Conversion issues - Help!!!!

[Andreblor]

Hello there everybody!!!!!

I am a complete newbie here and need some simple easy steps to sort out my complete apple needs!!

I am considering buying a 27inch iMac, and I want to watch my satellite tv through it, I also want to have a multi room viewing function to this.

I am considering eye tv for the Satellite solution, is there any way possible to view/relay the video and audio output from the iMac to a HDTV in another room?? If so, is it possible to watch two channels on the two different screens (the iMac and the HDTV)??? or would i need a second apple maybe a macbook air???

As you can see from the questions, i really don't have a clue about all this tech stuff, but basically i'd like to have the ability to watch and control Satellite TV, itunes etc., from 2 places (the iMac and HDTV) separately and independently of each other. Is this possible?????????????

I am definitely investing in some hardware and I need to know that I'm buying the right stuff!!!!

Sorry for being such a fool when it comes to these things

J

 

[dauber]

Well, the 27-inch iMac comes with functionality to allow you to use the Mac as a monitor, so I'm guessing maybe you can route your satellite signal that way???? Or do you need to watch your satellite concurrent to using your Mac as a computer??

Multiroom? Can't help ya there...I'm a tech geek, but that stuff goes over my head.

 

[robgendreau]

You don't say what satellite provider you have, but basically sat tv is proprietary so the El Gato product doesn't directly record. It uses an external infrared device to control the sat TV box and then records the video coming out of it. Which it can then play on your Mac. And although it can record into iPad format and such, it's still not a huge improvement over the sat box itself IMHO. Directv, for example, now lets you view some stuff on your iPad, has a great idevice remote, a five tuner HD recorder, and some other features, like multiroom viewing. And Tivo is even better. Why mess with the Mac to do it?

Slingboxes also let you view stuff in another room or another country, depending on how you're hooked up. The EyeTV stuff is similar. But a 27" iMac is a pretty expensive monitor. You don't appear to even need a computer at all; why not just buy the sat TV and a good HDTV??