CableCard Options 2018

[FuriousGeorge]

I'm trying to decide between some version of Windows with WMC and HDHR PVR, and having not used to former in years or the latter ever, I was hoping someone could chime in with some advice as to which they prefer, and why.

I realize that the former is more functional in the sense that it can record DRM channels, however WMC is still dead, unfortunately. Also, Windows 10 seems not to be an option since the creator's update broke DRM compatibility with CableCard (if what I recently read is accurate), and in general I assume the situation will continue to deteriorate on W10 with subsequent updates, at least as fast if not faster than on Win8.1, where there's still support (such as it is).

Thanks for reading.

[FuriousGeorge]

It's also worth mentioning that I run my HTPC's desktop OS in a VM, and I assign it a physical GPU. I route the signal to one or more of two displays (TV or a monitor in the same room) with an HDMI switch. Practically speaking, this means I can run an OS just for my 'STB' on my TV while I use my computer on my monitor, and so I can use the best OS for the job without marrying it full-time. I can also allocate resources as necessary, so that the STB doesn't take any more CPU cores or RAM than needed to do it's thing, and thus won't slow my PC down much.

Also, there are some positive develoments in the WMCCommunity community.

I'm leaning toward W8.1 MC over a 10- or 7-based solution, or the HDHR DVR (which is mostly disqualified for its lack of support for DRM recording).

The only problem I foresee is occasionally, if don't want the PVR slowing down the host at all, I'll have to shut down the STB, detach the GPU, migrate it to a server in another part of the house, and start it again. If something I want to watch without gaps is recording, I won't be able to migrate it right away (or race against a commercial break. As with everything PVR related, you can't always get what you want, and HDHR DVR would not have this problem).

[Crash2009]

You could go with LTSB 2015 WIN 10. cablecatd and drm channels work fine

[jachin99]

Crash, what about things like the store, and edge? I thought LTSB 2015 was EOL, when it reached EOL the store quit working. I'm not sure about any of this, which is why I'm asking

[Crash2009]

Drm channels were disabled in win10 2016. The best we could get out of the 2016 versions required a work around using DVBLink Server Version 6.0. The best we could get out of the work around was non-drm CableCARD channels work.

LTSB is easier to configure the prevention of damaging updates.

I am not familiar with the store issue. As far as I am concerned edge is no big loss. The email was a POS also. Those two as well as a few other useless things can be removed from the image prior to installation.

[Alan G]

You can still purchase legitimate Windows 7 product keys (just did this in December for a new HTPC build as my old Win7 was an OEM install and I guess I'm just to honest to try to game the system). Win7 install just takes time because of all the security downloads but WMC set up was just fine with my Hauppage dual cable card tuner. Yes, Win7 will reach EOL in a couple of years but there is no reason why WMC should not work after that time. The safest bet IMO is just to keep your HTPC as a dedicated machine and carefully examine the monthly MSFT updates as to whether they should be installed or not. My machine only runs WMC, DVDs, and Netflix and Amazon Prime streaming. I don't do any other Internet stuff on it.

[adam1991]

however WMC is still dead, unfortunately.

Huh. I didn't know that. <checking WMC box under TV> Nope. Not dead in the least.

[jachin99]

WMC might not be supported by microsoft but it is still the most stable PVR software out there. Not just for live TV but also for things like DLNA, and even web feeds in plugins like Macrotube play their best in WMC. After years of no support from MS, it still does the best job of playing media, which is kind of the point. When Windows 7 reaches eol, and quits getting security updates you can still be relatively safe putting WMC behind a good firewall, and disabling known vulnerable protocols and services like SMB v1.

[FuriousGeorge]

however WMC is still dead, unfortunately.

Huh. I didn't know that. <checking WMC box under TV> Nope. Not dead in the least.

I should have said that 'development has stalled'.


Thanks for all the replies.

Prior to getting them, last night I attempted to get W8.1MC going, but (for better or worse) I wasn't able to get it booting in UEFI mode, which I would need in order to pass a GPU to it from the host. I'm going to get my hands on W10 LTSB 2015 and use that as my primary platform.

Any other tips and tricks that you would recommend? It looks like the Windows Media Center Community community may have most or all of the important stuff in one place.

[adam1991]

Development has stalled on my 2007 Honda minivan.

But for some reason or another, we still use it.

