Author Topic: Windows Media Center over the air TV / DVR / Recorder setup  (Read 11784 times)

Mother Fussbudget

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Hi Mustachians!  Just dropping a note about my low cost DVR setup.  I know... I know... TV is NOT-Mustachian.  I hear you.  But paying monthly cable subscriptions, or DVR payments is what we're talking about. 

What if you could assemble a low cost DVR setup and record movies & TV shows over-the-air using an HDTV antenna, and watch them on your big screen tv?

Doable... Yes.  The system *I* use may not be for everyone, but here's what I'm using and if you want to try it for yourself you can rest assured it's been mustachian tested and approved.  Below, you'll find posts on the various components of the system: 
Cost:  Setup=$130+laptop cost; Annually=$20
* HDTV Antenna - (cost $30) 5 different antennas tested.  Below, I compare and contrast performance, price, flexibility, etc.
* PC / Laptop - (cost varies) 2 different Windows based PC's have acted as Windows Media Centers for my system. Any windows system will do.  Repurpose an old laptop and external hard disk
* Windows Media Center (WMC) - (cost FREE) released for Windows 7, and supported by Microsoft up through Windows 8.  Today this system is considered OBSOLETE.  However... widely used, and many technical users continue to provide updates & compatibility with Windows 10. 
I installed it as recently as May 28, 2020, and the version available for FREE via web servers works well with Windows 10.
Windows 64bit - https://mega.nz/#!7kdR1ICb!1TCdTd_UpqtYqVXyihhA6DwbFz1Yvo7fE8PVD21mrAU
Windows 32bit - https://mega.nz/#!PwUCQK5K!XLwP6W-RFrYupTVG7Q3oxkW97S6_4cxLDFMeRGBjd80
* PC Tuner - (cost $50) any tuner will do.  I use an HDHomeRun dual tuner.  This model requires a local network router or switch.  (I picked one up FREE outside my old company's help-desk office when they were sending them to PC recycling)
* XBox 360 / Screen Sharing / Streaming - (cost low - will vary) I formerly used an XBox 360 which includes support for Windows Media Center.  Today, I my LG TV has a clumsy but workable system called "SmartShare", client installed on the PC, configured to stream files from the WMC PC to the LG screen.
* Additional software:
    * WMC EPG123 -  EPG - Electronic Program Guide.  Once free with Windows 7/8, support was dropped on 1/1/2020. 
        Today the best solution is EPG123 (cost free or donation) + Schedules Direct (cost $20/year). https://epg123.garyan2.net/   https://www.schedulesdirect.org/
    * Commercial stripping software - (cost $30 lifetime) (optional) MCE Buddy 2.x http://www.mcebuddy2x.com/
         Remove Commercials and Ads, Convert Videos and Organize your video collection for your Windows Media Center, DVR, Recorded TV and recorded video
« Last Edit: June 02, 2020, 08:35:58 AM by Mother Fussbudget »

Mother Fussbudget

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Re: Windows Media Center over the air DVR setup
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2020, 06:34:23 PM »
* HDTV Antenna - (cost $30) 6 different antennas tested.  Below, I compare and contrast performance, price, flexibility, etc.

The debate of Internal vs External HDTV antennas has been debated endlessly elsewhere.  I've tried several, and here are my results.

NOTE:  I use the website https://www.antennasdirect.com/transmitter-locator.html to locate the antennas in my area, and point the antenna.  The iPhone 'compass' app is helpful to use when pointing your antenna.

Internal Antennas:
($53.91) Terk 60 Mile Range High Performance Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna .  Purchased in 2007, this antenna worked well in a house where 1 window faced all the antenna towers in Seattle.  It worked well to test out antenna signal strength.

($19.99) Indoor Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna up to 130 Miles Range - HDTV Antenna with Powerful Signal Booster,Support 4K 1080P UHF VHF  Purchased in May 2020, this little multi-purpose antenna was purchased to see if it would be powerful enough in a new city to gather even low power stations.  As it turned out, it is acceptable for use in finding good signals, and the 15-foot coax cable makes it very flexible.  It also includes a plug-in signal booster, so this one required an additional electrical plug.  However, it wasn't powerful enough to gather signal from a local low-power station I'm particularly interested in receiving.

External Antennas:
(36.99) Amplified HD Digital Outdoor HDTV Antenna with Motorized 360 Degree Rotation, UHF/VHF/FM Radio with Infrared Remote Control. Purchased in 2015, and returned.  Tested before returning, and it had a signal booster box, and allowed for 360-degree rotation.  Because of my hill obstructed location, this antenna did not pick up as many channels as I had hoped.
 The rotation direction was semi-random.  The antenna worked ok, but I didn't really need the rotation feature.  Returned it to Amazon, and purchased the Eagle Aspen (below) because it had better reviews. 

