Help w/ devious plans ditch tivo

[cyth]

Hi I am new to the forum and having troubling figuring out how to proceed. I am currently running an old tivo bolt with a cablecard. I am located in the USA. I have 2 tivo mini's. I also have a firetv cube for streaming. I use Verizon as my tv provider. My spouse is not tech savy and has a low frustration tolerance with technology. I don't want to waste my money. I have a computer lab and spare pc parts. So I just have a ton of questions. The goal here would be to ditch tivo and have the best frontend experience.

Possible setups:

1. Use FireTv Cube as my frontend?
   
   1. Can I use Kodi or is there a NextPVR app for that?
      
      1. Whats easier to use the Kodi app or NextPVR app for tech challenged people
         
   2. Are there weird delays using a separate machine for the player? Is pausing live tv possible and is the fast forward smooth or choppy jumping like netflix?
      
   3. I see on the screen shots on the website there are channel numbers which I love. Can a remote be paired with the FireTv that has numbers on it
      
2. Build New, Frontend and Backend Combined, sits in my living room.
   
   1. Is the interface snappier if I just build a new computer where the backend and frontend both run on same hardware?
      
   2. Smoother Forwarding of live tv?
      
   3. Too noisy... fans & hdd for living room?
      
   4. Do I have to buy a gpu or can I use the integrated gpu? I don't have a 4K tv yet but it is in my future. Does 4K require a gpu?
      
   5. Can I use an old mobo I have sitting around? https://www.ecs.com.tw/en/Product/Mother...cification
      Using the old hardware I'd just have to buy an mATX case, and power supply... save some money.
      
3. Cable Card Tuner - I was just going to buy the InfiniTV 6 ETH, but can't tell if people got this working or not here. Is there a better option? I currently have 4 tuners, 6 would be nice but not a deal breaker.
   
4. Build backend as vm on my old HP Server, I have a couple drive slots available to use for video storage. Any issues with going vm on backend? I would kind of feel a touch safer that I could take snapshots of the system for backups and before attempting upgrades. Cost would only be purchasing a sas drive. There are spare network ports available here I could direct connect the server to the cable card tuner bypassing the switch.
   

I know that was a lot of info.  I greatly appreciate any insights or experiences.

Thanks!

[mvallevand]

It's hard to answer so many questions, I suggest installing and trying most of this yourself. Part of your problem is defining the client first

1.1 There is Kodi, an an Android style app and a UI client (uidroid)

1.2 What defines a weird delay and why would you expect one? Typically delays are from transcoded playback, Android clients should be direct play.
- pausing live TV is possible
- smooth fast forward is an analog VCR throwback you need to get used to skipping digital media. UI clients have the based skipping IMO. Kodi does have fast forward but for HD it isn't like a VCR and might not always be smooth.

1.3 Amazon device aren't the best for non official remote, other Android devices are much better. The TiVo 4k https://www.tivo.com/products/stream-4k has a nice remote for channel selection, skipping etc.

2.1 Is network or local playback faster, the answer should be a no brainer but you probably are talking milliseconds of difference.
2.2 Local will be faster for fast playback.
2.3 You tell us
2.4 The server doesn't need a GPU unless you need web playback. Clients will depend on your media. My opinion is Apple TV, Roku and Android clients can be better than a old school HTPC
2.5 The server doesn't need much horsepower. Again is this really a client you want in the living room.

3.0 Can you even buy a Ceton these days? They never got great reviews and you probably are better off with two SiliconDust tuners, getting a Ceton working with NextPVR is more work than you need. You might be able to get the Hauppauge DCR cheap on Kijiji, ebay or Facebook market.

Before spending the money note cable companies can drop CableCard support anytime they want.

4.0 VM depends on your tuners and device support, NextPVR doesn't care. You might be better with a Linux VM.

Martin

[sub]

Just to add to Martin's reply.

For CableCard get HDHomeRun Prime, or Hauppauge DCR. Don't bother with Ceton.

