Anyone have 'hands on' with this?

[FaT Air]

Mediasonic HomeWorX HW150PVR ATSC (OTA*) only and recording via USB drive.
Perusing their forum, appears that clear QAM is possible with unsupported firmware.
Looking for a :up or :down review I guess.
Thanks.

 

[Mr Tony]

yes I own one. Some old comments by me previously
http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads...-working-on-new-OTA-DVR?p=3251758#post3251758
http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads...-pull-the-plug-on-cable?p=3341071#post3341071
http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads...-working-on-new-OTA-DVR?p=3252242#post3252242
http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads...-working-on-new-OTA-DVR?p=3252240#post3252240

QAM is supported but you need special firmware and there are some drawbacks
There was also some beta software to do clear QAM but there were many issues with it including
-no remapping of channels like locals (my TV's remap them)
-scanning in TONS of scrambled channels so the easier thing was to manual scan channels
-no guide so you need to manually set timers

I use mine as a backup if I have more than two things to record

 

[Mr Tony]

were you looking to use it for QAM mainly or OTA?

The one drawback of the unit and its not really a flaw on the unit is if the stations PSIP time is off, then your timers will be off. When I was in Minneapolis there was one low powered station that their PSIP was off by 12 hours. There is no option to change the time manually.

Like I say I use it when there are more than 2 things being recorded on my Tivo. I like that while I was recording I could watch any other channel in that mux (kinda like some FTA receivers can do) so while I'm recording MeTV as example I can watch ABC too (Me is a subchannel on ABC)

 

[FaT Air]

I'm thinking for OTA only. Have another DVR so this would be for when there's 2 shows at once. (That one does a lousy job of mapping clear QAM also) May 'mess' with the QAM firm also tho- As long as can 'bring it back' to factory.
Thanks - think I'll get one, for the price is nothing compared to the one I do have. Didn't want to shell out that much for another, after all, it's only television.

 

[Mr Tony]

I'm thinking for OTA only. Have another DVR so this would be for when there's 2 shows at once. (That one does a lousy job of mapping clear QAM also) May 'mess' with the QAM firm also tho- As long as can 'bring it back' to factory.

The QAM firmware was basically the newest firmware with QAM added. And yeah you can "go back to factory". Its just like a FTA box. "Master reset" puts everything back to factory fresh. I took out the QAM firmware in mine because it was terrible. Comcast in Minneapolis scrambles everything but the locals. The issue is this box scans everything in (including scrambled) and it took forever.

Thanks - think I'll get one, for the price is nothing compared to the one I do have. Didn't want to shell out that much for another, after all, it's only television.

agreed. Its a nice box for the occasional recording.

One other word of advice. It says you can use a "thumb drive" (those portable USB drives). Had nothing but issues. Used my old WD 320GB drive and it works fine

 

[jorgek]

Can you scan OTA for new channels without erasing the channels that are already in the box?

 

[Mr Tony]

Can you scan OTA for new channels without erasing the channels that are already in the box?

you can do a manual scan and select the channel in question. If you do an "auto scan" it wipes everything from the memory.
If a station is added to an already scanned in channel (say a new subchannel is added) when you select the channel it will automatically update

One thing of note is the signal meter on it is crazy. It goes from 0-100 and I would lock a low powered station at 2% and it would be stable yet if My Network (full powered) got below 65 it would stutter and pixelate.

 

[Mr Tony]

one thing I remembered.

Late last year they came out with a new remote layout on the Homeworx and therefore different software. The newer model I **THINK** wont work with the QAM software as it is older (and would screw up 1/2 the buttons on the remote)