($29.04) Eagle Aspen EASDTV2BUHF Directv Approved 2-Bay UHF Outdoor Antenna .  This antenna doesn't look like much, but it's very versatile, and works well if you have a fixed direction for your local TV transmitter towers.  One thing to note:  the small wire connections on the 'face' of the antenna are susceptible to rust, and should be mounted such that the length of the cable DOES NOT PUT TENSION on these sensitive connections.  Recommend using a little clear nail polish on the screws for the connections, and LOOP the cable around the mast just below the antenna to keep tension off the tiny connectors.  I used this one for 4 years until the ends rusted off.  I mounted this one 80-feet up in a tall Douglas Fir tree in my backyard.  Replaced with the Xtreme Signal 4-bay Bowtie (below)

($44.99) Xtreme Signal HDB4X 4-Bay Bowtie VHF/UHF TV Antenna - 50 mile range.  Used this antenna for a year or so.  It worked as well as the Eagle Aspen but mounted on a direct rooftop mast.  I didn't want to have to have my son climb 80-feet up in that Doug Fir again. :-)

($24.99 - Ollies) Motorola branded SuperSonic Motorized antenna with rotation & signal boost.  Mounted using a traditional chimney strap, and ground wire, this antenna works quite well for the cost.  It comes with a little box that acts as a signal booster.  The booster box has a single button on top to allow you to manually rotate the antenna, plus a 'remote' that has two (2x) buttons for rotation.  The rotation works well, BUT the user has NO CONTROL over antenna rotation direction.  Both buttons on the 'remote' have the same effect as the single button on the signal booster box.  Pointed in a specific direction, I can pick up the local low-power station that broadcasts content over 8 HD channels.
(EDIT:  after using for 2 years this antenna's 'rotate' function died. 1 year before, it stopped being reliable.  Sometime after 2020, I discovered YouTube's "Antenna Man", picked one of his recommended antenna's, and mounted it on the roof) 
He correctly labeled this Motorla SuperSonic Motorized antenna as "junk".  But with only $25 bucks invested, it was a good deal for when I purchased it.

(EDIT / ADDED below)

($129.95 - Amazon.com) Winegard HD7694P antenna is a great antenna - the 130 mile claim is silly, and inaccurate - realize that VHF travels "line-of-sight", and even on a roof, the CURVATURE OF THE EARTH prevents ANYONE from seeing further than ~12 miles.  This antenna picks up stations the previous antenna could not, and is my current antenna since 2022, and I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. (edited 11/12/2024)
« Last Edit: November 12, 2024, 08:04:22 AM by Mother Fussbudget »

Mother Fussbudget

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Re: Windows Media Center over the air DVR setup
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2020, 06:34:51 PM »
* PC / Laptop - (cost varies) 2 different Windows based PC's have acted as Windows Media Centers for my system. Any windows system will do.  Repurpose an old laptop and external hard disk.

My first WMC (Windows Media Center) laptop was an old Dell machine that was sitting around collecting dust.  It originally shipped with Windows Vista (!).  But upgraded nicely to Windows 8.  I dusted it off, installed WMC, attached a 1 TB external hard disk, and configured WMC to record tv shows directly to the external disk.  Eventually the internal hard disk (C: drive) failed on this laptop, so I had to eventually replace the internal drive.  Fortunately it was backed up on the external drive, and on my then 'current' laptop. 

My current WMC laptop is a 3 year old former work laptop used when I did product management / software management consulting.  Running Windows 10 64bit.  It has 700Gb free of an internall 1Tb drive, but I can always add an external disk drive for additional storage.
« Last Edit: June 01, 2020, 07:41:57 PM by Mother Fussbudget »

Mother Fussbudget

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Re: Windows Media Center over the air DVR setup
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2020, 06:35:06 PM »
* Windows Media Center (WMC) - (cost FREE) released for Windows 7, and supported by Microsoft up through Windows 8.  Today this system is considered OBSOLETE.  However... widely used, and many technical users continue to provide updates & compatibility with Windows 10.

I installed it as recently as May 28, 2020, and the version available for FREE via web servers works well with Windows 10.

