JUST THE BASICS : ElGato announced a new lower-cost budget TV tuner for Mac (or Windows PC) that is strictly for Over-The-Air HD antenna based reception - the Elgato EyeTV One PC and Apple Compatible TV Tuner. Lacking Analog video capture functions and QAM decoding for Digital Cable reception, this sub-$100 tuner may be right for those of use who don't and won't pay for cable TV month after month - and are more than content with our locally available stations from an indoor or outdoor antenna.

Tags: ElGato Mac, OTA TV Tuner, ATSC Only Tuner

Check out the rather long laundry list of bug fixes and enhancements for the latest EyeTV 3.2.1 Update from ElGato. Those who've upgraded to Apple's Snow Leopard 10.6 need to get and stay current to avoid some of the issues earlier versions of EyeTV has with OS X 10.6

Frustrated by your outdoor TV antenna reception after the Digital TV switchover? Intermittent, sorta - kinda - maybe reception on some chanels driving you crazy? It may be that your existing outdoor antenna is 'OK' - but some degree of signal loss through your household wiring may be sub-optimal. A television PRE-amplifier will boost the signal _at its source_ and will likely improve your current channel reception - as well as possibly bring in stations you're missing.

20db UHF-VHF Pre Amp


Alternately; consider the
Channel Master 7777 High-gain mast-mount antenna preamplifier


Note these are multi-piece units: A PRE-amp that attaches directly on your antenna outside - and the actual amplifier which is a small box with built-in wall AC transformer. Once connected, you may want to verify your existing station and reception quality - then do a RE-SCAN of all available channels.

For those with multiple cable runs indoors and throughout the house - a different type of indoor sigal amplifier is needed. This can apply to both those using antennas or those with cable television access. A passive splitter may be fine to branch off to 2 sets - but with more cable runs than that you really do want an amplified splitter to minimize signal degredation.

Motorola Amplifier - Splitter

In short - before you blame your tuner - or its source. Ponder everything in between. Its often the weakest link, and proper amplfication at the right points in your wiring runs can make all the difference in the world.

An innovative little portable tv anntenna: The PowerHD 100 is generating alot of interest - and garnering absolutely rave reviews at Amazon.com. This tiny HD antenna isn't just an interesting option for Laptop computer TV tuners. Folks with 52" wide-screen home theater systems seem to think well of this amplified flip-up antenna box that you can hold in the palm of your hand:

Amplified antennas can often mean the difference between a marginal analog or HD digital signal becoming crystal clear - or simply receiving stations you otherwise couldn't scan for and lock in. The PowerQ POWERHD-100 Indoor Portable Pop-Up Digital HDTV Antenna offers THREE power options for it's amp: USB bus-power from a laptop or desktop computer, AA batteries for on the go, and an AC power adapter for home use. Pretty versatile!

The compact size of this mobile UHF-VHF combo antenna is somewhat surprising - at least for optimal VHF reception where you normally have long rods. But less technical folk should know UHF waves travel in a VERY SHORT oscillating waveform only about 6" wide. So whether it's a indoor LOOP antenna, a BOW-TIE antenna, or a stubby little flip-up antenna like the POWERQ has - they all are *OPTIMIZED* for UHF Channels 13-on-up anyways. At $50 this little box ain't cheap - but those who bought one seem quite impressed. Sometimes big things really do come in small packages.

Tags: powerq, power q, USB powered, ATSC Antenna

Elgato announced a new USB device - the Video Capture - Which automatically detects NTSC, SECAM, PAL, and PAL/60 video formats for worldwide compatibility. Video resolution: 640×480 (4:3) or 640×360 (16:9) Video format: H.264 at 1.4 MBit/sec or MPEG-4 at 2.4 MBit/sec Audio: AAC, 48kHZ, 128 kBit/sec

Perhaps the standout feature of the Elgato Video Capture Device that separates it from the dozens of other MPEG 1 and 2 units that have been around in the Mac and PC market for years -- is native H.264 encoding. Files can be synced with video capable iPods, iPhones and Apple TV and can be edited in iMovie ‘09 without re-encoding.

There's still a need for Analog video gizmos like this for capturing Analog content from legacy VCR's DVD Players, VHS camcorders and whatnot... but there's something about this product that seems just a bit too-little, too-late. For your money, you might as well just get a Hybrid TV tuner which supports Analog capture anyways.

Tags: H.264, USB dongle, USB capture

This switch to Digital television is a slow process. Not an 'event' really, but simply a rapidly evolving shift in television reception. Remember, the DTV ‘extension’ to June 12th 2009 still allowed over-the-air TV stations to go all Digital BEFORE THEN. So the remaining Analog stations you can receive will become fewer and fewer in the weeks ahead. Under the revised law, TV stations were simply required by the FCC to *announce* their black-out date to viewers *before* they flip the switch to ATSC Digital.

