- 3 VIDEOS
Image Unavailable
Color:
-
-
-
- To view this video download Flash Player
SiliconDust HDHomeRun PRIME Cable HDTV (3-Tuner)
Compatible Devices | DVR, Gaming Console, Television, Tablet |
Connector Type | RJ45 |
Brand | SiliconDust |
Connectivity Technology | Ethernet |
Color | Black |
About this item
- For cable TV cord shaving. No need to rent set top boxes for every room
- Watch all your subscribed cable TV channels using CableCARD
- Watch live HDTV on up to 3 devices simultaneously on your WiFi or wired network
- Works with our HDHomeRun DVR so you can watch, pause and record cable TV
- Expand the number of tuners with multiple HDHomeRun devices
- USA Cable TV subscription required. For antenna use the HDHomeRun FLEX model
Additional Details
Save on Quality Keyboards and Mouse by AmazonBasics |
AmazonBasics 3-Button USB Wired Mouse (Black), 30-Pack | AmazonBasics Wired Keyboard and Wired Mouse , 10-Pack | AmazonBasics Wired Keyboard, 10-Pack |
Similar items that may ship from close to you
- SiliconDust HDHomeRun Flex Duo 2 x ATSC Tuners - HDFX-2USFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 26
- SiliconDust HDHomeRun Flex 4K ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV: 2/4 Tuners HDFX-4KFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 26
- SiliconDust LPF-608M LTE Filter for TV Antennas USA 2020 Standard 600/608/618MHzAmazon's Choicein TV AntennasFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 26
- SiliconDust HDHomeRun Flex Quatro 4 x ATSC Tuners - HDFX-4USAmazon's Choicein External TV TunersFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 26Only 13 left in stock - order soon.
- HAUPPAUGE WinTV-DualHD Dual USB 2.0 HD TV Tuner for Windows PC 1595,BlackAmazon's Choicein Internal TV Tuner & Video Capture CardsFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 26
- Hauppauge 1657 WinTV-dualHD Cordcutter Dual USB 2.0 TV Tuner for Nvidia Shield and Windows PCFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 26
Important information
Legal Disclaimer
Ships from California within 2 business days of ordering. Shipping is only available to the CONUS. Warranty is provided through original manufacturer of product and will be stated under item condition if applicable. Unfortunately, a restocking fee of 20% will be applied to returned products. Customer will need to work directly with the manufacturer for support. Customer is responsible for all shipping fees.
From the manufacturer
You'll be viewing in no time with our simple flexible set-up
Watch on the following devices:
- Windows 10/Surface
- Sony Android TVs
- MacOSX, iOS & TVOS
- Android tablets, phones
- Amazon branded media devices
- Playstation 3&4
- Xbox One/One S/X
- Nvidia Shield TV
HDHomeRun CONNECT DUO
Have you thought about cutting the cord and forgetting about cable TV? Make HDHomeRun CONNECT DUO part of your home network.
Receive Free to air TV via an antenna allowing you to send glorious high definition content to anywhere in your home over your existing home WiFi, or a wired Ethernet connection from your home router. No more expensive Cable TV subscriptions or cable boxes rental fees. You can now easily watch another program in a different room or enjoy football in the yard – whether on Android TV device, phone, tablet, computer or smart TV.
You can watch Live TV through our HDHomeRun DVR app and you can record, pause, rewind and schedule your favorite shows using the HDHomeRun DVR service*.
You can also watch and record Live TV with Plex or you can record, pause, rewind and schedule programs using our Kodi/ XBMC Add-On or popular compatible third party DVR software.
* Requires Guide Subscription
Benefits
|
|
|
|
---|---|---|---|
Cord CuttingCut the cable and cut your costs. No more expensive subscriptions or cable boxes. |
2 TunersHaving two tuners means that you can watch Live TV on two devices simultaneously. |
Compatible with our DVR serviceThe CONNECT DUO works with our DVR service, so you can watch, pause and record. |
ExpandabilityConnect more HDHomeRun tuners to your router to expand the number of channels you can watch or record simultaneously. |
Customer Reviews |
— |
— |
— |
---|---|---|---|
Number of tuners | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Watch on tablets and phones | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Works with our DVR service | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Receives free OTA Live TV | ✓ | ✓ | – |
Receives Premium cable TV | – | – | ✓ |
HDTV over Ethernet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
HDTV over WiFi (via your home router) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Built in video transcoding | – | ✓ | – |
DNLA streaming | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Our app runs on a huge number of platforms. Please see website for more details.
