I bought an EyeTV for DTT stick from the Apple Store online the other day. It's pretty new I think as they hadn't received any in the London Apple Store when I went so I had to buy online. So I thought I'd write a bit of a review.
Hardware
The device itself is tiny, but with a full size coaxial input on the stick. It comes with a small USB extension cable (useful for close ports as the stick's a bit wide) and a small antenna. The antenna was no use in London as I got nothing with it but picked up loads of channels with my roof aerial. Overall it feels solid and good quality.
Software
Most people know about the excellence of EyeTV 2 (I didn't - it's my first Mac TV product). The one click recording is superb and the software just feels right. It's dead easy to use.
My gripe is with the supposed "Front Row Integration". I got the impression that when they said "one more seat has been added to the Front Row" that the main front row menu had another icon. It doesn't.
It's a front row lookalike full screen menu - but it will only be activated by the remote control if EyeTV is open and is the active app. Otherwise you get normal front row. I liked the idea of being able to start EyeTV from front row and watch TV - as it is you have to go to your Mac, start EyeTV and then you may as well control it while you are there. A minor gripe, but I don't think they were clear enough.
Usage
As I said I found loads of channels and the reception is excellent. On my old windows box I had a Twinhan MagicBox which, with exactly the same aerial, gave rubbish DTT reception. Capture is great and pausing live TV doesn't seem to slow my Mac down at all.
Summary
Even though there are many fancier alternatives this small package does everything I need at a price I could afford. Definitely recommend it.
Hardware
The device itself is tiny, but with a full size coaxial input on the stick. It comes with a small USB extension cable (useful for close ports as the stick's a bit wide) and a small antenna. The antenna was no use in London as I got nothing with it but picked up loads of channels with my roof aerial. Overall it feels solid and good quality.
Software
Most people know about the excellence of EyeTV 2 (I didn't - it's my first Mac TV product). The one click recording is superb and the software just feels right. It's dead easy to use.
My gripe is with the supposed "Front Row Integration". I got the impression that when they said "one more seat has been added to the Front Row" that the main front row menu had another icon. It doesn't.
It's a front row lookalike full screen menu - but it will only be activated by the remote control if EyeTV is open and is the active app. Otherwise you get normal front row. I liked the idea of being able to start EyeTV from front row and watch TV - as it is you have to go to your Mac, start EyeTV and then you may as well control it while you are there. A minor gripe, but I don't think they were clear enough.
Usage
As I said I found loads of channels and the reception is excellent. On my old windows box I had a Twinhan MagicBox which, with exactly the same aerial, gave rubbish DTT reception. Capture is great and pausing live TV doesn't seem to slow my Mac down at all.
Summary
Even though there are many fancier alternatives this small package does everything I need at a price I could afford. Definitely recommend it.