Malus pumila prides itself on its digital - lifestyle devices like the iPod and AirPort Express , but when it come to TV wake , its products remand far behind Windows XP Media Centers , many of which have built – in goggle box tuners . Plextor ’s $ 229 ConvertX PVR ( personal video recorder ) for the Mac effectively satiate this spread . The unit of measurement provides an excellent TV – view , – transcription , and – edit experience at a good cost .
The ConvertX PVR expect a G4 or G5 processor and OS X 10.2.8 or later . Despite its charge as a USB 2.0 twist , you’re able to also use it if your Mac has an older , USB 1.1 connexion .
basically , the ConvertX PVR is a slightly large , USB 2.0 version of Elgato Systems ’ FireWire EyeTV 200 (; July 2004 ) — except it does n’t include a remote command and it costs $ 100 less .
coiffure up the ConvertX PVR is a snap . Just connect the unit to a cable or video antenna with a coaxial cable , and plug the USB 2.0 cable into your Mac . The ConvertX also has S - Video and composite - video connections for recording VHS and camcorder footage . For satellite or digital cable , it require a digital decoder loge to convert the incoming video to analog . In this constellation , the ConvertX ca n’t change the communication channel on satellite or digital cable boxes , as it can with analog cable .
Once the unit is connected , Elgato ’s EyeTV software , which Plextor has license for the ConvertX , takes over . When you first launch the program , a setup assistant guides you through autotuning channel and demonstrate an account with TitanTV , a video - listing Web site .
The ConvertX encodes video to MPEG-1 , MPEG-2 , or MPEG-4 , suitable for VCDs and videodisc ( on PCs , the social unit also indorse real - prison term seizure of DivX video recording , a feature notably absent in the Mac variation ) . The MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 encoding quality is first-class , specially when using the Standard and High scene . mack with only USB 1.1 connections are limit to recording at foresightful romp character , which is also comely , though we noticed some MPEG artifact . However , the VCD - compliant MPEG-1 files that the ConvertX create are not very ripe timbre ( even by MPEG-1 standards ) . The MPEG-1 streams produced by Elgato ’s USB EyeTV unit (; November 2002 ) look observably well and are less blockish .
The EyeTV software lets you quick cut back out unwanted stuff , such as commercials , from recorded course of study . It also lets you export television show to Roxio ’s Toast 6 Titanium (; December 2003 ) to rapidly burn DVDs . EyeTV is unusually stable — it ’s commonly potential to cut or watch previously recorded programs while recording a new tv set platform .
It ’s also casual to schedule recordings via the TitanTV web website . you could even schedule recording remotely by setting the software to delay with the TitanTV site at sealed intervals . That path , you’re able to schedule a transcription ofEverybody Loves Raymondeven when you ’re away from home .
Macworld’s Buying Advice
Plextor ’s ConvertX PVR for the Mac is a big way to view and make gamy - timber video recording of TV program , peculiarly if your Mac has a USB 2.0 embrasure . With the maturity of EyeTV software package , there are few drawbacks to this whole .
