Can anyone recommend a TV tuner for a Mac?

June 14, 2004 6:18 PM

Can anyone recommend a TV tuner for a Mac? I have an iBook, so it has to be either a firewire or USB model (not a PC card), and i'm hoping to spend under a hundred bucks. I have no real interest in any TVR functions, as my hard drive is maxed out already and I have a TiVo at home. I'm at Dartmouth for a month - which is in the middle of nowhere - so it must be available online to be shipped immediately, preferably with expedited shipping.
posted by rorycberger to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

I don't have any experience with it, but I believe Eye TV is the main tuner solution for Macs. When it was released, SRP was about $200 though, so it might not be a good solution for you.
posted by willnot at 12:39 AM on June 15, 2004

I used to use MyTV, but my older iMac's processor is a bit slow for their OSX software (they suggest 700mhz G3 or higher). MyTV2Go might suit your iBook better, and is under $100. Both are USB.
posted by obloquy at 1:16 AM on June 15, 2004

So, these TV tuners... they allow one to tune in the TV on the PC? This may seem like a dumb question, but I have no idea what they do. How well would this work in the country? Probably not so hot, eh?

So, could one record with a TV tuner to a hard drive and then burn it to a DVD?
posted by pissfactory at 4:26 AM on June 15, 2004

So, these TV tuners... they allow one to tune in the TV on the PC?

Yes, exactly. It's a box that connects via USB or FireWire that gives the computer all the functionality of a modern television (and then some, in most cases).

How well would this work in the country? Probably not so hot, eh?

You'd connect the same source to it that you'd connect to a TV: cable, satellite dish, or antenna. In that respect it would be no better or worse than a regular TV.

So, could one record with a TV tuner to a hard drive and then burn it to a DVD?

Indeed, that's one of the main selling points advertised by EyeTV.
posted by jjg at 7:51 AM on June 15, 2004