Video Review: SiliconDust's HDHomeRun FLEX 4K

Manufacturer & Model
SiliconDust HDHomeRun FLEX 4K
MSRP
199.99
Link
https://amzn.to/3Q7xOZZ
Highlights
4 tuners, 2 with ATSC 3.0, strong signal strength, all tuners available to any connected device (streaming box, television, smartphone, tablet, gaming console or computer) on the same network, easy to setup and configure with the included software, or with third-party media server platforms.
Summary
SiliconDust is a US-based company that has been making OTA tuners since 2007. The HDHomeRun FLEX 4K is one of their newer models which adds ATSC 3.0 and 4K support on 2 of the 4 included tuners. Download the free HDHomeRun app to configure using any device on the same network to watch Live TV. Connect a USB hard drive and a $35/year subscription for an inexpensive OTA DVR setup. The ease of setup, included free software and apps, and stability of the product make them an attractive way to cut the cord.
full?d=1646524826.png

If you've read many of my posts, you already know that I'm a big PLEX user. I think it's a great platform which not only allows me to access my entire media library on all my devices whether I'm home or not, but it also serves as my DVR setup (using PLEX's LiveTV & DVR features requires a PLEX Pass subscription). Before you can use it for live tv, however, you need to connect a video source - in my case an antenna - to your computer. To do this, you need a tuner, or multiple tuners, which can be achieved by adding a PCI card to your server, or an external tuner like the HDHomeRun devices offered by SiliconDust.

A few years back, when I first setup my PLEX server, I was using a TiVo DVR for my antenna. It worked really well, and has a great interface, but it required an extra subscription fee each month, and I had to have a TiVo device on every display to access it. Switching over to the PLEX LiveTV & DVR system was a bit of a no-brainer, since I had already purchased the lifetime PLEX Pass. I initially tried a different tuner device, but it struggled to pull in all of the channels that the TiVo was able to grab, even connected to the same antenna through the same cable. So I swapped that tuner out for a HDHomeRun Connect Duo, a 2-tuner ATSC 1.0 device. It picked up all the channels the TiVo had been receiving, with higher signal strengths. Video quality is indistinguishable compared to our Samsung QLED's built-in tuner and our Sony TV's built-in tuner.

One note, as of the time of this writing, PLEX's LiveTV & DVR feature is not yet capable of utilizing the ATSC 3.0 tuners. Support has indicated that they are working on the compatibility, but are awaiting a certain licensing certification from Dolby for the audio decoding process, and they have no estimate of when the certification will be available. In the meantime, however, PLEX is still able to take advantage of all four tuners, but only in ATSC 1.0 quality. Not yet a concern for my use, since ATSC 3.0 broadcasts are not yet 4K, though I have noticed a drastic improvement in the audio quality on 3.0 vs 1.0 channels when using the HDHomeRun app.

Connecting these devices is a piece of cake, especially if your antenna and your home network are close together. The HDHomeRun devices need to be connected to the antenna, to power, and to your home network via ethernet. I recommend using at least CAT6 cable for anything carrying a video signal, to make sure you have enough bandwidth to avoid buffering. There are tuner alternatives that will connect to your home network via wifi, but these can struggle with buffering if you don't have a very fast network, or if there's a lot of wireless traffic going through your house. I'd only recommend this if you absolutely can't figure out a way to get your antenna signal close to your network router.

For a real look at just how easy the installation, setup and configuration of these devices is, I put together a short video - check it out below!



SiliconDust HDHomeRun FLEX 4K Specifications
  • Tuners: 4
  • Signal Compatibility: ATSC 3.0 (on 2 tuners), ATSC 1.0 (on all 4 tuners)
  • Cable Compatibility: ClearQAM US-cable (on 4 tuners)
  • Network Interface: 100 base TX high speed network
  • Size: 97x97x19mm (wxdxh)
  • Weight: 5oz (140g)
  • Warranty: 1 year
 
