Windows-based USB TV tuners on an iMac?

[sigamy]

I'm looking for a way to watch TV on my 17" iMac. My office is small so it would be nice to save the space of a TV. It looks like the Mac-based products are EyeTV, myTV and Formac Studio. These all get good reviews and seem to work with some limitations like window size and delays. But, these things are pricey! The cheapest I've seen is around $150 on eBay for a USB 1.1 EyeTV. The newer firewire versions are over $250! Ouch.

There are tons of cheap ($60) USB TV tuners for Windows. Can I use one of these? Here is one example: http://www.hauppauge.com/html/usb_data.htm

These are the same guys that make the myTV, thru Eskape Labs. Could I just buy one of these windows based products and use the Mac software?

Or is there any shareware software that can grab the TV signal that is coming in? I don't need PVR functionality, just want to watch TV.

 

[jxyama]

you should be able to find eye TV USB for around $100, if not under. (used) i just got one from a member here at MR for $110, but including a remote. (not as useful as i thought it would be, but anyway...)

i highly doubt windows devices will work on a Mac. there's a reason they are for windows... and tv tuner isn't like a generic usb device...

 

[amnesiac1984]

a TV Tuner is not a generic USB device but it is a generic device.

linky link link link

Not sure how well they work but if they do then this is exactly what you are looking for.

 

[jxyama]

nice.

i guess what i meant is that some usb devices, like card readers or some scanners, are fairly "generic" that even if they aren't officially supported on Macs, they work because drivers happen to be universal-like and manages to make the device function.

well, if time isn't an issue, it sounds like a very geeky way to get some tv tuner work on a mac. looks cool, actually.

 

[x86isslow]

I'm looking for a way to watch TV on my 17" iMac. My office is small so it would be nice to save the space of a TV. It looks like the Mac-based products are EyeTV, myTV and Formac Studio. These all get good reviews and seem to work with some limitations like window size and delays. But, these things are pricey! The cheapest I've seen is around $150 on eBay for a USB 1.1 EyeTV. The newer firewire versions are over $250! Ouch.

There are tons of cheap ($60) USB TV tuners for Windows. Can I use one of these? Here is one example: http://www.hauppauge.com/html/usb_data.htm

you could try a place with a liberal return policy, i doubt there is a problem of hardware, the software might require VPC though.

let us know how it goes
Varun.