The reason you have to use it as TVE3 is due to the fact that you have to connect to HDHomeRun as a client/server since HDHomeRun has its own IP address.
While the HDHomeRun has it's own IP address, it can be used in either TV engine. I previously used the device in the built-in TVengine. It worked marvelously for quite a while. (This was in the 0.2.3.0 version). It doesn't need TVE3. It is a tuner with it's own drivers that are installed on a machine that wishes to use it as a tuner. It doesn't connect to the TVengine as a client. I think this might be how you perceive the HDHR unit to act. It is, basically, not much different from directly connected tuners.
Granted, at the moment the new version of the software doesn't seem to jive with any version of the TV engine.
They're getting there with the most recent software/XML edit that they released. However, it's not reading in the QAM remap file now. So, it's just scanning ATSC channels during the autotune, rather than looking at the remap file and picking up the fake ATSC channels that point to QAM. I'm hopeful that this one can get figured out by them as well.
I'm sorry to bump an old thread, but now I'm having this problem too. I just reinstalled my OS onto a single HD from my Raid0 drives to free up a Sata port for my new Blu-ray rom drive. When I was installing the software for my HDHomerun, I noticed there was an updated firmware on their site, which I installed. Next, I installed Mediaportal 0.2.3.0 and added my tuner cards info into CaptureCardDefinitions.xml per Silicondusts instruction. Unfortunately, when I click add to add my HD tuner I get an error message stating "No capture cards found" or "cannot create graph...". I've done this setup innumerable times before without ever having a problem with my previously installed OS, but now I get this error every single time. I've checked and rechecked to make sure I put the correct info into CaptureCardDefinitions.xml, but still no luck.
I also tried installing TV server engine and even though it recognizes my HDHomerun, it can't scan or find any channels. I can use VLC to watch TV so I know everything it's working, I just can't seem to get MP to work. Can someone help me fix this problem? Thanks