Last edited:

mechman

Senior Admin
Staff member
Joined
Apr 4, 2017
Messages
2,047
Location
Empire, MN
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
Pioneer VSX-832
Front Speakers
Definitive Technology Studio Monitor 55s
Center Channel Speaker
Definitive Technology CS8040
Surround Back Speakers
Definitive Technology DI6.5R
Other Speakers or Equipment
Apple TV 4K
Video Display Device
LG OLED65C7P
Remote Control
Logitech Harmony 650
Streaming Subscriptions
HBO Max, YouTubeTV, Hulu, Netflix, Disney+
I run the Connect Duo for live TV on my Plex and love it. Would you say it's worth the upgrade now or wait for ATSC 3.0 to be deployed? TBH I see station owners screwing this up just like they have in the past with ATSC 1.
 

Travis Ballstadt

Administrator
Staff member
Thread Starter
Joined
Jul 26, 2017
Messages
1,080
Location
Seattle, WA
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
Anthem AVM60
Main Amp
Emotiva BasX 5
Additional Amp
Emotiva UPA-500
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
Sony UBP-X800
Front Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Center Channel Speaker
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Surround Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Front Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Rear Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Subwoofers
SVS PB2000
Video Display Device
JVC DLA X790R, Lumagen Radiance Pro 4240
Screen
SeymourAV Proscenium 124” diagonal 2.40:1
Remote Control
Harmony Elite - Moving to Unfolded Circle Remote 2
Streaming Equipment
Kaleidescape Strato C/Terra 48TB/Compact Terra 6TB, PLEX Server, AppleTV4K, Bluesound Node2i
Streaming Subscriptions
AppleTV+, Amazon Prime, HBO Max
Satellite System
They still have those?
Other Equipment
Rega Planar 6, Rega Exact2 cart, Rega Aria Mk3 Phono Stage, Jolida JD202BRC, Rega RS-5 Speakers (2-channel system)
I run the Connect Duo for live TV on my Plex and love it. Would you say it's worth the upgrade now or wait for ATSC 3.0 to be deployed? TBH I see station owners screwing this up just like they have in the past with ATSC 1.
I upgraded for additional tuners. ATSC 3.0 is a bonus. And as of today, still not functional with PLEX. When I pull up the HDHomeRun app on my ATV4K, it takes a minute or so to really lock in audio sync with the image on ATSC 3.0 channels, but once it’s in sync there is a definite improvement in audio quality and imaging.
That said, if you don’t need additional tuners, it’s not an upgrade I’d do just for 3.0.
 

mechman

Senior Admin
Staff member
Joined
Apr 4, 2017
Messages
2,047
Location
Empire, MN
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
Pioneer VSX-832
Front Speakers
Definitive Technology Studio Monitor 55s
Center Channel Speaker
Definitive Technology CS8040
Surround Back Speakers
Definitive Technology DI6.5R
Other Speakers or Equipment
Apple TV 4K
Video Display Device
LG OLED65C7P
Remote Control
Logitech Harmony 650
Streaming Subscriptions
HBO Max, YouTubeTV, Hulu, Netflix, Disney+
Do they have 3.0 out there in Seattle yet?
 

Travis Ballstadt

Administrator
Staff member
Thread Starter
Joined
Jul 26, 2017
Messages
1,080
Location
Seattle, WA
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
Anthem AVM60
Main Amp
Emotiva BasX 5
Additional Amp
Emotiva UPA-500
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
Sony UBP-X800
Front Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Center Channel Speaker
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Surround Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Front Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Rear Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Subwoofers
SVS PB2000
Video Display Device
JVC DLA X790R, Lumagen Radiance Pro 4240
Screen
SeymourAV Proscenium 124” diagonal 2.40:1
Remote Control
Harmony Elite - Moving to Unfolded Circle Remote 2
Streaming Equipment
Kaleidescape Strato C/Terra 48TB/Compact Terra 6TB, PLEX Server, AppleTV4K, Bluesound Node2i
Streaming Subscriptions
AppleTV+, Amazon Prime, HBO Max
Satellite System
They still have those?
Other Equipment
Rega Planar 6, Rega Exact2 cart, Rega Aria Mk3 Phono Stage, Jolida JD202BRC, Rega RS-5 Speakers (2-channel system)
Do they have 3.0 out there in Seattle yet?
There is a broadcast on the 3.0 channels, but it’s basically a simulcast of the content on their 1.0 channels.
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2017
Messages
95
Location
Omaha, NE
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
StormAudio ISP.32 AVB
Main Amp
Digital Amp Company Cherry MEGASchino MONO's
Additional Amp
Digital Amp Company Cherry Maraschino's
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
HTPC
Front Speakers
JTR Speakers Noesis 215RM
Center Channel Speaker
JTR Speakers Noesis 215RM
Surround Speakers
JTR Speakers Slant 8
Surround Back Speakers
JTR Speakers Slant 8
Front Height Speakers
JTR Speakers Slant 8
Rear Height Speakers
JTR Speakers Slant 8
Subwoofers
4 ea JTR Speakers Captivator S2's
Other Speakers or Equipment
Infinite Baffle - 8 Acoustic Elegance IB15 drivers
Video Display Device
JVC DLA-NX7
Screen
Seymour AV Retractable CenterStage XD

