Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)2010 UPDATE: Elgato has a newer model of the EyeTV Hybrid that was released in 2010. My review applies to the 2009 model. One would expect the performance of the new model to have improved. My comments about the software should still be applicable because I have upgraded to the latest versions. Cheers.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
First, I'm not a corporate shill. My other reviews are some evidence of how long I've been buying stuff from Amazon. I am a Mac person and I enjoy gadgets. I am running the EyeTV on an '08 model MacBook and using over-the-air digital broadcasts.
The new EyeTV Hybrid (2009 version with FM radio reception) is an amazing package of hardware and software. It has its flaws, notably the remote control is not intuitive. But this could be sold without the remote and it would still be a great product. Here's a quick breakdown of important information:
-Which EyeTV Hybrid is this? This model came out in January 2009. Earlier models lack the FM radio tuner. Supposedly the hardware is better than earlier models. It also ships with the latest EyeTV 3.1 software.
-Ease of use: if all you are doing is watching broadcasts, the EyeTV package is easy to use. I would not recommend it for my elderly parents, but non-techies will have it up and running in a few minutes (assuming you have an antenna feed handy). Recording broadcasts is very easy too. Where it gets a little time consuming is taking those recordings and crunching them into smaller formats (e.g., for use on a home media server or an iPod). Don't get me wrong, this is still easy to do if you are at all technically inclined, but most people aren't going to sit there and methodically compress recordings. And there is nothing to keep you from storing your programs in the EyeTV format (and accessing them entirely from the EyeTV software) except for the size of your hard drive.
-Quality of the picture: EyeTV gives you exactly what you are receiving from the broadcaster. If you already have a TV with a digital decoder, well, that's the kind of reception you will get. What you will find is that on a computer you have a better idea of the varying levels of digital broadcast. HD comes through as a huge picture that pretty much fills up a 20 inch Cinema display. The smallest broadcasts come through at 640x480. In fact, this lowest quality is quite sufficient most of the time; if I really want something in high quality, I buy the DVD, in part because I want the best sound. There is one important caveat to the question of quality: as Elgato's specifications note, if you don't have a Core 2 Duo machine, quality will suffer on the larger format (HD) broadcasts.
-Recording formats: If you do wish to convert your recorded programs from the EyeTV format to something else, EyeTV provides a good number of formats to choose from. Compression is CPU intensive and will take some amount of time depending on your hardware. In the aforementioned 640x480 size, a 1/2 hour recording compresses to just over 400 Mb using H.264 compression. HD is about four times as large.
-The software, which is a key part of the whole package, strikes a fine balance between ease-of-use and functionality. The TV Guide (one year subscription included, $20 thereafter) is easy to use: simply click on a program to have the computer place it in the recording queue. The included editor is sufficient to trim the recording of excess bits. Nothing fancy here.
-As for the hardware, there's so little of it that you'll forget it is there. The tuner is the size of a USB memory stick. It does its job very well. The remote control, as I mentioned, is merely okay. I don't find that it has the same ease-of-use as the software, nor does its layout correspond nicely to the software (as an example, even the on-screen "remote" that you click with the mouse is designed differently). But the remote is, in the end, a very minor part of the whole package.
-Broadcast Flags: Elgato hardware does not recognize broadcast flags (yay!). Broadcast flags are part of digital television (sent in the broadcast signal) that tell equipment whether the program can be recorded or whether there are restrictions (e.g., don't skip commercials). The system is voluntary and Elgato has chosen not to be a part of it. Regardless of whether you get an Elgato tuner or not, you should avoid companies that have bought into this system as it may limit what you are legally allowed to do under the Fair Use doctrine. Currently, broadcasters are largely leaving the flags off, but that does not mean they won't turn them on down the road. Windows Media Center, by the way, does listen for broadcast flags.
-Downsides? If you are recording, you can't watch other broadcasts at the same time. There is, after all, only one tuner. It does have picture-in-picture, but that works only if you are watching something you've already recorded along with a current broadcast, or if you have two EyeTVs plugged in. Also, and this is probably stating the obvious, if you've got a Mac that is shared by a number of people (with different accounts), it is only going to perform its scheduled recording if the appropriate account is open. Duh. But you might not be thinking about that before you buy.
-Cable Subscribers: please note that I am using this with over-the-air broadcasts in a large metropolitan area. If you are getting your feed from a cable service, then you may be at their mercy in terms of the number of stations you receive and whether the EyeTV can decode them (not to mention whether [...] -- the program guide -- has been given up-to-date information from your cable company). If you have cable, you will have to find out what your service provides. But let's be clear, cable companies much prefer you to subscribe to their own pay-per-view services and Tivo-like boxes. Packages like EyeTV have the potential of eating into their profit model. You may find that EyeTV picks up more stations from over-the-air (if you have an antenna) than when you plug the EyeTV into your cable service. Anyway, cable subscribers beware.
-Misc. notes: in my opinion, the FM radio tuner does not add much value. Also, I have not tested the WiFi sharing features (everything I want to share goes on an NAS). Finally, I called this Tivo for the Mac above, but I should note that EyeTV does not include any software function that attempts to anticipate what kinds of programs you might like to see (as Tivo does).
Click Here to see more reviews about: Elgato Systems 10020974 EyeTV Hybrid TV Tuner Stick for Analog, HDTV and FM Radio Reception
EyeTV Hybrid turns your Mac into the world's most affordable flat-screen HDTV. It receives both analog and digital TV; EyeTV Hybrid is an ideal solution for the digital transition. EyeTV Hybrid does more than just TV. The included EyeTV 3 software features digital video recording (DVR) with a comprehensive Program Guide and editing capabilities. It's a DVR that can put your television recordings on a Mac, iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV with one easy click of a button, and can export them for use in other Mac video applications. EyeTV Hybrid receives FM radio. Organize recordings in Smart Playlists Export recordings into iTunes in one easy step & sync automatically Frequency Range - 48-801 MHz (VHF and UHF) Access recordings via Wi-Fi on an iPod, iPhone, and selected Smartphones (existing Wi-Fi access is required) Store your recordings on an external drive, or burn to disc using Toast Basic (included) Enable family-friendly viewing with Parental Controls In the box - EyeTV 3 digital TV recorder software (CD-ROM) PDF product Manual (CD-ROM EyeTV Hybrid analog/digital Mac TV tuner stick (NTSC/ATSC) Break out cable for Composite, S-Video & Audio connections USB extension cable Infrared remote control with battery pack Quick Start Guide System Requirements - PowerPC G4/G5 or Intel Core processor 512 MB of RAM Built-in USB 2.0 port Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later Internet connection required to download Program Guide data Unit Dimensions - 3.22 x 1.26 x 0.5906 inches; Weight - 1.05 oz. Antenna not included 720p or 1080i HD features require an Intel Core 2 Duo processor
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