Even that 'Blackout Date' ain't necessarily going to be totally black. Many rural areas are and will continue to be served by TRANSLATOR STATIONS still broadcasting in Analog. (Another reason why a TV converter box *with Analog Pass-Through* or a auto-switching HYBRID Mac TV tuner is still the best choice for antenna using folks waaaaay out in the country side.)

Satellite and Cable companies have their own agenda and interests to pursue: Which is largely to $ELL YOU PREMIUM SERVICE for the rest of your life. But Cable companies are mandated by law to provide SOME SORT of standard definition Analog signal till 2012. But that doesn't mean you'll receive the stations you want, just the stations they'll give you. Which Digital stations you'll receive in Unencrypted Clear QAM is up to the provider, and their ULTIMATE intent is to sell you PREMIUM High-Def Digital Services only decoded by their set-top box. (and not your computer's TV tuner stick.)

All this is against a growing backdrop of Free (ala Hulu) or Pay-Per Content (via iTunes), or streaming (via Netflix) and IPTV -- Television streamed over the internet and viewable with various 'player' programs for Mac or PC.

Tags: DTV transition, DTV switch, TV converter boxes

3/12/2009 - AVerMedia Technologies, Inc., announced the (long delayed...) release of the AVerTV Volar MAX for Mac, a compact USB TV stick for US - North America. This Digital ONLY computer HDTV tuner supports ATSC antenna recption + Digital QAM cable at a new low-price point for Apple computers

AVerTV HD Volar MAX USB Tuner

For Intel Macintosh Computers


System Requirements for the Volar M are:
- Macintosh® computer with a Intel Core® processor - 512MB RAM or above - 300MB of available hard-disk space - USB 2.0 port - CD or DVD drive - Mac OS X v10.4 or later

With AVerTV for Mac’s DVR software app, you get an iPhone-like on-screen menu for channel switching, program recording, and EPG for upcoming programs, etc. The key functions of AVerTV for Mac are supported by an Apple Remote. Designed for Apple OS X, AVerTV Volar M also comes with AVer TV 6 Media Center for PC, benefitting Dual-OS users who run OS X and Windows on their Mac.


The final Street Price of this Digital ATSC + QAM unit makes it the new price leader for affordable Mac computerTV watching.

Cheap TV tuner stick for Mac

The Aver Volar Max ~$49

Tags: AverMedia, Aver TV, volar tuner, volar MAX

Equinux keeps updates coming! Today Version 2.9.3 of THE TUBE PVR software was released with the following fixes-additions of note:

Changes in The Tube Version 2.9.3
– Tuning has been improved drastically. We recommend running "File ! Search Channels..." again
– Now supports Pinnacle PCTV DVB-T Stick 70e, Terratec Cinergy T USB XXS
– Now supports the new EyeTV DTT (introduced August 08) and EyeTV DTT Deluxe
– DVB-T / DTT problems with older EyeTV hybrid devices have been solved
– The EPG - Program Guide update dialog window no longer reappears if you select "not now".
– Changed timer for EPG update to 15 secs
– Fixed an issue where attaching a device might interrupt playback of recordings

Version 2.9.3's installer also includes links to download their LIVE TV iPhone app and TUBE TO GO.

Tags: Equinux, TubeStick Hybrid, The Tube, TheTube

SageTV continues progress on their multi-platform TV Media Center softtware - now at version 6.5.9 for Mac. I've tried it with one of the Apple Macintosh supported tuners below - specifically Hauppauge's HVR950 non-QAM tuner with an outdoor ATSC antenna with no success pulling in stations. Was a little overwhelmed by the 'Setup Assistant' which is so extensive and lengthy it felt more like a SETUP INTERRIGATOR. And of course it wasn't till I was deep in the process that trying to identify the tuner hardware and actually receive any signal was where it failed. Would have been nice if: 1. The Setup was much more automated, and 2. Recognizing the TV hardware successfully first should preceed attempting subsequent issues like screen aspect ratio, location and program guide info. Will have to de-install, re-install and try again. It OUGHT to work. And it ought to be MUCH simpler to get up and running.

Sage TV Supported Analog Tuners On Mac
▪ Hauppauge EskapeLabs myTV.PVR
▪ Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB2 (use the Eskape Labs drivers)

SageTV Supported OTA HDTV Tuners On Mac (requres SageTV V5 or later):
▪ Hauppauge Win-TV-HVR-950
▪ Pinnacle PCTV HD (800e)
▪ Silicon Dust HDHomeRun (native support, no driver install required)
▪ El Gato EyeTV Hybrid (original version w/out QAM tuner)

Tags: SageTV, cross-platform media center

One of the few reviews of the Apple OSX specific version of the ATI TVwonder VisionTek 650 Hybrid TV tuner box for Mac can be found over at www.ChipChick.com -- As with earlier incarnations of ATI's TV tuners for Mac - ATI opted to write their own "tvPortal" DVR/tuning software rather than license and get device support of EyeTV from ElGato or snuggle up to Equinux for support of it in THE TUBE software.