Travis Ballstadt

Administrator
Staff member
Thread Starter
Joined
Jul 26, 2017
Messages
1,080
Location
Seattle, WA
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
Anthem AVM60
Main Amp
Emotiva BasX 5
Additional Amp
Emotiva UPA-500
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
Sony UBP-X800
Front Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Center Channel Speaker
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Surround Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Front Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Rear Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Subwoofers
SVS PB2000
Video Display Device
JVC DLA X790R, Lumagen Radiance Pro 4240
Screen
SeymourAV Proscenium 124” diagonal 2.40:1
Remote Control
Harmony Elite - Moving to Unfolded Circle Remote 2
Streaming Equipment
Kaleidescape Strato C/Terra 48TB/Compact Terra 6TB, PLEX Server, AppleTV4K, Bluesound Node2i
Streaming Subscriptions
AppleTV+, Amazon Prime, HBO Max
Satellite System
They still have those?
Other Equipment
Rega Planar 6, Rega Exact2 cart, Rega Aria Mk3 Phono Stage, Jolida JD202BRC, Rega RS-5 Speakers (2-channel system)
Just keep in mind that sending a 3.0 signal doesn’t mean it's 4K at this point. I was hopeful that Seattle would at least send out an actual 4K signal of the Olympics coverage, or the Super Bowl, but no.
 
Last edited:

mechman

Senior Admin
Staff member
Joined
Apr 4, 2017
Messages
2,047
Location
Empire, MN
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
Pioneer VSX-832
Front Speakers
Definitive Technology Studio Monitor 55s
Center Channel Speaker
Definitive Technology CS8040
Surround Back Speakers
Definitive Technology DI6.5R
Other Speakers or Equipment
Apple TV 4K
Video Display Device
LG OLED65C7P
Remote Control
Logitech Harmony 650
Streaming Subscriptions
HBO Max, YouTubeTV, Hulu, Netflix, Disney+
Just keep in mind that sending a 3.0 signal doesn’t mean mischief at this point. I was hopeful that Seattle would at least send out an actual 4K signal of the Olympics coverage, or the Super Bowl, but no.
Yeah that’s what I figured. They’re just using the equipment but sending the old 1.0 signal. I don’t think the stations are under any requirements to upgrade things to a better signal like they were with 1.0.

I haven’t done any reading on this but I’m curious as to whether or not they (the stations) can bastardize it like they did with 1.0. If they can, there’s just no hope for OTA. I get something like 50 channels OTA and all but about 4 are complete garbage quality-wise. The majority are sub channels with 480p signals. Some seem like it’s someone broadcasting using a VCR with a very old tape of shows.
 

