http://www.elgato.com/index.php?file=products_hdhomerun


EyeTV Multi-user Software
The HDHomeRun for Mac bundle includes the award winning EyeTV software for two computers.
Interesting. One tuner, watch wherever? Not sure how well this works with EyeTV Archives.

Users who already have an EyeTV tuner on their Mac will be able to use both the local and network tuners through the same EyeTV software.

Now you can watch free digital over-the-air or cable TV from all the Macs in your home or office.

The HDHomeRun for Mac is an unique centralized digital TV tuner that connects to your Ethernet network, and can be shared by any Mac using the included EyeTV software. Thanks to its dual tuners, two users can be watching or recording different programs at the same time.

Because the HDHomeRun is a network device, you don’t need to have an antenna or cable TV outlet near your computer. You just locate the HDHomeRun tuner wherever you have a convenient antenna or cable outlet and connect it to your network.

Still need a better editor(VideoRedoPlus for Mac) and real support for .ts in EyeTV or Frontrow, but this is major news.

That's a very tempting device. Thanks for the link. Maybe even more tempting than the TiVo HD thingy.

I can't tell from the website, but is this going to be a free update for current EyeTV users? That is.... must we buy a HDHomeRun from Elgato to get the software? Elgato is selling the tuner at a premium since it comes bundled with the software.

This is very tempting, although I'm happy with my Series 3 TiVo. I'll be curious to see how it handles recording two things at the same time. I never watch live TV (well, almost never), so recording two things is much more important than recording one and watching one.

My assumption is that yes this is another version of the software, but probably included in EyeTV 3 whenever that hits the market. The FAQ has me smiling wide over multiple tuners. Yeah, multiples of multituner boxes. :D :D


FAQs 544-557

http://faq.elgato.com/index.php/faq/more/544

Can I use a wireless network with HDHomeRun?

HDHomeRun typically receives video streams between 19 and 38 Mbps. This means 100BaseT Ethernet (100Mbps) is the ideal network setup. 802.11 wireless probably won’t offer enough bandwidth - even the new 802.11n architecture may not perform as well as 100BaseT.

If you try to use HDHomeRun with a network not up to the task, then the video may not appear at all. If your network is filled with lots of other traffic, then that can also affect the performance of HDHomeRun.

HDHomeRun needs a DHCP server to function

HDHomeRun is a network device that needs to be automatically assigned an network address (IP address) via a DHCP server. It is not able to automatically configure itself via Bonjour, nor can it be directly connected to your Mac via an Ethernet cable. Neither patch nor crossover Ethernet cables will work, since your Mac is not normally a DHCP server.

Please connect HDHomeRun to a router that has a DHCP server, so it can be assigned an IP address. Or, connected it to a network that has a DHCP server somewhere on it.

How do I connect a video source to HDHomeRun?

HDHomeRun has two tuners, each of which can receive both antenna (ATSC) or cable (ClearQAM). Each tuner can receive only one type of video at a time. That means you can have each tuner set to cable, each tuner set to antenna, or one set to antenna and one to cable. You can also set one or both tuners to “not used”, meaning that it will capture no video.

Each tuner is labeled. The one on the left is #1, and the one on the right is #0. When you open a Live TV window from a tuner, its number will be listed at the beginning of the title bar - for example, tuner #1 will be listed as “Eyetv/1”.


How do I setup more than one HDHomeRun on my network?

HDHomeRun has two tuners, each of which can receive both antenna (ATSC) or cable (ClearQAM). Each tuner can receive only one type of video at a time. That means you can have each tuner set to cable, each tuner set to antenna, or one set to antenna and one to cable. You can also set one or both tuners to “not used”, meaning that it will capture no video.

Each HDHomeRun unit has an unique number, that is printed on the bottom of it, and that is used by EyeTV to identify it on the network. If you have more than one HDHomeRun attached to your network, then each one will be identified by its unique number, in the EyeTV Setup Assistant.


How do I setup more than one HDHomeRun on my network?

HDHomeRun has two tuners, each of which can receive both antenna (ATSC) or cable (ClearQAM). Each tuner can receive only one type of video at a time. That means you can have each tuner set to cable, each tuner set to antenna, or one set to antenna and one to cable. You can also set one or both tuners to “not used”, meaning that it will capture no video.

Each HDHomeRun unit has an unique number, that is printed on the bottom of it, and that is used by EyeTV to identify it on the network. If you have more than one HDHomeRun attached to your network, then each one will be identified by its unique number, in the EyeTV Setup Assistant.


What new settings are there in EyeTV for HDHomeRun?

HDHomeRun has a few features new to EyeTV, so some extra settings have been added to the EyeTV Preferences.

General Preferences has an option that can be used with HDHomeRun: “Always open TV in new window”. With this turned on, each tuner will display live TV in a separate window. This option is recommended for HDHomeRun users who intend on using both tuners at the same time.

Devices Preferences has a option to view the Signal. This will display separate Signal Strength and Signal Quality for each tuner, via animated bar graphs.

