YOU'LL LOVE WATCHING TV ON YOUR MAC!
VIEW : CAPTURE : CONVERT FOR iPOD : BURN : SHAREWatching and recording television on a Mac has never been easier or more powerful. An ever growing range of Apple TV tuner related products are available for the Macintosh OSX platform. ElGato dominates the Macintosh DVR - PVR Video Recorder Tuner market with it's EyeTV hardware and software; its software has matured to become a world-class Macintosh OS X application. Integration with iTunes, Apple's Front Row and support of the Apple Remote solidify the Mac's place as a mini home media center powerhouse.
Changes in the Mac from USB 1.1 to 2.0, PPC to Intel, improvements to the iPod Video, Touch, & iPhone over the years has inspired Eye TV to keep refining features to edit, burn and export movies and televised content to iPod, iTunes library or disc more easily than ever. It's so good, many 3rd-Party tuner devices license a special EyeTV Lite software bundle rather than write their own. However, 3rd Party options are worth exploring. Recently, Equinux joined the market with its TheTube software and its new USB Hybrid TubeStick device - and Miglia has begun bundling TheTube sofware with it's latest models as well. With competing TV products like Hauppauge's MyTV for Mac,
Pinnacle's
HD TV for Mac, and
others - there's a great range of TV tuners for every
price bracket and need, from the casualviewer/consumer
to the Prosumer needing to capture, edit and share
content.
PAUSE : RECORD : REWIND - TAME YOUR TELEVISION VIEWING
With Tivo-like time-shifting software features, the ablity to watch, pause, rewind or schedule your favorite programs for recording is simpler than ever. Functions of a PVR/DVR - Personal Digital Video Recorder have been reduced to TV gizmos barely larger than a USB flash thumb drive, or a small desktop box with multiple inputs to connect a wider-range of video gear. Hybrid units support and automatically switch between both analog and digital signals.
LCD IMAC & MAC MINI: TOP HTPC HOME MEDIA CENTER CHOICES
The Mac mini
is
proving to be a popular, affordable home theatre media
center option. With the right DVI video
adapter/connections, and featuring dual-use
Optical/Analog audio ports, it can be the heart of a
versatile Apple centric HTPC system. Likewise, the
large 20" & 24" diplays of Apple's current
iMac
line with decent built-in stereo speakers make them an
instant HD desktop television & theater minutes
after plugging in a Digital TV tuner. Complimented
with an AppleTV unit, Your iTunes video downloads and
all controlled by an Apple Remote - you can control
your entire media collection.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT TV TUNER FOR OS X
Television is a complicated set of many technologies. The transition from Analog towards Digital isn't helping making a purchase easier. Any television gizmo you buy needs to work today - with an eye to the future. That largely depends on HOW you receive your signal: For Analog Cable subscribers, you'll likely want a CLEAR QAM capable tuner - Ascertain what your provider transmits and how it's sent, the box they provide to do it, and what channels they'll support on unencrypted Clear QAM. Satellite users should also call their providers to get clear info on thier technology roadmap. For those using antenna reception, QAM does NOT matter: The change from Analog to Digital occurs on Feb 17th 2009: Channel assignments are going to shift, the tuner you buy MUST support Digital at that point, the kind and size of antenna you need might change. No one is safe from this relentless march of technology.BEST: EyeTV 250 PLUS Hybrid Receiver & Video Converter
Digital & Analog with turbo HARDWARE
COMPRESSION which reduces the CPU load on your
computer when watching and capturing video. Includes a
Remote and Toast 8 Basic disc burning software. Note:
This 2008 model of the 250+ now supports unencrypted
Clear QAM Digital cable.
ULTIMATE: *IF you already have EyeTV software* consider the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Networked Digital Dual-Tuner
:
Ethernet-based strictly Digital HDTV receiver with TWO
tuners - Allows multiple Mac's on a home/office
network to watch, record and share ATSC antenna
reception or Clear QAM digital cable. This link is
to the OEM product and is NOT bundled with EyeTV. For
the full HDHomeRun bundle, you can order it direct
from ElGato's online store.
BETTER: ElGato 2008 QAM EyeTV Hybrid TV Receiver and Video Converter
:
Digital & Analog with Composite/S-Video Input.
Great affordable choice, both now and in the
future. Uses SOFTWARE COMPRESSION for capturing
& exporting clips, so the faster the Mac you got
the better. Supports ATSC Digital & Analog antenna
reception as well as Analog & Digital Clear QAM
over cable/satellite.
Alternately: The Equinux TubeStick Hybrid Tuner for Mac and PC
with The Tube 2 software in the U.S. Supports Analog
and ATSC & HD Clear QAM Digital via Antenna/Cable.