Travis Ballstadt

Administrator
Staff member
Thread Starter
Joined
Jul 26, 2017
Messages
1,080
Location
Seattle, WA
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
Anthem AVM60
Main Amp
Emotiva BasX 5
Additional Amp
Emotiva UPA-500
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
Sony UBP-X800
Front Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Center Channel Speaker
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Surround Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Front Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Rear Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Subwoofers
SVS PB2000
Video Display Device
JVC DLA X790R, Lumagen Radiance Pro 4240
Screen
SeymourAV Proscenium 124” diagonal 2.40:1
Remote Control
Harmony Elite - Moving to Unfolded Circle Remote 2
Streaming Equipment
Kaleidescape Strato C/Terra 48TB/Compact Terra 6TB, PLEX Server, AppleTV4K, Bluesound Node2i
Streaming Subscriptions
AppleTV+, Amazon Prime, HBO Max
Satellite System
They still have those?
Other Equipment
Rega Planar 6, Rega Exact2 cart, Rega Aria Mk3 Phono Stage, Jolida JD202BRC, Rega RS-5 Speakers (2-channel system)
Yeah that’s what I figured. They’re just using the equipment but sending the old 1.0 signal. I don’t think the stations are under any requirements to upgrade things to a better signal like they were with 1.0.

I haven’t done any reading on this but I’m curious as to whether or not they (the stations) can bastardize it like they did with 1.0. If they can, there’s just no hope for OTA. I get something like 50 channels OTA and all but about 4 are complete garbage quality-wise. The majority are sub channels with 480p signals. Some seem like it’s someone broadcasting using a VCR with a very old tape of shows.
It's a bit of a mixed bag here. I'm still an OTA fan, just for the primary channels. Every time I'm at a hotel or somewhere with cable/satellite, I realize I made the right decision to stop paying for it 15 years ago. It's just trash. Springsteen was right. We watch more AppleTV+ and HBOMax than anything these days, it seems. Not even much on Netflix, to be honest. We have a handful of things we record on the DVR. I've got it set to record the entire series of some older classics like Happy Days, Hogan's Heroes, Frasier, and a few others. We watch the local news and a couple other things. Oh, and the Wheel. Can't miss the Wheel.
 

mechman

Senior Admin
Staff member
Joined
Apr 4, 2017
Messages
2,047
Location
Empire, MN
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
Pioneer VSX-832
Front Speakers
Definitive Technology Studio Monitor 55s
Center Channel Speaker
Definitive Technology CS8040
Surround Back Speakers
Definitive Technology DI6.5R
Other Speakers or Equipment
Apple TV 4K
Video Display Device
LG OLED65C7P
Remote Control
Logitech Harmony 650
Streaming Subscriptions
HBO Max, YouTubeTV, Hulu, Netflix, Disney+
Oh my! My mother would love you! Lol
 

Todd Anderson

Editor / Senior Admin
Staff member
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
9,139
Location
Balt/Wash Metro
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
StormAudio ISP.24 MK2
Main Amp
Emotiva XPA-5
Additional Amp
Emotiva XPA Gen3 2.8 multichannel amp
Other Amp
Denon X8500H
Computer Audio
AudioEngine A2+
DAC
THX ONYX
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
Kaleidescape TERRA, OPPO UDP-203, Panasonic UB9000
Front Speakers
GoldenEar Technology Triton One.R
Center Channel Speaker
GoldenEar Technology SuperCenter Reference
Surround Speakers
SVS Ultra Surround
Surround Back Speakers
SVS Ultra Bookshelf
Front Height Speakers
SVS Prime Elevation x4 (Top Front, Top Mid-Front)
Rear Height Speakers
SVS Prime Elevation x4 (Top Middle, Top Rear)
Subwoofers
dual SVS SB16s + dual PSA XS30s
Other Speakers or Equipment
Behringer 1124p; Aura Bass Shaker Pros; SuperSub X
Video Display Device
JVC NX7
Screen
Seymour Screen Excellence, Enlightor NEO AT Screen
Streaming Equipment
iFi Audio Zen Blue
Streaming Subscriptions
Qobuz, TIDAL, Spotify, ROON
Other Equipment
LG Electronics 65-inch B6 OLED, Sony 65-inch X900F, ZeroSurge 8R15W x 2, ZeroSurge 2R15W x 2
Great job on this, Travis!
 