Our App. Available from all the major download stores.
With our free App download on Android / Windows 10 / Mac - you get Live TV with 24 hours of program guide, show posters, and brief synopsis of each show.
Upgrade to our Annual DVR Service - now you have 14 full days of program guide and DVR functions including, scheduling, organizing priorities, and playback on multiple devices across your home network simultaneously. It also includes:
- Pause and rewind Live TV
- Seamless Viewing. Pause on one device and resume on another
- SliceView EPG
- Program image posters and synopsis
- Record entire series
The HDHomeRun App and DVR Service
We looked at the current media-PC way to record TV. It requires a fair bit of technical know how, high powered media PCs that need to stay on, and often pages of complicated setup.
Enter the HDHomeRun App. Simply put, it’s the software that works with your playback and network storage devices adding the ability to watch, schedule and record Live TV.
At it’s most basic, viewing Live over the air TV around your home on multiple devices has never been easier or as cost effective than with HDHomeRun tuners and DVR. Equally simple to setup is our full DVR service enabling you to schedule whole series recordings. Our DVR solution allows you to search by category, so why not record the whole series of your kids’ favourite shows and keep them entertained for hours and you can use your NAS drive to record to so they can watch on any compatible smart device around your home. Or why not catch up on your favorite shows or those not to miss ‘must win’ sporting events by setting it to record all the games only your team play.
Expandability and flexibility are key - it can be as simple as a laptop or as expansive as a multi-client, multi-NAS, multi-tuner masterpiece…install the app and you are up and running. Give it a few recording tasks and it goes to work. TV viewing on your terms with HDHomeRun DVR.
Product guides and documents
Compare with similar items
This Item SiliconDust HDHomeRun PRIME Cable HDTV (3-Tuner) | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | ||
Price | Currently unavailable. | $149.99$149.99 | $199.99$199.99 | $109.99$109.99 |
Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 26 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 26 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 26 |
Customer Ratings | ||||
Picture quality | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
User interface | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
Tech Support | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
Sold By | — | Silicondust Shop | Silicondust Shop | Silicondust Shop |
connector type | RJ45 | RJ45 | RJ45 | RJ45 |
connectivity tech | Ethernet | Ethernet | Ethernet | Ethernet |
tuner technology | Cable | ATSC | ATSC 3.0 | ATSC |
platform | windows | windows | android | windows |
video output format | mpeg 4 | mpeg 4 | mpeg 4 | mpeg 4 |
remote included | ✗ | ✗ | — | ✗ |
What's in the box
Videos
Videos for this product
1:07
Click to play video
HDHomeRun PRIME Installation
Silicondust Shop
Videos for this product
6:16
Click to play video
HDHomerun Prime Adds Android DRM Support for Live TV
Lon.TV
Videos for this product
0:30
Click to play video
SiliconDust HDHomeRun PRIME Cable HDTV (3-Tuner)
Merchant Video
Looking for specific info?
Product information
Product Dimensions | 4 x 7 x 1 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 1.5 pounds |
ASIN | B004HKIB6E |
Item model number | HDHR3-CC |
Customer Reviews |
4.4 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #52 in External TV Tuners #952 in Streaming Media Players |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | August 25, 2011 |
Manufacturer | SiliconDust |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Product Description
HDHomeRun PRIME is a network attached TV tuner enabling you to stream Live Cable TV in the US to 3 independant playback devices throughout your home. Once connected to your home router, you can access the HDHomeRun Prime tuner from any computer, or from game consoles, tablets and from media devices like FireTV or AndroidTV boxes, anywhere in your home. Watch or record TV from your family room, kitchen, garage, backyard, or anywhere you have a computer or DLNA compaitble device. The HDHomeRun PRIME's three independant tuners allow it to stream up to three cable channels simultaneously, including those Premium Content channel you pay your Cable Company to watch. Need more tuners? Connect additional HDHomeRun devices to increase the number of available tuners. Now you can watch the game while the kids watch their shows.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the performance, ease of setup, and quality of the TV tuner. For example, they mention it works well, the directions are excellent, and it hooks up very simply. That said, some complain about the channels. Opinions are mixed on connectivity, compatibility, and video quality.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the performance of the tuner. They mention that it works well, incredibly well in MythTV, and flawlessly on all their systems. It's simple to setup and works smoothly with their older HDHR unit. Customers also mention that the guide works great, and that it has no glitches or hiccups.
