Thanks. That made sense. Couple clarification questions.
1) I don't have an HTPC yet, so would have to build one.
2) I can make everything wired to my LAN - no issue - I already have the Ethernet routes running to my TV area and PS3.
3) When you just want to "watch TV" are you doing so on your HTPC through WMC?
4) Could I still "watch TV" through the HomeRun Prime/Cable Card, and only turn on my HTPC to set up recordings, and watch recordings?
TYIA,
OK -- for anyone running twisted pair (and hopefully Cat5 or Cat5e or better) in their house, I'd only advise getting gigabit switches for the connections wherever needed. We replaced our router 4 years ago, partly because I wanted the four wired ports to be gigabit. But you don't imply such a need. Somebody else can comment on the adequacy of 10/100. The wireless capability of my refurb laptop at between 50 and 114 seems more than adequate to play DVR captures (which aren't encrypted content). While playing a DVR capture of a PBS program stored on my home-server, the wireless-management software showed approximately 75 Mbps.
The answer to (3) is "Yes." You might be able to get a WMC replacement -- there are options available -- but that's the way it works. You can't just use the HDHomeRun by itself: it requires a software-driver set installed on the PC. But that's not really different from using a PCI-E tuner card (like my HVR-2250).
So, (4) you have to watch TV through the HTPC connected to the HomeRun. You don't have to "watch" to record, but the PC would have to be "awake" to record. Also -- note that in WMC, you schedule both updates and "optimization," which occurs daily as I observe it, so the PC has to be on and connected to the internet.
I think I've been using the HDHomeRun Prime since 2011. I've discovered that allowing for and properly configuring the WMC optimization and updates has eliminated the occasional loss or problem with various encrypted channels as you run the system over time. Those problems don't have anything to do with the device, but rather your cable provider and MC. Before figuring this out, I would occasionally (every week or two) power-cycle both the tuner-adapter and the HomeRun, and I might even have run the channel-scanner at the HomeRun level. Now, there's no need for that.
I think if you're going to turn the HTPC off, you should schedule occasional optimizations for it through the MC menus while the HTPC is running.
If you check another thread here about "handshaking" -- other HTPC users speak of frustrations for turning their TV off, leaving the HTPC on. Others, like me, don't have those frustrations, and it may depend on HT hardware -- the TV, for instance. IN my case, when I want to switch between my two 5.1 speaker systems (AVR versus onboard PC), I likely need to reboot the system -- even using the (French "En[glish]" version) "Audio-Renderer-Updater" plug-in for MC. Someone else with an AVR like mine suggested that one only needed to switch from a PC HDMI source to another source and "back again" after an audio switch-over. But a reboot is not a terribly inconvenient thing to do, either.
My guess is that you'll have a single audio setup and stick to it. If your HDTV has a "video sleep" option for "power-saving" -- this is also a good thing.
I've even used an "HD" 1920x1080p PC monitor to watch TV through the HTPC, my HD-capable graphics card, and whichever speaker system was configured. there are a lot of feasible options. Several such options, I only have as prospects for twiddling with in the future.
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