Elgato refreshes its EyeTV Hybrid tuner

It's been almost a year since Elgato refreshed its EyeTV Hybrid tuner, and while the addition of better reception and a FM radio tuner aren't earth-shattering, it's awfully hard to complain about how much the company has crammed into the Cear-QAM 1080i-tuning USB stick aimed at Mac users. The $150 dongle includes a year-long subscription to TV Guide for your scheduling convenience, but you'll have to fork over $20 per year for the service after that. There will be a new 3.1 version of EyeTV available later this month, but you can pick up the fresh hardware right now.

[MarionBarfs @ Jan 7th 2009 5:32AM]

i kinda want that

[Paul Chapel @ Jan 7th 2009 7:46AM]

Get one. It works beautifully. My best friend has one. The dongle even comes with a remote. You point at your Mac and change channels just like a real TV. It comes with a DVR, Program Guide for all channels, input to display your console on the Mac screen, export settings for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod, PSP, AppleTV, iMovie, Toast, etc.

[Knee to the Groin @ Jan 7th 2009 9:29AM]

Agreed. I have 2 on my Mac Pro, can watch and record 2 channels at once all in the same EyeTV interface. Fantastic porting of recordings to iphone/ipod format.

All around awesome!

[bk7 @ Jan 25th 2009 8:34AM]

Is there anything like this for the UK?

[Peto @ Jan 7th 2009 5:55PM]

and how that thing covering another ports
total shit apple !

[MarionBarfs @ Jan 7th 2009 6:33PM]

if i understand you correctly... youre thinking its going to cover other ports. i thought this as well. but on the their site is shows a usb extension cord is included so that wont be a problem.

[Troels C @ Jan 7th 2009 5:42AM]

iEyeTV
Omg what has happened to me!

[Mobius_1 @ Jan 7th 2009 6:12AM]

iMac + EyeTV = iEye???

[OppositeThinking @ Jan 7th 2009 7:30AM]

iEyeMac

[reviewer69 @ Jan 7th 2009 6:25AM]

it is so sad to see that engadget try to relate everythinig with apple product... i am a mac/iphone user, but i dont see how the ipod touch is related to this post

[Grandalf @ Jan 7th 2009 6:40AM]

It's elgato's own picture...

[Sirius @ Jan 7th 2009 6:53AM]

It's probably something to do with wifi streaming of the content to the ipod touch.. I'm not sure.. I just started using it (with the Pinnacle nanostick) and lamenting over the fact that my room is on the wrong side of the house for reception, and that we lost the MCXaerial adaptor.. going out tomorrow to grab a 5m USB extension cable.. hope the signal is strong enough!

[ehoikilla @ Jan 7th 2009 7:23AM]

you can record a TV show and export it to ipod format...

[iHoppipolla @ Jan 7th 2009 8:21AM]

Relative size comparisons, fellas.

That's what the iPhone is there for... or at least I think that's an iPhone. Everyone else seemed to not bat an eye when he said iPod Touch.

[treetrunk @ Jan 7th 2009 6:42AM]

I'm pretty sure you don't need to pay after a year for the (third-party based) TV guide - you can just sign up again.

[Tom @ Jan 7th 2009 7:35AM]

Correct. And, if in a DVB location at least, the tvtv subscription is entirely unnecessary anyway.

[OppositeThinking @ Jan 7th 2009 7:26AM]

It's great if you don't have to use firewire or two other USB ports.

[Tom @ Jan 7th 2009 7:36AM]

Probably why Elgato include a short extension lead with their tuners, then.

[thebruce @ Jan 7th 2009 7:31AM]

Elgato need to do a few things:
Truly integrate into Front Row
Offer a free guide. I'm not paying a subscription.

Perhaps Apple could offer a guide in front row for free as Microsoft does with Media Center?

[Jacob @ Jan 7th 2009 8:09AM]

I agree with the Front Row comment. However, you can use free XMLTV EPGs with EyeTV 3, and it works really well.

[Alex @ Jan 7th 2009 9:56AM]

$150? Eh, I got my USB tuner for $30 on eBay. Sure, it's not HD, and it's a good bit bigger, but come on, $150?

[brucebrendon @ Jan 7th 2009 9:58AM]

shame the writing is upside-down on a MB&P, that'd kinda annoy me

[Neuralgia @ Jan 7th 2009 10:12AM]

The only problem I see in this device, is that it encodes via your mac´s processor, it doesn´t have its own hardware encoding.

That´s why I prefer the Hauppauge option: myTV.PVR, or the ATI: Tv Wonder 650.

I know they´re bigger, but I own an iMac, that´s why I said ¨I prefer¨.

In case you still like the brand and, like me, don´t want my Mac to slow down while watching TV, surfing, and doing other stuff, The Eye TV Hybrid 250 Plus is for you,

[Josh @ Jan 7th 2009 12:20PM]

yeah, i'd like to see some kind of speed test when using on a macbook (not pro), if it even can

[motoxo @ Jan 7th 2009 10:22AM]

so, any macworld coupon discounts like last year?

btw, i love my 'old' hybrid that i got at last years macworld; use it all the time. i want to get the new one and use both!

to respond to other comments if the a hd digital signal is a little weak, it becomes choppy. sounds like they may have fixed that.

i've not noticed any slowdown on my c2d power mac when recording watching.

[THJ @ Jan 7th 2009 8:05PM]

You are also the sole owner of an Intel-based PowerMac. Good on ya!

[Nostradamus @ Jan 8th 2009 1:49PM]

What all de fuss about? I have been receiving Clear-QAM 1080p on my EyeTV Hybrid ever since I bought it (last fall.) Running on a brand-new 24' iMac and smiling all the way.