EyeTV 200

EyeTV 200
Manufacturer: Elgato Systems
Retail Price: $329

Does your Mac TiVo? Well, it almost can with Elgato's EyeTV 200 (FireWire). You'll be able to watch excellent quality TV on your Mac's screen, as well as schedule and record your favorite shows; pause, replay, and search that TV. Its high quality MPEG-2 encoder not only allows your shows to look good but also makes them ready to archive to DVD using Roxio's Toast.

In the box you will find the following items: EyeTV 200 hardware, EyeTV software and PDF documentation on CD-ROM, FireWire cable, Remote control, 2 AAA batteries and a Quick Start Guide.

The latest software is EyeTV 1.6.3 and it requires a G4 with a speed of at least 500 MHz or a G5 Power Macintosh, and Mac OS X v. 10.2.8 Jaguar or later. Elgato recommends Mac OS X v. 10.3.5 Panther.

The installation is simple, easy, and very intuitive. The Quick Start Guide is very clear and useful. The Setup Assistant will guide you and when you finish, you're ready to watch TV. It's that simple.

EyeTV digitally records your favorite TV shows on your Mac's hard drive for immediate or later viewing. You can program your favorite shows once, daily, or weekly. Or you can use EyeTV's optional free Electronic Program Guide from TitanTV to ensure recording all the shows that interest you.

With the built-in editor, you can edit unwanted parts. It's like having an iMovie to help you edit your programs. Isn't it wonderful to be able to remove the commercials, finally?

The TiVo model I have pales in comparison to what I can do with the EyeTV 200 on my Mac. I can take my shows with me by creating DVDs or VideoCDs to play anywhere I like on most standard DVD players. Or I can update my VHS tapes to digital by capturing the VCR content through EyeTV to record a digital copy on the Mac, and then burn it to a DVD or VideoCD.

The included remote control enables me to record a show that I want immediately from my TV viewing couch. I don't have to move to lower the volume, raise the volume, or mute it when the phone rings.

It's no wonder that EyeTV 200 won the Macworld Editor's Choice Award for the Hardware of the Year. It is the best way to watch TV on a Mac.

I will add a comment about the customer support department being very friendly, efficient, and timely. The first unit I tested was defective and needed to be replaced. I was impressed with the attention I was given. It is further testimony to the care and attention they give to customer satisfaction.

Minimum System Requirements:
• Macintosh computer with minimum PowerPC(r) G4 500MHz or G5 processor.
• A built-in FireWire port or independently powered
FireWire hub
• Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later, with 256 MB RAM (512 MB recommended)
• Minimum 20 MB free hard disk space
• Approximately 2 GB of free hard disk space for each hour of video to be recorded
• QuickTime 6.4
• An Internet connection to use EyeTV's Electronic Program Guide (EPG) (Optional)
• A CD or DVD burner and Roxio's Toast 6 Titanium
CD recording software to create Video CDs, Super Video Cds, or DVDs (Optional)
Test System: G5 Dual 2.5-GHz, 2 GB DDR SDRAM, 250-GB SATA hard drive.

Reviewed by NCMUG member Maria O. Arguello