Review: EyeTV Hybrid another solid product from Elgato
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Sep 26, 2006 at 2:19am
Elgato’s latest goodie is the EyeTV Hybrid, a US$149.95 “two-in-one” TV interface lets Macs view and record analog and digital TV signals via a USB 2.0 connection and EyeTV 2 software. It’s admirable for its compact design and worth the money because of the excellent EyeTV 2 software.
The EyeTV Hybrid delivers over-the-air digital TV to your Mac via antenna, as well as analog TV via antenna and standard cable. It also comes with a break-out cable for composite video and S-Video, enabling you to connect a set top box for premium channels, digital cable or satellite.
The EyeTV Hybrid records digital TV in one quality setting: Lossless. The digital stream is recorded unaltered, so you’re getting full quality digital content as encoded by the broadcaster. EyeTV supports multilingual programming and Dolby Digital sound. Analog TV can be recorded via EyeTV 2’s software encoder, and the quality depends on the Mac’s processor power.
I’m not going to sing the praises of EyeTV 2 again; you can read my impressions here. Let me just add that, since the review, the software has added a full screen menu, Front Row compatibility, Front Row-style user interface elements, and support for the Apple Remote infrared remote control that ships with all current Intel Macs and the iMac G5. The software will also convert recordings into an iPod-friendly format, though to 640×480, the resolution introduced by the latest 5G iPods at the Sept. 12 “It’s Showtime” event. But I’m 100 percent sure that Elgato will add this functionality in an update.
As for the hardware itself, if you plan to use EyeTV Hybrid with a Dual PowerPC G5 or an Intel Core Duo processor, you can enjoy watching 720p or 1080i HDTV (MPEG-2) in addition to the other digital television standards. Its small size also makes it great for notebooks as you can stash it in a carrying case and take it anywhere. Of course, it’s pretty impractical trying to watch TV on a laptop while traveling. And once you get to your destination you’re probably better off watching a regular TV set. But if you want to take the Hybrid on the road, a cap is provided to keep the USB connection end of the device safe while on the road. The co-axial aerial port is on the opposite end. Elgato bundles an antenna along with an S-video/composite-video breakout cable that fits into a tiny port on the side of the EyeTV hybrid. The antenna itself is pretty dinky; you’ll want to get a better one if you’re really watching much TV on your Mac.
Also, because of its size, you can’t use the USB port next to the MagSafe socket. The bad part is that the IR receiver is now pointing away from you and towards the back of the notebook.
The Hybrid does provide a feed for other media sources such as VHS decks, DVD players and set-top boxes, which is very convenient. Audio connections are done via a 3.5mm socket; however, Elgato provides a plug-in adaptor with a 3.5mm jack on one side and a pair of RCA connectors on the other.
Elgato says the Hybrid is ready for terrestrial digital TV across Europe, Australia, Canada and the US, along with a selection of Asian nations, including Taiwan and Japan. I can attest for the U.S. part of this, but not the other regions (the Macsimum budget doesn’t allow me to travel overseas to test out TV reception, alas).
My favorite of the Elgato hardware/software combos is still the EyeTV 200. However, if you want an extremely compact device that handles TV viewing/recording/organizing chores extremely well, the Hybrid is certainly a fine choice.
The EyeTV Hybrid requires: a Mac with a PowerPC G4,G5 or Intel Core processor; 256MB of RAM (512MB recommended); a built-in USB 2.0 port; and Mac OS X v10.4 or later. An Internet connection required to download Program Guide data. And 720p or 1080i HD features require a Dual PowerPC G5 or an Intel Core Duo processor.
Macsimum rating: 7.5 out of 10.
Douglas McLaughlin Says:
“Elgato bundles an antenna along with an S-video/composite-video breakout cable that fits into a tiny port on the side of the EyeTV hybrid. The antenna itself is pretty dinky; you’ll want to get a better one if you’re really watching much TV on your Mac.”
The EyeTV Hybrid does NOT come with any kind of antenna. At least, mine didn’t and they box specifically says you’ll need one of your own.
Posted on September 26, 2006
BenRoethig Says:
Apple, get with the program and jsut buy Elgato already. I don’t care if steve hates T.V., intergrating eyeTV and their hardware products will help you in the long run.
Posted on September 30, 2006
Marc Says:
“Elgato says the Hybrid is ready for terrestrial digital TV...I can attest for the U.S. part of this, but not the other regions...”
Attest...attest! I am interested in your thoughts about coverage in the US but I don’t see any. Did I miss something?
Posted on October 12, 2006
Tobias Says:
“My favorite of the Elgato hardware/software combos is still the EyeTV 200”
Is there still an advantage of the EyeTV 200 to this device if you have a DuoCore Mac?
Posted on October 29, 2006
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Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
Michael Sayer Says:
hyperlink missing the “o”
http://www.elgato.com/
Posted on September 26, 2006