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Does EyeTV Diversity work with Windows?

D

djb.williams

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 3, 2008
5
0
I'm looking at buying a Mac Mini to replace my current Media Center, and will probably go for an EyeTV Diversity tuner - just wondering if I install Vista with Bootcamp will the tuner also work with Media Center?

It looks identical to Hauppauge's WinTV-NOVA-TD which works with Media Center and EyeTV, so I assume it probably does if you install the Hauppauge drivers - can anyone confirm?
 
There are drivers out there for some of the models for Windows. I used my Miglia TV Mini under Windows and was treated to the awesomeness that is Vista Media Center.
 
I know this issue was a while back, but I've just installed Vista Premium on my MacBook Pro via BootCamp and can confirm that the EyeTV Diversity DOES work with Vista Media Centre (Great piece of software - FrontRow should take notes!)

All you need to do is download this driver: http://www.wintvcd.co.uk/drivers/Nova-T-TD-Stick_3_11_26108_WHQL.zip

Wait for it to finish and then plod through the channel search in M/C on Vista.

Dan :apple:
 
Thanks, I went ahead and purchased the tuner quite a while ago, but only recently got round to testing it with Vista myself.

I never did use Bootcamp to install Vista in the end as I found certain eyetv features like converting videos for iPhone & streaming useful. I do still miss the Media Center UI though.

For anyone looking for something better than the Frontrow/eyetv combination I'd suggest keeping an eye on http://centerstageproject.com/

For anyone using Media Center I'd strongly recommend http://www.asciiexpress.com/webguide/
 
Media centre is very good, but eyeTV is better at the whole TV side of things. I too was over the moon when I found out it could convert and stream to iPods over WiFi. :)

The only reason I'm using bootcamp is for my CAD system (ProEngineer). I find whenever I need to open up a design, I just reboot to Vista. As ProE doesn't play too well in Parallels, not very smooth etc... But OS X is great for EVERYTHING else.

I'm not going to use my tuner very often in Windows, but just thought I'd try and set it up, so I've got access to all devices I have in OS X. Not quite home from home, but it'll do for a few hours at a time. ;)

Dan
 
EyeTV is about the only thing I always use on my remaining Pro these days, as everything else is superior under Vista - it's iPod compatibility is of course superior and it's great to be able to transcode it simply.

Hauppauge hardware works fine under EyeTV, so perhaps there is no problem with the opposite. I didn't really do much research on it but I thought I'd try the Hauppauge USB adapter on one of the Macs and found it worked fine.
 
danielbriggs said:
I know this issue was a while back, but I've just installed Vista Premium on my MacBook Pro via BootCamp and can confirm that the EyeTV Diversity DOES work with Vista Media Centre (Great piece of software - FrontRow should take notes!)

All you need to do is download this driver: http://www.wintvcd.co.uk/drivers/Nova-T-TD-Stick_3_11_26108_WHQL.zip

Wait for it to finish and then plod through the channel search in M/C on Vista.

Dan :apple:
Click to expand...

I have tried the latest version of the driver and can't get it to work - any tips?

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/support/support_digital.html driver now at this page.

A
 
danielbriggs said:
I just went through their drivers one by one and found one that worked, as the descriptions weren't obvious to the EyeTV.

Dan :)
Click to expand...

I'm on vista so you can't choose which one you want - it just says that the driver wasn't found. 'diversity' is mentioned in the .inf file though so I'm pretty sure it should work...if windows could only see it. Someone on another thread has altered the drivers for the hybrid eyeTV, I may ask there if no-one has any ideas how to get vista to see the drivers.

A
 
solution found!

For those still having trouble, refer to this post:
http://howtobreaktheinternet.blogspot.com/2009/06/elgato-eyetv-diversity-mac-and-windows.html

After a few other failed driver attempts for other seemingly similar devices, I had success with the Pinnacle PCTV Dual DVB-T Diversity Stick 2001e drivers. (Here is a link to latest Pinnacle drivers page. Search for 2001e to find the drivers I used.)
http://www.pctvsystems.com/Support/Downloads/Driver/tabid/123/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Pretty soon I was watching and recording 2 different channels with the EyeTV Diversity on my HTPC.
Click to expand...
 
anthorumor said:
For those still having trouble, refer to this post:
http://howtobreaktheinternet.blogspot.com/2009/06/elgato-eyetv-diversity-mac-and-windows.html
Click to expand...


Hi, i tried to do the same as described at the page.
But it didn´t work for me.
I need a working driver for the EyeTV diversity under Windows Vista 64 Bit.

Is there someone who can explain it for me step by step?

I tried it since 4 hours, now i´m thinking i am to stupid :)

every time i try it the device couldn´t start (error code 10 at the device manager)

thx, it would make me so happy :)))
 
Great, thanks for confirming.

Have a new 21.5" iMac on the way, plan to install/run Windows7 via boot camp, so its good to know EyeTV Diversity works!

About half way down the page it says:

"On the following screen click on the 'Have Disk' button. Which brings you to the window below. Click the 'Browse' button and point it to the extracted drivers you have previously downloaded."

