TV tuner for MacBook that works in US *and* Japan

March 29, 2008 2:49 PM

Looking for a TV tuner, but here's the catch: it has to be compatible with a MacBook (so USB or FireWire only), and I'd really prefer if it supported both US and Japan over-the-air broadcasts (bonus points for HD).
posted by DoctorFedora to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

Response by poster: By the way, the iLuv looks really nice and compact, but I'll be damned if I can find one for sale. That, and I have no idea as to the quality, US-compatibility (given that it's just a USB stick with an antenna, I'm guessing "no"), and HD-compatibility...
posted by DoctorFedora at 2:54 PM on March 29, 2008

Have you looked at the Elgato EyeTV Hybrid?
posted by melorama at 3:01 PM on March 29, 2008

Response by poster: I guess the question then comes in as to whether it would work in Japan. They use different frequencies for terrestrial broadcasts of SDTV, and I don't even know if they use the same digital HD format in the first place, much less compatible frequencies.
posted by DoctorFedora at 3:38 PM on March 29, 2008

Japan is ISDB. The US is ATSC. The two standards are not compatible and I'd imagine that the market for a device capable of receiving and decoding both signals is very small. The EyeTV works well on a Mac, but I can't speak to the quality of any ISDB compatible USB sticks.
posted by sun-el at 5:21 PM on March 29, 2008

Response by poster: boo that. D:
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:05 PM on March 29, 2008

As far as the US goes, the EyeTV is pretty much the best TV tuner you can get for a MacBook.
posted by pete0r at 6:57 PM on March 29, 2008