"...connected to my desktop and set as my DVR storage location and it works perfectly...." Read more
"...In conclusion, this device is awesome! Works exactly as advertised...." Read more
"...Here is what I like about this approach:- I get full DVR functionality from each extender - I can pause live TV, record, see the queue, manage..." Read more
"...The tuner itself is a nice little piece of hardware and does do its job well...." Read more
Customers find the setup of the device to be easy. They mention that the directions are excellent, and the device hooks up very simply. They also appreciate the simple little program that really transforms Media Center. The process itself isn't too bad, and they find the app UI fairly simple.
"...to be on hold for a while, but in my case at least, the tech was friendly and helpful. He was very patient and did a nice job. It does take a while...." Read more
"...We use two Harmony 880 remotes, which makes this easy to operate for the family. The Ceton takes the same IR codes as the XBox 360...." Read more
"...This earned them a 1-star rating.2. The ease of setup of the device was so good that it earned an extra 1/2 star.3...." Read more
"...It's not because it's difficult to set up, but it's because you have to go through hula hoops with the cable company to get it working...." Read more
Customers like the quality of the tuner. They mention it has a super high quality application, excellent hardware, and a good external build. Some say the software hinders the experience. Overall, customers are happy with their purchase and recommend it to others.
"...Bottom line:The tuner itself is a nice little piece of hardware and does do its job well...." Read more
"This device is wonderful but you should pay extreme attention to the installation and activation process to avoid any frustrations...." Read more
"...It's awesome. One final piece of advice for Media Center users, check out My Channel Logos for win7 media center...." Read more
"...I was skeptical that the PRIME would work, but so far, it's fantastic...." Read more
Customers like the value of the tuner. They say it's a great money-saver, it allows them to save on cable box rentals, and it'll allow them to watch live TV on more than just their TVs. They also mention that the network switches are very inexpensive, and the equipment is free.
"...This product is definitely worth it. If you are on the fence, I'd say go for it...." Read more
"...does exactly what it promises, with minimum hassle or fuss, for a reasonable price...." Read more
"...up cable TV from any PC in my house, with full DVR capability at no extra cost!..." Read more
"...me, not quite ready to cut the cable cord completely, it is a great money-saver." Read more
Customers are mixed about the connectivity of the tuner. Some mention that the default channel tuner software is acceptable, and it's a breeze to set up and get working with Windows media center. It's compatible with Verizon FiOS, and integrates perfectly with Windows MCE. However, others say that using the wifi along was not a strong enough connection to stream clear HD content, and there was too much interference for reliable connections. The Tuning Adapter won't connect, and a problem with the CableCard's authorization for subscribed channels does require you to call Comcast.
"...Activating the CableCard is straightforward, but what follows next is where most headaches occur... especially if you are unlucky enough to..." Read more
"...do not receive a channel list, this means the card has not yet received programming information from the cable provider...." Read more
"...The activation of the Cable Card was easy with Verizon's online activation, and I was up and running in just a few minutes...." Read more
"...happen to accidentally unplug the HDHomeRun Prime, the cable card may lose authorization...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the compatibility of the tuner. Some mention that the app is pretty amazing, and the company is very active in developing its software. They love the WMC guide and DVR ability, making it a compelling Media Center solution. However, others say that the application struggles a bit, and that the software is unreliable and not friendly. The simplistic app UI needs some work, and it has a less flexible channel.
"...Its not as convenient as turning on a cable box and changing channels, you need to make sure your PC is on, you need to launch WMC and you need to..." Read more
"...beautiful, HD channels with the HDHR-prime, and I love the WMC guide and DVR ability...." Read more
"...Fast, easy installationCons:- Simplistic app UI needs some work- Less flexible channel guide out of the box-..." Read more
"...I can watch one channel but of course no TV guide. It does buffer some but not exactly a PVR...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the video quality of the tuner. Some mention that it has a great HD picture on their PC, and recorded playback works great on it. They also say that it gives them full HD video, and that within a few minutes they were watching crystal clear live TV. However, others say that the video struggles and gets cut off, and is choppy.
