hdhomerun

Connected Home, Technology

Proposal: Potential JellyFin Native tvOS App Including User Experience Ideas

In this post, I share some of my thoughts for a potential JellyFin native tvOS App’s user experience. My hope is that the JellyFin developer community will find these concepts useful and incorporate them in a future native tvOS app. These are my preliminary thoughts; I welcome readers’ feedback. Product development requires judgement calls; and I recognize that other users prioritize features they care about differently than me or have a preferred UX either because it better suits their needs or they are just more familiar with that UX. Continue reading Proposal: Potential JellyFin Native tvOS App Including User Experience Ideas

Mike Connelly
Connected Home, Technology

How To: Synology DS1821+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) & DSM 7.0

We recently upgraded our Synology NAS units from the DS1819+ to the new DS1821+, and the improvements are substantial. The DS1821+ features a significantly faster CPU, built-in dual M.2 SSD expansion slots, and optional 10GbE network expansion card. Read on for our full breakdown of the hardware specs, SSD caching considerations, and key features in DSM 7.0. Continue reading How To: Synology DS1821+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) & DSM 7.0

Mike Connelly
Connected Home, Technology

How To: ATSC 3.0 & the HDHomeRun QUATRO 4K

We’re diving into ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) — the next generation of over-the-air broadcast television. I cover everything from new video and audio capabilities to the challenges of the broadcaster transition and the hardware you’ll need to get started. I also share my hands-on experience with Silicon Dust’s HDHomeRun QUATRO 4K tuner, and look ahead at potential capabilities on the horizon, including Single Frequency Networks, targeted advertising, and ATSC 3.0 as a content delivery network. Continue reading How To: ATSC 3.0 & the HDHomeRun QUATRO 4K

Mike Connelly
Connected Home

How To: Synology DS1819+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Migration

We just upgraded our Synology NAS units from Synology’s prior model, DS1817+ to their latest model, DS1819+. In my previous article, I reviewed not just the DS1817+ chassis but also the M2D17 M.2 SATA SSD expansion card. I also covered software features including downloadable Synology and third-party applications, the file system, file sharing, synchronization & backup, and security. Continue reading How To: Synology DS1819+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Migration

Mike Connelly
Connected Home

Synology DS1817+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Configuration

It is amazing how much data our family generates. We record our home videos in 4K resolution. We have scanned over 100 years of our family photo albums and slides in TIFF format for permanent archival. I shoot high-resolution images on my Nikon D500 and Fuji X100F cameras in RAW format. I ripped hundreds of CDs that I bought over the decades in lossless audio format. We have constructed a multi-room DVR solution for our home, time-shifting cable and local OTA content. I run my application development environments in virtual machines. And, we back up all of our Macs using our NAS’ Time Capsule service. Continue reading Synology DS1817+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Configuration

Mike Connelly
Connected Home

Nvidia Shield Android TV Review

Since its first release in May 2015, the Nvidia Shield Android TV has been billed as the world’s best Android TV settop box. That continues to be the case as of December 2016. The Shield Android TV is also more powerful, technology-wise, than the Apple TV Gen 4, Amazon FireTV 2, or latest Roku. That said, the Apple TV is undeniably a better solution for Apple ecosystem users like my parents. Amazon’s ecosystem is a cost-effective solution, especially for Amazon Prime members; and the FireTV is also bolstered by Amazon’s investment in exclusive content. Meanwhile, the Android gaming ecosystem isn’t advanced enough to sway hard-core gamers from their Xbox One or PS4 game consoles. Continue reading Nvidia Shield Android TV Review

Mike Connelly