ChipChick's take: tvPortal is a servicable TV app for Mac - but lacks much of the functionality ATI provides with the bundled softwware of the Windows PC version. Once again, this points to a common truth: It's the software, silly! When you have rather generic OEM TV tuner hardware based around only a few of tuner/decoder chipsets being manufactured (i.e. TV cards based on BT8x8 chipset, Philips SAA713x chipset, Conexant CX2388x, and few others) what's under the hood matters less than the end-user experience. Sounds like ATI ain't delivering a superlative PVR experience for OSX, but hey, there's always hope in software updates...

Tags: ATI tuner for Mac, visiontek 650, TVportal

Pinnacle System's ultra compact QAM USB Digital-ONLY Tuner - the Pinnacle TV for Mac HD Mini Stick (Model # 82301003001) is now hitting a street-price near $70, making it one of the most affordable HDTV on a Mac options.

A strictly Digital tuner - this USB television stick is right for those using HD ATSC antenna reception or who have Digital QAM cable -- and don't want or need the Analog capabilities of a Hybrid TV tuner to hook up to SD - Standard Definition Cable, VHS VCR's, aging Camcorders and whatnot. Noted for it's ultra-compact size and signal-boosting technology for better reception - It comes bundled with remote control, EyeTV Lite 1.1 - and a better portable antenna than most - a high-gain telescopic antenna that extends up taller for enhanced reception. For mobile OTA - Over-The-Air television with a laptop Mac, this is a great choice. Also includes TVCenter Pro 5 and VideoSpin software for PC.

Tags: pinnacle sys

Following ElGato Systems MacWorld 2009 Expo introduction of the revised 2009 Model 10020974 EyeTV Hybrid TV Tuner Stick for Analog, HDTV and FM Radio Reception were initially ONLY available at ElGato's Online Store. But within a few weeks, Amazon now lists this TV tuner for Apple Mac OSX under the mispelled "ELAGATO SYSTEMS". But what the heck, it's available, in-stock, less than full retail, and eligible for free shipping. The best HD computer TV tuner for Mac just got better - and cheaper.

CHOOSE CAREFULLY: There's now 3 different EyeTV Hybrid's floating around in inventory: 1. The ORIGINAL (discontinued) EyeTV Hybrid which is an affordable choice for Antenna using people that had 2 rows of horizontal air slots for cooling. 2. The JUST REPLACED EyeTV Hybrid 2008 Model with Clear QAM Digital Cable support that had vent slots on just ONE SIDE of the USB TV stick case, and now 3: The 2009 Hybrid Tuner in a sleeker, smoother, apparently non-vented silver casing.

Tags: Apple, Mac, TV, Television, QAM, ElGato, EyeTV

As promised at MacWorld Expo 2009, ElGato's made the new 3.1 update download available for EyeTV customers.

Bug fixes focus mostly on various existing scheduling issues with the Electronic Program Guide - EPG functions. The new alliance with TV Guide now offers more advanced Genre, Ratings and Parental Controls additions to EyeTV's features.

On the hardware side, The new ElGato Systems 10020974 EyeTV Hybrid TV Tuner Stick for Analog, HDTV with FM Radio Reception - This North American EyeTV Hybrid 2009 model's FM radio tuning functions are now supported - as well as highly anticipated initial support for the Hauppauge 1212 HD-PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder, a capture device with component video input and RCA analog and S/PDIF optical audio inputs.

This tidbit from ElGato's site implies some HD PVR caveats and gotcha's:
"This device requires a Macintosh computer with an Intel processor. The infrared remote receiver is not supported. The infrared remote blaster cannot legally be supported on the Macintosh. The minimum firmware supported is 1.15, and must be flashed on a PC using Hauppauge’s driver software."

I anticipate that further revisions to EyeTV 3.1 will likely be needed to properly refine functionality of the 1212 HD PVR - and am somewhat surprised the Hauppauge 1192 WinTV HVR-1950 hasn't yet been added to Eye TV's supported devices list. All in due time I suppose...

Tags: EyeTV, EyeTV Version 3, EyeTV update, EyeTV upgrade

The best gets better: On the eve of MacWorld Expo ElGato has announced a sleeker, slightly redesigned Model 10020974 EyeTV Hybrid 2009 TV Tuner Stick w/ FM Radio
Analog + Digital ATSC/QAM television USB tuner- Now with FM Radio tuning functionality. Prior to this, Apple Macintosh owners basically only had Griffin Technology 's RadioShark AM / FM Desktop Radio with Time-Shift Recording to provide radio broadcast reception on their Mac. Coinciding with this new Mac tuner's 'immediate' release is a new version of EyeTV 3.1 PVR software. This version with FM support added will be available to existing Eye TV v3 owners later this month.

The new packaging and case modifications will be helpful in identifying this new tuner stick. Last time around - when Digital Clear QAM support was added to the renamed '2008' Hybrid model - there was no easy way to visually distinguish the changes made to the internal circuitry. One last item of note: As with Pinnacle's latest HD TVmini stick, they too are touting "better reception" meaning enhanced signal sensitivity - likely from the latest improvements to the internal OEM decoder/tuning chipsets in these new models.