"...HD channels come through beautifully over a wired connection, but for reasons I cannot fathom, the PRIME only has the bandwidth to send SD signals..." Read more
"...Picture QualityMy first issue was with picture quality. I would get lots of macro blocking and weird video studdering...." Read more
"...Picture quality is excellent (full HD if that's what the channel is), and the PAUSE/PLAY/RECORD features work seamlessly...." Read more
"...This is great for detecting picture quality issues that are related to your CATV wiring...." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the channels provided by the tuner. Some mention that they are missing a bunch of channels, and that the laptop is not capable of handling the premium channels. They also say that the HDHomeRun Prime intermittently forgets the subscribed channels and gives a weak signal error.
"...If you do not receive a channel list, this means the card has not yet received programming information from the cable provider...." Read more
"...If it doesn't stay solid after an hour and/or the LED just turns off, then you have a bad tuning adapter. You need to get it replaced...." Read more
"...obvious that the cable card was the problem other than I lost access to the channels and there was a blinking green light...." Read more
"...with Microsoft Media Center and have found that it works well streaming the content real time over the Ethernet...." Read more
Reviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
The setup:
Because each cable company may be different, I'd suggest to do a little Cable Card research on your cable companies website, in my case TWC;
I called TWC's Cable Card support number and they mailed me the equipment needed.
You get a Cable Card (TWC $2.50/month), and a Cisco Tuning Adapter (free), which is a box (think the size and shape of a large DVD player) that plugs into A/C power and is powered on all the time. TWC uses Switched Digital Video (SDV) which is why you need the tuning adapter. (SDV is basically used to free up bandwidth). It has a coax in, and a coax out and a USB type B port on the back. In my case I used a 4 way cable splitter. The main coax into the living room goes into the 4 way splitter's (in) and then a coax (out) goes to the (in) on the back of the Cisco tuning adapter, another short coax goes from the coax (out) on the back of the Cisco adapter to the (in) on the back of the Prime. The type B end of the USB cable from the tuning adapter runs into the back of the Prime where it plugs into its type A USB port. I also used the rest of my available splitters to send cable out to my main HDTV and secondary TV (you can still watch regular basic cable using a direct coax connection in the back of your TV, the Prime works either on computers, or using the Xbox connected to a TV as an extender when using Windows Media Center app to watch live TV). Now, you'll need to run an Ethernet cable from an available LAN port on your wireless router into the Ethernet port on the back of the Prime. The Prime also has an A/C power cable of course and you are now at the part where you have the basic physical setup ready, and you can call your cable companies Cable Card support number for activation. Be prepared to be on hold for a while, but in my case at least, the tech was friendly and helpful. He was very patient and did a nice job. It does take a while. The Cable card (think the size and shape of a PCMCIA card) is inserted into the back of the Prime first, and then the cable company tech can run the activation.
The following Silicon dust site has step by step instructions;
http://www.silicondust.com/support/instructions/primewmc7/
Software Installation
01.Download and install the latest HDHomeRun software from downloads. http://www.silicondust.com/support/downloads/
choose the one for your operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux).
02.Open HDHomeRun Setup
03.On the Location tab, set the Country and Zip/Postal Code
04.On the Applications tab, set the Main Application to Windows Media Center
05.On the Tuners tab, set the Signal Source to CableCARD for each of your HDHomeRun PRIME tuners.
06.On the CableCARD tab, click Scan to download a channel list from the CableCARD. Uncheck the boxes for any channels you don’t subscribe to or otherwise don’t wish to see in Windows Media Player/HDHomeRun QuickTV. If you do not receive a channel list, this means the card has not yet received programming information from the cable provider. Follow the steps in the next section to activate the card.
CableCARD Validation
Your CableCARD must be validated (paired) with your HDHomeRun PRIME in order to receive copy-protected content. This normally only needs to be done once, unless you switch to a different CableCARD, or insert your CableCARD into a different device.
01.On the Tuners tab in HDHomeRun Setup, click on one of the Tuner IDs to access your HDHomeRun PRIME’s webpage. This can also be done by clicking the link on the Device tab in HDHomeRun Config GUI, or by directly navigating to the IP address of your HDHomeRun.
02.Click on CableCARD Menu. In the CableCARD Status section, you will see the current status of the CableCARD in your HDHomeRun PRIME. Verify that Card Authentication and Card OOB Lock show success. If Card OOB Lock does not show success, this suggests that your HDHomeRun PRIME does not have a good cable connection. Verify that the TV cable is securely connected to the RF in port on your HDHomeRun PRIME and to the wall outlet or splitter.
