Will quality be worse when using external Hard Drive for Elgato EyeTV 250plus?

[Ramius]

I have gotten an external hard drive for my MacBook.
Plan is to use this for recording video files to, with my external tv-card; Elgato EyeTV 250 Plus.

I notice that writespeed through USB2.0 is not so fast, when it comes to large files. And the question is, will this handicap recording quality?

Since the TV Card cant write faster than USB2.0 to the hard drive, will it compromise and reduce quality?

Its a Western Digital My Passport Essential 1TB if anyone wants to know.

 

[billib]

Quality should be fine.

I have gotten an external hard drive for my MacBook.
Plan is to use this for recording video files to, with my external tv-card; Elgato EyeTV 250 Plus.

I notice that writespeed through USB2.0 is not so fast, when it comes to large files. And the question is, will this handicap recording quality?

Since the TV Card cant write faster than USB2.0 to the hard drive, will it compromise and reduce quality?

Its a Western Digital My Passport Essential 1TB if anyone wants to know.

Let me describe my setup:
1. Mac mini, 2.33 Core2Duo Proc.
2. 2 GB RAM
3. FW 400 External 2x2TB, HD
4. Elgato 250 Plus
5. Elgato Hybrid
6. EyeTV 3 software

This is how I use it:
7. I capture and save everything to the Ext. HD's (7200 RPM)
8. I surf the web
10. Watch one cable channel
11. While recording a second cable show
12. Edit a previously recorded show during commercials

I do 7. thru 12. all at the same time, using 1. thru 6.

The only time their is a slow down is when TimeMachine
kicks on. I would recommend turning TM off while your
doing multiple things like I've described.

I haven't tried this using an External USB HD yet.
The USB speed standard is 20% faster
than FW400 but in reality USB is typically
30 to 40% slower than FW400.
Since the Elgato hardware is USB
if you use a USB External HD that
may be the straw that breaks the camels back.
I don't think you'll hurt your camel,
you should be fine.

 

[sammich]

You'll be fine.

You can write up 30 MB/s to a USB drive, and recording makes up about 1-1.5 MB/s.

 

[Ramius]

Thanks folks, both very usefull answers.
I will turn auto-copying OFF in Timemachine, as its annoying it always starts without asking me.

 

[Supaman22]

Sorry for the super bump, but how exactly do you make it save to the external HDD by default? I'm low on disk space and bought an external HDD but it seems useless.

 

[billib]

Sorry for the super bump, but how exactly do you make it save to the
external HDD by default? I'm low on disk space and bought an external HDD but it seems useless.

While your EyeTV Application is running and frontmost on your desktop,
left click on "EyeTV" in your Menu Bar at the top of you Desktop. Then go:
EyeTV → Preferences → Recording → "EyeTV Location" then simply point
EyeTV too your external HD using the "Location" button.

You will need to drag your internally stored captures from EyeTV to your new
external HD in order for them to show up under "EyeTV Programs" → Recordings.
Then delete the internal captures to reclaim disc space.

 

[billib]

TIME MACHINE SCHEDULER App.

I will turn auto-copying OFF in Timemachine,
as its annoying it always starts without asking me.

I use the App. "TimeMachineScheduler". Just
tell T.M. to run once a day while your asleep.
Works fine with Snow Leopard.