Can you use one HomeRun with more than one Mac on the same network?

Since HDHomeRun is a network device with two tuners, you can use each tuner with any Mac on your local network (subnet) that has EyeTV software installed. You can use both tuners with one Mac, or one tuner with one Mac, and the other tuner with another Mac.

If all tuners are in use, and another Mac tries to grab one, then an error message will appear, indicating which Mac is using that tuner. Once that tuner window is closed on one Mac, then it can be grabbed by another Mac.

What do the lights on the HDHomeRun unit mean?

HDHomeRun has 5 lights on the front of the unit.

The light on the far left is a power indicator - if it is on, then the unit is receiving power.

In the center there is a black section, with 4 lights in a row.

The first light indicates an Ethernet Link.

The second light indicates if Tuner 0 is streaming.

The third light indicates if Tuner 1 is streaming.

The fourth light is not in use when HDHomeRun is connected to EyeTV.

Can HDHomeRun use a remote control?

When used with EyeTV, HDHomeRun cannot receive infrared (IR) signals from a remote control.

If your Mac has an IR receiver, and came with an Apple Remote, then you can use that remote to control the EyeTV software.
What sort of network will work best with HDHomeRun?

HDHomeRun typically receives video streams between 19 and 38 Mbps. This means 100BaseT Ethernet (100Mbps) is the ideal network setup. 802.11 wireless probably won’t offer enough bandwidth - even the new 802.11n architecture may not perform as well as 100BaseT.

If you try to use HDHomeRun with a network not up to the task, then the video may not appear at all. If your network is filled with lots of other traffic, then that can also affect the performance of HDHomeRun.

How to do I view multiple Live TV windows when using HDHomeRun?

General Preferences has an option that can be used with HDHomeRun: “Always open TV in new window”. With this turned on, each tuner will display live TV in a separate window. This option is recommended for HDHomeRun users who intend on using both tuners at the same time.

Each Live TV window will have a title, that starts with the name of the tuner: EyeTV/0 or EyeTV/1.

Many channels may be shared by the same frequency. You can check this via the Channels section of the EyeTV Programs window, which lists frequencies along with other channel information.

If you want to open up all channels shared by the same frequency (multiplex), then go to the File menu, hold down the Control key on the keyboard, and then “Open Live TV Window” changes to “Open Live TV on Multiplex”. Use that command once for each additional window you want to open up.

Can I use HDHomeRun on a mixed PC/Mac/Linux network?

Versions of the HDHomeRun hardware are also available for use with Windows or Linux. If you own one of those versions, then it can exist on the same network as the HDHomeRun from Elgato.

EyeTV software can access and control any HDHomeRun hardware on your network. Any tuner input can be used with any software client, so one could be used by EyeTV, and another by a HDHomeRun compatible Windows or Linux client.


Can HDHomeRun receive analog signals?

HDHomeRun can only receive digital signals. It cannot receive analog antenna, analog cable, composite or S-Video.

It can only receive digital antenna (ATSC) or unencrypted digital cable (ClearQAM). These are standards only available in North America, so the HDHomeRun is only for that region.

If you need to receive analog signals, then consider another EyeTV unit, like EyeTV Hybrid or EyeTV 250.

What should I do if the HDHomeRun is not connected to EyeTV?

If the HDHomeRun loses the connection to one or more Macs on your network, then please try the following steps:

1) Check all network connections. Make sure the cables are still connected, and that the DHCP server on your network is still active.

2) Make sure that your HDHomeRun unit is selected in the EyeTV Setup Assistant, from the Help Menu.

3) Make sure that one or both tuners are available for use, by checking other EyeTV clients on your network. If both tuners are in use, then HDHomeRun can’t be used by another Mac.

4) Unplug and replug the power to the HDHomeRun. It will take about 30 seconds to reboot.

I can't tell from the website, but is this going to be a free update for current EyeTV users? That is.... must we buy a HDHomeRun from Elgato to get the software? Elgato is selling the tuner at a premium since it comes bundled with the software.
The website says that current owners can buy just the HDHomeRun and then contact their support site for a link to the updated software.

This is very tempting, although I'm happy with my Series 3 TiVo. I'll be curious to see how it handles recording two things at the same time. I never watch live TV (well, almost never), so recording two things is much more important than recording one and watching one.This is certainly a step in the right direction, however, it's still lacking some things that I want/need. Cable Card support and NTSC tuner (not all of our cable channels are A/D simulcast).

This is (on paper) a much better option than the Miglia TVmini HD+ ... even without NTSC.

I will still probably sit this one out as our Sony DVR is still working fine. I'll probably jump in if/when CableCard support is available.

Still need a better editor(VideoRedoPlus for Mac) and real support for .ts in EyeTV or Frontrow, but this is major news. I agree with that statement. Interestingly, according to MacWorld's report (http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/07/24/hdhomerun/index.php) the new tuner is made by SiliconeDust. That's not a company I ever heard of. I wonder what the build quality will be. This is not a repackaged EyeTV 500. Will it turn out to be as good as a 500???