Tags: Mac radio, Mac FM, Apple Radio, ElGato TV + FM Tuner

Unlike Windows XP & Vista Media Center software -- TV Tuner drivers for Mac OSX don't reside at a low system level. And as such the 'drivers' for Mac compatible TV tuners exist within the DVR software itself. So it is only logical that ElGato and Equinux are protective of their intellectual property and require rather arcane EyeTV Serial number key codes and/or The Tube or Media Central's online Activation process to enable their applications. Yes, it's a bit inconvenient at times when updating or reinstalling. But it's necessary.

Many 3rd-party TV tuner cards exist -- and are supported by both companies. And altho some very common TV tuning chipsets are used - each tuner device can have unique Product ID and Device codes. These codes must be programmed into and detected by the application, and it's often why each minor revision or build of TheTube or Eye-TV might add support for another given tuner or two.

Clearly the real value of the HD tuner hardware lies in great software unleashing it's abilities. So that's why EyeTV retails for $79 or TheTube for $39 as a standalone software package. And they're worth it. Sure, ElGato or Equinux would prefer you bought their tuner bundle. But there's money to be made on their software efforts - to both end users and by licensing their programs to Hauppauge, Pinnacle, Miglia and others.


So to all the thieves, pirate, hackers, crackers, sinners, and Bit-Torrent steal-thief pirates looking for EyeTV download and TubeStick/The Tube serial # cracks and code hacks... You have been USED as keyword LINK-BAIT SUCKAH! You'll burn in HELL for looking for register Free EyeTV EYE TV Lite / Light registration serial number Equinux activate activation code crack for Elgato serial number or Equinux TheTube Tube Stick warez unlock serial# crack registration code activation pirated versions SHIT? Well you won't find it here, but thanks for looking...

Remember: Honesty Is Always The Best Policy! :)

Tags: EyeTV, EyeTV Lite, The Tube, TheTube

A December press release talks-up the soon-to-be-available new iPhone app "Live TV" takes Equinux's TubeStick and TheTube software to the next level of innovation. The free iPhone app "Live TV", is designed to let you watch live TV on your iPhone over your local WiFi netowrk. "Live TV" will show the TV channels The Tube receives on your computer. The Live TV interface let's the user choose and watch available channels directly on their iPhone.

Combined with recent price-cuts to the TubeStick Hybrid TV Tuner for Mac and PC, Equinux is proving to be a worthy and aggressive competitor against ElGato and it's EyeTV line. And more choice for Mac TV lovers is a good thing. On Tues Dec 23 - an updated The Tube software v2.9.1 was released and is now available for download at http://www.equinux.com

Tags: TheTube , Equinux, TubeStick, ipod touch, iPhone

Model 1212

HAUPPAUGE HD PVR

PC using HTPC enthusiasts are finding Hauppauge's long-awaited Model1212 HD-PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder to be a godsend for connecting to and capturing content from their Set-Top box. For cable users on PC's it was the MISSING PIECE they were waiting for. For Mac users - the real question is If/When/Ever EyeTV or other's might be able to support the HDPVR's functionality in OS X.

"HD PVR is the world’s first High-Definition video recorder for making real-time H.264 compressed recordings at resolutions up to 1080i.  HD-PVR records component video (YCrCb) from cable TV and satellite set top boxes, with a built-in IR blaster to automatically change TV channels for scheduled recordings. Audio is recorded using AAC or Dolby Digital. The recording format is AVCHDr. The HD PVRs amazing recording quality allows personal archival of your favorite high definition TV programs from any component video HD set top box. The HD PVR also has standard definition composite and S-Video inputs so you can record your old home video tapes into an AVCHD format for creating Blu-ray DVD recordings."

Around the same time, Hauppage also introduced a new box: the Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1950 External USB HDTV Tuner/Video Recorder Model 1192. (Somewhat like an Elgato EyeTV 250 Plus Digital/Analog TV Receiver and Video Converter - but with IR Blaster) I predict we'll see support for the HVR-1950 in a future revision of EyeTV 3 soon. But the HD PVR is a totally different beast - and perhaps more challenging for ElGato to support. Time will tell - perhaps at MacWorld Expo 2009 ElGato will reveal what's up their sleeve? Hmmm?

Tags: Apple , Mac, WinTV, HVR, MyTV, HVR-1950, HD PVR 1212

Interesting change recently as ElGato's North American website: They dropped the rebranded Dual Digital/ATSC HomeRunHD ethernet networked based OEM tuner made by SiliconDust from their current products page. ElGato's US-North American site now lists only the EyeTV Hybrid and the 250+ models.

