My last stop of the day was a visit to Silicon Dust. They’re the folks behind the HDHomeRun networked dual tuner, which has had quite a run… without a refresh. And that’s about to be corrected by the HDHomeRun Dual which will beginning shipping later this month for $130. The Dual essentially provides the same functionality as the original unit, in dual tuning and streaming ATSC content over ethernet, but re-engineered into a tighter package. Additionally, El Gato will be bundling a Dual with their EyeTV software at some point in the requisite Mac white.
Potentially more interesting is the HDHomeRun Prime, a networked CableCARD device to feed three HD streams of digital cable to Microsoft Media Center. Unfortunately for those tracking this device, I bring no new information. Silicon Dust is gearing up production while awaiting final CableLabs certification. So we could still be a few months away. However, given the lack of MC extenders, and the number of inexpensive small form factor PCs that I could place at each TV, it’d be the right solution for me (over Ceton) should I decide to roll my own whole home DVR.