Elgato to unleash EyeTV 3 with Smart Guides, iTunes-like interface
Elgato on Tuesday will introduce EyeTV 3, a major overhaul to its Mac OS X software for recording, post-processing and export of television programs that will introduce a handful of new features, including a refined interface, smart program guides, and enhanced WiFi access, AppleInsider has learned.
Drawing off feedback from existing EyeTV 2 users, Elgato has revamped nearly every aspect of the software using concepts that will be familiar to users of Apple's iTunes software, people familiar with matter say. Among the enhancements is a completely redesigned programs window that mimics the iTunes interface, placing all key functions in a customizable sidebar and offering a supplemental Cover Flow view for browsing the EyeTV Library.
Like Apple's Smart Folder technology included in Mac OS X, users of EyeTV 3 will be able to save their program guide search criteria to the sidebar as "Smart Guides" that will automatically update whenever new data appears in the program guide.
Smart Guides can further be used to create subscriptions that automatically record the contents of any Smart Guide. This will reportedly make it possible for users to not only record all episodes of a regular series, but also all content that matches a specific search criteria, such as all shows containing the actor Jerry Seinfeld that are broadcast in high-definition.
Similarly, a feature called Smart Playlists will let users create dynamic groupings of all the recordings that match a specific term, such as all movies containing the actor Kevin Spacey. Like Smart Guides, the Smart Playlists will also update automatically as new recordings are added to the EyeTV 3 Library.
According to those people familiar with EyeTV 3, the software will also introduce enhanced Wi-Fi access that will make it possible to watch low-resolution recordings in Safari on the iPhone and iPod Touch, or on a variety of other smart phones. Users will be able to password protect the Wi-Fi access feature to control who is able to review the recordings.
Another feature expected to make its debut as part of EyeTV 3 is a new iPod assistant modeled after Elgato's popular VHS Assistant. The feature will guide users through the steps needed to capture analog sources like VHS cassettes and camcorder tapes and prepare them for iPod use.
Like iTunes and iPhoto sharing, users will be able to share their library of recordings with other EyeTV 3 users over a local network. Shared libraries will appear in the application's sidebar for instant browsing.
Other features lined up for Tuesday's EyeTV 3 release include a new on-screen menu, saved channel lists, a Script Menu to trigger external AppleScripts, and improvements to the post-processing editor, full text search, and the EyeTV setup assistant.
EyeTV 3, which is designed for use alongside Elgato's line of hardware-based television tuners, supports analog and digital television signals, IPTV signals, as well as analog video signals from cable boxes, satellite receivers and video recorders.
Drawing off feedback from existing EyeTV 2 users, Elgato has revamped nearly every aspect of the software using concepts that will be familiar to users of Apple's iTunes software, people familiar with matter say. Among the enhancements is a completely redesigned programs window that mimics the iTunes interface, placing all key functions in a customizable sidebar and offering a supplemental Cover Flow view for browsing the EyeTV Library.
Like Apple's Smart Folder technology included in Mac OS X, users of EyeTV 3 will be able to save their program guide search criteria to the sidebar as "Smart Guides" that will automatically update whenever new data appears in the program guide.
Smart Guides can further be used to create subscriptions that automatically record the contents of any Smart Guide. This will reportedly make it possible for users to not only record all episodes of a regular series, but also all content that matches a specific search criteria, such as all shows containing the actor Jerry Seinfeld that are broadcast in high-definition.
Similarly, a feature called Smart Playlists will let users create dynamic groupings of all the recordings that match a specific term, such as all movies containing the actor Kevin Spacey. Like Smart Guides, the Smart Playlists will also update automatically as new recordings are added to the EyeTV 3 Library.
According to those people familiar with EyeTV 3, the software will also introduce enhanced Wi-Fi access that will make it possible to watch low-resolution recordings in Safari on the iPhone and iPod Touch, or on a variety of other smart phones. Users will be able to password protect the Wi-Fi access feature to control who is able to review the recordings.
Another feature expected to make its debut as part of EyeTV 3 is a new iPod assistant modeled after Elgato's popular VHS Assistant. The feature will guide users through the steps needed to capture analog sources like VHS cassettes and camcorder tapes and prepare them for iPod use.
Like iTunes and iPhoto sharing, users will be able to share their library of recordings with other EyeTV 3 users over a local network. Shared libraries will appear in the application's sidebar for instant browsing.
Other features lined up for Tuesday's EyeTV 3 release include a new on-screen menu, saved channel lists, a Script Menu to trigger external AppleScripts, and improvements to the post-processing editor, full text search, and the EyeTV setup assistant.
EyeTV 3, which is designed for use alongside Elgato's line of hardware-based television tuners, supports analog and digital television signals, IPTV signals, as well as analog video signals from cable boxes, satellite receivers and video recorders.
Comments
1) Does EyeTV work with anything other than OTA? i.e. does it work with cable
2) If so, does it work with everything on cable except premium content? (e.g. HBO)
Even talking directly with Elegato folks at Macworld 07 left me confused as to how their product works with cable, which is the only game in town for me.
I've been extremely happy over the past year with all aspects of my EyeTV Hybrid: the hardware, the software, and the support. I use it for antenna programming as well as for watching/ripping VHS tapes on my iMac. I suspect I'll use it to play Wii games in future.
I don't see myself ever getting cable. HD is free over the air, and there are many Internet TV options now (I use iTunes to watch some cable shows, and ABC.com to watch Lost and Pushing Daisies--both in HD for free). Not all cable shows are on iTunes, but iTunes is VASTLY cheaper than any cable package. So I can wait for the DVDs on those shows I miss.