500s are getting few-and-far-between these days on eBay. I hope HDHomerun turns out to be at least as successful as EyeTV 500 was.

The website says that current owners can buy just the HDHomeRun and then contact their support site for a link to the updated software.

I believe it says to contact sales@elgato.com which doesn't sound very promising.

That's not a company I ever heard of. I wonder what the build quality will be.

The HDHomeRun for Linux and Windows has been out for quite sometime now....the unit runs a little warm, but otherwise is built like a tank.

I agree with that statement. Interestingly, according to MacWorld's report (http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/07/24/hdhomerun/index.php) the new tuner is made by SiliconeDust. That's not a company I ever heard of. I wonder what the build quality will be. This is not a repackaged EyeTV 500. Will it turn out to be as good as a 500???

THe HDHomeRun has been available for sale since late last year, I bought mine in November, 2006. The company has been excellent in providing firmware updates and getting the hardware to work with a wide range of software packages--I use mine with a Linux based MythTV. I also own an EyeTV 500. I would say they are of comparable build quality, although the HDHomeRun runs noticeably warm while the 500 does not.

On a feature basis the HDHomerun is a superior product: you can share it amongst computers, and with computers of different operating systems, it can be located closer to a rooftop antenna or in some closet, and it has 2 tuners. Despite the warnings, I can watch TV wirelessly over my home's 802.11g network. The 500 doesn't need a power brick or a wired ethernet network to work reliably, and is thus a superior portable solution. As for which is the better receiver of OTA HDTV, I don't know.

I believe it says to contact sales@elgato.com which doesn't sound very promising.

Just send an e-mail. I think you will be happy with the results. Hint. Hint.

Just send an e-mail. I think you will be happy with the results. Hint. Hint.

I'll wait. I have an EyeTV 500 but not a HD Homerun. I was just concerned that the homerun features would be in a different product. Elgato only offers free upgrades with software in the same version, right? If I own version 2 then I get all 2.x upgrades for free, but if the HD Homerun features are in version 3 then I'd have to buy a new copy. I'm not going to quibble with their $30 HDHomeRun premium. I'm more concerned with the reliability of tuning and recording over the network.

Has anyone contacted Elgato to inquire as to when this thing (hardware & software) starts shipping? It seems to be in sort of a late, beta stage from what I've read.

I believe it says to contact sales@elgato.com which doesn't sound very promising.
Andrew67,

That e-mail link is if you want extra licenses, above the included 2.

Here's a quote from the website:

Users who already have an EyeTV tuner on their Mac will be able to use both the local and network tuners through the same EyeTV software

Then over at the HDHomeRun (http://www.silicondust.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3936&sid=9ad4fdcd56d80a2241518535e395121a) forum, the rep posted this:

Mike from Elgato here.

Just wanted everyone to know that EyeTV 2 now supports the HDHomeRun. We sell a bundle with the HDHomeRun and the software, or if you already have the hardware, you can just buy a copy of EyeTV 2. (The shipping version doesn't have the support yet, but once you buy it, just drop a note to support and they'll give you a link to the new version.)

Here's the info:

http://www.elgato.com/index.php?file=products_hdhomerun

So it looks like that it will be a free upgrade, if you already own the EyeTV software. 9thTee sells the HDHomeRun for $170, so the $30 premium from ElGato would go to pay for the EyeTV software. Sounds like a pretty good deal.

ft

Has anyone contacted Elgato to inquire as to when this thing (hardware & software) starts shipping?
It is already shipping.

This is certainly a step in the right direction, however, it's still lacking some things that I want/need. Cable Card support and NTSC tuner (not all of our cable channels are A/D simulcast).

The universe will grow cold and die before you'll ever see CableCard support for a product like this. CableLabs demands that the entire system, from input to storage to output, be certified and comply with a large number of DRM requirements. That's why you can't buy an aftermarket OCUR device for any platform and why devices like this can't have CableCards. Maybe when the stick in the cable cartel's butt get's the stick out of it's butt you'll have a chance, but my bet is on a cold, dead universe first. :)

This is certainly a step in the right direction, however, it's still lacking some things that I want/need. Cable Card support and NTSC tuner (not all of our cable channels are A/D simulcast).

To follow up on pkscout's reply, NTSC support will be a moot point on Feb 17, 2009. I'm not sure it's worth building products that support it any longer.

To follow up on pkscout's reply, NTSC support will be a moot point on Feb 17, 2009. I'm not sure it's worth building products that support it any longer.

Isn't analog cable still in NTSC? That date is the deadline for OTA analog only, not cable. So an NTSC tuner could be useful for years and years to come given the rate at which the cable companies change.

Isn't analog cable still in NTSC? That date is the deadline for OTA analog only, not cable. So an NTSC tuner could be useful for years and years to come given the rate at which the cable companies change.

True, but with more and more channels moving to digital tiers, NTSC is becoming less valuable with cable as well. I imagine things will move forward with cable as OTA channels phase out their analog broadcasts over the next year.

