That works but it's ridiculously inelegant. We shouldn't have to "hack" the system in order to get basic functionality.
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Any options besides EyeTV for TV -> AppleTV?
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That works but it's ridiculously inelegant. We shouldn't have to "hack" the system in order to get basic functionality.
Interesting thread. Quick question: How does one output eyeTV recordings to a regular TV? I have been all over their site and cannot figure it out. I thought they used to have a box you could put on top of the TV for this. Of course, Apple TV would be useful (once I can afford one). Thanks...
I've done a few encodes with HandBrake using my EyeTV files, and it is a huge difference to the QuickTime exports. The audio though, is still not in sync, which is a big shame.
Either burn a DVD and play it on your DVD player, or just hook your Mac up to your TV (only really ideal if you have a laptop).
Either burn a DVD and play it on your DVD player, or just hook your Mac up to your TV (only really ideal if you have a laptop).
Same question plus one more...
I have the same question. Moreover, is there something to control Eyetv from my couch in front of my regular TV? My iMac would be in the other room with the EyeTV recording to it. Also, can you pause live TV? I basically want to replace my TiVo box.
I have the same question. Moreover, is there something to control Eyetv from my couch in front of my regular TV? My iMac would be in the other room with the EyeTV recording to it. Also, can you pause live TV? I basically want to replace my TiVo box.
There isn't a way to control EyeTV remotely as such, you can schedule things to record with TitanTV/tvtv (depending on your location) and apparently this can be done on your mobile too, but I've never used this feature, since it is 'tvtv' in the UK and it is a subscription based service.
You can pause live TV, and EyeTV comes with a fairly well set out full screen interface that works seemingly with the Apple Remote. Just by using the remote, you can pause, record, skip back and fourth, view the TV guide, schedule recordings, view recordings etc.
Ideally, if you are serious about replacing your TiVo box, then I'd invest in a cheap Mac Mini that'll sit under your TV with the EyeTV Tuner plugged in, so you can take advantage of EyeTV in full screen. Also, you'd be able to remotely control the Mac Mini from your iMac in your room, so you'd be able to set up recordings etc.
How about this setup?
What I need:
1. Rewind, fast forward, and pause live TV.
2. Record shows.
3. Watch both live TV (#1 above) and recorded shows (#2 above) on my television set. I also need to control things on my couch near my television set.
So this gets me there? I think?
1. iMac in the den networked with an Airport Express 80211.n.
2. Both the EyeTV HDHomeRun (connected to iMac via ethernet) and the AppleTV (connected to iMac via AirportExpress) next to my television.
Can this work? The only thing I don't know about is whether or not you can pause and watch live TV on my television set.
I was considering a MacMini + EyeTV ($599 + $149 = $749). However, I already have the iMac and the AirportExpress. So the HDHomeRun + AppleTV ($199 + $229 = $429) would be a significant savings.
What I need:
1. Rewind, fast forward, and pause live TV.
2. Record shows.
3. Watch both live TV (#1 above) and recorded shows (#2 above) on my television set. I also need to control things on my couch near my television set.
So this gets me there? I think?
1. iMac in the den networked with an Airport Express 80211.n.
2. Both the EyeTV HDHomeRun (connected to iMac via ethernet) and the AppleTV (connected to iMac via AirportExpress) next to my television.
Can this work? The only thing I don't know about is whether or not you can pause and watch live TV on my television set.
I was considering a MacMini + EyeTV ($599 + $149 = $749). However, I already have the iMac and the AirportExpress. So the HDHomeRun + AppleTV ($199 + $229 = $429) would be a significant savings.
I don't think that will work. You should just get a TiVo HD ($180 refurb) if that's what you want.
The only way (I know of) to get live TV on an AppleTV is to hack it and use it as a front end for a MythTV server.
For what you are wanting, the Mac Mini + EyeTV (with HDHomeRun) would be the best option. That way, with EyeTV in Full Screen mode (watch the video, shows it nicely), so you can pause, rewind, change channel, view recordings, schedule recordings, view a TV guide etc.
If you had the HDHomeRun + Apple TV, you'd have to use your iMac as the main recording unit, then export any recordings to your Apple TV (which will take about 30 minutes to an hour or more depending on how long the recording is). Plus, you wouldn't be able to pause the actual live TV you were watching either.