I absolutely and utterly fail to understand this mania for declaring a piece of software to be useless, and choosing to dump that software, simply because it's not being actively developed.

I bet I could get more done with a 286 machine running DOS 5.0 and MS Word than most people would ever be able to do with a brand new machine and software.

[artm]

I'm running the setup in my signature. No complaints. It is cheap, simple and effective.

WMC is not dead. I laugh whenever I see posts suggesting that and simply sit back and enjoy my setup. The only glitch I've had is with Comcast's switchover to 720p but that's been mostly resolved.

For what WMC offers nothing beats it. Period.

[FuriousGeorge]

Development has stalled on my 2007 Honda minivan.
But for some reason or another, we still use it.

WMC is the worthless car in this metaphor?

I absolutely and utterly fail to understand this mania for declaring a piece of software to be useless, and choosing to dump that software, simply because it's not being actively developed.

I bet I could get more done with a 286 machine running DOS 5.0 and MS Word than most people would ever be able to do with a brand new machine and software.

Try native floating point arithmetic!

If you were born after the advent of the 286, then you're probably overestimating its utility.

I'm running the setup in my signature. No complaints. It is cheap, simple and effective.

WMC is not dead. I laugh whenever I see posts suggesting that and simply sit back and enjoy my setup. The only glitch I've had is with Comcast's switchover to 720p but that's been mostly resolved.

For what WMC offers nothing beats it. Period.

I guess 'dead' is a relative term. Obviously, adoption is not what we wanted, so for some people you could say it was always dead.

In my case, and to follow up on OP:

I was having trouble getting WMC to recognize my tuner in W10MC. In the course of researching the problem I read that DRM channels don't work anyway. Currently, I'm using ServerWMC and Kodi as a front-end, which frankly I would prefer because it is being actively developed, but, on balance, I'd rather have DRM channels. So, W10MC is really not an upgrade for my use case; it's more of a sidegrade.

Then I tried to get W8.1MC going. W7MC is out of the question because I need a UEFI environment. From what I've read, it should work, but I'm not able to boot either the install media or a hard disk or USB with the install media pre-loaded. This probably has something to do with the OVMF bios used by VMs. I have a post on my distro's forum, hopefully one of the smart guys there knows what's going on.

(I need this BIOS compatibility because I want to attach a GPU to the VM, obviously, but I want to run it as a VM so I don't have to use it as the primary OS. Short of that I'd just use the HDHR DVR Service.)

So, I'm hoping for some work around for 8.1, I have my fingers crossed, but it may be that WMC is once and for all dead for me. I'm not blaming anyone or anything, not even MS, but the state of things being as they are, it's hard to envision a situation where I re-visit this in another couple of years. As I said initially, it's an unfortunate situation, I'm not happy about it. (I'm not the enemy here.) Granted, my situation is unique, and I'm sure many others might continue using it for years.

[artm]

You seem to insist on making your "unique" setup work for WMC, where it isn't ideal.

You can spend a lot of tme trying to get this to work, which may never become realized. Or, you can install a simple setup like mine and enjoy WMC now.

I too was following a similar philosophy a while back - stubbornly clinging onto a HP laptop format (perfect, except for Intel's HD3000 issue with the Comcast switchover) and then onto a USFF format (because it looked cool and small, prefect except for the same Comcast issue).

Yes, it's a system with a fragile balance of components and tweaks, that can fail on many levels. But, guess what, it doesn't the vast majority of the time.

[adam1991]

Development has stalled on my 2007 Honda minivan.
But for some reason or another, we still use it.

WMC is the worthless car in this metaphor?

My car is hardly worthless--just as Win7 Media Center is hardly worthless.

I absolutely and utterly fail to understand this mania for declaring a piece of software to be useless, and choosing to dump that software, simply because it's not being actively developed.

I bet I could get more done with a 286 machine running DOS 5.0 and MS Word than most people would ever be able to do with a brand new machine and software.

Try native floating point arithmetic!

If you were born after the advent of the 286, then you're probably overestimating its utility.

Oh no, I was there.

It's a poor workman who blames his tools.

[Crash2009]

(I need this BIOS compatibility because I want to attach a GPU to the VM, obviously, but I want to run it as a VM so I don't have to use it as the primary OS. Short of that I'd just use the HDHR DVR Service.)

Have you considered a BIOS Mod?

https://forums.mydigitallife.net/forums/bios-mods.25/