Which drivers are these?
Is it right to assume you chose: Pinnacle PCTV Dual DVB-T Diversity Stick 2001e drivers ?
 
cman-uk said:
Great, thanks for confirming.

Have a new 21.5" iMac on the way, plan to install/run Windows7 via boot camp, so its good to know EyeTV Diversity works!

If you can summarise the blog linked by "anthorumor" that would be awesome, ha!
Click to expand...

I´m Sorry.
My English isn´t good enough to summarise the blog.
But it is just about Diversity under Windows 7!
And i don´t know how i could summarise this.
It discriebed what to do poin for point!
 
feelsogood said:
I´m Sorry.
My English isn´t good enough to summarise the blog.
But it is just about Diversity under Windows 7!
And i don´t know how i could summarise this.
It discriebed what to do poin for point!
Click to expand...

No worries, having posted that, I then read the blog and saw it was quite straightforward and edited my post accordingly, as you will have seen above.

cman-uk said:
About half way down the page it says:

"On the following screen click on the 'Have Disk' button. Which brings you to the window below. Click the 'Browse' button and point it to the extracted drivers you have previously downloaded."

Which drivers are these?
Is it right to assume you chose: Pinnacle PCTV Dual DVB-T Diversity Stick 2001e drivers ?
Click to expand...

Did you use the same drivers? (2001e)
 
Hello.

I'm having massive issues with my EyeTV Diversity in Windows. I'm using a new Mac Mini 4GB with Windows 7 32bit with the PCTV 2001e drivers using the 'How to break the internet' method.

It installs the drivers fine, Media Center on TV setup notices the 2 tuners, picks up all digital channels available and will then appear to play a channel without any issues.

Then, occasionally the signal will be dropped and I'll struggle to get it back for the next 5 mins after much attempted channel hopping and Media Center restarting.

And then I cannot use both tuners, watching one channel and attempting to record a second, the channel I'm watching the signal will disappear but the recording will work. Basically it appears that theres only one signal available and switches it to the recording.

*** HANG ON!!!!! ***

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/support/support_all.html?prod=17

Whilst typing this I've been downloading and trying the CD download for the WinTV-NOVA-TD-Stick, the PC/Hauppauge version of the tuner. It comes with a 'Diversity Tool' that can disable the diversity feature, in doing this I've managed to enable the use of both tuners within MC, tested. The diversity feature for me isn't needed because the digital signal we receive is very good.

Now that's one issue sorted, but I still get intermittent signal that can only be resolved with a couple of minutes channel hopping and restarting MC. Is anyone else getting this?

I think Media Center is superb and IMO is by far the best software solution around. I'd be very disappointed to either go back to PlayTV on the PS3 or Frontrow on OSX which I believe is lacklustre.
 
Damn! I've gone and bought an Elgato EyeTV Diversity unit! My iMac doesn't arrive until mid-next week so I can't even test it right now.

AlexLFC, please let us know if you make any progress. I am wondering if you issue is related to MediaCentre itself and not Windows....
 
Hiya Cman, things at present are usable.

I recommend using the PCTV 2001e drivers as the Hauppauge software I mentioned in the previous post don't work. Though it's worth downloading the software just for the Diversity Tool, to disable this feature and use the dual tuners as standard. As this seems to me to be the only way to use the added tuner within MC.

Of course I'll be interested if anyone's had better luck using something else.

I've tried the dual recording and it appears to be working.

There have been a few drops in signal though only on the 'lesser' channels with a weaker signal, with only a close and re-launch of MC bringing the channel back.

I think I'll need a couple of days to make a proper judgement and will post again to confirm any thoughts mentioned. Of course the real judge is the girlfriend, if it stops becoming usable or too stressful then I might have to shelve it in favour of EyeTV and Frontrow, which I've not tried yet in wanting MC to work.

The issues I believe are mainly down to MC and the way it uses the tuner drivers. Another single tuner I have works perfectly within it's own TV software but badly within MC.

For me, Media Center is by far one of Microsoft's best products. After the unusable version that came with Vista, the Windows 7 version is far more stable and as a result people will use it. Hopefully, we'll see updates for it that will help us with these problems, whereas Vista MC never had a significant update publicly released.
 
Sorry it's been a while.

I had to drop MC after a couple of days and use the EyeTV software on OSX.

Perhaps MC still isn't ready for everyday use, or compatibility just needs to be ironed out across many different setups.

I think the EyeTVs great, it's reliable, ipod support and the iphone app is great, but it has a SHOCKINGLY bad UI!!

It feels like Elgato actually want me to use a keyboard and mouse watch TV as the IR functionality is so poor. Channel up/down, numeric use and a menu button to a poor menu system. Using a Logitech Harmony why can't I have the mentioned functionality plus a guide button and easy to use menu system.

I getting fed up and just want a good mix of stability and good UI and no software I've used offers this yet, come on Microsoft, pull your finger out and fix Media Center.
 
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