brombo

Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
14
More  
Main Amp
Emotiva XPA-4
Additional Amp
2 x Dayton Audio SPA1000
Computer Audio
htpc+"Pulseaudio Crossover Rack"
DAC
Xonar STX ii 7.1
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
Kodi+MakeMKV
Front Speakers
CBT36K
Subwoofers
2 x Dayton Audio 18" Reference Series HO Subwoofer
Video Display Device
Optoma UHZ65 Projector
Screen
Elite 120 inch
Remote Control
MX3 Air Mouse
Streaming Equipment
Google Chrome + Kodi
Streaming Subscriptions
Amazon Prime Video, MHz Choice, MPT Passport
Other Equipment
2 x HDHomerun Prime cable card tuner
I have been using a HD Homerun Prime for years with cable TV (Verizon Wash DC region). I am running linux (Ubuntu 20.04) and use Kodi as my video and sound server. The Kodi add on for the various Homerun devices works quit well and also lets one record (dvr/pvr) if they have payed $35/yr for the extended program guide. I tried using the Connect for broadcast but I live in a dark hole when it comes to over the air reception. Note that Verizon does have several 4k cable channels mainly for sporting events that works well with my system. I don't know the specifics on the signal that I am getting.

50922


Home theater (Speakers: cbt36k, Amp:Emotiva XPA4, Subwoofers: Dayton Audio 18" Reference Series HO Subwoofer and Cabinet Bundle, Amps:Dayton Audio SPA1000 1000W Plate Amplifier, Projector:Optima UHZ65, DAC: Minidsp OpenDRC-DA8 spdif coax input)
 

Travis Ballstadt

Administrator
Staff member
Thread Starter
Joined
Jul 26, 2017
Messages
1,080
Location
Seattle, WA
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
Anthem AVM60
Main Amp
Emotiva BasX 5
Additional Amp
Emotiva UPA-500
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
Sony UBP-X800
Front Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Center Channel Speaker
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Surround Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Front Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Rear Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Subwoofers
SVS PB2000
Video Display Device
JVC DLA X790R, Lumagen Radiance Pro 4240
Screen
SeymourAV Proscenium 124” diagonal 2.40:1
Remote Control
Harmony Elite - Moving to Unfolded Circle Remote 2
Streaming Equipment
Kaleidescape Strato C/Terra 48TB/Compact Terra 6TB, PLEX Server, AppleTV4K, Bluesound Node2i
Streaming Subscriptions
AppleTV+, Amazon Prime, HBO Max
Satellite System
They still have those?
Other Equipment
Rega Planar 6, Rega Exact2 cart, Rega Aria Mk3 Phono Stage, Jolida JD202BRC, Rega RS-5 Speakers (2-channel system)

Travis Ballstadt

Administrator
Staff member
Thread Starter
Joined
Jul 26, 2017
Messages
1,080
Location
Seattle, WA
More  
Preamp, Processor or Receiver
Anthem AVM60
Main Amp
Emotiva BasX 5
Additional Amp
Emotiva UPA-500
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
Sony UBP-X800
Front Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Center Channel Speaker
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Surround Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema
Front Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Rear Height Speakers
NextLevel Acoustics Angled Satellite
Subwoofers
SVS PB2000
Video Display Device
JVC DLA X790R, Lumagen Radiance Pro 4240
Screen
SeymourAV Proscenium 124” diagonal 2.40:1
Remote Control
Harmony Elite - Moving to Unfolded Circle Remote 2
Streaming Equipment
Kaleidescape Strato C/Terra 48TB/Compact Terra 6TB, PLEX Server, AppleTV4K, Bluesound Node2i
Streaming Subscriptions
AppleTV+, Amazon Prime, HBO Max
Satellite System
They still have those?
Other Equipment
Rega Planar 6, Rega Exact2 cart, Rega Aria Mk3 Phono Stage, Jolida JD202BRC, Rega RS-5 Speakers (2-channel system)
Anyone looking into this might want to be aware of this. Note that it is currently speculation, but could be a factor in the future. Time will tell.

I've read some more recent reports and evaluations that are now saying that existing devices will be able to use a firmware update to add decoding ability, and that encrypted content will more likely be used for paywall capability for special content on secondary channels, and not typical network television, as was originally tossed out there.
 
Top Bottom