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Elgato EyeTV Mobile eyes-on (video)
Elgato's been experimenting with live TV on the iPad for over a year now, but until now, that meant streaming programs that were already broadcast online anyway -- a mighty large limitation, wouldn't you say? This week, though, the company announced EyeTV Mobile, a TV tuner that plugs into the iPad 2's 30-pin connector, allowing it to pull in broadcast television. We just happened to stumble on Elgato's booth here at IFA and treated ourselves to a short TV break. The tuner, which fits easily in the palm of your hand when the antenna is collapsed, only allows you to draw in signals using the DVB-T standard, so make no mistake this is a product just for our European readers. (Although Elgato says it hopes to release something similar in Japan.) Even more than the hardware or the programming selection (fútbol, anyone?), we remain impressed by the free EyeTV iOS app, whose interface is pretty much the same as the HDHomeRun for iPad app, with the ability to swipe the screen to change channels and, in this case, save your location. It'll be available across the pond for €99.95 / £99.95 at the end of this month. Until then (or if you're just stuck in the states), check out our hands-on photos below and a video demo after the break. %Gallery-132551%
Elgato EyeTV Mobile dongle brings live TV to the iPad 2
Sure, Elgato already has an app that lets you stream TV to your iPad -- but that's only if they're being broadcast online. To pull in live TV over the air you'd need a TV-tuner, something that has, until now, been unavailable for Apple's popular slate. By the end of September that lack of broadcast television will become just a distant memory with the release of EyeTV Mobile, a £100 (about $163) dongle that connects to the iPad's proprietary port. The tuner will be able to pull in MPEG 2 streams over DVB-T, but won't work with DVB-T2 broadcasts like Freeview HD. Check out the source for more details.
