The first annoying limitation: The EyeTV device doesn't show up as a generic "camcorder" video input device.
Eyetv codec mac#
I guess it's part of the Mac experience to have these details hidden, but still, I'd like the option to see more of what's going on. I would have liked to see some stats on screen while doing recordings, letting me know how many frames I am dropping (if any), how much disk space is being used, what my data rates are, and so on. I thought my recording would be ruined, but when I played it back later manually, all the frames were there! Even though the Mac had to attend to other things in the background and couldn't keep up, the hardware kept everything smooth. (Expensive SMP systems or dual-core CPU's might fix this, since with dual-core, one core can spend all of its time on video and the other core can take care of the other distractions.) My underpowered Mac Mini struggled with this, often skipping frames on video playback.
All modern computers have lots of little programs running in the background, so this is impossible, hence the dropouts. It's very difficult for a modern computer to keep up with video, without getting occasional dropouts, because it requires constant attention (60 frames per second).
Eyetv codec tv#
The hardware MPEG-2 encoder really shines here, which partly justifies the extremely high price of this item! The TV signal is ran through the hardware encoder, which runs continuously and buffers the data somewhat (I don't know the exact size of the buffer).
Eyetv codec movie#
I got a large file on disk, from a 2-hour movie on videotape ( Dark City, one of my favorites), containing about 3 GB of data.
Eyetv codec software#
My testing, then, was limited to what I wanted it for: reading in videotapes and exporting them in some kind of digital format that I could later burn to a DVD.Īfter some tweaking, the software recorder worked. I already have a TiVo, so have no need for another PVR. It's a lot better than the last computer Video-In setup that I used, ATI's All-In-Wonder, on Windows. A good idea in theory, but daisychaining another FireWire device (like an external hard drive, necessary to hold the GOBS of data you will be producing), is iffy at best, probably due to the above lack of external power. Elgato Systems doesn't provide any kind of software to program its buttons for various uses, though, which is a disappointment, making it essentially useless.Īnd finally, there is another FireWire port. The remote control seems to be of high quality, though. There's even a remote control! I don't really know what the use of this is, since without a Video-Out, you're going to be close up at your computer monitor whenever you're using the EyeTV anyway. Unlike the TiVo, there's no support for sending commands to the box via IR or serial.) (Unfortunately, for all digital cable and satellite services, there's no way of connecting directly to the service provider's box, to let you get at the digital signal or even to change the channel, making it somewhat useless for these. The device worked fine when FireWire was directly connected to my Mac, though, without needing the power supply.ĮyeTV Video-In is fine, and complete: standard RCA jacks for stereo audio and normal (composite) video, and S-Video, and a cable connector for an external antenna or analog cable TV connection. You'll have to scrounge your own, and hope it works. With Mac hardware, your money sure doesn't go very far!ĮyeTV box has a jack for an external power supply, but does NOT include it. No Video-Out for you, unless you also buy this second device. Elgato Systems reserves that for their companion device, the EyeHome, however. I was hoping that for $329, it would have some kind of Video-Out functionality as well, but it doesn't. This EyeTV box is only a Video-In device. I might return it and look for something more cost-effective. My first major add-on purchase for the Mac: the EyeTV 200 video device, made by Elgato Systems.
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