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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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