Miglia ’s TVMicro , a equipment which lets you watch and phonograph record parallel TV programme on your Mac , looks more like a first - genesis iPod shuffling than a television set tuner — but how could that be considered a bad matter ? In the TVMicro , Miglia has created a USB 2.0 , coach - powered boob tube piano tuner that you’re able to take with you anywhere you go .
The TVMicro was the first ultra - portable USB marijuana cigarette TV piano tuner for Macs to hit the market . Since its introduction , however , Elgato has introduced its EyeTV Hybrid ( ) , which is very similar to a TVMicro with ATSC ( Advanced Television Systems Committee ) capability sum to it ( which allows you to get digital over - the - air subject ) , thus taking some of the radiancy off the TVMicro . But , the TVMicro is $ 50 less than the Hybrid .
The diminutive TVMicro takes parallel TV , from a cable connection or from an antenna , and put across it uncompressed to your calculator . What you could do with the TV reckon on your estimator ’s processing exponent . The minimum requirement for watching television on your Mac is a 500MHz G4 processor ( Your Mac also needs a USB 2.0 port to handle the task of sending uncompressed telecasting through the twist ) .
It is potential to put down the incoming signaling as either MPEG-2 ( good for DVDs ) or MPEG-1 ( lower lineament , suited for video recording CD ) , but the recording quality you get calculate on the speed of your arrangement . For the highest MPEG-2 quality , a threefold CPU Mac is required . merrily , all Macs sell today come with dual Intel processors and USB 2.0 port .
Miglia licenses Elgato ’s EyeTV 2 ( ) software for the TVMicro , which is a smart move . The EyeTV recording software system is quite mature and unchanging . Programming recordings , shop TV programme schedules , watching live TV , and editing recorded TV shows with the software is a snap . to boot , you may burn your recordings to DVD using computer software like Toast 7 ( ) ( not include ) or export to a video iPod . Miglia also box a remote control so you could change your channels and even start recording from across the way .
Macworld’s buying advice
Miglia ’s TVMicro is a groovy portable parallel TV piano tuner for Mac users . If you require something to lease you ascertain TV on your Mac , you wo n’t go improper with it . If you want to tape TV shows , you ’ll need a dual processor Mac to get the best tone . If you have a dense Mac , Elgato ’s EyeTV 250 may be the better way to go .
[ Anton Linecker is a writer and TV technological adviser be in Los Angeles . ]
