How do you preview more than one HTPC applications?

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
15,699
1,448
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So . . . . I have now focused more time on getting Live TV and Recording toward DRM/encrypted cable channels under Windows 10 with my HDHR' (that's " ' " for "Prime") tuners. This is moving forward. I was actually planning to post my "review" of the latest Silly-Dust "VIEW" software with the HDHR DVR "Kickstarter" project.

So far, I get the most premium channels with the VIEW app or whatever it is now called. I'm hooked up as best can be with KODI using (a) the KODI add-on for HDHR and (b) the Silly-Dust HDHR add-on for KODI. In terms of premium encrypted access, (a) fails. (b) is half-way there, since I get some encrypteds but not all. The VIEW program seems to provide everything that Win7/WMC provides, but no recording yet.

I then tried MediaPortal 2.1. I think I was actually able to get a few channels to play, but it is intricate to set up and I'm going to set that aside for the moment.

I've now installed NextPVR. At the Silly-Dust web-site, the only links I found for client-side UI access to the HDHR' tuners did not include MediaPortal, but NextPVR and MythTV have links of instructions.

So now, I think I'm getting about the same encrypted channels through NextPVR that I was seeing in KODI with Silly-Dust's own HDHR plug-in. Not as good as the VIEW application, but promising.

I HAD BEEN RETICENT ABOUT INSTALLING MULTIPLE PROGRAMS BEFORE, and I'm just a tad more skittish about it because MediaPortal and NextPVR have server and client components. Right now, I only want to test these for "single-seat" with the PC acting as both server and client. I think I have to be wary to "Stop" the server of app#1 before I use app#2 with it's own server.

Anyone have any thoughts about multiple program installations, setup and test for these programs?