EyeTV updates make a good product even better

Posted by Dennis Sellers Sep 14, 2004 at 11:10pm

I’ve liked Elgato’s EyeTV product since its debut in November 2002. And with the EyeTV 200 hardware and latest software (version 1.6.1), a good product gets even better. If you’re not familiar with EyeTV it’s a PVR (personal video recorder) that lets you watch and record TV programs on your Mac. What’s more, you can timeshift (pause and replay live TV), record to your hard drive, archive directly to DVD, schedule the recording of programs and use the EyeTV to connect and interface with video devices such as VCRs, DVD players and camcorders.

First released with USB connectivity (the EyeTV USB is still available), the EyeTV 200 sports a high-speed FireWire interface, 124-channel cable-ready TV tuner and MPEG-2 video encoding. It’s available internationally in NTSC and PAL/SECAM versions. The EyeTV 200 offers higher-quality video and faster speed than its predecessor. Oh yes, a remote control is now included, as well. With a new, lower price of US$299, it’s a must-have accessory for those who truly want to make their Mac a digital hub. And its new silver casing makes a nice match with the Power Mac G5, PowerBook and new Cinema Display lines.

The higher quality video is due to the fact that EyeTV captures video in MPEG-2 instead of MPEG-1 as the EyeTV USB did. MPEG-2 is the encoding format used for DVDs and satellite TV. You may still see some pixilation if you’re watching TV on a big display (we can only imagine what a 30-inch Cinema Display-EyeTV combo would be like) and are sitting really close to your Mac. But why would you do that?

Also, while the quality is amazing, recording video in this format can eat up hard disk space. To help you manage your storage, the EyeTV software lets you choose from three recording levels: Standard (1.8GB per hour), High Quality (2.7GB per hour) or Super Video CD (726MB per hour). There’s also a custom setting via which you can select the resolution, bit rate, constant or variable bit rate and audio settings of your video recordings.

The EyeTV hardware-software combo is a breeze to use. I had everything unpacked, connected and configured in six minutes tops. Of course, I was already familiar with EyeTV; newbies may need all of 10 minutes. Since it draws its power from your Mac’s FireWire connection, you don’t need a power adapter, which keeps cable clutter down.

To watch TV, you can use either the full-size infrared remote control or the on-screen controller. You can schedule and automate the recording of programs, either manually or through the integrated TitanTV Web site. Want to pause and rewind live TV just as TiVo users do? Go right ahead, because EyeTV keeps a cache of the signal on your hard disk.

With the EyeTV software, you can edit out commercials and other unwanted parts of recorded programs. The app “chops up” recordings into a variety of scene changes and camera switches. This doesn’t affect viewing, but makes editing a breeze. You can also burn them to a DVD or Video CD if you have Toast 6 Titanium. The EyeTV software can also wake your Mac from sleep or start it up for a scheduled recording. This feature worked fine on my Power Mac, but I have heard of some issues with laptops.

The newest version of the software is the best one yet. It allows EyeTV users to export specifically for iMovie, iDVD and DVD Studio Pro, as well as Toast (MPEG program stream), Web and e-mail (MPEG-4) formats. There’s now support of closed captioning in North America, support for Dolby 5.1 surround sound on the Power Mac G5 and a Dolby-certified AC3 audio decoder included. Plus, for Macs that support the Quartz Extreme technology, the EyeTV uses said tech to reduce CPU usage during playback.

On the down side, while you can also connect the signal from a digital-cable or satellite TV decoder to the EyeTV, it can’t change channels; you’ll have to do that with your decoder box. Also, there’s a bit of a lag when switching channels, noticeably slower than when you’re navigating the boob tube. But these are minor irritants to a hardware-software combo that just keeps on improving.

Tomorrow I’ll look at EyeHome, Elgato’s companion product for EyeTV. By the way, for a look at a product similar to EyeTV, check out my review of AlchemyTV DVR.

Minimum system requirements: Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later and a Mac with a FireWire connection and G4/G5 processor.

Macsimum rating: 8 out of 10

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