on Windows 7 not the app store version.

 

I've included a screencap below with the stats for nerds displayed. Any ideas? 

 

In my server setttings I have the following:

 

Automatically convert recordings to a streaming friendly format - OFF

Preserve original video when converting recordings - ON

Preserve original audio when converting - ON

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is strange. This really should direct play. If you can please provide the information requested in post #2 then I'll be able to give you a more detailed answer. Thanks !

[blade005 185]

 

I'm using the standalone version on Windows 7 not the app store version.

 

I've included a screencap below with the stats for nerds displayed. Any ideas? 

 

In my server setttings I have the following:

 

Automatically convert recordings to a streaming friendly format - OFF

Preserve original video when converting recordings - ON

Preserve original audio when converting - ON

 

 

 

 

 

@@neush1

 

I don't know if these should impact Live TV streaming, but try turning OFF Preserve Original Video and Audio when converting settings and SAVE. I have three (3) HDHomeRun Connect devices and Live TV DIRECT PLAYS with Emby Theater Desktop and I have these set to OFF. These settings that are ON state they are for converting recordings, but maybe they are impacting your Live TV playback experience. Worth a try, plus they should probably be set to OFF if you have convert recordings set to OFF.

[neush1 1]

Luke, I've attached the latest log. Thank you for your help.

Edited November 7, 2017 by neush1

[neush1 1]

@@neush1

 

I don't know if these should impact Live TV streaming, but try turning OFF Preserve Original Video and Audio when converting settings and SAVE. I have three (3) HDHomeRun Connect devices and Live TV DIRECT PLAYS with Emby Theater Desktop and I have these set to OFF. These settings that are ON state they are for converting recordings, but maybe they are impacting your Live TV playback experience. Worth a try, plus they should probably be set to OFF if you have convert recordings set to OFF.

 

Yeah I tried disabling those earlier. Didn't make a difference though. They're set to off currently.

[Luke 42078]

@@neush1 can you please put this url in a browser and then copy and paste the contents into here:

http://192.168.51.106:80/lineup.json

Thanks.

[neush1 1]

@@neush1 can you please put this url in a browser and then copy and paste the contents into here:

http://192.168.51.106:80/lineup.json

Thanks.

Edited November 7, 2017 by neush1

[Luke 42078]

What is your HDHR firmware version?

[Guest asrequested]

HDHomerun firmware change log

 

Latest update

[neush1 1]

What is your HDHR firmware version?

 

I think I'm on an older firmware. I'm at work now but I'll check this as soon as I get home. Thank you!

[dee1 3]

In your case you're using a browser, and there is no browser with mpeg2 support so that will always transcode.

Ok I'm following this thread, see that CablecardM is used, so the fireTV doest transcode, interesting.   I'm learning.  Is there a chart or matrix by client interface? 

https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/282294/fire-tv-stick-no-longer-plays-5-1-audio-in-plex-since-last-update

I actually pulled Plex and have focused on trying to get emby to work.

Until I find something as stable as Kodi I'll not fool with my artwork, not change folder, naming etc.. though I know there are Ubuntu charms to do so.

 

I'll do some testing. I get ffdshow on AC3 with windows and "hdhomerun view"

But that was something I didn't know,

maybe grab systeminternals and see what is really happening.

I have silicondust running really well (currently) and one app to rule them all would be nice.

I have been focusing on setup and config and still new.

My goal is simpler, want firetv to run well.. I'm doing the setup on windows.. but will take the time to look!!!! 

I'd actually like to just go right into a fireTV app, not Kodi to get to a cord-cut app, turn off ‘Allow apps from unknown sources.’

 

 

 

[Luke 42078]

Update the firmware and I think this should be resolved. Thanks.

[neush1 1]

Update the firmware and I think this should be resolved. Thanks.

 

That did it. Thank you VERY much. I'd just like to say how impressed I am with your responsiveness and knowledge. I don't think I've had this good of a customer service experience in a very, very long time. Thank you again.

[Luke 42078]

Thanks for the feedback.