I'm beginning to really wish I had bought a Mac Mini instead of an Apple TV..
Before you go knocking the ATV, remember that it's less than half the price of a mini. The mini does a lot more, but it costs a lot more. If you don't care about live TV the ATV+EyeTV will work fine.
I've been a TiVo user for abotu 7 years and I rarely watch live programming anymore, except sporting events, or if I'm bored. I'll keep an old TiVo around for live TV with pause/rewind, but the more I look at it, the more I think EyeTV on my iMac feeding my ATV will be perfectly satisfactory for my needs.
Yes, but you have to actually get up and set up a recording on your iMac - it isn't as if you can schedule it on your TV with a remote.
And once you have recorded with EyeTV, you have to export it, which takes time.
If EyeTV released an application to remotely control EyeTV and create schedules for the iPhone, and exportations took 15 minutes at the most, then yes, it would be fine and I'd be happy with my Apple TV.
But I'd still love an Apple interface to record, view schedules and pause/rewind on the Apple TV.
Another reason is, because I have a laptop, I take this with me to places, and half the time there is something I want to record. Isn't very ideal to have to leave my Mac behind. Be much easier and convenient if the Apple TV did it.
Hmmm... It always seems to go back to TiVo. Which isn't a bad thing. I have one already and love it. Thanks for the wake up call.
With hindsight I should have convinced the wife to get a 24" iMac and used that to watch TV on. Oh well...
Export time is, for me, practically irrellevent as long as it's automatic (which it appears to be). I rarely watch things the day they're on - I usually don't even know what day they're on. Pausing/rewinding live TV is a pretty simple task that any number of very cheap DVRs could perform. Either a used TiVo without a subscription, or even better a simple and cheap DVD-R/DVR combo.
Using a laptop as a backend would be a problem, I'd imagine. I wonder if it would be difficult to write a plugin for nitoTV to hook into the EyeTV scheduler... I have been playing with AppleScript/Automator lately and looking into creating some actions that work with SMS somehow. My original plan for them was to create a simple gateway to control my computer through my phone (little things like take a screenshot and send it to my phone, take a webcam picture and send it to my phone, etc etc). I think EyeTV is AppleScript enabled so I could maybe do a little sceduler interface via SMS... something to think about I guess.
I'm mad at TiVo right now. Basically, I've been a TiVo customer for 7 years. I called up to see if I could get a deal on a new TiVo HD and got told that I'd have to pay the same price as everyone. Ok, whatever, not a big deal. But, the line they tried to use to sell me TiVoHD over my cable companies DVR is that "you'll own the unit forever not just rent it from the cable compant".
Then when I let the service on my current Series2 unit expire they disabled almost every feature, even the ones that don't require and guide data. They turned off manual scheduled recordings. They turned off the home media extender features. The only thing you can do with it is watch live TV (after clearing an obnoxious alert message) and pause/rewind through the half hour buffer.
So, I get to pay you $180 to own a completely useless machine? It's BS. I love(d) my TiVo, but they're killing themselves with the way they treat their customers. I got a cheap HD DVR from Comcast (until I get my ATV/EyeTV setup working) for $10 per month, no box to buy and no contract length. Ya, the interface SUCKS compared to TiVo, but it's temporary. The ATV interface outshines even TiVo, imo.
Since you are having such a bad time with TiVo - wouldn't you agree it would be nice to record OTA channels on the Apple TV?
Oh, sure, I agree with that whole heatedly. I'd love Apple to team up with Elgato and create an add on device that tunes ATSC and clear QAM (although I think clear QAM is on its way out in the next few years) as well as a hardware h264 encoder capable of taking HD broadcasts and converting them to ATV compatible 720p24. I'd pay a couple hundred bucks for that (it would have to "reverse sync" - copy recorded content back to my linked iTunes library - for me to buy it though). But as it is, the missing feature of live TV is pretty minimal me. For $100 or whatever I can set up my iMac to do the recording and scheduling and exporting and not miss live TV at all.
The only stuff I watched live was the Red Wings and without cable there's almost no hockey for me to watch. Other than that I can wait a couple hours or a day to watch a show, especially if EyeTV is going to automatically pull out the commercials for me (which apparantly it will).