The HDHomeRun Extend is advertised as a way to stream your over-the-air TV through your home network. That sounds like a great idea: the ability to network your house with over-the-air TV without running cables, but it misses the mark.
We have three main issues with the HDHomeRun . . .
1st Wi-Fi
If you look at the box or online ads—as you can see in these photos—you think you can connect the HDHomeRun to your network with Wi-Fi without the need to have a cable plugged into your modem:
Yet sadly you must connect an Ethernet cable to your HDHomeRun before you can use it. If you are like me and your modem is located in the basement that means your HDHomeRun needs to be in the basement. I have a Tablo DVR in an upstairs bedroom that receives 30+ channels and dose everything a HDHomeRun will do, but the basement-bound HDHomeRun only received 2 channels.
You can use Wi-Fi from other devices to connect to your HDHomeRun as long as it is on the same network.
2nd Apps
Want to use your HDHomeRun Extend to stream over-the-air TV to your other TVs? Sadly, if you have a Roku or Apple TV you are just out of luck…
3rd Hidden Fee
After you get the device set up you need to pay again to watch your content. Want an Android app to stream your over-the-air TV with your HDHomeRun that you paid for? Be ready to pay for their Android app . . .
4th Channel Identification
We followed the set up on the website exactly. When we went to the TV we found it had falsely identified the channels it picked up in the channel guide. The HDHomeRun showed a local private station as Fox and the program guide was off.
Conclusion
I just cannot recommend this device. It is, at best, a 2 out of 5. We had a few issues with streams stopping and the set up was not as easy as other devices we have used. Overall for a device that is well less expensive than a Tablo DVR it does a lot less and is more difficult to set up.
You can find the HDHomeRun Extend on Amazon here:
Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more news, tips, and reviews.
Need cord cutting tech support? Join our new Cord Cutting Tech Support Facebook Group for help.