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Elgato's EyeTv Hybrid

Dont Hurt Me

Dont Hurt Me

macrumors 603
Original poster
Dec 21, 2002
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Yahooville S.C.
http://www.elgato,comThis week Elgato will be shipping this little new device that will let any Mac with USB2.0 watch TV:) Looks like its will cost $149.00 which seems a little steep but the thing I love is how little and simple it is and is USB powered. No cords but your cable,no power supplys and it works with Apples remote. Its worth a look if you want to watch TV on your Mac and dont plan on doing any fancy editing. Here is what it looks like.
 

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I'm very pleased at how much ElGato has done for the Mac in terms of TV. However, I'm still waiting for a product that integrates the CableCard technology. Otherwise the device is basically useless after the upcoming HDTV switch.
 
crazzyeddie said:
I'm very pleased at how much ElGato has done for the Mac in terms of TV. However, I'm still waiting for a product that integrates the CableCard technology. Otherwise the device is basically useless after the upcoming HDTV switch.
Click to expand...
No its not if you have a fast enough machine it can do HDTV from what I saw at the site. Plus a lot of folks just want to be able to watch TV on their Mac.
 
Wow, that does look pretty slick. A little pricey perhaps, but still very cool! I am impressed with everything Elagato has done for TV on the Mac, and hopefully they will continue to develop innovative solutions, especially as the HDTV revolution proceeds full steam ahead. :cool:
 
Dont Hurt Me said:
No its not if you have a fast enough machine it can do HDTV from what I saw at the site. Plus a lot of folks just want to be able to watch TV on their Mac.
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It can only do unencrypted HDTV, not premium channels like HBO HD, ESPNHD etc. CableCard would turn it into a full fledged cable box which would be gnarly.
 
This has already been posted a couple times.

Anyway, I'm buying a new MacBook very soon and I'm trying to decide whether to get an EyeTV 250 or EyeTV Hybrid...think a MacBook will be able to record in highest quality?
 
I doubt we'll see anything with CableCard soon. The cable companies and broadcasters would like do anything to stop it. They're too afraid we're going to record everything and start distributing it over the internet.
 
This is nice, too bad it will not work with older powerbooks via an USB 2.0 PC cards, being bus powered and all :(
 
Notice in the picture that you don't see the TV cable hooked up. I think it would be an "Eye Sore" rather than "Eye TV". Just a plain USB cable going to a separate box isn't as bad because you can hide it behind the monitor or something.
 
BornAgainMac said:
Notice in the picture that you don't see the TV cable hooked up. I think it would be an "Eye Sore" rather than "Eye TV". Just a plain USB cable going to a separate box isn't as bad because you can hide it behind the monitor or something.
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It comes with a usb extension cable so this could also be hidden behind a monitor.
 
Question for videophiles...

I was told (emails with customer service) that due to software encoding there will be zero latency playing games with this. However, if I try to record gameplay, there will be some latency while I play as it records and encodes and saves it to the hard drive.

Could I use one of these:
cv-hs2.jpg

to hook it up to my TV and my EyeTV Hybrid (on a MacBook) at the same time, so I see it with zero latency running on the TV and can play it that way, while it records on the MacBook? Or will the quality loss be visible?

Otherwise, how about this?
11241.jpg

I'd rather use the first because my TV lacks S-video input so I'd have to get another converter to put in between, but I want to make sure I don't have quality loss from the RF splitter.

I'll be using the EyeTV to record gameplay footage.
 
Use it to connect games console to 30" ACD via MBP????

I've been thinking about getting one of these as a cheap and easy way to connect an Apple Cinema Display to a games console - with the added advantage that I can run my satelite reciever through it too and use my 17" MBP to record.

Checking around various forums it seems the stock solution for this problem (connecting consoles or satelite recievers to an ACD) is from Gefen and costs several hundred dollars, so the ElGato solution is preferable.

However, I noticed from the ElGato website that the 250 has a games consol mode which leaves me wanting to try them out before I buy.

If anyone has any experience or opinions with these devices please post them.
 
Attonine said:
I've been thinking about getting one of these as a cheap and easy way to connect an Apple Cinema Display to a games console - with the added advantage that I can run my satelite reciever through it too and use my 17" MBP to record.

Checking around various forums it seems the stock solution for this problem (connecting consoles or satelite recievers to an ACD) is from Gefen and costs several hundred dollars, so the ElGato solution is preferable.

However, I noticed from the ElGato website that the 250 has a games consol mode which leaves me wanting to try them out before I buy.

If anyone has any experience or opinions with these devices please post them.
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The 250's Game mode simply turns off hardware encoding so the computer does the work, and that way there is no latency because encoding is handled in the computer and displayed as it is done, instead of being done in the 250 and THEN being sent to the Mac.

The Hybrid HAS no hardware encoding. It's like it is always in game mode. No latency. Just as good for games.

I asked the company this :)
 
Does anyone out there even have a Hybrid and have done gaming on it?
I want to know from someone first hand if it is truely solid in it's gaming no-latency.

I want to get one so I dont have to cart around my 20" flat Samsung from home to school and just have to take the dongle.

B
 
I don't know if you have DVB-T in the US, but here in Germany we have digital television that can be picked up with dongels like this...

They usually come with a tv-tuner, recorder and remote controll. Anywhere from €59-€200.

I don't have one, yet, but I see people in our university library and on campus all the time with them.
:D
 

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That's the Miglia Micro/Mini USB dongle - sold in Applestores in Europe. Many Windows-based USB dongles work with Elgato's software since they are basically using the same chip. I use the
Freecom version which works perfectly well with my PB.

The thing to bear in mind with these USB bus powered devices is that they take a heavy toll on the GPU and send your laptop's temperature soaring. Not sure how it would perform on the latest MBPs with their random shutdown tendencies.
 
weckart said:
That's the Miglia Micro/Mini USB dongle - sold in Applestores in Europe. Many Windows-based USB dongles work with Elgato's software since they are basically using the same chip. I use the
Freecom version which works perfectly well with my PB.
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Dumb question but I'd have to buy an Elgato hardware product too to get the software right?
 
I have just ordered one of these things. It was a but of an impulse buy as Apple UK have a discount running until tomorrow so I took the leap.

I am returning to University so I cant really afford Sky+ which I have at the moment so I am going to use this for my own Freeview+ with a Mac Mini connected to my TV which will be 10 times better than the "iTV" which I just really can't see the point of!

Anyway it should be arriving later this week along with my 500GB HD so if anyone wants any reviews let me know and I will do some tests in-between moving house.
 
emotion said:
Dumb question but I'd have to buy an Elgato hardware product too to get the software right?
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No. It is also sold separately. Can also be bought as a download direct from Elgato's website.

This stick
B000F8RPQE.02._SCMZZZZZZZ_V55323041_.jpg
from Hauppage looks suspiciously like the Elgato
TJ827_screen5.jpg
sold in the UK.
 
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No Latency

I have the EyeTV USB Wonder 2.0, and gaming works fine with that. It doesn't have a hardware encoder either. The picture looks WAY better when you hook it up with S-Video though. Composite just looks fuzzy on a high resolution LCD.
 
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