[PLUG] HDHomerun-config-gui

[John Jason Jordan]

HDHomerun-config and HDHomerun-config-gui are 'tuners' as the vendor
SiliconDust calls them. The function of this utility is to allow you to
connect to an HDHomeRun device on your network and stream TV signals to
VLC, among other players. 

Here is a screenshot of the GUI that I use daily:
https://app.box.com/s/ewvwdx5n89w986gpgc42l50nca0sts8z

I have been using the GUI version for a long time, and it works fine
within its capabilities, and 'capabilities' is where I have long had a
problem with it.

A very long time ago I lived with my parents in mountainous southern
Oregon. At that time, due to the mountains surrounding us, we could
receive only one channel. Dad bought a brand new 21" color television,
the latest technology at the time. It had a volume control and a
channel knob that you clicked around to change channels. That's what I
want: A 'tuner' GUI that would be that simple to operate. I don't want
to record a program, I don't want any of today's latest features. I
just want to watch TV like my parents and I did over half a century
ago, except I want to watch it on a computer.

Now, referring to the GUI at the link above, that is all I can get. It
works, but it lacks buttons that I can set to specific channels. And
that means that to change the channel I have to use the drop-down and
scroll up and down. Add the fact that I watch only two channels: OPBS
on 10.1, and Comet (old sci-fi programs) on 43.3. When I finish
watching the news on 10.1 I want to switch to 43.3, which takes a long
time scrolling, especially considering how clumsy my fingers are with a
mouse. Think how much better it would be if the tuner had buttons that
the user could set to their desired channels. One click and I'm viewing
the channel that I want. Is this too much to ask? 

Oh, and if you want to install the GUI, the Debian package is labeled
hdhomerun_config_gui. Leave off the _gui and you get the command-line
version, which is even clumsier for me.

I have put up with this problem for a long time, but I finally decided
it was time to see if I could find a solution. I considered a script,
but I don't know how to make the script interact with the tuner. Does
anyone have any ideas or suggestions?