Lately i've been watching DVDs on my MacMini (PowerPC). My monitor is much bigger than my TV. I've been wondering if its possible for me to watch, and even record, Cable TV through my MacMini? If so, would i need some sort of USB add on?
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Cable TV on my MacMini?
- Thread starter HC Penniwicket
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HC Penniwicket said:
If you only want to watch, the EyeTV EZ would be ok.
However, you can do *awesome* PVR stuff, with the EyeTV 200. I'd strongly recommend it. It costs $300 new, or $200 for a refurbished. IT comes with all the software too. Really nice.
The box does the encoding on the Eyetv 200, so it doesn't slow down your computer.
Keep in mind your display is a much higher resolution than a regular TV. That means you'll see some artifacts and whatnot that you don't see on a regular TV because the display is such higher quality.
powerbook911 said:
Wow! I've heard alot about this thing, but I just checked out the webpage and I'm amazed. I like it alot...Especially the fact that I can record my old VHS tapes to the compy. And all you have to do is connect it from your cable box to your Mac? Just another reason why I will be buying a new intel mini. My dream of a home media center is beginning to come together...
Hmm, that last sentence was quite dramatic, but I'll leave it...
yea, it looks like eyetv is what your looking for. it may seem a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. if you decide to look around for cheaper alternatives, don't get a usb one, definitely get a firewire one, usb sucks with streaming video in realtime.
plinkoman said:
Not true. There's no performance difference between Firewire and USB 2.0 for standard-definition TV streams. Even with HDTV, you'd be hard-pressed to find any performance differences. The only place where discrepancies show up is in realtime transfer of DV stock (from direct video souces, not from cable broadcasts).
The Elgato hardware is nice because it includes the software and the remote all together, but if you are looking for something a little less pricey, the EyeTV software works with a wide range of hardware (but you might have to buy the software separately (~$70).
kugino said:
Very true. It works perfect, and they told me they'll be universal within a couple weeks.
They first mentioned "the next few weeks" to me about 5 weeks ago, so it should be any day now. Has anyone else noticed their website being down a LOT in the past week? I've been trying to get the 2.0.1 update and it took about 3 days of trying to get in.powerbook911 said:
