Elgato Systems is position the EyeTV EZ , a bantam USB 2.0 TV - viewing twist , as an entree - layer EyeTV production to replace its short - lived EyeTV USB Wonder (; July 2005 ) . By providing a remote control and new iPod support , the EyeTV EZ is a step above its precursor .
Like the premature USB Wonder model , the EyeTV EZ is an analogue TV tuner that passes uncompressed video to your Mac for a clear live range . And while the EyeTV EZ can also put down a TV signal , it does not have a computer hardware MPEG encoder like Elgato ’s more expensive EyeTV 200 (; July 2004 ) . Thus , it ’s not intended as a full - fledged Personal Video Recorder ( PVR ) , just a bare way to find out television . ( It can also be used as a way to play console games on your Mac , as Game Room editorialist Peter Cohen find . )
Easy setup and viewing
The EyeTV EZ is a stylish 125 - communication channel , analog TV tuner built byTerratec . The machine connect directly to an analog cable system TV outlet or TV antenna . For digital cable’s length and satellite users , the EyeTV EZ can be touch base via a breakout cable to the analogue - out port of the digital pass receiver ( in this case , the EyeTV EZ can not change groove ) . There is no exponent adapter , as the unit is USB powered .
The EyeTV software ( reading 1.8.4 ) is a child’s play to install and configure . A setup assistant quickly tunes the EyeTV EZ to encounter all available channels and registers the computing gadget with the TV scheduling World Wide Web site , TitanTV .
Channel switching on the EyeTV EZ is almost instantaneous , and the picture quality is quite skilful . There is so small delay that you may even tie a game console to the box ( again through the breakout cable system ) and play video games on your Mac .
In a pinch , the EyeTV EZ can be used to register what you ’re watching . But how good that transcription will face depends largely on the computer to which the building block is attached . Macs with a single G4 processor can wangle only VCD-(Video Compact Disc ) tone MPEG-1 ( and not very ripe MPEG-1 compared to the original USB EyeTV ) . Dual - G4 and single - processor G5 Macs can record a sizeable MPEG-2 sign that can be burned to DVD . Dual - G5 and musculus quadriceps femoris - G5 computer can record high - quality MPEG-2 , but even at the high point , the timber is gloomy than that of Elgato ’s own EyeTV 200 , which has a ironware encoder .
Software supports iPod
The EyeTV version 1.8.4 software allows all EyeTV products to export television to iPod TV format . Two default options — an H.264 setting and a higher data - rate MPEG-4 setting — make exportation to an iPod effortless ( the television gobs automatically into iTunes ) . EyeTV also is well integrated with Roxio ’s Toast 7 Titanium (; December 2005 ) , making it soft to burn off a DVD from any recorded program .
Macworld’s buying advice
The EyeTV EZ does exactly what is says it will do : it makes ascertain TV on a Mac light . However , users who desire a robust recording gadget would be well do by Elgato ’s more expensive EyeTV 200 .
[ Anton Linecker is a technical picture consultant and writer based in Los Angeles . ]