Bundled with BOTH Mac software & Windows XP-Vista
Media Center PC drivers, it's a good choice for
Intel Mac owners running Dual-OS Mac
environments. The Tube Stick should should eventually
be in-stock at the Apple
Store Online soon.
Pure Digital: The Miglia TVmini HD Express
with Remote and bundled with The Tube software may
be the right choice if you're ready for DIGITAL-ONLY
now via digital cable or ATSC antenna - and don't need
Analog options at all:
VALUE MAC & PC CHOICE: Use an antenna or have SD Analog cable? Don't need QAM? Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 950 Hybrid TV Stick
Model 1145 is another good cross-platform choice;
bundled with BOTH the Mac version of EyeTV LITE and
Windows PC drivers. FYI: this is the same OEM hardware
as ElGato used for it's non-QAM Hybrid - at a
discounted price. Pinnacle Micro offers a similar
tuner. Ideal for frugal shoppers or Cross-Platform
users, but note you only get the LITE version of
EyeTV.
CHEAP: Miglia TV Micro Express
ANALOG-ONLY: For the majority of folk getting Analog
Cable or Satellite TV this might have 3 year or more
lifespan IF you're content with SD - Standard
Definition reception. Might be a reasonable choice
at a bargain price. If using an antenna, you can
continue to use these Analog-Only models after the Feb
2009 over-the-air digital transition by connecting it
to a low-cost DTA converter box (see below or FAQ
page).
FEED A MAC & iPOD YOUR FAVE TV CONTENT
USB - ETHERNET - FIREWIRE OPTIONSThe most affordable receivers on the Mac are USB 2.0 based TV Tuner Sticks barely larger than a flash drive - and with modern, fast Macs deliver fine performance at your desk or on the road. For more serious videophiles, Hardware based encoders with multiple inputs are the smart choice. And for multi-Mac home networks, Ethernet-based tuners like the Digital-only HD Home Run allow the family's computers to access and share the device. Unfortunately for Prosumers wanting FireWire 1394 options, ElGato and others have discontinued their Fire Wire based analog tuners - with no ATSC/QAM units to replace them.
HORSEPOWER REQUIRED: MAC TV ON AN OLD SYSTEM?
Video is very demanding and requires USB 2.0 ports. More recent G5 Macs and Core Duo Intel CPU's are best able to keep up with full-screen viewing and HD content. Models that support hardware compression are a smarter buy for slightly older G4/G5 Macs on 10.4.x - the minimum system reqirements for most tuners. TV is doable on obsolete Macs with USB 1.1 ports IF you can scout up the very first, original Analog Eye TV USB model on eBay or Eskape/Hauppauge's my.PVR units. Even power-users wanting to speed up compression and export speeds opt for the Elgato Turbo.H264 - Video Encoder Hardware
to
try to crunch a 90 minute movie down to size ALOT
faster.
ANALOG vs DIGITAL COMBO TUNERS:
Big changes are ahead with the FCC's Feb 17th 2009 ruling to cease traditional analog Over-The-Air broadcasts, and switch to ATSC digital antenna reception. Cable companies are eager to upsell you to premium digital channels. Hence, a 'Hybrid' A/D HD QAM tuner is your smartest long-term investment. If you buy or already own an analog-ONLY gizmo, a Converter Box can extend an Analog TV tuner's usable life-span beyond 2009 using an antenna and let you start enjoying crystal clear digital reception. Converter boxes from companies like Magnovox, RCA, Philco, DigitalStream, AccessHD can affordably keep your existing analog devices working long after the cutover. See FAQ page for more on this transition. Now thru the cutoff-date, an Analog Pass-Through model converter is your smartest buy. If you're getting your TV via analog cable, you won't be immediately affected by that transition: The FCC has mandated that cable companies maintain their current analog cable service for a minimum of 3 YEARS to 2012 or beyond.
ELEGANT SOFTWARE MAKES IT FUN & EASY!
EyeTV 3 INTRODUCED AT MACWORLD '08 EXPOEl Gato's fabulous EyeTV Software is at version 3.x. Existing EyeTV 2 owners can upgrade to v3 for $39.95. A free upgrade is only available if you purchased a qualifying ElGato unit after December 1st, 2007. 3rd-Party units, such as from Hauppauge that shipped with Eye TV Light 1.1x can upgrade for $49.95. This pricing poses a bit of a challenge, the money you might save on a 3rd party tuner may be overridden if want the latest greatest version of EyeTV instead.
There are viable Mac tuner options other than ElGato's EyeTV line. The picture above hints at the broad range of supported tuners here in the US and abroad. Many of these tuners are based on OEM hardware that both ElGato and other's use - and Eye TV sofware is either bundled or can work with. So if you're not happy with the bundled apps that ATI Miglia, Pinnacle or Equinux provide, you _might_ be able to 'upgrade' your tuner by upgrading to ElGato's latest software. Do your research on very specific model support first.
