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Elgato Systems 10020974 EyeTV Hybrid TV Tuner Stick for Analog HDTV and FM Radio Reception

EyeTV Hybrid turns your Mac into the world’s most affordable flat-screen HDTV. It receives both analog and digital TV; EyeTV Hybrid is an ideal solution for the digital transition. EyeTV Hybrid does more than just TV. The included EyeTV 3 software features digital video recording (DVR) with a comprehensive Program Guide and editing capabilities. It’s a DVR that can put your television recordings on a Mac, iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV with one easy click of a button, and can export them for use in other Mac video applications. EyeTV Hybrid receives FM radio. Organize recordings in Smart Playlists Export recordings into iTunes in one easy step & sync automatically Frequency Range – 48-801 MHz (VHF and UHF) Access recordings via Wi-Fi on an iPod, iPhone, and selected Smartphones (existing Wi-Fi access is required) Store your recordings on an external drive, or burn to disc using Toast Basic (included) Enable family-friendly viewing with Parental Controls In the box – EyeTV 3 digital TV recorder software (CD-ROM) PDF product Manual (CD-ROM EyeTV Hybrid analog/digital Mac TV tuner stick (NTSC/ATSC) Break out cable for Composite, S-Video & Audio connections USB extension cable Infrared remote control with battery pack Quick Start Guide System Requirements – PowerPC G4/G5 or Intel Core processor 512 MB of RAM Built-in USB 2.0 port Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later Internet connection required to download Program Guide data Unit Dimensions – 3.22 x 1.26 x 0.5906 inches; Weight – 1.05 oz. Antenna not included 720p or 1080i HD features require an Intel Core 2 Duo processor

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Great little tuner, almost 5 stars
I turned my Mac mini into a DVR without the monthly fees that the cable companies or Tivo charges. I also pick up some free HDTV channels through my basic cable connections with clear QAM which saves even more money. It’s easy to set up, easy to use (with the one exception mentioned below), easy to configure, picture quality is great, sound is good.

Why not 5 stars? The EyeTV will power on your Mac, or wake up your Mac to start recording, but if you want it to sleep, or power down when its done recording, you have to write scripts. Also, I’ve had a few shows on analog channels not record when they were scheduled. I read that if the station signal gets too low, the eyetv will not record. I would like an option to record no matter the signal strength. Lastly the editor is terrible, TERRIBLE. Not user friendly and crashed the few times I’ve tried to use it. Fix these few complaints and it would be perfect.

Overall a great option for recording TV shows. I love it!

3 Stars Conflicted
Part of me loves this product. A nice easy to use, clear, re sizable HD TV on your computer monitor. I bought the hybrid 3 years ago and have loved it ever since.

So the question is “If you love it, why only three stars.” The answer to this lies in the software. When I bought the this device I installed the software which came with it. About 2 months ago I got a message on my screen asking if I wanted to upgrade. I figured what the hell and clicked yes. Everything looked fine, it auto installed, wrote over my old software and when everything was ready it gave me the option of paying for the upgrade.

Yes, first it deletes/writes over your old software, then it tells you that now you have to pay $100 to activate the new upgrade. So now I am faced with the choice of paying 2/3 the price of the original hybird to be able to download tv to my iphone (which I don’t own) or not use the original device I paid for at all.

Hopefully I can find my old install CD. Either that or I intend to look into pirating it.

3 Stars Mixed Feelings: More Like a Rental
The hardware was great. It was nice having a tuner that could show live HD television streams in a window on my desktop while I worked. The software was spotty. I went through months with no program guides and have never had even half the faith in this that I have in my trusty (real) Tivo.

That would still have been four stars for me, and I used to recommend this unit to my friends.

But I stopped yesterday. I discovered, on the first Sunday of the NFL season, that Elgato had purposefully left me behind with the new Apple OS upgrade. Now, the Hybrid I bought from them in 2007 (which came with EyeTV 2) is dead as a doornail … and will remain that way unless I fork out $40 for an “upgrade” to add features I don’t want or need.

This is the second time that Elgato has left me behind with a software upgrade. Two points define a line, and it’s pretty clear this forced, paid upgrade for existing users is Elgato’s M.O.

If you’re buying this today, be aware that the vaunted EyeTV 3 software was actually released at the very beginning of 2008. It’s pretty likely there will be an EyeTV 4 released soon (there was a two-year gap last time), and that you’ll be asked to fork over $40 or even more if you want to continue to have up-to-date drivers and features.

The Hybrid worked great for me for two years. But, in the end, Elgato’s ridiculous “upgrade” prices for its existing users make the whole experience more like a rental.

5 Stars GREAT TV TUNER!!
I’ll keep it short:

- Instead of buying a TV, I bought the EyeTV Hybrid which is cheaper, provides great quality and has a lot of features!

- You can enjoy recording your shows/movies directly on your hard drive, which is cool, and you don’t have to worry much about the storage these days !

- Pause what you’re watching, even if it’s LIVE! All the channels have a certain buffer that will store a big amount of time so you’ll be able to navigate back and forth.

- You’re not forced to watch all these ads on TV, here’s what I do: Pick my channel, wait for a few minutes, then I start watching using my buffer and whenever there’s an ad, just skip it ! (this way you’ll always be behind the LIVE broadcasting, but at least you’ll enjoy the show!)

- I’m using it with the Cable, so I tried some HD channels: MAGNIFICENT!!

- The software that comes with it has so many features, you can even get it for the iPhone which enables you to watch TV on your iPhone (using WI-FI) and even schedule recordings from the iPhone right to your Mac.

- It’s built for the Mac, so the interface is nice!

I just recommend this item if you’re looking for a TV Tuner to use on your Mac.

Hope this helps!

4 Stars Great product, easy to install
I bought the EyeTV tuner for my Mac Mini that replaced my cable box (and $70 / month cable bill). Channel search took an eternity the first time, but once I was up and running, it’s been a breeze to use. The export to iPod / wifi streaming option is great – allowing me to watch recorded shows on my iPod or any other computer (or iPhone) on my network. Reception is great, the video and audio quality are great. The only issue I have is with the EyeTV software. It’s functional, but certainly not intuitive. It takes too many button clicks to get info on a show, scrolling through the guide causes your selection to move in time instead of staying on the current time, dealing with recording conflicts is somewhat confusing. It works fine for me, but my wife (who is not quite as technologically adept) has a bit of a hard time with it.

Still a pretty great product.

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