Windows 64bit - https://mega.nz/#!7kdR1ICb!1TCdTd_UpqtYqVXyihhA6DwbFz1Yvo7fE8PVD21mrAU (this version installed and working)
Windows 32bit - https://mega.nz/#!PwUCQK5K!XLwP6W-RFrYupTVG7Q3oxkW97S6_4cxLDFMeRGBjd80
« Last Edit: June 01, 2020, 07:42:32 PM by Mother Fussbudget »

Mother Fussbudget

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Re: Windows Media Center over the air DVR setup
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2020, 06:35:27 PM »
* PC Tuner - (cost $50) any tuner will do.  I use an HDHomeRun dual tuner.  This model requires a local network router or switch.  (I picked one up FREE outside my old company's help-desk office when they were sending them to PC recycling)

SiliconDust HDHomeRun DUAL High Definition Digital TV Tuner HDHR3-US (Black) (2013 Model) (cost ~$50.00) .  I purchased my HDHomeRun dual high def tv tuner off eBay, but it's identical to the 2013 model shown here.  The only downside is that it must be connected via ethernet (cat5) cable to your network router.  My internet provider's high speed modem has an Ethernet connection this can be plugged into.  Later, I found it can be connected to a Netgear FS105 Fast Ethernet switch...
NETGEAR ProSafe FS105 10/100 Ethernet Desktop Switch (cost $26) .  I actually paid $0 (FREE) for this unit - the telecom company I was consulting for had loads of old surplus gear sitting around outside the helpdesk office that was eventually boxed up and sent to PC recycle.  I asked one of the technicians how much he could sell me a 10/100 switch for, and he said, "Take it.  It'll keep me from having to box it up."  I use a short (3ft) Ethernet cable to attach the switch to the HDHomeRun tuner, and a longer (6ft) Ethernet cable to connect to the Windows 10 WMC laptop.  The Laptop, Switch, and Tuner are all plugged into a heavy surge protected 'smart strip', and it sits on top of a bookshelf in the basement. [I won't insult your intelligence by showing a link to a master/slave power strip.  Pick the one you like best.]
« Last Edit: June 02, 2020, 03:10:18 PM by Mother Fussbudget »

Mother Fussbudget

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Re: Windows Media Center over the air DVR setup
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2020, 06:35:42 PM »
* XBox 360 / Screen Sharing / Streaming - (cost ~$50 used)  XBox 360 includes support for Windows Media Center.  XBox 360 is two (2x) generations behind, but the later XBox One, and XBox One S consoles do NOT include support for Windows Media Center!  XBox 360 consoles are available cheaply on eBay, or inherit one from your sons (like I did).  There are two things that make the XBox 360 useful as a WMC screening box:
1) XBox gaming console.  Play all the XBox 360 games you can stand.  I don't play many games anymore, but as a parent of growing boys, this was a great way to pass the time, and bond with the boys over sessions of Halo, Gears of War, etc.
2) WMC built in software support.  When you launch the XBox 360, select source, and choose "Windows Media Center".  As long as your XBox 360 is on the same network as your WMC laptop/PC, this will work great.  If your WiFi is weak in the TV room, you can always connect the XBox 360 to the Ethernet Switch using a hard wired network / Ethernet cable.
3) The XBox 360 "Universal Media remote control" - (cost $12 eBay) A very simple gadget that's VERY USEFUL for controlling WMC.
This is the LONG remote control that includes the FULL number pad, and There are a couple of really useful things to know about this remote. 
  a) the WMC launch button.  A little GREEN button in the center of the remote (near the bottom) launches Windows Media Center on the XBox.
  b) the 'Skip 30 seconds' button - skips FORWARD 30 seconds.  This is a little known, yet INVALUABLE element of the remote.  Skip commercials easily.
 Never saw it documented, and only discovered it by use.  I used it so much, I wore out the buttons on one remote and had to buy a replacement.
  c) the "TV" button.  This is in the ANNOYING category.  If you accidentally press the "TV" button, your remote control will stop controlling the XBox, and attempt to control the TV directly.  It's designed so you can pair the remote with your TV, but if you're using it exclusively for your XBox (as I was), and accidentally press "TV", it makes the remote seem like it's stopped working.  This 'feature' is NOT DOCUMENTED ANYWHERE.  People ask Microsoft support why their remotes stopped working, and Microsoft is stumped for an answer / workaround.  If your remote stops working, try new batteries, AND press the "TV" button.

Now... before anyone gets upset.  I used this setup from ~2010 through 2018. 

