[blybug]

After some initial comments and first impressions found on this thread, today I discovered something very exciting...

The EyeHome can play protected AACs. The EyeHome can play protected m4p files.

How else can I say it...the EyeHome can play music bought from the iTunes Music Store.

This makes it the first device I know of that cooperates (or maybe works around) the FairPlay wrapper that Apple's AACs are sold with. This is not an accident or a bug, it is a feature intentionally included, confirmed to me by Elgato support.

Elgato has fixed the Music bug which prevented the serving of large iTunes Music Libraries. All >5000 of my iTunes are now available on the EyeHome, playlists and all.

I've discovered that making symlinks to folders rather than drives called Pictures & Movies allows the EyeHome server to function properly, so my external media files are now fully accessible. Watching iPhoto libraries with playlists from iTunes is great. And simply copying the VOB files from iDVDs into the Movies folder makes them instantly accessible to the EyeHome, where they stream perfectly. Ripped DVDs work too.

Best $219 I've ever spent. Once they release the EyeTV 200 and hopefully spruce up its scheduling capabilities, I'm putting TiVo out to pasture (much as I love it). The EyeHome+TV combo will do everything TiVo+HMO can do and then some, with an obvious support and commitment to the Mac platform. I really like managing and storing my media (including video and recorded TV) on the computer and streaming it to the TV. Much more flexible than TiVo.

[shrink]

That is way too cool...you may have helped me find a place to use my tax return.

[sith33]

This is excellent. I'm going to be purchasing an eyeHome in the next month or so to go with my eyeTV (USB). I love eyeTV and it'll be great to watch stuff on a TV (course, I have to buy a TV too..) Just wish it could stream raw DV files from final cut..

Watson is definitely where it's at as far as scheduling for eyeTV though. More than worth the registration fee just for the TV stuff. I do wish eyeTV did more "smart" stuff like TiVO does, but it's not the end of the world.

[DAlex]

Thanks for the info on the eyehome - You've answered a number of the questions that I had and were holding off my purchase.

Cheers

DAlex

[AlphaQuam]

Just a simple question: when playing iTunes files with the eyeHome, does it update "Last Played" and "Play Count" in your iTunes library on your Mac? I haven't shared my playlist over Rendevous, but I know when sharing with the Windows version of iTunes, those fields don't get updated.

[::maroma::]

I have a question also. Are the interface elements on the EyeHome editable? Can I change the look of the graphics on the screen? I love the concept and features of the EyeHome, but the interface is kind of cheesey.

[blybug]

I doubt it updates the play count or last played fields, knowing the way it works (the EyeHome is basically a web browser displaying content from the server software on your Mac...one way street) but to be perfectly honest, I never use or look at those fields so really I don't know for sure.

The interface is somewhat editable. Inside the application package is the "website" that constitutes the EyeHome interface. It is simple enough to change the graphics, just add your own jpgs and PNGs with the same name and dimensions as the originals and they become your backgrounds. I assume if you have a very advanced knowledge of XML/HTML, web design, php, asp files, etc you could redesign the entire interface.

For what it's worth, the interface is not quite as cheesy in real life as it looks on the screenshots. But I know what you mean about changing it. I've suggested to their support team that they investigate a skinable interface...since it's really just a bunch of web pages seems that they (or maybe some enterprising 3rd party) could develop some cascading style sheets as alternatives to the standard interface.

I don't mind the style of it as much as the "size" of it. The interface elements relative to the size of the TV screen and the resultant amount of info that can fit make OS X's Playskool icons and fonts look downright svelte!

[Junk Magnet]

Those interested in editing the EyeHome interface can contact [email protected]. Most interface elements are jpg or png files that can be adjusted as it suits you.

Here is a mini Tutorial.

Changing EyeHome Interface

1) Find "EyeHome.prefPane" in username/Library/Preferences/PreferencePanes

2) Quit the EyeHome server.

3) Use the Control key to click on EyeHome.prefPane, and then "Show Package Contents". You're now inside the application.

4) Go to Contents/Resources, and then "Show Package Contents" of EyeHome.

5) Go to Contents/Resources/Java/webapps/ROOT/theme/eyehome

6) Now you're in a directory with a number of things you can change. EyeHome is basically a web server, with the box as the client. Thus, if you change the jpg or png graphics (with Photoshop, GraphicConverter, etc.) then the EyeHome interface will change.

7) The Slide folder contains 8 images that you can change. They're 720 by 480, so keep that resolution. Keep the same names, like slide4.jpg, and the JPEG format.

8) When you start the EyeHome server again, the music slideshow will be as you customized it.

9) You can also experiment with the background.jpg and tv.jpg files - they determine what your background picture is. Open up the other folders to see what they do. If you can't figure it out, don't change it.

10) NOTE - make a backup of the pictures you change. Otherwise, the only way to get back to normal is to reinstall EyeHome from the CD-ROM.

Of course, the steps I've delineated are as a courtesy, and they aren't part of regular Support.

Eventually there will be a more formalized Knowedge Base item about this process. Actual skins or themes might be a future upgrade to the program, depending on user demand.

Nick Freeman
Customer Support

Elgato Systems LLC

900 Kearny Street Suite 750 San Francisco CA 94133-5145
[email protected] www.elgato.com

[::maroma::]

Excellent! Thanks for the info. It's great to know that Elgato supports the Mac community so well. And the EyeHome and EyeTV 200 are going on my list of must haves. Now I just gotta find the cash!

[GORDYmac]

Aw heck!

Now I gotta buy one...