equinux offers up TubeStick hybrid USB TV tuner

If neither of Elgato's latest from Macworld tickled your fancy, there's a decent shot you may like what equinux has going on instead. The TubeStick hybrid is the firm's newly announced USB TV tuner, which is housed in a diminutive chassis that won't block nearby ports and offers up OTA reception of NTSC, ATSC and digital (QAM) signals. Furthermore, the unit comes wearing the whitest of white outfits and also touts an external antenna and a one-month trial of the TubeToGo software. Yes, this critter will play nice with Windows machines as well, but we hear it tries to avoid such predicaments whenever possible. Ready to snag your own? Catch one next month for $129.

[Via The Mac Observer]

[Geqxon @ Jan 25th 2008 8:45AM]

I am shocked you guys didn't post a new article stating this product sucks because it will not fit into the Macbook Air's USB-port.

[Oinquer @ Jan 25th 2008 9:23AM]

damn! i was late...was gonna state the same...eheheh

[ryan @ Jan 25th 2008 9:06AM]

Does this have any advantage at all over El Gato's offerings?

[victor @ Jan 25th 2008 1:35PM]

ryan, it depends on what you mean by "advantages"... tubestick software has some social-software aspects to it, and the hardware itself seems engineered a little nicer for Apple. you can check out the software and hardware in this video:
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/01/23/show-floor-video-equinux-shows-the-tubestick/

[dhaasgob @ Jan 28th 2008 3:11AM]

Yea, but the additional 30 price tag compared to the Hybrid (that recently was updated to have ClearQAM), it isn't incredibly spectacular. The social feature seems iffy and the ability to delete recording remotely is nice, but not an extra $30 nice.

[dhaasgob @ Jan 28th 2008 3:17AM]

I correct myself on the price statement, I checked my prices wrong. The Hybrid is around 30 more... oops.

[NHAnimator @ Jan 25th 2008 9:43AM]

TubeStick = UnfortunateProductName

[friendlyner @ Jan 25th 2008 12:31PM]

Sounds very much like TubeSteak, one of my favorite slang terms for the male sex organ.

[silivrenion @ Jan 25th 2008 9:49AM]

Isn't this kind of a moot point now? I mean, airwave TV broadcasts are being cut in February.. who wants to go spend money on a product that will stop working in the quite near future?

[aptmunich @ Jan 25th 2008 9:54AM]

Over the air digital ATSC tuner... not analog :)

Record over the air HD baby!

[The Fuzz 53 @ Jan 25th 2008 10:29AM]

Wow. I didn't think that anybody that read this site could be that ill-informed.

[silivrenion @ Jan 25th 2008 10:32AM]

Oh, ok. I didn't know it was digital. I've been personally leery of all TV tuners because of this new conversion, regardless if their analog/digital status. Just thought it was a point to bring up, you know?

[Joey Geraci @ Jan 25th 2008 11:03AM]

hybrid tv tuners are, by definition, digital (and analog). Get with the lingo, man!

[dhaasgob @ Jan 28th 2008 3:14AM]

It uses OTA digital, ClearQAM (unencrypted digital stations via cable) and analog cable (which doesn't have the 2009 cut off that broadcast/OTA does, so its safe for a while).

So anyway there is to it, you'll have at least good functionality for the next few years (until cable operators become digital only, but who knows when that'll be).

[TheDude @ Jan 25th 2008 10:39AM]

Is no one going to make fun of the name...? Fine I will!
They said Tube Stick... huh huh huh.