106 MacDirectory
REVIEW | VIDEO
With the addition of video capabilities to
the hugely appealing iPod Nano, the
demand for portable video content is at
an all-time high. Thanks to the EyeTV
products from Elgato
powerful, user-friendly solutions are
available that enable consumers to grab
video from cable, satellite and other
sources and output it in formats suitable
for the iPod, iPhone, AppleTV, DVD,
Video CD, PSP, and more.
The newest addition to this lineup is the
EyeTV 250 Plus, which provides the
combination of a digital and analog tuner,
a DA converter and an all-in-one software-
based recorder, scheduler and library. It
supports a variety of connections,
including coaxial, SVGA and RCA and it
offers support for cable, satellite, and
HDTV, as well as WiFi for the iPhone or
iPod Touch.
The EyeTV application provides an all-in-
one solution for viewing TV listings,
scheduling, recording, editing out
unwanted content, multiplexing, and
video playback. The inclusion of Roxio's®
Toast 8 Basic adds the capability of
outputting video to DVD and video CD.
Control is handled onscreen or via an
included hardware remote.
Setup is an easy task. Install the software,
connect the hardware, and then enter
your zip code and TV provider
information. TV listings are available by
signing up for a free account at
TitanTV.com. Once the listings have
downloaded you can go to the channels
pane and specify any of which that you do
not wish to appear in the program guide.
You can also set preferences for the
frequency at which the listings are
updated from the Web.
Recording is easy as well. Just call up the
program listing and click on the desired
program. This inserts the item into your
list of scheduled recordings. Double-click
on the item to specify preferences for that
item, such as recording duration, repeat
recording of episodes, editing the
synopsis, and sending the result to an
AppleTV or iPod.
If you need to convert your VHS library to
digital, just connect a VCR, pop in a tape
and the video stream appears in a window
(floating or full-screen). Click on the
record button on the remote and off you
go. The item then appears in your
recordings list. Then, either during
recording or afterwards, you can enter the
title of the video and a description.
Basic tools are provided for selecting and
deleting unwanted content. You can also
use the edit tool to navigate to a desired
frame that will appear in the recordings
list as the poster frame.
Playing back a recording is as simple as
double clicking on the item in the list.
Converting a recording for output in
various formats can take a while,
particularly in the case of full-length
movies. You might be able to speed
things up a bit with an external
application such as Compressor, but the
EyeTV hardware/software combination
does and excellent job and supports a
good range of codecs, so nothing else is
needed besides a bit of hard drive space.
If you do much recording, space can
become an important issue. The
standard NTSC DVD spec calls for around
1.8 GB of storage per hour of video. A
feature film can weigh in at 3 to 3.5 Gigs
for the basic QuickTime version, plus you
would need additional space for other
formats, such as creating a DVD master
for Toast. Fortunately, hard drive prices
are at an amazing low, with a terabyte of
external storage for around $350. Even
so, plan ahead, particularly if you have a
huge appetite for TV or a large VHS
library to preserve.
The EyeTV is an excellent and much
more powerful alternative to TiVo®, as
you can record from a variety of sources
and take your movies and shows with you
wherever you go, either on your laptop,
iPhone, iPod or 3rd generation Nano. It is
easy to set up and use and, as you can
create unlimited content virtually for
free, it will give new life to those
AppleTVs by freeing them from the
iTunes Store. It is a great product that
will pay for itself many times over.
ELGATO EYETV 250 PLUS > GRAB VIDEO WHENEVER YOU WANT
Product EyeTV 250 Plus
Made by Elgato
Price $199
Pros Compact, powerful, easy to
use, includes remote and
Roxio® Toast 8 Basic
Cons None
Rating
HHHHH
WORDS BY TREY YANCY