For a time, El Gato repackaged and sold the SiliconDust HDHR-US HDHomeRun Networked Digital TV Tuner. They added support for the unique, Dual ATSC and QAM digital device in later versions of EyeTV 2 - and continue support in the updated EyeTV 3. So perhaps ElGato is simply focusing on profitably selling EyeTV3 software at full $79.95 retail to HomeRun purchasers. Bundled or not -- It's a winning combination allowing multiple Macs to view and record TV - or to watch one station while recording another.

In a way the unbundling doesn't matter since ElGato is ultimately a World-Class software company with an award-winning TV application. What hardware it runs on is somewhat secondary. And the HomeRun is readily available elsewhere - and enjoys wide support on both the Mac and Windows PC platforms:

The HDHomeRun works with the following Software:
Windows Media Center:
MCE 2005 32-bit
MCE 2005 64-bit
Vista MCE 32-bit
Vista MCE 64-bit
SageTV - HTPC software for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Home Server, Mac & Linux
SnapStream BeyondTV - DVR for Windows
Elgato EyeTV - DVR for Mac
MythTV - DVR for Linux
MediaPortal - DVR for Windows
GB-PVR - DVR for Windows
VLC - Multi-platform media viewer
TSReader - MPEG-2 transport stream analysis

Tags: Apple , SiliconDust, HDHomeRun, Mac, Dual Mac Tuner, Gadgets, Technology, Ethernet TV Tuner

Caught this recent press-release a month late: But it's important - affecting two of the largest 3rd-party television tuner suppliers for the Apple OS X DVR marketplace. (Both of whom are allied with ElGato and provide EyeTV Lite with their Mac-specific tuner bundles.)

"October 27th, 2008
Hauppauge Digital Inc. announced it has agreed, through a subsidiary, to purchase the Pinnacle PCTV product line and related assets from Avid Technology and certain affiliates.

“Avid’s PCTV products have become one of the most popular TV tuner consumer product lines throughout the world,” said Ken Plotkin, President and CEO of Hauppauge. “With both the Hauppauge WinTV and Avid PCTV product families, Hauppauge will now be able to offer our customers an expanded set of TV products for personal computers, from entry level TV tuner products for laptop computers to high end embedded TV receivers used by leading PC OEMs.”

Hauppauge intends to work closely with Avid during the 2008 Holiday season to ensure a smooth transition of the Pinnacle Windows PC and Apple Macintosh TV product line for Avid’s distribution partners and consumers. Following the closing of the transaction, Hauppauge expects to continue developing and supporting both the PC-Mac TV and WinTV product lines.

Hauppauge Digital, Inc. is a leading developer of analog and digital TV receiver products for the personal computer market. Through its Hauppauge Computer Works, Inc. and Hauppauge Digital Europe Sarl subsidiaries, the Company designs and develops analog and digital TV receivers that allow PC users to watch television on their computer screen in a resizable window and enable the recording of TV shows to a hard disk, digital video editing, video conferencing, receiving of digital TV transmissions, and the display of digital media stored on a computer to a TV set via a home network."

Tags: Apple , Avid Technology, WinTV, OEM TV tuner, pinnacle micro

With the transition towards All-Digital television reception, choosing the right TV tuner for your Apple OSX setup isn't easy. Over the air Analog antenna reception has a clear Feb. 2009 cutoff date. But it's Cable and Satellite that may stay SD-Standard Definition Analog for a few more years - and may NOT be switching to All-Digital depending on each providers rollout plans and if and what you're willing to pay for HD Digital signals or not.

For the majority receiving cable: Clearly a Hybrid Clear QAM Enabled Digital Tuner is the only smart choice to at least receive whatever unencrypted HD content your provider may be sending. No PC/Mac tuners can support a given providers Encrypted/Pay-For Premium Channels - that's all handled by your Set-Top box - and whether that allows pass-through or downsampled lower-quality signals to be sent to a computer tuner stick depends on the box.

For HTPC enthusiasts, the ethernet based HomeRun HD connected to your router/hub allows 2 users on the network to watch whatever Digital content they want. The dual-QAM TV-tuners inside the HomeRun also allow a single viewer to enjoy PIP - Picture In A Picture, or two-channel viewing/recording in EyeTV 3. This flexibility appeals most to those looking for an All-Digital, high-end Mac TV watching solution.

For those strictly expecting ATSC antenna reception: ANY tuner with Digital capabilities, even last-year's or a non-QAM discontinued model can serve them well for years to come - since Clear QAM only applies to Cable (and rarely) Satellite reception.

Tags: ElGato hybrid tuner, pinnacle tv, Apple , Equinux Television, Hauppauge TV tuners

RCA is now shipping their unique flat-panel 360 degree Omnidirectional indoor antenna line. Ranging from the RCA ANT1400 to the larger and amplified ANT1550 Flat UHF-VHF Digital HD ready antennas. Recommended: the amplified units for best Digital reception without breakup or signal loss. Designs like this can be laid flat atop traditional television sets, or vertically wall-mounted and even painted to live less visibly behind Home Theatre setups. Is RCA onto something? Shades of the world in-famous Xium Air - which featured amazing 'Spilateral Technology'!

