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j45degrees · Mar 22, 2003, 03:21 PM

Can someone enlighten me why expensive hardware is needed to watch TV on the new iMac? Once upon a time I hooked up my VCR to the Mac with a RCA plug and used Apple Video software to watch TV. This was on an AV Mac (7500 PPC) but my point is that it was very easy.

What prevents someone from making an inexpensive jack that can take the feed from a VCR and allow it to be used either via USB or Firewire on the iMac?

JasonBourne · Mar 23, 2003, 01:07 AM

Just buy the eye TV from elgato. So simple to set-up.

Originally posted by j45degrees:
Can someone enlighten me why expensive hardware is needed to watch TV on the new iMac? Once upon a time I hooked up my VCR to the Mac with a RCA plug and used Apple Video software to watch TV. This was on an AV Mac (7500 PPC) but my point is that it was very easy.

What prevents someone from making an inexpensive jack that can take the feed from a VCR and allow it to be used either via USB or Firewire on the iMac?

im_noahselby · Mar 23, 2003, 02:38 AM

Originally posted by j45degrees:
Can someone enlighten me why expensive hardware is needed to watch TV on the new iMac? Once upon a time I hooked up my VCR to the Mac with a RCA plug and used Apple Video software to watch TV. This was on an AV Mac (7500 PPC) but my point is that it was very easy.

What prevents someone from making an inexpensive jack that can take the feed from a VCR and allow it to be used either via USB or Firewire on the iMac?

Most people don't buy a computer to watch TV on it and that's probbably one of the main reasons why it's still so expensive. Until there is more demand for it in the market we will just have to sit back and wait for the prices to lower.

As Apple develops larger, higher resolution diplays it's becoming more desirable to watch DVD's and perhaps even TV, so I don't think were that far off from seeing an affordable solution.

Noah

vmarks · Mar 23, 2003, 04:01 PM

eyetv from elgato.com and formac.com's studioDV/tv solution both work well.

Why are they required? Because Apple no longer bundles a TV tuner (hardware) into the Macintosh.

j45degrees · Mar 23, 2003, 05:11 PM

Originally posted by vmarks:
eyetv from elgato.com and formac.com's studioDV/tv solution both work well.

Why are they required? Because Apple no longer bundles a TV tuner (hardware) into the Macintosh.

Ok that explains it nicely. So there's not going to be a cheap solution ever, I simply have to get the tuner. Is the Formac solution the better of the two?

spiff41398 · Mar 23, 2003, 06:56 PM

If you want a cheap alternative and you already have a VCR, you can check out Interview Lite ($40), a a USB cable that accepts either s-video or composite inputs from NTSC, PAL and SECAM video sources.

http://www.echofx.com/

j45degrees · Mar 23, 2003, 07:35 PM

Originally posted by spiff41398:
If you want a cheap alternative and you already have a VCR, you can check out Interview Lite ($40), a a USB cable that accepts either s-video or composite inputs from NTSC, PAL and SECAM video sources.

http://www.echofx.com/

This is the type of thing I was reffering to originally. Have you tried this yourself? The maximum window size is 352 x 240?

bradoesch · Mar 25, 2003, 09:52 AM

Originally posted by j45degrees:
This is the type of thing I was reffering to originally. Have you tried this yourself? The maximum window size is 352 x 240?

The 352x240 maximum window size is likley because of USB's slow speed.

spiff41398 · Mar 26, 2003, 02:04 AM

You can actually scale up the window size to fullscreen. It's not 30fps but it's watchable.

real · Mar 28, 2003, 06:27 PM

Isn't EyeTV 320X240 I was wondering if you have a usb port on the back of the cable box whats stoping me from running a usb cable from the cable box to the MAC.

tarkap · Apr 6, 2003, 09:05 PM

The small resolution is because that's the NTSC standard singal resolution, not because of USB or anything. HDTV is better, but I don't know of any way to get those signals to a Mac.

As for the USB on some cable boxes, its probably there for the service people to fix the box or configure it for that specific cable company's signal. It probably has nothing to do with sending video out of it... but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try

joe · Apr 7, 2003, 07:30 AM

Originally posted by tarkap:
The small resolution is because that's the NTSC standard singal resolution, not because of USB or anything.

USB 1.x bandwidth creates a bottleneck that makes it difficult to capture higher than 320*240 res video in real time. That's why most USB devices are rated at less than 1/4 of the typical NTSC signal resolution (320*240 vs 720*480). IIRC, there was a product annoucement recently of an upcoming USB capture device that uses compression to allow 720*480 video over USB 1.x. But for the remaining USB devices you're going to be limited to around 320*240 resolution.......joe

vmarks · Apr 7, 2003, 09:25 AM

This is why the formac solution is better- it's a firewire device, allowing the full size NTSC signal to come through.

Granted, it's more expensive as well.

The problem with going directly from your cable box to Mac over USB is, do you have a Mac driver for your cable box? do you know if that's just an interface for the cable provider to program the box, not actually output video over?

j45degrees · Apr 7, 2003, 09:50 AM

Originally posted by vmarks:
This is why the formac solution is better- it's a firewire device, allowing the full size NTSC signal to come through.

Granted, it's more expensive as well.

As long as the Formac device lasts for a few years I guess it would be safe to stick with this solution.