

- Elgato eyetv hd mac drivers#
- Elgato eyetv hd mac software#
- Elgato eyetv hd mac tv#
- Elgato eyetv hd mac mac#
Elgato eyetv hd mac drivers#
The disc wouldn't open on our Windows PC, and the EyeTV Hybrid USB tuner stick needed drivers downloaded from Elgato's Web site to be properly installed on a Windows PC.
Elgato eyetv hd mac software#
Though the EyeTV Hybrid says "Windows/Mac" on the box, buyer beware: the USB tuner stick's compatible software that's included in the box, called EyeTV 3, is Mac-compatible only.
Elgato eyetv hd mac mac#
That setup seems more ideal for a desktop computer or all-in-one like the iMac, or a small TV-compatible companion like the Mac Mini.
Elgato eyetv hd mac tv#
And the computer itself can't be mobile-you'll be tethered to a coaxial TV cable. While a device like the EyeTV offers fewer restrictions-you're not restricted to streaming video within your home network, for instance-it also requires a small but awkward USB dongle to jut out of your computer. Services like Hulu and Netflix offer large libraries of content, and cable providers are increasingly offering online sites and mobile apps for accessing streaming channels and on-demand content. These days, computers and particularly iPhones and iPads are playing better than ever with TV content. But, let's focus on the live TV function first. And it does more than that, too-the Mac-compatible EyeTV software can double as a programmable DVR (recording shows to the PC's hard drive), and stream video to an Elgato app available on the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad. What it does, essentially, is allow you to watch and channel-surf live TV on that computer.

It's compatible with over-the-air HDTV and unencrypted cable. The Elgato EyeTV Hybrid ($149 list) is an example of the former: this USB stick isn't much bigger than a standard thumbdrive, but it's a full-on TV tuner, complete with a coaxial jack on one end. If you wanted to watch TV on your computer-say, an episode of your favorite sitcom, or a news report-you'd need a TV tuner or a video capture device. If you're a Mac-having TV addict who isn't already outfitted with a TiVo and a Slingbox, the Elgato EyeTV HD may be just the solution for taking your favorite shows on the go.Once upon a time-before Netflix, Hulu, and Slingbox-TVs and computers weren't great bedfellows. The same app can be used to dive into your recording schedule and make changes. By installing the optional EyeTV app ($4.99), users can stream live TV or any of their recordings over the Internet from their computers using Wi-Fi or 3G. The killer feature, though, is that iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch users never really need to sync to their computers to transfer their recorded content. Recordings are made in the h.264 video format with a maximum resolution of 1,920×1,080 pixels at 30 frames per second.

Thanks to hardware acceleration, the EyeTV HD can simultaneously encode two versions of any incoming video: one optimized for HD playback on your Mac, iPad, or Apple TV and a smaller file for use with an iPhone or iPod. Unfortunately, scheduled recording of over-the-air transmissions is a no-go. A plug-in IR blaster communicates between your EyeTV and your cable box to tune in the appropriate channel when a show is ready to rip. The EyeTV HD comes with recording schedule software powered by TV Guide. The EyeTV HD is bus-powered, so all it needs to get the job done is an available USB 2.0 port on your Mac. There's no HDMI, but by going analog, users are able to escape the headaches of digital video DRM. The box sports component and S-Video inputs capable of 1080i capture resolution or 720p. The sandwich-size hardware isn't much to look at, but put it between your Mac and your cable/satellite box and you've got a powerful tool for capturing the TV you're already paying for.
