TV Tuners/Recorders For The Mac

[kelly]

Charles Moore Reviews Miglia TVMicro and TVMax Television Tuners/Recorders For The Mac

http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/c...ners_recorders/

[Gregg]

Does anyone know if it's possible to hook up a VCR or a DVD/DVR to the newer iMacs?

My goal is to record from a device connected to the iMac, and play back on my large TV. So two compatible devices (VCRs or DVRs) are required.

Maybe it's time I rethink my reasons for doing that for the last 10 years! It probably has something to do with wanting the TV free during times I'm recording something. It gets complicated with cable/satellite involved.

[gunug]

I bought a little box that does exactly that a few years ago for about $50.  It looks just like this one:

http://www.fadfusion.com/selection.php?pro...ber=10161204363

But I don't know the brand is the same!  It works great with both MAC's and PC's although the software
that comes with it was MAC only but unnecessary in that it works correctly at startup!  The only other problem
that I ever had with it was the puny 5 volt wall wart that came with it easily overheated but I replaced it with one from
a vintage zip drive and it works great!

[Gregg]

QUOTE(gunug @ Jun 18 2007, 01:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I bought a little box that does exactly that a few years ago for about $50.

Does exactly what, exactly? Lets you watch TV on the computer monitor?

I guess no one knows the answer to my related question...

[gunug]

NEVERMIND!

[Highmac]

Gregg - If I've got you right on what you're looking for, we use the Miglia TV-Mini (with the older EyeTV software) to record TV and radio shows on the Mac. Our main TV set is connected to a twin tuner digital terrestrial 250GB HD recorder (PVR) (Topfield brand - I don't know if it is marketed in the US but there are others). It has a USB2 socket, so we can connect it to the Mac by cable.

We can convert the Mac recordings through MPEG Streamclip, a free and very efficient conversion program, to upload into the Topfield and play back through the main TV set. We've yet to spot any difference in quality of recordings using the two methods but our set is not one of those massive ones - it's a Toshiba 32in, about eight years old. Hmm.... I feel a spend coming on...    We can burn TV shows to DVD on the iMac if we want to keep them; we haven't used the VCR in a very long time - all it does nowadays is tell us the time

[Gregg]

Thanks, Neil. At least I know there's still a way to do what I want.

I have a standard off the shelf VHS VCR connected directly to my G3. The VCR has a tuner in it, of course. All I had to do was add and Xclaim VR video card to the Mac. I can use the monitor connected to the G3 as a backup "TV set" (that's "telly" to you). Being able to record on the Mac frees up the "main" TV to be used during the recording.