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Make iMac a TV Display!?!

L

littleman09z

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 30, 2005
8
0
I have an iMac G5 20", I want to make it my tv and get rid of my 19" crap box. I have a TiVo box connected to it. All I want is something I can connect my TiVo box through a composite input, I dont need any controls on the iMac, i would like decent resolution, and ofcourse widescreen to go with the iMac.
I looked at the EyeTv Wonder 2.0 but I am worried it delays for 2-3 seconds before it displays the input, that would be really bad trying to work tivo, does anybody know?
Anybody have some solutions!?!
Thanks
 
hey I just posted a similar question and I was wondering if you have figure anyhting out yet. I am just about to buy an imac g5 with a 20 inch screen and wanted to use it as my tv as well but im not to sure about what is the best way to go about doing this. any help
 
If you just skip the TiVo box and just use the Eye TV 200 you will be fine, that's what I do. The Eye TV 200 can do scheduled recording easily, too. Also the ATI Eye TV Wonder (or something like that) should do the same but is cheaper.

I don't know how it is to use TiVo and EyeTV in combination because I don't have TiVo.
 
This will work fine for TV from EYE TV, but if you're planning on doing any console gaming you can basically forget it, as there is a 2 second time delay between the EyeTV box input (one model comes with a composite or scart input or something) to the screeen of your mac due to the encoding/decoding processes.
If you want to console game on a Mac, (or any PC) you need a separate display.
I looked into this a year or so ago.
 
so do you just hook up your regular cable line coming out of the wall to the eye tv unit and then the eye tv unit to your apple? and also i looked on elgato and there are four different units for tv viewing purposes. anyone know which one is best for watching good quality tv and recording shows?
 
well, here is the issue, i will have something being recorded probably 75% of they day and night!
I read that using eyetv just kills your processer and for your computer to do it comfortably you need dual G5? is that anywhere near correct??
I also really love my TiVo box, i have a 200gb hd in there , and it is soo easy to use!
Is there no way, just really to make the iMac act as a display?
 
littleman09z said:
well, here is the issue, i will have something being recorded probably 75% of they day and night!
I read that using eyetv just kills your processer and for your computer to do it comfortably you need dual G5? is that anywhere near correct??
I also really love my TiVo box, i have a 200gb hd in there , and it is soo easy to use!
Is there no way, just really to make the iMac act as a display?
Click to expand...

EyeTV doesn't kill the processor at all. I used the EyeTV on my Mac mini before I got the new iMac, and I could easily watch EyeTV while programming or record with EyeTV while playing Starcraft.

EyeTV alone doesn't even make the Mac mini fan turn up to an audible level.

But when you record that much I understand that you want to continue using TiVo.

The iMac can't be used as a computer display for another computer or as a TV just by itself.

I've heard that the TiVo box has a Firewire port. What does that do?
 
Recording with EyeTV doesn't use much CPU - the software is basically dumping the mpeg stream to disc.

Playback (decoding the mpeg) is what requires CPU. Standard definition (EyeTV 200) playback only takes 30-40% of my 1GHz G4 powerbook. High-definition (EyeTV 500) is the real CPU hog; that's where El Gato recommends dual G5.
 
i have done some more looking, it seems the only device that has really as they say no delay, and is the best for gamers (so i can use my tivo box w/o any delay)
to use the eye TV Wonder USB 2.0... it costs $150. That is a lot of money.. but I guess that is what I have to deal with.
 
littleman09z said:
i have done some more looking, it seems the only device that has really as they say no delay, and is the best for gamers (so i can use my tivo box w/o any delay)
to use the eye TV Wonder USB 2.0... it costs $150. That is a lot of money.. but I guess that is what I have to deal with.
Click to expand...
Isn't the Eye TV 200 even more expensive?
 
every one seems to like the elgato program but my question is which one is the best. I was looking at the website and it looks like there are three different ones ranging in price from 150 to 350. whats the difference and is the buying the more expensive one worth it?
 
ya it is double the price, about, 330. Just 150 to make my imac a display is kinda expensive when i am 14. I wish there was a usb/firewire device that is just plays tv, has composite, s-video, and an rf input too. Thats it, that would be the best! lol
It kinda suxs to have another mini computer right next to my computer, but i think it will be worth it to have all that processing not on my computer itself :rolleyes:
 
re: cphoran81

The boxes are for different TV standards:

EyeTV 200 and EyeTV Wonder: NTSC in the USA

EyeTV 300/310: DVB-S (satellite) outside USA

EyeTV 400/410: DVB-T (terrestrial) outside USA

EyeTV 500: ATSC (terrestrial) and Clear QAM (cable) in the USA

EyeTV 610: DVB-C (cable) outside USA

IIRC, the EyeTV Wonder is less expensive than the 200 because it doesn't have MPEG2 encoding hardware - it makes the software (and your CPU) do that. All the rest don't need to do MPEG encoding because what they're receiving is already encoded.
 
re:ScruffyTheMac

ok well i live inside of the u.s. So bottom line which one is going to give me the best quality pictures and most channels. any recomendations?
 
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