Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Reception, channel detection, network issues, CableCARD setup, etc.
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KeithAbbott
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Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by KeithAbbott »

I am considering replacing one of my HDHomeRun FLEX DUO devices with a HDHomeRun FLEX QUATRO (ATSC 1.0 version). Are the tuners in the Quatro better, worse, or pretty much the same as the Duo? Since the Quatro will need to split the signal for four tuners instead of just two, will the signal strength that each individual tuner receives be less than the Duo?

nickk
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by nickk »

KeithAbbott wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2025 1:37 pm I am considering replacing one of my HDHomeRun FLEX DUO devices with a HDHomeRun FLEX QUATRO (ATSC 1.0 version). Are the tuners in the Quatro better, worse, or pretty much the same as the Duo? Since the Quatro will need to split the signal for four tuners instead of just two, will the signal strength that each individual tuner receives be less than the Duo?
There is no difference. After the split the signal level is the same to each tuner regardless of DUO vs QUATRO.

KeithAbbott
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by KeithAbbott »

Are the ATSC 1.0 tuners in the HDHomeRun FLEX 4K identical to the tuners in the HDHomeRun FLEX DUO and FLEX QUATRO? I'm trying to decide between the FLEX QUATRO and the FLEX 4K. I'll likely go with whichever one results in better signal quality.

Also, do either the FLEX QUATRO and/or the FLEX 4K return VctName and VctNumber when you submit a http://xx.xx.xx.xx/status.json request?

Cabal
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by Cabal »

KeithAbbott wrote: Sun Feb 02, 2025 6:15 pm Are the ATSC 1.0 tuners in the HDHomeRun FLEX 4K identical to the tuners in the HDHomeRun FLEX DUO and FLEX QUATRO? I'm trying to decide between the FLEX QUATRO and the FLEX 4K. I'll likely go with whichever one results in better signal quality.

Also, do either the FLEX QUATRO and/or the FLEX 4K return VctName and VctNumber when you submit a http://xx.xx.xx.xx/status.json request?
I don't have the chip specifics, but I have read before and can verify that the tuners in the Flex 4K are more sensitive (i.e. better) than the previous generations. I have a Flex 4K and a Connect Quatro on the same line and can more readily and reliably receive out-of-market signals on the Flex 4K. Very helpful during college football season.

jasonl
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by jasonl »

KeithAbbott wrote: Sun Feb 02, 2025 6:15 pm Are the ATSC 1.0 tuners in the HDHomeRun FLEX 4K identical to the tuners in the HDHomeRun FLEX DUO and FLEX QUATRO? I'm trying to decide between the FLEX QUATRO and the FLEX 4K. I'll likely go with whichever one results in better signal quality.

Also, do either the FLEX QUATRO and/or the FLEX 4K return VctName and VctNumber when you submit a http://xx.xx.xx.xx/status.json request?
Yes and yes.

KeithAbbott
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by KeithAbbott »

I currently have a HDHomeRun CONNECT 4K (the version without a USB port on the back) that I pre-ordered before it was officially ready for sale. Are the tuners in that device identical to the tuners in the HDHomeRun FLEX 4K?

And just to clarify, both the FLEX QUATRO and the FLEX 4K return VctName and VctNumber?

I'm pretty sure these are the last questions that I would like to get answers to before I decide which unit to purchase. Thanks!

nickk
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by nickk »

The CONNECT 4K and the FLEX models all use the same tuners.

jasonl
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by jasonl »

KeithAbbott wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 8:37 pm And just to clarify, both the FLEX QUATRO and the FLEX 4K return VctName and VctNumber?
Yes, that is common code across all modern devices, as long as they're running firmware that is not older than whatever version we added that in. It's been years now.

KeithAbbott
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by KeithAbbott »

Strange, I have a couple of FLEX DUOs running 20231214 firmware that are not returning VctName and VctNumber (although my CONNECT 4K does, along with my Primes). Here's an example of what is returned from the FLEX DUOs:

Code: Select all

0:
  Resource: "tuner0"
  Frequency: 177000000
  SignalStrengthPercent: 100
  SignalQualityPercent: 89
  SymbolQualityPercent: 100

1:
  Resource: "tuner1"
  Frequency: 177000000
  SignalStrengthPercent: 100
  SignalQualityPercent: 89
  SymbolQualityPercent: 100
  TargetIP: "192.168.1.40"
  NetworkRate: 1442336

signcarver
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by signcarver »

How was such tuned? I believe it does that when tuned via legacy methods.

KeithAbbott
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by KeithAbbott »

Tuned from SageTV server docker running on Unraid. The exact same method of tuning that is being used for my CONNECT 4K, which is returning all information properly. The FLEX DUOs and the CONNECT 4K are set up as native tuners in SageTV; the Primes are accessed thru OpenDCT (which is a network encoder between the physical tuning device and SageTV). The Primes are also returning all information properly.

jasonl
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by jasonl »

You have to tune by virtual channel to get virtual channel-related data. SageTV tunes by frequency and program, and there isn't a 1:1 relationship between programs and virtual channel numbers. Quite a few stations point multiple virtual channel numbers at the same program, include several PBS operations that merged two of their stations together as part of the repack or to convert one to ATSC 3.0 operation.

KeithAbbott
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Re: Flex Quatro vs. Flex Duo Tuners

Post by KeithAbbott »

Correction to my earlier post: turns out my CONNECT 4K is not set up as a native tuner in SageTV, it is also passing thru OpenDCT. So OpenDCT must be tuning by virtual channel, whereas SageTV is tuning by frequency and program, which would explain why the virtual channel information is not being returned from the FLEX DUOs.

Mystery solved, thanks everyone for the assistance!

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