Plus, analog channels take more bandwidth than digital channels. Converting to all digital will allow them to add more channels and charge more for it. Also, switching to all digital means that anyone with an analog tv will have to get a cable box, another revenue stream.

It's in their interests to switch to digital.

I bought an HDHomeRun several months ago and have had some crude success recording shows with it with the "in development" HDHRControl-1-6 software.

I also own two EyeTV 500s and sent an email to Elgato today asking if I can get access to the new EyeTV software that can work with the HDHomeRun.

-Sean

I downloaded the 2.4.2 update and after re-running the setup from the help menu was immediately able to find the house HDHomerun and scan for channels. I can watch two live streams at once, with the frontmost window playing audio. Two 1080i streams takes up 175% of a MacBook core, so it's lucky they come with two cores. This is over wired Ethernet.

I've never gotten EyeTV to actually download a schedule from TitanTV, but this time I might have motivation to figure out why.

True, but with more and more channels moving to digital tiers, NTSC is becoming less valuable with cable as well. I imagine things will move forward with cable as OTA channels phase out their analog broadcasts over the next year.
Well, even if the cableco's phase out analog, that still doesn't help me now. Between CableCard and NTSC support, I'd choose CableCard, however, I do fully realize that it will probably never happen.

ft

If only they would release this for the Australian (PAL) market. I'd buy one tomorrow.

If only they would release this for the Australian (PAL) market. I'd buy one tomorrow.

PAL is SD. This device is digital/HD only.

Doesn't Australia use DVB? There are plenty of DVB devices out there, admittedly, none of them are network tuners like this one.

I would not begrudge the international members (spoken from an American point of view) great devices, but as an American, I've been envying you guys since you have had (up 'til now) all of the great DVR/PVR devices. :D

ft

I've never gotten EyeTV to actually download a schedule from TitanTV, but this time I might have motivation to figure out why.
I've never been able to download it either, so please post tips if you succeed.

So any idea if you can mix/match HD Homerun with EyeTV 500 -- can you record three channels at once??

I am not as excited as many seem to be here, as I find HD Homerun to be an ugly solution compared to the EyeTV 500. Ugly both esthetically (big and with its PC origins written all over it) and in terms of needing a power brick and using Ethernet over Firewire. And with this development, I doubt a native Elgato for clear QAM is coming soon if ever.

So any idea if you can mix/match HD Homerun with EyeTV 500 -- can you record three channels at once??

snip...Ugly both esthetically (big and with its PC origins written all over it) and in terms of needing a power brick and using Ethernet over Firewire.
Yes, you can mix local EyeTV tuners (like the 500) with the network tuner, and use any or all of them together. You can also have multiple HDHomeRuns on your network, giving you access to as many tuners as you need.

Regarding size, it is about the same size as the 500, and has the advantage that it doesn't need to be near your computer (just near the antenna/cable and ethernet).

I've never been able to download it either, so please post tips if you succeed.

So any idea if you can mix/match HD Homerun with EyeTV 500 -- can you record three channels at once??

I am not as excited as many seem to be here, as I find HD Homerun to be an ugly solution compared to the EyeTV 500. Ugly both esthetically (big and with its PC origins written all over it) and in terms of needing a power brick and using Ethernet over Firewire. And with this development, I doubt a native Elgato for clear QAM is coming soon if ever.Ted,

I do agree that the HDHomeRun is UGLY. However, the biggest advantage that I see with the HDHomeRun is that it's dual tuner and networkable. The networkable part will allow you to put it next to your router, which may be in a room where aesthetics doens't matter.

Assuming a robust enough network, the HDHR will allow you to record shows on multiple Macs, without needing to connect the coax to the Mac/tuner.

I've read conflicting info about whehter 11g is robust enough to handle the streams. (It should be since HDTV maxes out at 19.2 Mbps and 11g is rated for 54...) If it is, the HDHR would replace the FW cable with 11g.

Overall, I see this as a positive development for the HTMac community.

I am not as excited as many seem to be here, as I find HD Homerun to be an ugly solution compared to the EyeTV 500. Ugly both aesthetically (big and with its PC origins written all over it) and in terms of needing a power brick and using Ethernet over Firewire.

There should be nothing but excitement for this device; frankly, we've had very little to cheer about lately.

Sure, bus-powered and daisychained over firewire is clean and very Mac-like, but you'd have to purchase two 500 devices to equal the dual tuning capability of this device--and remember what the EyeTV500 refurbs were selling for? Most here paid between $199-250 for their first one. This device is a veritable bargain.

It certainly does seem ugly, Ted, but as long as it's on ethernet that means you can stick it anywhere, including out of sight--that's less easy to do with the 500s since you typically can't or don't run firewire that distance. That means (for most of us) our 500s sit out in plain view. Sure, I like their form factor neatly stacked one on top of the other, but I'd just assume not see them and/or not have them dangling off a different Mac.

