[MW Forums]

Elgato Systems has added Apple TV support and numerous other enhancements in the latest version of its EyeTV DVR software. more

[Adwiz]

The EyeTV Hybrid is truly an awesome hardware and software combination. My only beef is that owners of AppleTV generally don't want to save their recordings in the proprietary EyeTV format; they want to go right to Apple TV format. Currently, this requires you to record your show and then export to the other format, which can take hours of extra time. I'd sure like to see the ability to simply record directly to Apple TV's mpeg 4 format. That would make EyeTV a home run and the perfect PVR device.

[mwheeler]

I agree that recording to AppleTV would be great. I'm glad Elgato keeps improving the software. I'm going to go download it now.

[eddlestar]

Well, I would extend the problems with the eyetv hybrid:
1) It doesn't support QAM, so if you use it for cable, you can't get the free HD channels.
2) No support on either the apple tv or el gato sw for internet tv (from major league baseball or any of the networks).
3) Using the hybrid requires you to have on computer hooked up to your cable connection. If you only have one tv (like me), you have to have a computer hooked up to the hybrid already, so why get the apple tv.
If I have a mac mini and one tv, there is no reason ever to get an apple tv other than to finally have the computer screen take match up with the edge of the tv.

[GrahamAJones]

Hi (from iEye Captain developer),
Something very important to add: this update also finally adds support for direct control of infrared devices such as the IRTrans or ZephIR (north America only), so EyeTV can control channel changing on your digital cable or satellite set top box. iEye Captain has been doing this for a couple of years, but having EyeTV handle it is far superior.
Of course there are a lot of other things that iEye Captain can do, but for North American users iEye Captain is no longer needed for infrared control.
Hope this helps,
Graham Jones.

[montgomery_burns]

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My only beef is that owners of AppleTV generally don't want to save their recordings in the proprietary EyeTV format;

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MPEG-2 Transport Stream is the standard format used in North American HDTV broadcasts. EyeTV does not save in any proprietary format when recording HD. An EyeTV HD recording is actually a package that contains the original MPEG-2 transport stream along with some xml files containing various program info. So if anyone is at fault, it is Apple for not supporting additional video formats such as MPEG-2 Transport Streams in the Apple TV.

[flybynight]

But, the formats that Apple does support are much more efficient. An hour program (40 or so minutes once I edit out the commercials) is 2Gb in the recorded format, and only about 450Mb in the higher quality H.264 encoding - same resolution and no noticeable quality difference.
Given how long the export takes (even on a Mac Pro w/ 4Gb RAM), I wonder if it would even be possible for the software to record/encode live content in the Apple TV H.264 format?

[flybynight]

My beefs with the software are these:
Remote schedules from the TitanTV web site do not come through with the episode name - only show name and description.
I wish there were keyboard shortcuts for adding markers and automatically extending a marker to the current point - this would make editing out commercials much quicker.
I have submitted these to the developers, and they have responded to other questions, so hopefully they add these.
It should be noted that I haven't actually installed the new update yet, so maybe they've taken care of this?

[russellb]

I don't agree with the comment that if you have a MacMini you don't need an Apple TV.
If your a computer nerd like me and dont me and have a MAc Mini hooked up to your TV with a bluetooth mouse and bluetooth keyboard etc and you dont mind using mouse & keyboard (you can get away with just mouse) in your lounge then maybe your correct.
BUT for most of us and the rest of our family, kids, wife etc no one wants to stuff about with even a mouse or stuff about with some of the Apple Remote software workarounds letting the Apple remote control most of your Mac Mini access ... EyeTV works with Apple remote BUT sometimes it gets out of whack and you need a mouse to get back to the App etc.
What people ant to do is sit in front of their TV , pickup a remote (aka Apple remote) and watch their receored TV with no fuss and no hassle. Thats what Apple TV is about.
So even though I have a mac nini on my TV (as I have been holding off on an Apple TV) I dont want keyboards and mouse in my lounge room, thats for my home office. I would rather have my TV Mac which is in my office with EyeTV hooked up to schedule and record etc and then anyone in the family can just sit in front of the TV , pickup one remote and choose what they want to watch.
Thats where Apple TV will clean up .. catering to the masses that just want to sit down in their lounge , pickup a simple remote with no technical navigation like some of the mods for Mac mini's and just watch TV

[montgomery_burns]

Apple TV does not even support 1080i while HDTV does. So unless the entire TV industry is going to fall in line with Apple and start broadcasting in h.264 and reducing their resolution to 720p, I think Apple is the one who needs to work on compatibility. And I don't know if all the people who paid thousands of dollars for HDTV's would be able to update their units to receive h.264 broadcasts.
HDTV has been available for a few years now. North American TV stations broadcast their HDTV programs as MPEG-2 transport streams. EyeTV simply saves those broadcasts straight to disk, thus preserving the original format used by the TV stations. And now it's the TV stations and EyeTV's fault for not working directly with the Apple TV?

[flybynight]

I never said it was anyone's FAULT. Just that H.264 is a better format - less disk space for the same quality. And that's the format I want my recordings in.
Don't get me wrong - I love my EyeTV Hybrid and the software. Just that if it could record into that format on the fly, it would save me a step and loads of disk space. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[mmmdoughnuts]

EyeTV is doing you a favor. This conversion to iTV that you want to do would do damage to the content. Mpeg is already lossy. Going to H.264 will throw away even more data. You will get less quality with the smaller file size if you choose to convert. Going from original content, the H.264 will win hands down like you say, but the HD source to be compressed is already compressed. This would be like reripping mp3s into AAC. Not a good idea.
I just drag and drop my EyeTV files to VLC. The controller is better, but no remote on my G5. Wireless mouse is nearly as good.
Apparently, Quicktime Pro supports mpeg-2 streams. I wonder if you will be able to get a 'Pro' version of iTV?

[hayesk]

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Well, I would extend the problems with the eyetv hybrid:
1) It doesn't support QAM, so if you use it for cable, you can't get the free HD channels.

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elGato makes an HD product that support QAM. You could get that one.

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2) No support on either the apple tv or el gato sw for internet tv (from major league baseball or any of the networks).

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Software from Equinuux does that, and I think it can integrate with eyeTV as well.

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3) Using the hybrid requires you to have on computer hooked up to your cable connection. If you only have one tv (like me), you have to have a computer hooked up to the hybrid already, so why get the apple tv.

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Do you not own a computer display? Split your cable; run one to the eyeTV hooked up to your Mac in your office or wherever, and run the other split to your TV. Keep your Mac in your office, and your AppleTV in your living room. That's the point of AppleTV, right?

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If I have a mac mini and one tv, there is no reason ever to get an apple tv other than to finally have the computer screen take match up with the edge of the tv.

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Or if you would rather not use your computer in your living room. There are points for and against an AppleTV vs. MacMini, and they may not all match up your needs, but how is your post a complaint about the eyeTV software, that works with the eyeTV hybrid, HD (which receives QAM), and other models?

[montgomery_burns]

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Apparently, Quicktime Pro supports mpeg-2 streams. I wonder if you will be able to get a 'Pro' version of iTV?

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QuickTime Pro can play mpeg-2 program streams, but not transport streams which are used by HDTV. I'm not sure if the reason for this is technical, or if Apple just doesn't feel like supporting it.
http://www.apple.com.../mpeg2/faq.html
"The QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component will play program streams, which combine audio and video streams that share a common timeline and are suited for applications with software processing. Playback of transport streams, which combine audio and video with independent time bases, is not supported."