NextPVR's navigation in recordings and live tv is based on skipping rather than a smooth fastforward/rewind. For uiclients, like uidroid, you can get thumbnails when skipping around in recordings, which makes it pretty nice and easy to control.

Having a fast backend machine can definitely help make for a nicer experience. ie, faster response to keypresses, being up to generating thumbnails etc.

Ultimately you should try it out yourself to see if it it'll meet your needs.

[ElihuRozen]

I have Verizon. I stopped using the Ceton and got a refurbished HD HomeRun Prime from SiliconDust for Cable Card.
If you record a lot of the broadcast networks and local channels, meaning ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, CW, etc, Verizon does not encrypt local QAM channels. You can get a QAM tuner and record multiple channels on each tuner. I have a quad QAM tuner, but because of multirecord support, I can record all fifteen local HD channels simultaneously using just three tuners. On the other hand, Verizon prevents you from recording the cable channels formerly owned by Fox, meaning FX, FXX, NatGeo, NatGeo Wild, FS1, BTN, Fox Business, Fox News, using CableCard. Interestingly enough, you can record FS2 and the BTN overflow channels with CableCard.

[cyth]

Thank you all this is awesome information. My Tivo is random rebooting now daily so I am gonna get moving on this project. I am going to take the advice and Ceton is off the table. When I go to the Silicon Dust website for the HDHomeRun Prime it says this is under development and shows no info. Searched amazon and all I see are power supplies. I can find it on ebay and some come with a cable card. I thought I had to have Verizon's cable card? The Tivo I have now I had to get a cable card from Verzion but maybe that was because I didn't own one? Oh just found this link https://community.verizon.com/t5/Fios-TV...-p/1449478 but not sure.

I am very interested in the the suggested Tivo 4K Streamer. So there is an app or way to load kodi or is there a nextpvr app? How do I access the nextpvr backend? Do you guys prefer nextpvr app or kodi?

Going with the backend on the old hp server I have as a vm for my first try. I just feel safer with snapshots and rolling back if I have a problem.

One question for what ElihuRozen said about not being able to record some channels. My Tivo can record the FX channel, is that b/c of some deal Verizon Tivo worked out?? Or maybe in my area I can record them?

Thanks Again All

[mvallevand]

The TiVo 4k is an Android device so Kodi, uidroid and the more GUI oriented Android app will work. I have a preference for STB box like UI clients but I suspect NextPVR Android users are primarily split between uidroid and Kodi. I suggested the 4K not because it is the best device, but the remote is pretty good and familiar to you and it works well with uidroid.

There is not national policy on what stations are available via CableCard. On your TiVo maybe check here https://tivoidp.tivo.com/tivoCommunitySu...uage=en_US to see if it is copy freely.

Note the SiliconDust software does allow you to watch DRM material with their app. That won't be possible with NextPVR.

Stations like FXX may be disappearing from linear cable too. Seems it is already gone from Spectrum. https://cordcuttersnews.com/spectrum-dro...sney-deal/

Martin

[Jean0987654321]

You may want to keep an eye on tech news when it comes to CableCards. As the FCC as abandoned ship on them, cable companies may do so too down the line. Over in some of the other boards I frequent, they're piping in DRM channels to their homemade DVR servers using an HDMI capture card and an android tv and controlling that with adblink. Having an cable box and a capture card with an IR blaster is a good alternative too.

Just a thought.

[mvallevand]

Living here in Canada where we don't have Cablecard I have 3 STB's I purchased used that have served my well with NextPVR for years on Windows and now on Linux. Now the cable companies are basically saying that STBs are end of life. New boxes might well be Bluetooth only making things even more difficult.

I am also using HDMI capture with adb tuning with NextPVR with some success, but the success is dependent on the application. Typically you can launch an app, but being able to tune it with constant keystrokes will prove to be a challenge and I don't think it will be the "Holy Grail" Still it's cool when it works.

Martin