#Elgato eyetv hd setup tv#
#Elgato eyetv hd setup mac#

#Elgato eyetv hd setup mac#

Our 2GHz Mac Mini worked fine with HD recordings, but a 1.8GHz MacBook and 1.8GHz Toshiba Windows laptop both struggled to maintain smooth frame rates on BBC HD broadcasts. You’ll also need a 2GHz processor to watch or record HD broadcasts efficiently. Just bear in mind that HD recordings take up about 9.5Gb of disk space per hour, compared to around 2.5Gb per hour for standard-definition, so you’ll need plenty of disk space if you want to record something like the five hours of the recent HD broadcasts of Torchwood. As expected, switching from the standard-definition version of BBC2’s Coast to the high-definition version on BBC HD produced a major improvement in image quality for the luscious landscape shots that programme specializes in. We had no trouble flicking straight to BBC HD and making a few test recordings. Once past that little hurdle the EyeTV Sat works well, although it does have some important limitations.

Novices attracted by the lure of the free-to-air BBC HD channel – and the occasional episode of The Bill on ITV HD – might get lost at this point, so Elgato needs to provide a little more help for those who don’t have a monthly subscription to What Satellite? We knew from previous reviews of satellite devices that Freesat uses the Astra 2 satellite at 28.2-degrees East, so it was no trouble for us to quickly select that satellite and then wait for about 15 minutes while the EyeTV Sat scanned for available channels. They simply provide a pull-down menu listing the name of every satellite they can find, without giving any indication of the channels or services available from each satellite. Unfortunately, neither program gives you any help locating specific satellite services, such as Freesat, here in the UK. The tuner can receive both DVB-S and DVB-S2 signals, making it suitable for use across most of Europe and also Australia.

#Elgato eyetv hd setup tv#

Naturally, there’s an LNB connector for the satellite cable, so don’t forget that you’ll need either a dedicated Freesat satellite dish or an alternative – such as an existing Sky installation – for TV reception. While most TV tuners can draw their power from the USB connection, the EyeTV Sat relies on a separate mains power supply. Like most TV tuners, the EyeTV Sat now uses a USB 2.0 interface to connect to your computer. And, in fact, most of that space is required for the Common Interface (CI) slot that’s used to plug in additional pay-TV cards. That’s still about three times the price of an ordinary Freeview TV tuner but, at this price, it starts to look like a viable alternative to a dedicated Freesat recorder or set-top box.ĭesigned in silver and white to match the style of the current crop of Mac models, the EyeTV Sat measures just 10cm wide, 15.5cm deep and 2.7cm high, and sits quite comfortably on top of the Mac Mini that we use as a media centre with our Samsung TV. This new model is a lot smaller and more compact, and the price has come down from £240 to £180. The EyeTV 310 has now been discontinued, and replaced with the new EyeTV Sat. However, its main weakness was the £240 price tag, which made it something of a niche product for satellite TV aficionados. The EyeTV 310 had a few rough edges, such as its reliance on a Firewire interface at a time when even Apple appeared to be losing interest in Firewire.