Miglia ’s TVMini HD is a stylish looking and heavyset machine that enables Mac exploiter to watch out , disc , and edit over - the - air digital HDTV ATSC ( Advanced Television Systems Committee ) message and unencrypted digital cable telecasting programs . It is a swell way to get HDTV contentedness onto your Mac . Since the TVMini HD is a passenger vehicle - power USB 2.0 gadget , you could take it anywhere you go . So , you’re able to watchLostorDesperate Housewiveswhile camping , if you wish well — provided you are in reach of an ATSC programme tower .
The TVMini HD package include a USB wireless , a small telecasting antenna , a handy remote for changing channels , a pocket-size carrying pouch , and a CD with Elgato ’s EyeTV 2.1 boob tube programing and editing package (; June 2006 ) . While the system of rules requirements necessary for recording incoming video are quite blue ( a 500MHz G4 C.P.U. ) , to properly consider 1080i high - definition programming , you ’ll need an Intel core duo Mac or a dual processor PowerMac G5 .
Over-the-air HDTV
The TVMini HD ’s primary use is to beguile ATSC transmissions . ATSC is the North American standard for digital tv set and uses MPEG-2 transfer streams to encapsulate the video information and Dolby Digital for sound . ATSC capacity can be both standard - definition and high - definition , and it is transmit over - the - breeze , like traditional analog television . The big difference between ATSC and traditional TV for the end exploiter , though , is that digital TV never has static . The audio recording and video timber is always watch crystal readable , provided you have a sufficient sign . The downside to digital TV : if your signaling strength shake off below 50 percent , you lose your picture completely .
Miglia includes a basic telescopic television receiver antenna with the TVMini HD . At my home , nestled in the hills of Los Angeles , I was capable to pick up only five digital TV channels with the antenna , and occasionally , the signal would miss out . After a straightaway trip to the electronics memory board , I had a better indoor feeler for around $ 30 and 16 self-coloured channels — all the local channels , with five in eminent definition . At my office in Hollywood , I was able to pick up 24 channels . ( To find out which digital channel are usable in your area , visit theConsumer Electronics Association ’s connection website . )
Once I tuned the TVMini HD , it reliably recorded my schedule TV shows in both standard definition and high definition . The included Elgato EyeTV 2 software is the premiere digital TV recording software useable today for the Mac weapons platform . television transcription are easy to schedule via EyeTV ’s integrate program guide . All recording can also be trimmed of their commercial and burned to DVD , or export to the iPod video format .
The cable experience
You often do n’t call for digital cable to obtain Clear QAM signals . With most cable companies , basic cable is enough . ( For example , with my analogue - based Adelphia transmission line plan , I obtain 34 digital TV channels — include five in HD — and more than 40 channels of digital medicine via Clear QAM . ) You wo n’t get HBO or Showtime via Clear QAM , but receive gamy - definition scheduling through the most basic cable package is still very prissy — and frugal . Another benefit to Clear QAM , compared to ATSC over - the - air message , is that the signaling never drops out .
The one catch about using Clear QAM with the TVMini HD : you will necessitate to manually make your channel leaning because well-defined QAM absolute frequency are not registered withTitanTV , which supplies EyeTV ’s scheduling information . To make the PVR ( personal picture fipple flute ) scheduling body of work , you must make the names of your channels match TitanTV ’s database . This information was not cover in the EyeTV user manual that ship with the Miglia TVMini HD — a central deletion . Since our testing , Miglia has remedied this by postinga unexampled FAQanda revised manualon its Web website . The updated manual of arms will also be include on a new CD in next TVMini HD publicity .
Macworld’s buying advice
[ Anton Linecker is a expert video adviser and writer based in Los Angeles . ]