EyeTV2 and a 500 is nice if you primarily watch your recordings on one display or in one location--and for me dual 500s work perfectly (well, except for that occasional digital audio kernel panic) so I'd never consider going backward to the Series 3 Tivo--but...

the evolution of the software for this device making it easier to network, the multiple user and multiple Mac support, the ability to still use a local 500 with the networked tuners, is also a significant development because it addresses the whole house, with multiple Macs and HDTVs and viewing locations. Nothing but win-win.

And with this development, I doubt a native Elgato for clear QAM is coming soon if ever.

They already tried that and for a whole series of reasons, discontinued the product. No one understands QAM, too many returns, Apple support for firewire lagged, the devices were too expensive and but a single tuner anyway, El Gato's strength was always software not hardware, etc. Pick any that might apply. Fortunately we were smart enough buy one or more.

But this device coupled with actual EyeTV support is the best bit of news we've gotten around here in...maybe a year? I won't count the mythical Apple dvdplayer.app improvement, either, until the OS actually ships.

Reconsider the bandwagon before it pulls out.

Before purchasing, try to check what exactly you have for clear QAM channels from your digital cable provider. I used to have all the hi-def network channels and PBS....then my cable company started to scramble them (I don't believe they are supposed to, but cable companies play a lot of games with their customers).
Of course, if you have a lot of over-the-air hi def channels (which the HDHomeRun also tunes) then you have it made.
This is a very good device, and a great concept. Once you have your digital channels on a network, there are all kinds of possibilities for distribution, recording and archiving anywhere in your home.
I see this as a great positive step forward for the mac as a HTPC at least until the far off future when we start seeing Cable Cards enter the main stream.
If you don't like the looks, it's a simple matter of sticking it behind a book or something. The unit is quite small actually.

I am having trouble with the EyeTV software not decoding all the available QAM channels that I have. Until last night I wasn't sure if the problem was hardware or software, but now I am 100% certain the problem is with they EyeTV software. I am wondering if anyone else has had the same problem and knows of a solution.

I have had two EyeTV 500s for some time. They worked fine until a few months ago when half my channels stopped working. I was at first fearful that the problem was with my cable company.

Then I bought an HDHomeRun (prior to the Elgato announcement) and it WAS ABLE to tune in the missing channels.

Then I bought an HDTV with a QAM tuner and it too was able to tune in the missing channels.

After Elgato's announcement last night I emailed Elgato and was promptly given a link to download the new EyeTV software. I was able to get it to work just fine, but it still can't find the same missing channels.

So, I think that pretty much confirms this is a problem with the Elgato software.

Does anyone have any advice?

So, I think that pretty much confirms this is a problem with the Elgato software.

Actually, Sean, I'd interpret your observations differently, it's almost certainly hardware--the 500 is the oldest of your devices, so it might be that it's a chip or firmware issue in the 500 that can't be updated via software, i.e. El Gato can't do anything about it. Were the missing channels in the same place, on the same frequency as before? I haven't yet experienced what you've described--when I've lost a previously free and clear QAM channel, when Comcast all of sudden decides to move or encrypt a channel, ALL of my QAM tuners are equally affected: dual 500s (old), LG 3410A (old) and HDTVs (old and new.)

I hope you uncover something.

After Elgato's announcement last night I emailed Elgato and was promptly given a link to download the new EyeTV software. I was able to get it to work just fine, but it still can't find the same missing channels.

So, I think that pretty much confirms this is a problem with the Elgato software?
Interesting. I've certainly experienced QAM channels randomly disappearing, although I have no evidence it is Elgato's fault as the networks/PBS have always been available.

To those who answered me -- yes, you have a good point vis-a-vis the advantages of a networked device. Still, I'm not going to rush out and buy one as first I would need to add a wired router (the best solution would be simply to upgrade to the pre-N AirPort, as I need to do that at some point anyway) and get more disk space.

Still, I'm not going to rush out and buy one as first I would need to add a wired router (the best solution would be simply to upgrade to the pre-N AirPort, as I need to do that at some point anyway)

Not necessarily. If Apple had seen fit to include gigabit on their "n" Airport basestation, I'd have agreed with you. But Apple didn't.

No need for new router, you probably have the "g" Airport extreme for your Powerbook? If so, another approach is to plug a <$50 auto-sensing Netgear gigabit switch behind it, let the Airport continue to do the DHCP assigning, and you'll be all set--anything plugged into the switch will be seen and assigned. As your network grows, as you upgrade, buy new devices like a ReadyNAS or an HD Homerun, and try to tie everything together, that switch will continue to pay dividends. Even if you do eventually get the "n" basestation, Ted, the switch would help because you'll want your gigabit Mac and devices to talk to each other over gigabit; anything directly wired into the "n" basestation would still be limited to 100.

By the way, will someone running the new EyeTV software with a Mac and the HDHomerun report in when they get their first digital audio kernel panic? Thanks...if we're to accept El Gato at their word, it's Apple's problem, so you HD Homerun users should be getting them just like us 500 owners.

Thanks...if we're to accept El Gato at their word, it's Apple's problem, so you HD Homerun users should be getting them just like us 500 owners.

I've never had a kernel panic with my 500 and my PowerMac G5 or my Core Duo mini.

