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centerchannel68 · Mar 8, 2007, 03:22 PM

Okay, so the EYETV sucks donkey balls. The small one is software only, and advertises lag free performance but everybody who's actually used it says there is a small amount of lag, making games with quick reflexes impossible to play. The more expensive EyeTV 250 has hardware encoding, but this delays it even more, 2-3 seconds, and the game mode is the same thing as the cheap eyetv.

So basically, while using OSX, there is no way to hook up a PS2 or gaming system to the iMac.

Does anybody know of any products like this in windows that don't suck major ass and actually DELIVER lag free performance instead of just advertising it?

mduell · Mar 8, 2007, 05:07 PM

Until you get up to the professional level (i.e. more than the cost of a 20" LCD TV), you're not going to find any lag-free video capture devices.

centerchannel68 · Mar 8, 2007, 06:59 PM

Like? I have a knack for deals on stuff, but utilizing space and having ONE main station for everything is my goal.... the iMac can do all my digital work, it can play DVDs wonderfully, output surround sound, and hopefully hook up a gaming system.

- - e r i k - - · Mar 9, 2007, 08:45 AM

The EyeTV works fine for me.

centerchannel68 · Apr 23, 2007, 06:57 PM

How fine is 'fine'? Do you notice ANY lag? The only games I play require really spot on reflexes, music and racing games generally. Do you have an issues playing either?

ginoledesma · Apr 24, 2007, 03:19 AM

Not sure what kind of games you play, but for the ones I do (Final Fantasy X, God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, etc), the EyeTV Wonder USB 2.0 and EyeTV Hybrid work fine for me. Fine being no noticeable lag between input and response. The only game I've noticed a very slight perceptible lag with is Dynasty Warriors (under half a second if I were to estimate -- and only so because of the large amount of objects on screen.

centerchannel68 · Apr 24, 2007, 01:39 PM

Is that lag also present when playing on a television?

hadocon · Apr 24, 2007, 02:09 PM

Blind leading the blind.

- - e r i k - - · Apr 25, 2007, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by ginoledesma

The only game I've noticed a very slight perceptible lag with is Dynasty Warriors (under half a second if I were to estimate -- and only so because of the large amount of objects on screen.

How on earth would that have any effect on the picture going through the EyeTV?

jamil5454 · Apr 25, 2007, 08:08 PM

You're always going to have lag hooking into the iMac. This is because you can't hook directly into the LCD's video processor (think DVI, D-Sub, S-Video, or Composite connector) and instead have to go through the whole computer.

The only all-in-one solution for you would be to sell your iMac and get a Mac Pro or Mac Mini and a separate monitor with composite inputs. I just bought a 32" HDTV and hooked my computer up to that, using a wireless bluetooth mouse and keyboard and a sofa-desk thing I made (to use my computer on the sofa) as my "game station". Games look great and all my school work is really easy to see. Plus I can switch between PC, PS3, PS2, cable, air, DVD player, etc without having to get off the couch. BattleField 2142 looks awesome on that thing.

I then hooked my old computer monitor (a 20" LCD) and a bluetooth keyboard/mouse up to my MacBook in closed-lid mode to use for school and work. It works well.

ginoledesma · Apr 26, 2007, 03:09 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

How on earth would that have any effect on the picture going through the EyeTV?

Not so much the EyeTV's fault but that the lag is more noticeable here where it looks like subtle/slow response from the controller. This same situation isn't as obvious on a regular TV.

ajprice · Apr 26, 2007, 06:54 AM

Don't sell the iMac for a Mac mini. You could get a second screen hooked up to the iMac, and also hook the console into the second screen, the switch between inputs on it to go from iMac dual screen to console on the external. Its been said above but the iMac does not have a direct input to the screen, so whatever you do will have lag because its going through the computer. And it also gives you what would probably be a better screen for playing games on, depending on whether you get an LCD computer monitor or a HDTV plugged into it (would have to be something with multiple inputs, DVI or VGA for the iMac, for a PS2 it probably would have to be component cables (they do give a better picture than composite, even on a PS2).

centerchannel68 · Apr 26, 2007, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by jamil5454

You're always going to have lag hooking into the iMac. This is because you can't hook directly into the LCD's video processor (think DVI, D-Sub, S-Video, or Composite connector) and instead have to go through the whole computer.

The only all-in-one solution for you would be to sell your iMac and get a Mac Pro or Mac Mini and a separate monitor with composite inputs. I

Except I can't afford a Mac Pro, nor do I want something that physically large and obnoxious, and the Mac Mini has a really shitty graphics card. Hence the problem. Maybe I'll get ambitious this summer and see if there are any TVs that use the same screen as the iMac, and try to hack an input onto it.

centerchannel68 · May 5, 2007, 08:32 PM

Erik, so you notice no lag when playing console games via your EyeTV?

kick52 · May 6, 2007, 05:27 AM

buy a cheap tv?
i got a nice big crt one for free...

goMac · May 6, 2007, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by centerchannel68

Maybe I'll get ambitious this summer and see if there are any TVs that use the same screen as the iMac, and try to hack an input onto it.

Probably not going to happen. You'd have to squeeze the tv's mainboard into the iMac, and with the space and cooling as tight enough as it is in there...

Actually, just buy the EyeTV. Unless you're using a digital connector, the signal doesn't go directly to the LCD's video processor anyway. Analog formats have to be converted, which is the same thing the EyeTV does.

gradient · May 7, 2007, 03:46 AM

I've got to say I can't recommend EyeTV products for gaming at all. I have an EyeTV 250 and have tried running my XB360 through it - the quality just isn't very good even if the lag isn't a considered a major issue (it is minimal though noticeable). Basically, the picture quality of my XB360 through the EyeTV 250 looks damn similar to an old PSone. An slight exageration, maybe, but the picture quality really is noticeably diminished.

- - e r i k - - · May 7, 2007, 09:02 AM

Problem is the cables, not eyeTV as such. Best input you can get is S-video, which is a slight improvement on composite, but not a lot. No HDMI or component direct input device exist as far as I can tell

gradient · May 8, 2007, 11:02 AM

I disagree. If I hook my XB360 up to my TV using the composite video output it still looks damn good, imo. The degradation of the signal using the exact same output into the EyeTV250 is very noticeable.

centerchannel68 · May 8, 2007, 11:58 AM

Okay, so it looks like 50 50 here. Maybe the next iMac revision will have an input.

macintologist · Jun 3, 2007, 01:56 AM

I've been gaming with my Gamecube hooked up to an EyeTV playing on my iMac and everyone here is right, the lag sucks. It's about a half second but that really messes me up especially with fast paced games like Mario Kart DD.

Peter · Jun 3, 2007, 02:32 AM

I'm aware its super impractical, but a Dell monitor has a vast array of inputs - I have my 360, MacBook, PS2 and PC all hooked upto it at the same time

- - e r i k - - · Jun 3, 2007, 03:17 AM

Originally Posted by gradient

I disagree. If I hook my XB360 up to my TV using the composite video output it still looks damn good, imo. The degradation of the signal using the exact same output into the EyeTV250 is very noticeable.

That's because your TV shows you a degraded picture of lower resolution (and likely interlaced). Noise is not noticeable on a TV, but it's very apparent on a high quality LCD monitor.