To summarize my blog: the ADVC 110 produces better pictures when converting from analog sources to digital at the cost of time and user’s effort. However, the picture quality is not as good as the Canopus ADVC 110. Digital programming: This is where the hybrid wins, but it still need an antenna to produce decent pictures.īesides watching TV, one can use the EyeTV to convert old analog sources such as VHS, analog camcorder tapes to DVD.Portability: the hybrid is more portable, but I doubt its off-the-air picture quality is any good.I am interested to see the numbers on EyeTV Hybrid. I use Activity monitor and find that EyeTV 250 only uses on average 6-7% CPU power on my 2GHz MacBook Core Duo (not Core 2) and with 2GB RAM.
software encoding: This is the primary reason I choose the EyeTV 250 it encodes video in the hardware instead of software. Portability aside, it would be excellent for someone with a desktop computer and limited space.Ī month ago, I purchased the EyeTV 250 instead of the hybrid after considering the following factors: However, if you wish to use it wirelessly, the mobility factor is significantly hampered. Overall, the Elgato EyeTV Hybrid is a neat device with a good interface. No automatic recording of the Rose Bowl for me. I was unable to properly test the automatic record function, as each time I attempted to connect to TitanTV’s program guide to select a program to record, the server returned an error.Īfter a few not-so-quick calls, it appears that the problem is not with Elgato or TitanTV, but with my cable provider who is currently upgrading service in my area, which will be completed in late January 2007.
Your recorded content can also be edited later using the EyeTV2 software or sent out to Toast to archive for later viewing.
The manual record function is intuitive and even supports iPod formats. The quality is rather good, and can be viewed in a variety of sizes, including full-screen. The software immediately found the analog channels, to search for the digital channels I had to click the auto-tune button.
With all the extra cables included in the box, why didn’t they include a small snap-on antenna?ĭisappointed in the ATSC functions of the EyeTV Hybrid, I decided to test it with my home cable connection. All the pictures on the box depicts laptops wirelessly viewing content while connected to the EyeTV, so I expected some ATSC reception without assistance. Since I primarily use a laptop, buying a bulky external antenna negates the benefit of buying a small dongle. If you have problems with reception, Elgato’s site recommends visiting for regional reception information and help selecting an antenna.
The software only recognized two channels, and neither of them was visible. The ATSC reception without an antenna is rather poor. There are two ways that you can view programming on the EyeTV Hybrid: via cable connection (NTSC/Digital) or through the air (ATSC). When I first launched the included EyeTV software the configuration wizard guided me through the setup process.Ĭonfiguration for your local channels is a fairly straightforward process, but you do need to create a Titian TV account to be able to view the channel listings.
One end of the EyeTV Hybrid connects via USB to your computer, the opposite end has a coaxial connector and a port for the break-out cables.īefore using the EyeTV Hybrid hardware, you need to install and configure Elgato’s EyeTV 2 software from the included disc. The USB dongle is solid, compact and sturdy. The Elgato EyeTV Hybrid is packed in a compact cardboard box containing an installation disc, USB dongle with extender and a variety of auxiliary break-out cables such as audio splitters, S-video, and composite. The European/Australian version supports PAL, SECAM, DTT and DVB-T. Since I live in the US, I am using the North American version which supports ATSC and NTSC standards. Elgato makes several versions of the product, depending on which area of the world you live in.