If so, another approach is to plug a <$50 auto-sensing Netgear gigabit switch behind it, let the Airport continue to do the DHCP assigning, and you'll be all set--anything plugged into the switch will be seen and assigned. As your network grows, as you upgrade, buy new devices like a ReadyNAS or an HD Homerun, and try to tie everything together, that switch will continue to pay dividends. Even if you do eventually get the "n" basestation, Ted, the switch would help because you'll want your gigabit Mac and devices to talk to each other over gigabit; anything directly wired into the "n" basestation would still be limited to 100.


Do you mean this one (http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=521943)? And are you saying I can put this in between my router and other devices, and they will still get their own address from DHCP assignment even though they would effectively be sharing a single ethernet port on the router?

That would solve several problems I am having at the moment.

BB

Actually, Sean, I'd interpret your observations differently, it's almost certainly hardware--the 500 is the oldest of your devices, so it might be that it's a chip or firmware issue in the 500 that can't be updated via software, i.e. El Gato can't do anything about it. Were the missing channels in the same place, on the same frequency as before? I haven't yet experienced what you've described--when I've lost a previously free and clear QAM channel, when Comcast all of sudden decides to move or encrypt a channel, ALL of my QAM tuners are equally affected: dual 500s (old), LG 3410A (old) and HDTVs (old and new.)

I hope you uncover something.

Its not the hardware. I at first thought it was my old EyeTV 500s too. But I bought an HDHomeRun in May and the "missing" channels were tuned fine with it using the Windows software. Now that I can use the HDHomeRun with the EyeTV software those same two channels can't be tuned, while everything else comes in fine.

So, the same two channels can't be tuned while using EyeTV software with either an EyeTV 500 or an HDHomeRun. But the HDHomeRun tunes them fine when using the Windows software.

So, it must be the software!

I have sent in a support request to Elgato. We'll see what happens.

Not necessarily. If Apple had seen fit to include gigabit on their "n" Airport basestation, I'd have agreed with you. But Apple didn't.

No need for new router, you probably have the "g" Airport extreme for your Powerbook? If so, another approach is to plug a <$50 auto-sensing Netgear gigabit switch behind it, let the Airport continue to do the DHCP assigning, and you'll be all set--anything plugged into the switch will be seen and assigned. As your network grows, as you upgrade, buy new devices like a ReadyNAS or an HD Homerun, and try to tie everything together, that switch will continue to pay dividends. Even if you do eventually get the "n" basestation, Ted, the switch would help because you'll want your gigabit Mac and devices to talk to each other over gigabit; anything directly wired into the "n" basestation would still be limited to 100.

By the way, will someone running the new EyeTV software with a Mac and the HDHomerun report in when they get their first digital audio kernel panic? Thanks...if we're to accept El Gato at their word, it's Apple's problem, so you HD Homerun users should be getting them just like us 500 owners.
Yeah, already have a rather old switch (100BaseT I guess). I unplugged a while ago because I was getting frequent unexplained Network/Airport failures but they still continued until I ran the DSL line through a surge protector (between the jack & modem), and that seems to have hugely lessened the problem. I wanted to get the N Airport because that would mean one less device than Airport + Switch.

Kernel panics: I thought they were strictly related to playback, and therefore a software issue -- wouldn't they happen without an EyeTV 500 plugged in, if you were just watching stuff, with sound output set to DD (or whatever the option that was NOT system sound is called)? So in theory they could still be happening with HDHomeRun without it being Apple's fault.

Do you mean this one (http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=521943)? And are you saying I can put this in between my router and other devices, and they will still get their own address from DHCP assignment even though they would effectively be sharing a single ethernet port on the router?

That would solve several problems I am having at the moment.

BB

Yes, this one works great. I have this one connected between my airport extreme router and everything else. They also offer mail-in rebates regularly, making it even cheaper. You'll get gigabit for approx $30!
And yes, the DHCP server in your router will still assign addresses to all other devices. It's just a switch in between.
Best,

Kernel panics: I thought they were strictly related to playback, and therefore a software issue -- wouldn't they happen without an EyeTV 500 plugged in, if you were just watching stuff, with sound output set to DD (or whatever the option that was NOT system sound is called)? So in theory they could still be happening with HDHomeRun without it being Apple's fault.

The kernel panics are not hardware related. We keep getting them only when watching a recording, while at the same time eyetv records something. And it only happens when using the optical digital out. It happens on my G5, others do get it on different hardware (chef's getting them on his macbook if I'm not mistaken).
I've submitted the kernel panic logs several times to apple already, even included email and offered to help - but no response of course.
I'm about an inch away of switching back to analog audio out. It's just unacceptable and quite often my wife and I have to abstain from watching something because I'm afraid the machine will panic and thus ruin the ongoing recording.

EyeTV 2.4.2:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/eyetv/eyetv242HDHR.dmg
_

seank,
I noticed the same thing with EyeTV, it wasn't able to find all my QAM channels. There is even a mention in the readme.

