Cheap tvheadend server with coreelec and x96 mini box (with Hauppauge 955q)

Help & Support Hardware
1

Hi everyone,

I’ve been looking to build a tvheadend server on the cheap and I was wondering if anyone could let me know if the following setup will work. This is for a basic home network to watch ota tv from an antenna.

I have a Hauppauge 955q usb tv tuner that I would like to attach to a cheap tv box; likely a x96 mini. I would then install coreelec and run tvheadend from the box. I would attach the tv box to my router and use it as a headless tvheadend server.

Would this work?

2

Are you using any hardware with current CE ??

Test it with that before you buy another box.

3

Tvheadend by itself is very undemanding so any low spec box which runs CE will do. You just need to disable IR remote.

Shoot

4

Thanks. I don’t have anything lying around i could try CE with.

5

Thanks. I might give it a try.

6

So I’ve installed Coreelec on the X96 mini box and I can access the Tvheadend interface through my browser. My only trouble is I can’t detect the TV tuner. It doesn’t seem to be powering on. Any thoughts?

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7

SSH into the box and execute command
lsusb

8

Plug in tuner. Install TVHead server. Then install TVH client on same device. In settings set up ip address of device.

go to web browser & put in ipaddress of device 192.168.0.x:9981

you might get the wizard.

on the web page, configuration DVB inputs, you should see the tuner, if you only see a folder, you need to try crazy cats drivers, I think they are under programs.

9

It could be that your box doesn’t have enough power on that USB port for the tuner.
Do you have a powered USB hub that you could try?
Also the comment above about the correct drivers could also be your issue. You can find this under add ons then Program add ons and choose the program CoreELEC Module Drivers. From here you can try the 3 options for driver module to see if it shows in the Web GUI.

10

Here’s the output from lsusb:

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 2040:b123 Hauppauge
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

11

Well it’s there.
So the default CE Drivers aren’t working for you so now try Crazycat one’s.
See how you go.

12

Installed the Crazycat drivers and everything seems to be working great!

Thanks so much for the help everyone. This is actually a great solution for a cheap over the air home server. The quality and sound is way better than the HdHomerun I had a while ago.

Many thanks again.

13

If you still have the HDHomerun device try plugging that into the LAN and see if Tvheadend sees it and can use its tuners.