DVR Software
Equinux TheTube Updated For Snow Leopard
09/03/09 17:22
TheTube software from Equinux got a timely update to fix some minor issues with OS X Snow Leopard:
Version 2.9.4 (09/02/2009)
Putting your Mac to sleep after a recording now works reliably
Reordering channels no longer interrupts recordings
UI issues in TubeTalk when using Snow Leopard have been resolved
The details view scrollbar works reliably in Snow Leopard
The Tube installer no longer requires Rosetta
Snow Leopard installer problems have been solved
New Feature:
The Tube supports a Live TV feature which displays the progress of a show on your iPhone
Version 2.9.4 (09/02/2009)
Putting your Mac to sleep after a recording now works reliably
Reordering channels no longer interrupts recordings
UI issues in TubeTalk when using Snow Leopard have been resolved
The details view scrollbar works reliably in Snow Leopard
The Tube installer no longer requires Rosetta
Snow Leopard installer problems have been solved
New Feature:
The Tube supports a Live TV feature which displays the progress of a show on your iPhone
Compatible TV Tuners For EyeTV 3 Software
03/19/09 23:55
Here’s a quick and dirty list of USB, FireWire and Ethernet compatible computer TV tuners supported by ElGato’s EyeTV version 3.x as of Spring 2009:
ElGato EyeTV USB, EyeTV 200, EyeTV 250, EyeTV 250 Plus, EyeTV 300/310, EyeTV 400/410, EyeTV 500, EyeTV 610, EyeTV Diversity, EyeTV EZ, EyeTV for DTT (Cinergy T2), EyeTV for DTT (Stick) , EyeTV Wonder USB 2.0, EyeTV Hybrid, HD HomeRun (North America) Freebox. Hauppague WinTV-HVR-900, WinTV-HVR-950, WinTV-Nova-T Stick, WinTV-Nova-TD Stick, WinTV-HVR-950Q, HD PVR, FireDTV S2, FireDTV T/CI, FireDTV C/CI, LDT-1S302U, Miglia Evolution TV, TVBook Pro, TVDuo, TVMax, TVMicro, TVMini, TVMini HD, ATI TV Wonder USB 2 TV for Mac, Pinnacle DVB-T Stick (70e), TV for Mac HD Stick (800e), TV for Mac Hybrid Stick (330e), PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick, PCTV Hybrid Pro Stick (330e), PCTV USB Stick PCTV HD Pro Stick (800e), PCTV Diversity Stick (2001e), TV for Mac DVB-T Stick (72e), PCTV nanoStick (73e), TV for Mac HD mini stick (80e), Plextor PX-402U, SiliconDust HDHomeRun (North America), Terratec Cinergy 400/450, Cinergy 800/850, Cinergy T2, Cinergy Hybrid T XS, XE Cinergy T, USB XXS Cinergy DT, USB XS Diversity Cinergy T, Express Cinergy Piranha Cinergy S, USB Cinergy Hybrid T, USB XS FM Cinergy HTC, USB XS HD DTV, Alpha Mac Networx SATV, SCM CardBus DVB-T TV tuners
DTV Transition Spurs New Mac TV Tuner Products
03/06/09 01:34
America's DTV switchover to all-digital television is more of a progression than an 'event'. Depending on whether you receive TV signals over a UHF-VHF antenna, Analog or Digital cable service, or via Satellite reception -- your computer TV tuner, television set, or set-top converter box needs to be versatile enough to adapt to the changes.
For most Macintosh computer users, investing in an Analog + Digital HYBRID TV tuner gives the best of all worlds: The ability to watch television, capture and convert signals from older Analog sources, yet still be able to also switch to HD Digital signals over ATSC antenna or Clear QAM unencrypted digital cable service.
For some though, a Digital-ONLY TV tuner may be all you need looking forward. You may not need or want to hook up an old Analog VHS tape deck, DVD player, camcorder - or capture video from an xBox, Wii, PlayStation or other game system. Most Digital-only tuners use simpler, single-tuner chipsets and can be had well under $100.
As Apple's market-share grows - and technology evolves, Mac friendly TV tuner prices are coming down. For a long time, it was hard to justify a tiny TV tuner stick for your Macintosh that cost more than many TV sets did. But as competition heats up between various 3rd party tuner manufacturers, ElGato and their EyeTV software - and Equinux with its competing TheTube software -- there's more choices than ever, at more affordable price points.
A new generation of TV receiver and video decoder chipsets have taken the latest TV tuner hardware devices to the next level. Advanced signal processing, unencrypted Clear QAM support, and more sensitive tuners now make the most of Digital broadcast streams. And ElGato and Equinux are keeping up with frequent software updates to support an ever-growing range of Digital and Hybrid tuners.