I used the QAM scan feature from the built in HDHR utility to find them, then manually added them. I believe the problem was the inacturate channel list the had. I had to put in analog channels since the digital channels weren't there.

I've used my HDHR over 802.11g for some time, it works great. In certain rooms of my house it breaks up, but I get full signal in my living room where I use it.

I like the networked tuner because I use it with my MBP on the coffee table. I mostly use it for PIP, a feature that my beloved TiVo doesn't have. So on Sundays I put my main game on the big screen and on my MBP then when I flip around all the games, I always know when my main game is back on.

Ben,

I have tried to manually add the channel in question. It appears to recognize it, but then nothing gets added.

I have been in touch with Elgato tech support. They have asked me to provide them with a transponder dump for the frequency in question (they gave me instructions on how to activate that feature). I did two dumps last night for each my EyeTV 500 and my HDHomeRun. I uploaded them to the Elgato ftp server. It was over a gig total!

Anyway, hopefully they can find a way to fix the problem. I'll post if anything happens.

I use the powerline HD products to send stuff from my disk array on my Mac Pro to my mini hooked up to the TV. I stream 1080i TS's over it without even a hiccup. The HDhomerun might be ideal for me but I might stick with my trusty old ETV500 for now. Works great if your wiring cooperates but as with any powerline product YMMV.

Swapped my 2 EyeTV 500s out for a HomeRunHD a couple of days ago. It's doing exactly the same thing (plus some...) as the two larger devices in addition to sending live TV to any networked computer.

HUGE upgrade in my opinion. :D

Ben,

I have tried to manually add the channel in question. It appears to recognize it, but then nothing gets added.

I have been in touch with Elgato tech support. They have asked me to provide them with a transponder dump for the frequency in question (they gave me instructions on how to activate that feature). I did two dumps last night for each my EyeTV 500 and my HDHomeRun. I uploaded them to the Elgato ftp server. It was over a gig total!

Anyway, hopefully they can find a way to fix the problem. I'll post if anything happens.


Did you get a fix for this ? I can't get EyeTV to find any QAM or any ASTC channels using auto-scan, and like you I try to add them and nothing gets added. No error, no warning. So I have EyeTV and HDHomeRun and I can't do anything. The HDHomeRun works fine using HDHRControl.

I caved and got a Homerun as the dual tuners seemed too good to pass up. So far so good. I did notice there was a firmware update available when I checked devices in the prefs and ran it. I didn't notice any changes but I can stream HD 1080i no problem to my mini core duo hooked up to my TV. Overall it looks to be pretty nice.

I did recently get a note back from Elgato tech support with a link to a beta version of the software to try to see if it fixes the problem. Unfortunately, I am traveling through the end of next week so I won't be able to try it for a while. I will try it as soon as I get back and post an update.

I caved and got a Homerun as the dual tuners seemed too good to pass up. So far so good. I did notice there was a firmware update available when I checked devices in the prefs and ran it. I didn't notice any changes but I can stream HD 1080i no problem to my mini core duo hooked up to my TV. Overall it looks to be pretty nice.

Thanks for letting us know!
I've just ordered a mini and a homerun to replace the damn Miglia TVmini HD. Although this little devil has recorded well most of the time (maybe 80%?), it's a real pain in the neck and messes up the usb bus, so I can't wait to get these two new toys!
Best,

The HDHomerun, for the curious, has two hybrid tuners inside. They're ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners. Unfortunately, they didn't put an MPEG2 encoder on the analogue side, so it can only tune and stream the ATSC/QAM (which are obviously already in MPEG2, being digital.)

So it could have been more than it is, but someone somewhere made a decision and this is the device that results. On the whole, Elgato did a nice job of fixing what had been a real problem with using the device previously -

In the past, you had to launch VLC to play the stream and when you changed channels, kill the stream and relaunch it in VLC - and that meant it took a long time to change channels and surfing became impossible.

Elgato solved that problem nicely.

My experience with the HDHomerun here is that it doesn't always work well with the Elgato software - Elgato loses the connection and respawns it and I end up with ten video windows open for the two tuner inputs. It gets really annoying in the middle of a show. I'm crediting that to Elgato, since it never happened just viewing the streams with VLC.

My experience with the HDHomerun here is that it doesn't always work well with the Elgato software - Elgato loses the connection and respawns it and I end up with ten video windows open for the two tuner inputs. It gets really annoying in the middle of a show. I'm crediting that to Elgato, since it never happened just viewing the streams with VLC.
Does this happen with recordings, or just live streams?

The HDHomerun, for the curious, has two hybrid tuners inside. They're ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners. Unfortunately, they didn't put an MPEG2 encoder on the analogue side, so it can only tune and stream the ATSC/QAM (which are obviously already in MPEG2, being digital.)

So it could have been more than it is, but someone somewhere made a decision and this is the device that results.
Analog signals are EOL (end of life). The HDR is a next generation product and it would be silly to use mpeg encoders.