03.Follow your cable provider’s directions for validating your CableCARD. This normally involves calling the cable company or accessing a web page and providing the CableCARD ID and Host ID (and if using a Motorola CableCARD, the Data number) listed on this page. The validation process can take anywhere from 1-30 minutes depending on the cable provider. Refresh the Status page every few minutes to check to see if the process is complete, indicated by the Card Validation status showing success.
Windows Media Center – Digital Cable Advisor
The Digital Cable Advisor needs to be installed and run once on each PC you wish to use with your HDHomeRun PRIME.
01.Open Windows Media Center. If WMC opens fullscreen, restore it so that it is in windowed mode.
02.In the Extras section, click on Extras Gallery
03.Click on the Digital Cable Advisor, and follow the prompts to install
04.Go back to the main WMC screen, and in the Extras section, click on Extras Library
05.Click on Digital Cable Advisor and follow the prompts to update your system for CableCARD support
Windows Media Center – Configuration
01.Open Windows Media Center
02.Click Tasks, then Settings, then TV, then TV Signal, then Set Up TV Signal
03.Confirm your region and click Next
04.Enter your ZIP/postal code and click Next
05.Read and agree to the Program Guide Terms of Service, and click Next
06.Read and agree to the PlayReady. Click Next. If it has not already been installed, PlayReady will now download and install.
07.Windows Media Center will now download configuration data and detect the tuners you have installed. Verify that it detects all 3 of your HDHomeRun PRIME tuners, select Yes, configure TV with these results and click Next.
08.Select Yes to set up Windows Media Center for use with a CableCARD, and click Next
09.If you are shown a message about activating your CableCARD, click Next
10.If your are shown a Call Your Cable Company screen, click Next
11.If prompted, select your cable provider from the list (make sure to choose the Digital option if available) and click Next
12.Click Next. WMC will new download guide information.
13.Click Finish
Using Windows Media Center
◾To watch live TV: from the main screen, click TV, then Live TV
◾To see the guide: from the main screen, click TV, then Guide
◾To see a mini guide when watching TV: click the Guide button at the bottom
◾To record a single program: Locate it in the guide, click on it, and click Record
◾To record a series: Locate one airing in the series, click on it, and click Record Series
◾To change where recordings are stored: from the main screen, click Tasks, then Settings, then TV, then Recorder, then Recorder storage. Other drives can be selected using the +/- icons.
This product is definitely worth it. If you are on the fence, I'd say go for it. If you were to pay the cable company for what you get from this (DVR capability on aover the course of a year, it more than pays for itself. You will save money.
You can also watch live TV on tablets and smartphones. The InstaTV Pro for Android and InstaTV Pro for iOS support direct streaming from HDHomeRun devices on Android and iOS devices.
I decided if we were going to get cable, I would do it as cost effectively as possible. That meant not leasing a cable box from Time Warner Cable for $12-15 per month (multiplied by three for each room). I started looking in to Tivo. The problem with TiVo is the Roamio Plus HD, two TiVo minis, and the lifetime subscription... it was going to be a $1300+ adventure and it would be another device I would have to find an input for in the living room receiver. So that idea went right out the window.
I had always heard of PC TV tuners. My initial idea was to get a TV tuner for the PC and just use Windows Media Center on our PCs. Your PC basically becomes the cable box and the ability of DVR functions as icing on the cake. However, this was only possible if we had a PC that would be on 24/7. Having an always on PC is not practical and not feasible.
Enter HDHomeRun Prime.
This is probably the coolest little device I've ever had the pleasure of owning. Setting it up is not for the faint of heart. It's not because it's difficult to set up, but it's because you have to go through hula hoops with the cable company to get it working. It took me an entire week. Yes, an entire week. Hopefully, I can give some advice to other Time Warner Cable customers and save you all the frustration. Here's how to set up the HDHomeRune Prime if you live in the NYC area and have TWC (but I'm sure this will apply to all TWC customers in the U.S. as well).
1. Don't order anything over the phone in the hopes that you'll be able to negotiate the price. They only negotiate once you have the service and threaten to cancel. Order everything from your TWC account. Sales reps over the phone will actually charge you an extra $10-12 per month for their cable packages even when you tell them it's not what is on the website. They'll just tell you, "Order it from the website."