Analog cable
http://faq.elgato.com/index.php/faq/more/484/
Digital cable
http://faq.elgato.com/index.php/faq/more/482/
So does eyetv record natively to an aTV/iPod compatible format yet? Or does it record to something else and then have to convert afterwards?
You need to covert afterwards.
Hmmm. Let me know when they include a cable-card slot. Until then it is crippleware.
HD is mentioned in the article, but I've no idea how that works. Anyone more familiar? I need to supplement my HD DVR Cablebox, but am always spinning round and round on whether I should try to run cable/tv/recording into my iMac, or move to an HD Tivo. Regradless, Comcast is worthless.
My needs are: iTunes compatibility (whether native or using additional conversion doesn't matter much to me-my volume would be relatively low) for iPod and AppleTV use, increased drive (Comcast DVR constantly filling-up) space, and ability to burn DVDs of recordings.
It seems possible to get these needs met via Tivo's current feature set, or EyeTV's. If anyone out there has good advice, I'm all ears.
HD is mentioned in the article, but I've no idea how that works. Anyone more familiar? I need to supplement my HD DVR Cablebox, but am always spinning round and round on whether I should try to run cable/tv/recording into my iMac, or move to an HD Tivo. Regradless, Comcast is worthless.
My needs are: iTunes compatibility (whether native or using additional conversion doesn't matter much to me-my volume would be relatively low) for iPod and AppleTV use, increased drive (Comcast DVR constantly filling-up) space, and ability to burn DVDs of recordings.
It seems possible to get these needs met via Tivo's current feature set, or EyeTV's. If anyone out there has good advice, I'm all ears.
I don't know about anyone else, but my analog stations from my cable company look like garbage on my new iMac when running the EyeTV. The quality isn't even as good as the analog channels on my HDTV running through the digital cable box.
I don't know if his is because the iMac is high def, and analog channels look better on my old regular TV I replaced than on my iMac, or if it's a limitation of the EyeTV Hybrid tuner.
GQB, the EyeTV Hybrid works with cable as well as antenna.
In a limited fashion. EyeTV won't control a cable/sat box and I don't think there's any way to have a guide. What I end up having to do is program the satellite box to turn on & switch to a certain channel at a certain time, and program EyeTV to record the AUX input at that time. I've heard that there is some third party way to tie the two together better, but I don't know what it is.
In a limited fashion. EyeTV won't control a cable/sat box and I don't think there's any way to have a guide. What I end up having to do is program the satellite box to turn on & switch to a certain channel at a certain time, and program EyeTV to record the AUX input at that time. I've heard that there is some third party way to tie the two together better, but I don't know what it is.
I don't know about using a box. But for the regular cable, it works great. It carries my channels 2-84 just fine. The guide is free, and is from TitanTV, which is integrated in the EyeTV program guide.
1. You can use OTA or cable.
2. So far as I know, EyeTV cannot control a cable box. Personally, I plug in my cable right into the EyeTV 250. This means that I can only record unscrambled channels. I don't bother with a cable box because I don't feel like shelling out extra bucks for one. I just don't record that much content, and I have 2 TiVo's in my house anyway.
3. I believe the EyeTV software can record and automatically export to an iPod or iPhone.
4. The current version of the EyeTV software does support WiFi viewing of a recorded program. In addition, if you open port 2170 to the rest of the world, you can access your recordings online, too. Unfortunately, there's no built-in access control, so you'll have to deal with that at the router level (e.g., IP restrictions).
5. No one has asked yet, but this always comes up: what's the difference between the EyeTV 250 and the EyeTV Hybrid. The short answer is that the EyeTV 250 has built-in MPEG encoding hardware whereas the Hybrid relies on the Mac to encode analog broadcasts. It used to be that the Hybrid didn't allow FF/REW/PAUSE of live TV for analog, but I'm not sure if that has been addressed. Personally, that was the deal breaker for me and that's why I went with the EyeTV 250.
The new features look pretty nice, but I'm wondering why there's no remote viewing of live TV. You can already download CyTV to get that feature, so I have no idea why Elgato didn't implement that feature as well. Very odd. Nevertheless, it'll be nice to get a revamp of the software. I'm looking forward to it!
--DotComCTO
OK, someone clarify this for me...
1) Does EyeTV work with anything other than OTA? i.e. does it work with cable
2) If so, does it work with everything on cable except premium content? (e.g. HBO)
Even talking directly with Elegato folks at Macworld 07 left me confused as to how their product works with cable, which is the only game in town for me.
I have an EyeTV hybrid and the HDHomerun. The Hybrid will work with analog cable (channels 2-94 on our Astound cable system). The HDHomerun will pick up unencrypted QAM (digital) channels off of cable, as well as ATSC (OTA) digital TV. If you are curious as to which channels you would receive with the HDHomerun, you can plug in your zip code at Silicon Dust's site. What would be nice (and I still don't see it listed) is if Eye TV worked with more than one tuner. I want to be able to record analog cable from the Hybrid and HDTV from the HDHomerun, but EyeTV doesn't support it, at least in 2.5.2.
The new software looks really promising. The addition of subscriptions is HUGE. It was a real PITA to have to go through once a week and set up recordings in Eye TV.
As for cable cards and being able to record HD direct from a STB, I don't really think that is a priority for Elgato (or Apple for that matter). If you want to be able to record encrypted HDTV, buy an HDTivo or rent a box from your cable/satellite company.