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JamesGorman

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 31, 2008
1,123
1
Winnipeg
Hey all, Im just wondering what a good tv tuner for my macbook would be? and how do they work exactly?
 
Hey all, Im just wondering what a good tv tuner for my macbook would be? and how do they work exactly?

Depends on the features of the usb dongle you buy has, most will hook up to the coax cable from your cable/satellite box or over the air antenna either standard signal or HDTV in some instances. Now some have built in hardware tv tuner or it can be tuned via software to the channel(s) you want to view, the latter obviously taking more resources from your computer that would/could be used for other processes. Since the EyeTV is pretty much the only software for a Mac you will want to go to the already mentioned Elgato's website and check the compatibility before you buy anything.
 
I use the ElGato Hybrid

I use the ElGato Hybrid. It comes with EyeTV software and a subscription to TitanTV. I'm sure at some point they'll charge me but I haven't received a bill so...(I think it is 1 year?)

The tuner itself is about the size of an old-school thumb drive. You'll need an antenna (or if your cable supports Clear QAM) for a signal.

Do NOT plug it directly into the USB, use a USB extender dongle (redundant?). The elGato takes a coaxial cable and unless you are supporting the cable weight, it bends the connection.

Btw, you can hit up a radio shack for a simple DIY antenna if you want to go mobile.
 
Thanks for the help guys. Its much appreciated. Not sure which I'm gonna go with yet, but this helps a lot.
 
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