2. After you upgrade your service, order a cable card from TWC AND a tuning adapter. You should be able to do it all at the same time when you order online. Your cable card and tuning adapter should arrive in 2-3 days. If you are in NYC, DO NOT go to the actual store like I did (they have two locations on the West Side - both locations are terrible). There are only two other things worse than going to a TWC store... the DMV and the ER. It's a very similar experience of pain, anguish, and misery.
3. This next step is VERY VERY VERY important. TWC nickel and dimes their customers. If you have internet with TWC... in order to have a Wi-Fi capable router, they will charge you an extra $5-6 per month in addition to the $5-6 per month cost of leasing the modem. Even if the cable modem they gave you doubles as a Wi-Fi router, they will deactivate the Wi-Fi functionality of the router unless you call them and pay for that monthly $5-6 Wi-Fi charge. Here is where it gets funky.
If you pay for the Wi-Fi capability to be turned on or you have their highest tier internet service called Ultimate 100 (highest tier internet service customers get Wi-Fi capability on their routers turned on at no additional charge)... they will turn OFF the bridging capabilities of your cable internet router. Why do they do this? I have no idea. You need the bridge to be opened. Otherwise, Windows Media Center will just keep telling you that you have a weak TV signal.
You have to call internet tech support and explain to them that you need the bridge on your modem to be activated in order for you to run HDHomeRun Prime. They will give you a lot of resistance and tell you that if you have Wi-Fi activated they can't also activate the bridge. It will be a fight but eventually they will fold and activate the bridge for you as long as you agree that you will not be piggybacking your own Wi-Fi router to their unit and that you'll just use it strictly for HDHomeRun Prime. I actually had to threaten to cancel my cable TV subscription in order for them to open up the bridge.
4. Once you are done with that headache, now you can get started to setting everything up. The main cable coaxial goes to the Cable in of the tuning adapter. The cable out of the tuning adapter AND the USB connector needs to go the HDHomeRun Prime. Connect the HDHomeRun Prime via Ethernet cable to your internet router/modem. Pretty self-explanatory.
5. Plug your cable card in to the HDHomeRun Prime. Download the HDHomeRun Prime software on your PC. If you did everything correctly, it will automatically detect HDHomeRun Prime tuners and update it. If there is something wrong with your network, the HDHomeRun Prime software will detect it to warn you and give you ideas on how it could possibly be resolved. 6/5 stars to SiliconDust for that. It is how I eventually discovered the bridging issue.
6. Call the TWC cable card department. They close at 11:00 P.M. EST so don't think you'll be setting this up at 2:00 A.M. in the morning. All the reps know what the HDHomeRun Prime is. They will give you step by step directions on what you need to do in the HDHomeRun Prime GUI in order to help them sync everything. They basically will be sending hits to your tuning adapter and cable card and confirming it with you. The final step is the authorization. It could take 10 minutes or an hour. You just have to sit and wait. If the GUI still says you are not authorized after an hour... I would call them back.
7. Windows Media Center - well, this is another headache in of itself. You MUST MUST MUST run Digital Cable Advisor in Windows Media Center and/or download it from Microsoft and run it. Navigate to Extras and then Extras Gallery. You will see the picture of a coaxial cable, that's the Digital Cable Advisor. After that, then you can set up your TV signal in the Tasks and Settings menu. Windows Media Center should automatically update with PlayReady during the setup process.
Then VIOLA! You should be home free. Our cable bill with Ultimate 100, one DVR, and two cable boxes would have been $175 per month. Now it will be $118 per month. That's a $57 per month savings. The The HDHomeRun Prime will pay for itself after 2 months and effectively save us $684 per year.
Tip: The tuning adapter green LED light should flash while it is syncing. It will be a solid green once it is fully synced. If it doesn't stay solid after an hour and/or the LED just turns off, then you have a bad tuning adapter. You need to get it replaced.
Tip: If you happen to accidentally unplug the HDHomeRun Prime, the cable card may lose authorization. You might have to call TWC to re-authorize it and do the 10 minute to 1 hour wait for it to sync.
Tip: If you have an older PC, the way protected content works and was implemented, your GPU might be too old and/or not have the hardware capability to view that content. Essentially, you won't get any channels.
Tip: If you have your PC connected via DisplayPort, you will get the same issue of being unable to view protected content.
In conclusion, this device is awesome! Works exactly as advertised. You just have to have a lot of perseverance, technical know-how, and patience with cable companies to get it working.