Mac Mini HTPC Info

First, let me thank a friend (twitter username: btoone) who graciously allowed me to use his Elgato EyeTV Hybrid for this review.  I think he owed me since much to my surprise I found the unit marked down 5o percent at a local Apple retailer.  He was seeking a unit for some VHS-encoding projects so it seemed like a perfect match.  My article will focus on the pairing of the Hybrid with an outdoor HDTV antenna for OTA reception and a short recording test.

Before replacing our DirecTV standard definition DVR and service with the DISH Network HD DVR service this summer, we relied solely on the garage mounted Radio Shack antenna to receive HD OTA (over-the-air) signals.  Being my first exposure to true High Definition broadcasts, I was very pleased with the image quality delivered to my bedroom’s 32-inch Vizio TV (720p and 1080i capable).  With the antenna in place, I am able to receive 22 channels with all four local network affiliates delivered in crisp High Definition.

But, I digress – first things first.  So, with the mini securely connected via HDMI to the Vizio unit, I proceeded to install the EyeTV software (as anxiously plugging in the USB Hybrid Tuner obviously yielded no results).  The software installation was rather smooth and when prompted I entered the serial and informed the EyeTV software that I was using an Antenna connection.  A few dialogs later the software was auto-tuning in order to find all of the channels available.  With the Hybrid attached I was able to recieve 17 channels (lost one after a secondary re-scan) including the aforementioned network affiliates.  After scanning and diaplaying the results, the software connects to the TV Guide service (free for one year, $19.95 thereafter and available only in the U.S.) to populate its own electronic program guide based on your previously entered zip code.  I had to create a new account which oddly said I was “not authorized to download guide data” even though I had just registered.  Regardless of the enigmatic message, the guide data was present in the guide  interface presented by the EyeTV software.

Now with the software installation complete (oh, I also upgraded the application to the latest 3.2.5612 version as a matter of habit), it was time to do some actual testing of the channels received by the Elgato Hybrid Unit and my antenna.  Initial impressions were favorable as the first channel, the local CBS Network affiliate, was displayed sharply and with no real visible display artifacts or anamolies.  Then, the reception results seemed to slide downhill from that point.  All of the remaining local channels showed visible artifacts and even locked up on several occasions.  I thought it might simply be a tuning issue so I performed several re-scans in order to hopefully acquire stronger signals.  The issues remained unresolved.  In fact, three of the local PBS affiliate channels (two are broadcast in HD) that were clearly and directly available with the direct antenna connection to the TV, were not even “tuneable” or displayed using the Elgato device.  It was frustrating and unfortunately would never be usable as the sole TV broadcast source as results were wholly inconsistent.  I could blame it entirely on the fact that our home sits in a somewhat rural valley (see Antennaweb results in this post’s Gallery) enshrouded by mountains and foothills, but with the direct antenna connection my reception was nothing short of spectacular.

After being somewhat disappointed with the live TV results, I decided to tune to a strong channel and test the recording (DVR) functionality of the EyeTV Hybrid and accompanying software.  I recorded a 13 minutes segment of a daytime soap opera (hey, I work from home and it was lunch time) and the recording occurred without a glitch.  Although obviously recorded at a high setting (the 13 minutes = 1.4 GB of utilized storage space), the recording was smooth and clear.  The EyeTV software provides a way to view your recordings in a list format or in a slick iTunes-esque Coverflow mode (see gallery).  I believe the recording functionality of this unit makes it a best of breed product.  If you are able to lock into a strong signal and have multiple channels available, the Elgato EyeTV Hybrid makes an ideal bedroom or guest room DVR.

Another factor which sets the Elgato EyeTV Hybrid apart from others in the Mac TV tuner niche is its new iPhone / iPod Touch application.  The EyeTV app offers the ability to access previously recorded material, set up and manage live TV recordings, browse the local program guide, and even watch live TV via 3G and WiFi connections.  It currently retails for $4.99 at the Apple iTunes Store.  I did not have an opportunity to test it but it seems be receiving some favorable reviews as I write this article.

Overall, I believe Elgato has released a solid tuner product in the Hybrid.  The EyeTV software never crashed during my tests and performed as expected.  The unit ships with an infrared remote as well but I used the HippoRemote iPhone application with its included Mac OSX profile to successfully control the entire TV viewing and recording process.  I am unsure why my signal was so significantly degraded when I connected my antenna to the unit, but I have heard favorable experiences with HD antenna as well as direct Cable TV connections.  If I could receive a quality signal, then I think this versatile product would already be on my Christmas Gadget wish list.  With the release of the iPhone app, it might be a mobile Sling killer – who knows?

Note: Please check out my extensive screenshot gallery depicting my installation and viewing results (live and recorded).

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