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tv and video games on a mac.

F

figmentpigment

macrumors member
Original poster
May 26, 2006
35
0
southeastern kentucky
i think this has been mentioned a lot on here but i havent found the direct answers i'm looking for. but still, sorry if this has been answered and i just missed it. =\


so my 17" macbook pro should get here eventually. maybe. i ordered it on the 14th and im calling to complain soon. it hasnt even been shipped yet.

i'll be using it for college, and id *like* to avoid taking a tv. i really like the miglia tvmicro, eyetv ez, and the eyetv 250.

the only issue im having is id *really* like to find a way to play the nintendo wii on the mbp when it comes out.

i know the eyetv 250 has a game mode, but ..does it seriously get rid of the lag enough for games to be playable? thats the *ONE* thing that'll decide whether or not i save up for a nice tv (right now i only have a 13"-ish monstrous box of a tv) or pay $200 for the eyetv 250.

also, ive heard the quality on the tvmicro and eyetv ez is a bit ...horrible. is that gonna change with the eyetv 250 or is that just unavoidable with cable tv on a screen like that?
 
I'm wondering just about the same thing as you. What I have gathered form the forums thus far is that the Eyetv 250, rather than the other two, does all the video encoding within the unit itself (rather that your computer processing all the information.) But I still haven't heard anyone who has owned the 250 and can confirm seamless gameplay.

Powerbook 12"
1 GHz, 768 Mb Ram
Horrid 32 Mb Internal Video Card
 
bobznc said:
I'm wondering just about the same thing as you. What I have gathered form the forums thus far is that the Eyetv 250, rather than the other two, does all the video encoding within the unit itself (rather that your computer processing all the information.) But I still haven't heard anyone who has owned the 250 and can confirm seamless gameplay.

Powerbook 12"
1 GHz, 768 Mb Ram
Horrid 32 Mb Internal Video Card
Click to expand...

exactly.
ive been reading that those things cause horrible lag but then the eyetv 250 says that in game mode is turns off the hardware thing. but i keep looking and cant find anyone specifically saying if that helps at all or not. *sigh*.
 
I've heard a few stories about the elegato having lag... sucks, but I was reading a Circuit City Ad i think it was (possibly Comp USA) and they had an LCD monitor advertised as a TV also. They sais something like "duals as a TV and a computer monitor"

It was 329 for a 19 inch. I'm wondering if its worth it.

If the eye tv wouldn't lag then I'd be right on it... but looks like a TV for me. Hopefully you all find a solution.
 
I have a Dell 2005FPW and I have my computer, TV, Gamecube, and Xbox connected to it.

TV is through an EyeTV EZ, gamecube is S-Video, Xbox is composite.

It is perfect for what i need
 
Yeah, I just went back to a thread that I found a while back through google started by someone who owns the 250 and has been experiencing lag:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/204610/

Sucks though, I really want to get this, but if there is going to be lag while playing video games I'll start looking into a buying tv for my new apartment, which will be a very sad endevour because I really was looking forward to getting the 250.

Hopefully someone has had a positive experence or knows or an alternative to the Elgato Eyetv 250...
 
Howdy folks....Good lord, my first post !

I have the EyeTV 250 and can confirm that the game mode is completely lag free when hardware encoding is switched off. I've only tried it with my Gamecube but I'll daresay I'll get around to plugging the xbox in at some stage... I couldn't work out if/how my 360 plugged into it's adapter thingy though, it's cable has 6 connectors...can anyone shed any light on this?
 
eva01 said:
I have a Dell 2005FPW and I have my computer, TV, Gamecube, and Xbox connected to it.

TV is through an EyeTV EZ, gamecube is S-Video, Xbox is composite.

It is perfect for what i need
Click to expand...

R you running the game cube through the Eye TV EX or is there an S video and composite on the dell?
 
spoongibbon said:
Howdy folks....Good lord, my first post !

I have the EyeTV 250 and can confirm that the game mode is completely lag free when hardware encoding is switched off. I've only tried it with my Gamecube but I'll daresay I'll get around to plugging the xbox in at some stage... I couldn't work out if/how my 360 plugged into it's adapter thingy though, it's cable has 6 connectors...can anyone shed any light on this?
Click to expand...


thank you!
 
spoongibbon
Found this through a quick google search, scroll down to standard TV:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/systemsetup/xbox360/accessories/hdavcable.htm

figmentpigment
In rgards to the apparent unavailablity of the 250, it was only relaeased a few weeks ago. It sounds like some people have lucked out and found it sitting on the shelves at their local apple store, but most others have had a lot of trouble finding the unit. It's on the Apple Store website but seems to be almost out of stock, saying 10-15 days to ship, I would blame that to it being a rather new product with a very high demand. As above, a quick google search shows the 250 at online retailers such as Macmall.com, Pcmall.com, BuyDonlin.com and various others.
 
So, what's the final word?
Is the Elgato EyeTV 250 lag free for console gaming or does it still have a minimum lag? Are games 'enjoyable' enough?
I'm hearing different opinions out there.. :rolleyes:

Thanks! :p
 
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