THE TUBE 2.7.4 UPDATE: EQUINUX ADDS MORE DEVICE SUPPORT
THETUBE 2.8 UPDATE: EQUINUX FOCUSES ON RELIABILITY & BUG FIXES
Equinux is working hard to improve their The Tube software and give EyeTV serious competition. TheTube has some very innovative and collabrative features to share your favorite content with others online. The latest update adds support for a broader range of tuners both for North America NTSC and other DVB-T broadcast standards abroad. If you own a supported unit you can purchase TheTube software direct for $19.95 and give it a test drive.
FYI: TheTube supports the following devices: Equinux TubeStick (DVB-T/DTT), Equinox Tube Stick Hybrid (ATSC/QAM/analog), Miglia TVMini, Miglia TVMini HD, Miglia TV Mini & TVMini2 Express Tuners, Miglia TVBook Pro Express, Miglia TVMicro & Express, Terratec Cinergy T2, Twinhan DTV Alpha, EyeTV for DTT, Digitus DVB-T Digital USB, Freecom DVBT USB Stick, MSI Digivox Mini, Hauppauge WinTV-Nova-T-Stick, Digittrade DVB-T USB"
* QAM - 'Clear' (Unencrypted) Digital support in a tuner may or may not matter - and only applies to Cable subcribers! Talk to your local Cable Provider FIRST to see if and what and how they support it - if at all. QAM is irrelevant to antenna users, period.
EXPAND YOUR APPLE MEDIA CENTER HTPC
APPLETV : TAKE TWO
Click To Save $$$ On RECERTIFIED AppleTV Units
The second iteration of the Apple TV with 40GB Hard Drive
introduced at MacWord Expo 2008 is a significant step
in the right direction. Now capable of directly
accessing, purchasing and downloading content over the
internet. You can bypass your computer if so desired -
and do it all from the new on-device interface. A
smart move; For many, an Apple TV just didn't make
sense. It really presumed you had a ton of content
already on your Mac which many folks simply
didn't. The real consumer want is RENTING MOVIES
sitting on thier couches - (See Roku Neflix Player
below) and that's all doable now with the new AppleTV
software update. With a lower price on the Take Two
model and completely re-thought software (a free
upgrade to reward existing AppleTV owners) Apple's
revised media center software is one step closer to
expanding AppleTV's appeal.
APPLE TV : TAKE 3?
Will Apple include a Digital TV tuner in the inevitable AppleTV Take Three? Or allow it's crippled USB port to fully support an external TV tuner stick like ElGato's? Rumours... and nothing more. Clearly Apple would rather SELL you iTunes content than let you grab your own. Expect some sort of AppleTV revision announcement at MacWorld Expo, January 2009
APPLE TV's GOT COMPETITION... FROM NETFLIX
The newly announced $99 Roku Net Flix Player might put a serious dent in Apple's efforts. Netflix's low-cost streaming, affordable approach is going to appeal to alot of consumers - a huge number of those who already rely on Netflix on a weekly basis. The back panel is loaded with additional goodies like Composite & S-Video outputs. This gives much broader connectability to millions of SD TV sets than the AppleTV's high-end HDMI or Component only options. Remains to be seen how this fares in the marketplace: Lower streamed video quality - but it's got BROAD appeal and customer loyalty - at a low price point.
COMPOSITE & S-VIDEO OPTIONS
Many mid to high end Mac TV tuners offer options to connect analog devices via Composite RCA or S-Video connectors: Older camcorders, VCR and DVD Players, Game Machines and whatnot. It's a shame that older VHS video cameras in particular can't be used as a webcam. None of the current tuners seem to support being recognized as a QuickTime VDIG compatible input source that programs like iChat, Yahoo Messenger, Skype
Easy EPG: Electronic Program Guide Scheduling
While EyeTV comes bundled with free access to TitanTV television schedules, that only helps USA users. The Tube from Equinux in Europe doesn't include schedule guide access for North America - only supporting a new 'Not-Quite-Ready' .XMLTV open standards format. .XMLTV may someday allow EASY access to any market's program guide, but it just isn't usable by anyone but Nerds at this point. ElGato's announced they'll be supporting a Canadian EPG guide in EyeTV3 soon. Visit their site to sign-up for notification when it goes live. In the interim: A great tip from a Canadian neighbor to the North suggests: Get a subscription ($20 per year) at schedulesdirect.org You can get a trial and check if you have your local schedule there. Download "MacProgramGuide" (free) at www.CoolMacSoftware.com. MacProgramGuide has a great interface; you'll see the programs set up in Schedules Direct, and it's capable of scheduling a recording request in EyeTV with a simple click, just as with TitanTV.