Today...  I no longer have the XBox 360 installed in my media room.  Currently, my "Smart" LG TV includes support for "SmartShare".  Install client software from the LG website on the PC/Laptop, and it can be configured to stream files from the WMC PC/Laptop to the LG screen.  This is still a little clunky, but it's less clumsy than having to rely on a separate console (i.e. the XBox).  The trade-off is you have to use your Laptop as a console to share movies to your TV.  Download HERE:  https://www.lg.com/us/support/help-library/smart-share-downloads-CT10000018-1427120133847
« Last Edit: June 02, 2020, 03:17:22 PM by Mother Fussbudget »

Mother Fussbudget

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Re: Windows Media Center over the air DVR setup
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2020, 06:35:57 PM »
Additional software:
    * WMC EPG123 -  EPG = Electronic Program Guide.  Once supported free with Windows Media Center under Windows 7 and Windows 8, Microsoft no longer supports WMC, and no longer provides a program guide.  The program guide is the biggest piece of this missing support.  WMC is ONLY useful as a DVR with a regularly updated Program Guide.  If you don't know what programs are airing,  it's hard to program WMC to record those TV shows / movies you want to record.  (Microsoft dropped support for the EPG on 1/1/2020).

SO... how do you get an up-to-date Program Guide for Windows Media Center?
Today the best solution is the paring of:
1) EPG123 (cost free or donation).  Offered as freeware, I donated $20 to help defray the costs of any future updates. 
2) Schedules Direct (cost $20/year).  Provides the all important program guide source for the channels you want to record.
   
      ** Schedules Direct's $20 annual fee is the ONLY recurring cost for this DVR system. **


Commercial stripping software -
MCE Buddy 2.x (cost $30 lifetime) (optional)

This is something new to me as of 2020.  Rather than use a remote control to skip ahead 30 seconds to skip ads (4-to-8 'skips' to skip through a 2-to-4 minute commercial break), why not use software to detect commercials, and remove them from the program automatically?  MCE Buddy supports two different methods for removing commercials.  Try them both, and use the one that works best for you (in my case the default method worked great).
Remove Commercials and Ads, Convert Videos and Organize your video collection for your Windows Media Center, DVR, Recorded TV and recorded video.
« Last Edit: June 02, 2020, 03:18:26 PM by Mother Fussbudget »

Mother Fussbudget

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Re: Windows Media Center over the air DVR setup
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2020, 06:36:07 PM »
* Extras:

HDMI cables - I currently use 3 HDMI cables - 1 for an Apple TV box, 1 for a Roku, and 1 for a Bluray player.  I pick them up used at Goodwill, or at the Goodwill outlet (i.e. the 'Pound' store).  I can't tell the difference visually between gold-plated cable ends, and the cheapest HDMI's you can get on Amazon or eBay.  YMMV.

Antenna mounting hardware.  If you mount your antenna on a rooftop, chimney or anywhere outside, PLEASE use extreme caution when climbing on your roof. 

All in all... a person starting from scratch could spend between $130 to $500 getting all the needed hardware & software to setup a system like this.  Add $20 for the first YEAR of program guide support.  Compared to the non-mustachian $120/MONTH cable bill, and you can see this is a better option.   

Compare this pricing to TIVO: 
TiVo Service Plan                                   Price
Annual Plan                                       $149.99/year, plus any applicable taxes
All-In Plan                                            $549.99 (one-time), plus any applicable taxes
Monthly Plan with 1-year commitment      $14.99/month or $179.88/year (1-year commitment)

With TIVO, you have support from TIVO just a phone call away, and a 'black box' device that you don't have to know how it works, just record, and playback.  With WMC, you learn how it works, can record movies to files on your laptop that can be shared and copied [NOT for resale, of course].  For me, the DIY aspect, and learning how the system works is the most valuable part.  Now if I could only find a showing of the "5000 fingers of Dr T" - made in 1953, and the ONLY film written by Theodor Seuss Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss).

Happy watching!  Happy TV time shifting
« Last Edit: November 12, 2024, 08:13:10 AM by Mother Fussbudget »

Mother Fussbudget

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Re: Windows Media Center over the air DVR setup
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2020, 06:40:17 PM »
Since this post was ORIGINALLY created, the world of TV has turned away from cable plans to Subscription / Entertainment as a service - NetFlix, Disney+, MAX (HBO Max), Paramount+, ESPN+, Hulu, YouTube, etc.

I formerly subscribed to NetFlix, but dropped them in 2019 when they bumped their subscription fees up another buck with no noticeable improvement in content.  I have log-in's for Disney+ (a friend in Wisconsin), Max (my son in WA state), a PBS passport login (comes with annual support of my local NPR station) and a free YouTube account.  Other than a PBS annual subscription, I do *NOT* pay any monthly subscriptions.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2024, 08:24:10 AM by Mother Fussbudget »

Mother Fussbudget

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Re: Windows Media Center over the air TV / DVR / Recorder setup
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2024, 08:14:56 AM »
SAVED for future updates.

ALL CLEAR.  Comment all you'd like.

All the best!