Tags: HD antenna, omni-directional antenna, UHF-VHF antenna

AirTunes Streaming from Apple TV: Music can be streamed via AirTunes to Airport Express speakers or other Apple TVs in your house.
Third-party Remote Support: Apple TV can now learn other remote controls and use them in addition to the Apple Remote.
Playlists with Video: Playlists in iTunes that contain Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, and Music Videos can now be seen on Apple TV.
Music Volume Control: Support for volume control in Music

Tags: Apple Media Center

Of all the items below listed as new in the latest v.2.9 update of THETUBE, I find the Compatibility with Elgato's EyeTV Hybrid to be most interesting. Beyond support for their own TubeStick Hybrid TV Tuner for Mac and PC - I'm glad to see Equinux 'stepping on ElGato's toes' by having TheTube support their competitor's hardware - something ElGato has long done with its support of many 3rd party tuners.

Note the EyeTV and Hauppauge units are basically variations of the same OEM hardware using an EMPIA 28xx chipset. By and large only the exterior casing is different. So, broader support of Tuner hardware in more recent TheTube updates is a big plus: Many new Mac users are PC switchers - and software like this will help some Windows users continue to use their old TV tuners on their new Mac. However, support for Hauppauge WinTV-950 series is still missing.

WHAT'S NEW IN VERSION 2.9 of The Tube:

TubeGuide US with detailed TV listings
IceTV integration
Extended Compatibility with TubeStick
Compatibility with Hauppauge Nova-TD
Compatibility with Hauppauge HVR-900
Compatibility with Elgato EyeTV Hybrid*
(*website has some conflicting info implying older Non-QAM, but not support for newer EyeTV Hybrids w/QAM
Accelerated channel search by filtering encrypted channels
Better scanning performance
Intelligent matching of channel names
TV guides can now be configured in preferences
Support for logical channel numbers in UK and Australia
Hauppauge HVR-900H: Audio is no longer muted in France and US
AppleScript support for logical channel numbers
Added support for daylight savings time
TV Image is not blocked anymore when updating EPG
When scheduling manual recordings, channels won't be mixed up

DEVICES SUPPORTED IN v.2.9 OF THE TUBE AS LISTED AT EQUINUX SITE:

Digittrade DVB-T Stick USB Stick
Digitus DVB-T Digital USB
EyeTV DVB-T/DTT
EyeTV Hybrid (*prior to August 2008)
Freecom DVB-T USB Stick
Hauppauge myTV.t
Hauppauge Nova-TD
Hauppauge Nova-T (EyeTV DTT/DVB-T)
Hauppauge HVR 900
Hauppauge HVR 900H
Miglia TVMini
Miglia TVMini HD
Miglia TV Mini Express
Miglia TVMini2 Express
Miglia TVBook Pro Express
Miglia TVMicro
Miglia TVMicro Express
MSI Technology Digivox mini Mac
MSI Technology Digivox mini III
Terratec Cinergy T2
Twinhan DTV Alpha

Tags: TheTube , Equinux, Hauppauge, HVR-900

Finally... Equinux has announced a real solution to providing a Channel Guide in the USA for purchasers of it's TubeStick Hybrid+ and bundled TheTube v2.9 software. For those who buy a NEW Tube-Stick a FREE year's subscription will be bundled. But a $20 annual subscription renewal cost will eventually affect everyone. Earlier efforts by Equinux to support the XMLTV standard to access listings proved just TOO GEEKY for - well just about anyone who simply read what was involved. As such it was one step short to match features with ElGato's EyeTV - which includes the FREE Titan-TV channel guide simply as part of it's fabulous Eye TV software. But this new guide is a step in the right direction from Equinux - and ElGato needs a bit of competition to keep it on its toes...

Tags: Equinux, The Tube, TubeStick Hybrid, TitanTV Mac, Mac DVR Channel Guide

Finally, Pinnacle Micro’s ultra-compact all-digital TV for Mac HD Mini Stick has become available at Amazon.com - boasting the smallest form factor of any USB computer television tuner card to date, special signal-boosting technology, and bundled with the latest version of EyeTV Light v1.1 from ElGato. A new generation of OSX TV hardware - with the best DVR viewing and recording software out there. Looks like a winning combination!

Tags: pinnacle tv, computer tv, Macintosh tuner, Apple , Gadgets, Technology

What's new in EyeTV 3.0.4?
Improved & Redesigned Editor - Yaaay!

Improvements To Update Scan : the ability to add channels without removing existing channels.
New TV Tuner Hardware Support for North America- specifically the new ultra tiny USB Pinnacle TV for Mac HD Mini Stick - 80e

Bug Fixes
Auto tuning ATSC channels and updating the ATSC program guide with HDHomeRun has been resolved.
A problem where EyeTV Hybrid (US 2008) would display no signal on the AV inputs when timeshifting was deactivated has been resolved.
A problem where EyeTV 250 Plus (2008) could not receive a signal after putting the Mac to sleep using the Apple Remote has been fixed.
 
