[f1000]

This thread is for the discussion of compact, portable USB HDTV tuners.

The following work with OS X:


eyetv hybrid, Elgato Systems
$125.76



WinTV-HVR-950, Hauppage
$77.50



PCTV HD Pro Stick, Avid
$94.49


--------------------

The following device is supposed to be based on the same hardware as the devices above and should theoretically work with the EyeTV software.




XtremeTV HDTV100, Diamond
$79.99


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The following devices should work with Windows under Bootcamp:




TV Wonder™ 600 – Hi-Speed USB, ATI




HDTV USB, AItech International
$99.88



T14A, Artec
$59.00 (was recently as low as $39!)




FD-USB728, MMITEK
$79.90

[Uncle Skeleton]

Without having read all those, are there any tuners that support both analog cable and OTA HDTV without manually switching inputs?

Right now I have an EyeTV hybrid, and that is my one complaint, that I have to remember to hit my cable switch between SD and HD shows.

[f1000]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

Without having read all those, are there any tuners that support both analog cable and OTA HDTV without manually switching inputs?

Right now I have an EyeTV hybrid, and that is my one complaint, that I have to remember to hit my cable switch between SD and HD shows.

While I don't have any personal experience with it, the HDHomeRun is a dual HDTV tuner that allows you to hook up separate inputs to each of its tuners. Unlike the portable USB dongles listed above, the HDHomeRun is a driverless network (Ethernet) device that can be accessed by any Mac/PC on the network. Some users report having gotten it to work with VLC on the Mac.

[f1000]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

Without having read all those, are there any tuners that support both analog cable and OTA HDTV without manually switching inputs?

I don't want to derail this thread any further, but have you tried using a splitter/combiner on your two inputs? As long as the frequencies don't overlap, a combiner may work. You can get them everywhere, including Radio Shack, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.

[Uncle Skeleton]

I tried a splitter. Is there a difference between "splitter/combiner" and plain old "splitter?"

[f1000]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

I tried a splitter. Is there a difference between "splitter/combiner" and plain old "splitter?"

I don't know, but my guess is that the answer is no. In fact, I'm fairly sure that I've used splitters as combiners before that weren't labeled for use as the latter.

[krove]

If this works for someone, please post your experience here. I'm interested in combining analog cable + HDTV OTA sources with my EyeTV!

[f1000]

I just took a look at cable TV and UHF/VHF frequencies on Wiki and found them to significantly overlap. That doesn't look too good in terms of combining their signals together.

[Leonard]

There is also the Slingbox that works on both PC and Mac. In the US, they have a HD unit. It's not really a TV tuner but more something that runs a TV signal over a network to computers.

Sling Media

It's probably more expensive than anything here as well.

[Uncle Skeleton]

Originally Posted by f1000 

I just took a look at cable TV and UHF/VHF frequencies on Wiki and found them to significantly overlap. That doesn't look too good in terms of combining their signals together.

Thanks for checking

Anyone have any ideas for switches that are automated and/or computer-controlled?

[SVass]

TVMini HD - Key Features

This gadget may work for cable systems-I dunno about over the air.
sam

[Uncle Skeleton]

But then you have to pay your cable provider for HDTV that is otherwise free

[SVass]

I notice that you live in "Seattle" and I live in Kent. There are hills around here and cable allows me to get tv without a 100 foot antenna. sam

[Tegeril]

The HVR-950 and the EyeTV device are so similar that they are... identical. Hauppauge makes both. HVR-950 works flawlessly in the EyeTV software (tested with 2.3.2).

[f1000]

Thanks Tegeril. If the Hauppauge works with the EyeTV software, then I wonder if the Pinnacle (Avid) or Diamond will too.

EDIT: I guess the answer for the Pinnacle is yes! MacNN | Pinnacle debuts three USB TV tuner devices

[Uncle Skeleton]

System Profiler reads my EyeTV Hybrid as a HVR-980. I suppose the price premium includes the software, which sells for like $90 by itself...

Edit: oops, it reads "WinTV HVR-980"

[jokell82]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

But then you have to pay your cable provider for HDTV that is otherwise free

Actually they're not allowed to encrypt channels that are broadcast OTA free. So if you have a QAM tuner you can pick up the HD channels on your cable without a box or paying a higher fee.

Speaking of QAM tuners, does anyone have the Miglia TVMini HD or the TVMini HD+? I'm pretty interested in the HD+ since it does analog cable as well as digital. It was supposed to ship last month but I haven't seen any reviews about it anywhere...

[Uncle Skeleton]

Originally Posted by jokell82 

Actually they're not allowed to encrypt channels that are broadcast OTA free. So if you have a QAM tuner you can pick up the HD channels on your cable without a box or paying a higher fee.

That's interesting, what about sending those channels at all? I knew they weren't encrypted because I used to download them from comcast's firewire cable box, but I guess I assumed my $5 for the channels made them send the signal to me when they otherwise wouldn't have.

[jokell82]

Nope, the $5 gets you the premium HD channels (like Discovery HD Theater, INHD, etc). All the networks are sent in the clear without subscribing to that package.

[vmarks]

All of those devices are ATSC and NTSC. That's OTA HD and analog.

You need an ATSC / ClearQAM / NTSC tuner.

Svass and jokell got it right. For cable, that HD+ is the one, but it hasn't shipped yet.

Unfortunately, it too has one coax and the breakout cable, so watching NTSC cable and OTA without switching cables doesn't happen unless you use the RCA/Svid for NTSC cable from a set top box and select channels with the cable box remote. Toggle inputs with the remote for switching from OTA to analog. This is a really clunky solution, and you could do that with any of the above hybrid tuners.

[SVass]

vmarks is partially correct; but, in the Seattle area, virtually all cable channels are carried in QAM 256 format. The analog channels are currently duplicated as digital in preparation for a complete switchover in 2009(?). Thus the current unit may work for all clear channels including those identified as "analog". The AVS forum discusses this in their Seattle subforum and that is where I heard about the gadget.

The only time I have to switch cables is when my digital signal failed and only the analogs were on the line. The stupid box has MS & Motorola software that will not pass analog even if the digital signal is not available. sam

[vmarks]

Originally Posted by SVass 

vmarks is partially correct; but, in the Seattle area, virtually all cable channels are carried in QAM 256 format. The analog channels are currently duplicated as digital in preparation for a complete switchover in 2009(?). Thus the current unit may work for all clear channels including those identified as "analog". The AVS forum discusses this in their Seattle subforum and that is where I heard about the gadget.

If it's QAM256, it's digital. If it's a digital version of an analog signal, it's digital 480p.

Still, most cable providers are putting out 02-125 as NTSC analog and duplicating the analog locals as digital or HD in the higher numbers.

The summary is, digital, HD, analog, and determining which term means what to which person and service provider is a bit of a mess.

The only time I have to switch cables is when my digital signal failed and only the analogs were on the line. The stupid box has MS & Motorola software that will not pass analog even if the digital signal is not available. sam

Most boxes only pass analog out the coax, in the form of antenna chan 3 or 4. The digital and HD outs of the box tend to be component or hdmi.

If you have a box that does differently, pm me about it, I want to know.