Fire ComcastTV

I'd ordered the computer gear needed to Fire ComcastTV a few days ago.  It arrived yesterday and we're now on out way to firing Comcast.

Step one: 1TB USB 2/3 drive connected to Cisco/Linksys router.  Drive is about the size of a pack of playing cards.

• Plugged it in.  
• Logged onto router. 
• Configured - it was a bit of effort as the online directions are not entirely clear.  All is well.
• Setup share on Sony and other PCs as needed.
• Declare victory.

Step two: Setup new GB switch.  I've been using an antique 10 mb switch in my office.  Plenty fast for what I do there but I decided to mount the TV tuner and antenna there so it's time to upgrade to a gb switch.

• Remove old switch and replace with new one.  It just works.
• Declare victory.

Step 3: Install HD HomeRun and configure.  This is the heart of what's needed to record HDTV over the air. 

• Hang fractal antenna.  A bit funky, I know, but free and VERY effective.

• Install tuner (about the size of a pack of playing cards).  Connect antenna.  Connect to gb switch.  Connect power supply.

• Install software and configure.
• Software came on a neat little 2.5" CD.  Installed ok.
• Scan for tuner on the network.  NOT FOUND. 
• Scanning software updated itself (don't you just love the internet).  
• Scans again.  Finds tuner.
• Scan for stations.  Find 24!
• Try watching TV on included application.  Good video.  No sound!
• Google problem.  Missing codec.
• Download and install codec.
• Sound returns. 
• Declare victory.

Step four: Setup for recording.  I decided to use Windows Media Center at least initially.

• Bring up WMC on Sony Laptop.
• Go to TV and configure HDHomeRun.  Scan finds tuner and 24 channels.
• Configure location.  WMC finds listings.
• Looks good.
• Try recording.  Works OK.
• Notice that recordings are stored on Sony local drive.  Want to store them on new 1 TB drive.
• Much research.  Turns out WMC will only store on local drive!  Bogus.  Purported reason is reliability WRT network.  Work with me here - the TV data comes over the network so how is it that storing the results on a network drive is unreliable?  Don't you just love MS - NOT!
• Further research reveals that record files are '.wtv'.  ONLY WMC will play them.  Sadly, WMC only runs on Windows 7 and I'm using an old XP (ASUS laptop) to run the TV.
• Bogus, bogus, bogus.  Not acceptable.

Step five: Time to rethink!  Problems:

• WMC formating.  Only solution is to use something else for recording management.  Looked into XBMC but no recording features.  Looked into MythTV but doesn't run on Windows.
• WMC support to network storage.  Could attach 1TB to Windows 7 box but then loose it for other uses.

A bit more experimentation is in order.  

• Checkout MythTV on Linux as a backend to record to network.  See if its web interface works well enough to use.  See if it's recorded format is compatible with TV Laptop running XP and XBMC.
• Checkout Dell 410 driving Samsung TV since it can run Windows 7.