Looking to set up WMC with a basic cable antenna

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rtg_shadow

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Looking to set up WMC with a basic cable antenna

#1

Post by rtg_shadow » Sat Dec 12, 2020 6:13 pm

I have had a WMC for almost 10 years, it's had its ups and downs but I loved it... Recently I decided to ditch Comcast because it was costing me over $100 a month just for TV... Switched to streaming services and I am saving a TON of money. I do miss my WMC but It just wasn't worth the extra cost anymore.

One thing I am missing with streaming is the basic cable channels. I know you can get an Antenna for pretty cheap, I am wondering if you guys have any tips for the best antennas that work with WMC. You all have been so helpful through the years when my WMC PC went bump in the night (especially when windows stopped providing the guide) I figured it would ask you first. Thanks again for all your help and support.

RedWMC

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#2

Post by RedWMC » Sat Dec 12, 2020 6:53 pm

You also need a tuner. Especially if you are coming off of a cable card. HDHomeRun is good, and seem to continue to develop, so I would recommend them for a tuner, but you could also use several others, that are likely cheaper.
For the Tuner and Antenna Here is a good guide by Plex:

https://cordcutter.plex.tv/hardware-for ... r-antenna/

Also if you’ve moved to streaming apps, you may find it easier to ditch WMC (so you can stream to other TVs/Devices) by using something like SiliconDust/Channels/Plex/etc...
Not trying to sway you from WMC (In my opinion it’s still the best platform for live and recorded TV) but I’ve found it more convenient with other products for multiple TVs then to keep on with WMC.
Best of Luck!

adam1991

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#3

Post by adam1991 » Sat Dec 12, 2020 10:40 pm

What RedWMC said.

10 years ago I set up WMC with cableCARD tuner. 5 years ago I dumped cable and went to antenna. I bought a Silicon Dust HDHomerun tuner and about five minutes later had WMC reconfigured for that. And, all my OTA network shows were still set up to record. WMC found it all and just...worked.

I say, just get an HD Homerun that will work for you.

That all being said...as the world has progressed, I've discovered that most everything I watch is available the next day on my Hulu (no ads) subscription. I am recording A LOT less. I'm down to CBS stuff plus The Blacklist.

And for what it's worth...a few months ago I set up my Plex account with their DVR. I'm evaluating it, but...with as little as I record anymore, it's perfectly fine. It really came into its own when they finally got commercial skip squared away recently. They use comskip; whatever configuration they have, it's absolutely perfect for prime time network stuff. And now they allow you to skip over commercials, which is better than their original setup where they just cut the commercials out completely and if things went wrong you were screwed.

So for casual recording, I can't fault Plex. It's not as good as WMC, but when I'm really using it fairly in frequently, that's OK. And its commercial skip is way better than what I had set up in WMC using ShowAnalyzer.

I still use the same HD Homerun tuner, of course. That's key to DVR work in this day and age.

Just try out a cheap antenna and see what you get. Be aware, if you plug a cheap antenna into your TV, you might get different results than the network tuner. Or another TV. All tuners are different, and the results are as dependent on the tuner as they are on the antenna.

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StinkyImp

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#4

Post by StinkyImp » Sun Dec 13, 2020 3:28 pm

What RedWMC and Adam1991 said.

My $0.02... Before you even start down this path it would be a good idea to see if it's even worth doing. I know some people that are only able to receive a PBS station and maybe one network so an antenna isn't worth it.

Others can chime in but I'd suggest going to:

AntennaWeb
or
Tablo
or
Antennas Direct

or any number of other sites to find out exactly what you can expect to receive using an antenna.

Two more cents... I've been using WMC7 with an outdoor antenna for years. I couldn't be happier with the ease of use and stability.

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