General
Improved EyeTV's stability and performance.
A crash when manually adding channels has been eliminated.
Fixed problems with Smart Guides
Fixed missed Smart Playlist issues
 
Playback & Exporting
Improvements in the playback of H.264 broadcasts.Recordings made with EyeTV 3.0.3 and the original EyeTV USB no longer display a speaker icon overlay.
Problems with exports to Apple TV that repeated multiple frames have been resolved.
 

Tags: El Gato, Eye TV, pinnacle micro, HD TV Tuner, USB TV

Well, Amazon.com is FINALLY on track with the Government’s $40 Analog to Digital coupon eligible TV converter box program. They’ve recently implemented an online coupon redemption process and stock a handful of worthy ATSC converter boxes ranging in price from $50 on up retail (before coupon credit). So there’s hope for those old Analog TV sets you may have - or an Analog-Only Mac TV tuner you may want to continue using on the cheap - before you pony up for a new Macintosh Digital TV tuner.

Tags: converter box, TV coupon, Converter Box Coupon, ATSC Converter

New enhacements to the 2nd Generation iPod touch and a recent release of iTunes 8 are taking the digital TV to-go to the next level. The touch’s under the hood improvements to battery life, enhanced 2.1 iPod software update, the addition of a long overdue EXTERNAL volume control, a very tiny but much-welcomed internal speaker add up to an improved mobile TV watching experience. There have been some rumblings that the 2nd-generation iPod touch is using a slightly lower-quality LCD screen - for many only noticeable when placed side-by-side with 1st generation models. But with increased memory capactiy, a lower-price point and the above software and iTunes App Store enhancements unlocking even more VALUE in the touch’s functionaltiy - It outshines it’s predecessor.

Tags: ipod touch, video ipod, iTunes 8, new ipods

Amazon has it’s new movie & TV streaming service, AMAZON ON-DEMAND. Customers can now instantly watch movies and television shows commercial-free on Macs or PCs. With this new service, you can enjoy instant playback of hit Hollywood movies for $9.99 and the latest TV shows for about $1.99 an episode.

Tags: Streaming video

Pinnacle will ship in late September a new UTRA-SLIM & COMPACT USB ALL-DIGITAL TV tuner for Apple’s Mac OS X : The Pinnacle Micro ultra-compact all-digital TV for Mac HD Mini Stick model 80e - includes EyeTV Lite Personal Video Recorder (PVR) software from ElGato for Apple’s Macintosh OSX, a high-gain telescopic TV antenna, mini remote and travel bag. Pinnacle claims the device can pick up digital TV signals even where signals are weak thanks to integrated signal booster technology. Designed to receive over-the-air digital TV (ATSC) signals and unencrypted digital cable TV — ClearQAM for both Standard Definition (SD) and HDTV, with resolution support up to 1080. Remember kids: For these high resolutions - HD TV viewing and capture are demanding on a computer’s resources: And so Minimum Stated System requirements say: DUAL G5 processor minimum or Intel Core Dual CPU.

Tags: pinnacle micro, EyeTV Lite, QAM TV Tuner

Equinux followed up with another quick .1 update to TheTube Macintosh DVR software for the TubeStick Hybrid TV Tuner compatible with both Apple's Mac OS X and Windows Media Center Edition PCs. Now at version 2.8.1 - they did a few recording and audio issue fixes. Good to see Equinux really keeping up and trying -- slugging it out in the Apple tuner market with EyeTV is a tough arena to compete in, doncha know...

Tags: TubeStick, TheTube, Time-Shift, Mac DVR, Mac Software, Apple , Mac

High Definition television reception demands even stronger TV antenna signal strength as we make this transition from Analog to Digital. Those buying a new ATSC Digital tuner television set or hooking up a new TV converter box may be dismayed to find their current antenna just isn’t good enough for Digital - though it may have been for Analog reception. Digital breakup and blockiness on-screen is your first clue, and the dreaded ‘NO SIGNAL!’ makes it clear: YOU WILL NEED A BETTER ANTENNA FOR HD RECEPTION.

The laws of physics and electronics haven’t changed the parameters of television antenna construction much over the years - but more sophisticated test equipment is helping with developing more effective innovative antenna designs. Case in point: the WINEGARD HD-1080 HDTV HIGH BAND COMBO ANTENNA which looks somewhat like a grid and bow-tie Ch. 13-69 UHF antenna - but it’s uniquely designed back grid of up to 42” rabbit-ear dipole-like horizontal rods help pull in upper VHF channels 7-12.

For most, after the Feb 2009 switch-over MOST TV stations will broadcast digitally in the UHF range. But depending on where you live - and your final channel assignments -- a COMBO UHF/VHF antenna might be needed to insure you can get ALL the stations in your area. Wineguard now delivers a flat-style directional antenna more easily installed in attic spaces or against a wall to deliver high-gain performance comparable to much larger, wider outdoor UHF-VHF roof-top designs. For some this might be the best $50 investment you can make.