Apple TV lovers also benefit from the explosion in competitive online price shopping opportunities: Whether it's at Amazon.com and it's 3rd party sellers, slugging it out for Mac television sticks being auctioned at eBay, or other online retailers like Buy.com
Macintosh TV : ElGato EYETV vs Equinux THE TUBE
03/05/09 01:18
Equinux, makers of the TUBESTICK USB Hybrid Tuner and authors of MEDIA CENTRAL have been very aggressive with updates to their PVR software ‘THE TUBE’. As such they’re proving to be a worthy competitor to ElGato who’s long dominated the Apple Mac TV scene with EyeTV for many years.
While the full version of EyeTV - now at version 3.1 - remains the gold-standard in Mac DVR software, I’m finding it’s deep interface with multiple windows to require a bit of juggling. That’s often a problem as simplicity suffers as more and more features are tacked on with each revision. The tradeoff is worth it for many users as the abilities to schedule, record, do advanced editing, and ridiculously easy to export to iPod or burn to disc functions have been integrated. I’ve been using EyeTV since ElGato’s first USB 1.1 speed tuner hit the market. Even back in EyeTV’s version 1.x era, it was a well-written Mac app, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to see it evolve.
TheTube - now at version 2.9.2 takes a different approach - Trying to maintain a SINGLE consolidated window which I’m enjoying more and more - and merely updating the sidebar content to reveal different program modes and functions. Rather than a ‘floating’ remote that EyeTV presents, TheTube keeps channel controls in a fixed position. This manages to offer the same functionality with fewer control buttons - and relies somewhat more heavily on additional Keyboard controls instead. Sometimes less is more. When I want to JUST WATCH TV on my Mac (which is MOST of the time) - The Tube is becoming my preferred app. It still has its rough-spots, but once Equinux got core PVR features in place around version 2.5, recent updates have added stability and polish.
In tribute to Apple’s own FRONT ROW multimedia app, MediaCentral, Equinux’s other app blends and integrates both TV watching with ways to access all sorts of other media from your DVD’s to Photos to YouTube to Podcasts to Skype and beyond. And for select tuners from Hauppauge and Pinnacle Systems - a special version of EyeTV LITE provides entry-level PVR functionality without all the bells and whistles of EyeTV 3 -- while presenting a FRONTROW like interface that’s menu-driven and easily managed with the simple buttons of an Apple Remote.
Lastly, both these apps increase their support of various, select 3rd party TV tuner hardware devices with each revision. Between TheTube 2 and EyeTV 3, well over 2 dozen select models of Mac supported Analog, Digital and Hybrid TV tuners in total now enjoy support. With careful shopping, a tuner such as with the Miglia TV mini HD Express for Mac
can be used with EITHER retail versions of EyeTV or TheTube if you so desire. It all adds up to MORE CHOICE, and in the smaller world of Macintosh, that’s a *good* thing.
While the full version of EyeTV - now at version 3.1 - remains the gold-standard in Mac DVR software, I’m finding it’s deep interface with multiple windows to require a bit of juggling. That’s often a problem as simplicity suffers as more and more features are tacked on with each revision. The tradeoff is worth it for many users as the abilities to schedule, record, do advanced editing, and ridiculously easy to export to iPod or burn to disc functions have been integrated. I’ve been using EyeTV since ElGato’s first USB 1.1 speed tuner hit the market. Even back in EyeTV’s version 1.x era, it was a well-written Mac app, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to see it evolve.
TheTube - now at version 2.9.2 takes a different approach - Trying to maintain a SINGLE consolidated window which I’m enjoying more and more - and merely updating the sidebar content to reveal different program modes and functions. Rather than a ‘floating’ remote that EyeTV presents, TheTube keeps channel controls in a fixed position. This manages to offer the same functionality with fewer control buttons - and relies somewhat more heavily on additional Keyboard controls instead. Sometimes less is more. When I want to JUST WATCH TV on my Mac (which is MOST of the time) - The Tube is becoming my preferred app. It still has its rough-spots, but once Equinux got core PVR features in place around version 2.5, recent updates have added stability and polish.
In tribute to Apple’s own FRONT ROW multimedia app, MediaCentral, Equinux’s other app blends and integrates both TV watching with ways to access all sorts of other media from your DVD’s to Photos to YouTube to Podcasts to Skype and beyond. And for select tuners from Hauppauge and Pinnacle Systems - a special version of EyeTV LITE provides entry-level PVR functionality without all the bells and whistles of EyeTV 3 -- while presenting a FRONTROW like interface that’s menu-driven and easily managed with the simple buttons of an Apple Remote.
Lastly, both these apps increase their support of various, select 3rd party TV tuner hardware devices with each revision. Between TheTube 2 and EyeTV 3, well over 2 dozen select models of Mac supported Analog, Digital and Hybrid TV tuners in total now enjoy support. With careful shopping, a tuner such as with the Miglia TV mini HD Express for Mac
can be used with EITHER retail versions of EyeTV or TheTube if you so desire. It all adds up to MORE CHOICE, and in the smaller world of Macintosh, that’s a *good* thing.