Tags: HDTV, TV Antennas, TV Reception, Strong TV Signal

What's new in this version:

TubeStick Hybrid Tuner for Mac and PC Hardware Issues:
• Boosted the digital reception quality, a new channel search is required for digital signals
• A crash while switching channels on the same transponder has been fixed
• Problems while switching channels with OSX 10.4 have been resolved
• The on-screen display now shows the channel number correctly

Software Improvements In The Tube 2.8:
• The Tube is now available in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish
• The Tube is fully compatible with MobileMe
• Shared data streams are detected and displayed much more reliably. This especially improves reception of local channels
• Added a confirmation dialog to prevent accidentially deleting channels
• New locations are now immediately active and selected
• Jumping in timeshift and recording with shift-left/right and option-shift-left/right cursor keys has been improved
• The EPG import performance and stability has been improved
• The XMLTV EPG importer now handles IceTV XMLTV feeds correctly
• Fixed an issue which caused EPG entries being displayed multiple times
• Assigning DVB-T EPG service to channels works more reliably now
• An issue where the EPG information in the channel list and the on-screen display was out of sync has been fixed
• The EPG header translations have been fixed for non-English languages
• The TV-Movie EPG works correctly on 10.4 again
• Assigning different EPG services now updates the channel list correctly
• The timeshift controller works much more reliably now
• An Aqua-style scroll bar has been replaced in the TubeTalk sign-in panel

Tags: The Tube, TubeStick, Hybrid TV Tuner

A Few Bug Fixes To EyeTV 2x Are In The Recent 2.5.3 Update

• Improved VHF reception for Australia EyeTV users.
• Resolved a problem where EyeTV would hang or crash when recording from the live buffer with the original EyeTV USB.
• Fixed an issue where the Manual Schedule calendar would disappear on systems running Leopard.
• Fixed a problem with the EyeTV 250 Plus that caused a "Device could no be initialized" error when using the AV Inputs.

Tags: Eye TV, Mac Software

EyeTV 3 Compatible Devices List
(Most Of Those Listed Are NTSC ATSC Tuners For North American Markets. This is only a partial list since this site doesn’t intend to address International markets nor TV standards/tuners for those markets)

ELGATO:
EyeTV USB EyeTV 200 EyeTV 250 EyeTV 250 Plus EyeTV 300/310 EyeTV 400/410 EyeTV 500 EyeTV 610 EyeTV Diversity EyeTV EZ EyeTV Wonder USB 2.0 EyeTV Hybrid HD HomeRun

HAUPPAUGE:
WinTV-HVR-900 WinTV-HVR-950

MIGLIA:
Evolution TV TVBook Pro TVDuo TVMax TVMicro TVMini TVMini HD

ATI:
ATI Wonder USB 2.0

PINNACLE:
* USB HD mini Stick 80e (Still in progress: a v3.0.x BETA is available, see below) TV for Mac HD Stick 800e TV for Mac Hybrid Stick 330e PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick 330e PCTV USB Stick PCTV HD Pro Stick 800e

PLEXTOR: PX-402U

SILICON DUST: HDHomeRun * The latest version of the full EyeTV software is 3.0.3 and does not yet have support for the Pinnacle TV for Mac HD mini stick (80e). Such support is coming in the next EyeTV release. If you already own this Pinnacle device, and you have EyeTV 3.0.3, then please use the following link to upgrade to a beta version of EyeTV that will support this stick. While EyeTV 3 is running, you can enter this URL into a web browser, that will force EyeTV to download this specific version: eyetv://checkforupdates?build=4241
This link will not work with EyeTV Lite. Requires the FULL version of EyeTV 3.

Tags: EyeTV, Apple , Gadgets, Technology

Equinux, software writers of THE TUBE 2.0 TV-tuning software announced at MacWorld Expo they'd be shipping thier own Hybrid USB stick tuner - The TubeStick - for the US NTSC market. It’s compact, slimmed-down design is more friendly to crowded USB ports than many other bulkier stick-style tuners from ElGato and other 3rd parties. The Tube Stick is bundled with BOTH Mac software and Windows Media Center software drivers. TheTube software (now at version 2.7.4) is good, but not GREAT like EyeTV unfortunately. Still, Equinux has been keeping the updates coming, and offers unique and innovative program sharing features to give El Gato a good bit of competition.

Tags: Equinux, TubeStick, The Tube, Hybrid Tuner, Apple , Gadgets, Technology

Here in this blog at www.mac-digital-tv-tuners.com we’ll track newly announced TV tuner product news for the Apple Macintosh, hardware and peripheral accessory annoucements, TV software program updates, video conversion applications, HTPC - Home Theater PC options, connecting TV and audio hardware to help you build a multimedia, computer-centric home entertainment system.

Tags: AppleTV, ElGato, EyeTV, Hauppauge, Miglia, ATI, Apple