Analog signals are EOL (end of life). The HDR is a next generation product and it would be silly to use mpeg encoders.

and yet I would buy one if it did have the mpeg encoders since Comcast has deemed our little piece of heaven to be in the very last group of customers (and all that implies) to get digital & HD. Maybe mid-2008, but we're not holding our breath...

So I've had an HDHomeRun hooked up for a couple of days and upgraded to EyeTV 2.4.2. The HDHR is in addition to my EyeTV Hybrid. All three tuners are attached to an antenna for OTA ATSC reception.

Just wanted to report that that I had three concurrent recordings going last night. Two HD and one SD. All 2 hour programs. EyeTV was using about 22% of one CPU on my Core Duo mini (I wasn't trying to watch anything live at the time).

So far, so good.

Craig

My experience with the HDHomerun here is that it doesn't always work well with the Elgato software

But at least El Gato currently offers hope by selling and actively supporting a product for the Mac with dual tuners, dual inputs, ATSC and QAM. Sure it's ugly, but at least those who don't already have multiple EyeTV500s now have a very affordable option for HDTV with software that just might get the few remaining kinks ironed out in due course.

Victor, you work for Miglia. So when El Gato muscled into the cheap USB hardware game themselves, and for whatever reason(s) no longer licensed their EyeTV software to be sold with your hardware, you became direct competitors of El Gato on both the hardware and software front. And you were left without any software to ship with your products. Then Miglia was bought out by the HDMI Group with the stated intent to sell even more products to the Windows/PC crowd. My hope is you get your own house in order, and release something we can care about. If it ships with software that at least competes with, or perhaps even transcends EyeTV, we'll be the first to trumpet it.

But I pity the poor folks out there who, instead of picking up one or two used EyeTV500s, have been waiting for the TVMini HD+ since January. They're still waiting. And the Fall HDTV season is right around the corner...

(By the way, gotta give Victor and the Miglia folks a lot of credit--they've set up their own discussion forums and dealt with unhappy customers as best they can right out in the open. See here:

http://miglia.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=164

This is something El Gato has not yet done, which, frankly bodes well for Miglia as they go forward.)

Sure it's ugly...


I think a case hack is in order, or at least a front panel.

Calling Ben Heckendorn...

I think a case hack is in order, or at least a front panel.

Calling Ben Heckendorn...


I think I have a solution:

Before:
http://gallery.mac.com/jerrycube/100026/photo1187391946726/web.jpg


and



wait for it...















wait for it...










After:

http://gallery.mac.com/jerrycube/100026/photo1187391962402/web.jpg


I only have one bag on there but I think she might be a two bagger :p

Seriously I don't think it looks all that bad and you can stick it under your desk or just about anywhere you want. I wouldn't really recommend the bag hack though - it gets pretty warm sitting in the open air to begin with lol.

-Jerry C.

As I mentioned in another thread, I just got an HD Home Run and an Eye TV hybrid and have it working on a Core 2 Duo Mini. The whole thing works rather seamlessly and the only thing which will be visible to anyone in rhe room when I'm done is the mini itself. Um, right, and the TV. Right now I have the HDHR hooked up through a leftover hub but I got a gigabit Airport Extreme the other day and when I have some time I'll hook it up to that.

The looks on the HD Home Run are below average for most Mac users and completely normal for most PC users. But it's a network device, so there's absolutely no need to complain about the way it looks. Put it up in the attic if you want.

I control everything through my Harmony remote, where I've set up an activity which includes IR commands from both the Apple Remote as well as the Eye TV remote, and I also use Sofa Control for controlling pretty much everything else (iTunes, iPhoto, Front Row, etc.) Still waiting for the new BT keyboard to arrive, but frankly I suspect I won't be using it much (I did a majority of the setup through Remote Desktop).

It's clear that EyeTV is still testing the waters when it comes to their software controlling multiple devices. Every once in a while it gets "stuck"--doesn't freeze--but prevents you from switching tuners. Easy enough to quit and restart EyeTV, and I'm sure they're working on it and other deficiencies in the user experience of EyeTV.

Anyway, feel free to ask away if any of you have questions. I'm surprised I got this all up and running so quickly; I was giving myself 5 days to get everything working (I'm a 22 year mac user and an electronic musician, but I know squat about HD) and it took less than two hours. Unpacking the stuff took longer than getting it working.

I had an HD Homerun and bought the EyeTV software for it. The EyeTV requires more overhead than VLC, making even STV signals that played fine in VLC stutter on my G5 iMac. That's ok, it ultimately hastened my decision to get a new iMac, but it means I can't put the software through its paces for another couple of weeks.

I have a feeling that getting the QAM channels mapped will be a pain, but we'll see...

I had an HD Homerun and bought the EyeTV software for it. The EyeTV requires more overhead than VLC, making even STV signals that played fine in VLC stutter on my G5 iMac. That's ok, it ultimately hastened my decision to get a new iMac, but it means I can't put the software through its paces for another couple of weeks.
Can the functions of EyeTV be split onto two computers, one to record and the other to play back?

Can the functions of EyeTV be split onto two computers, one to record and the other to play back?

You install EyeTV on both computers, the package that you can order from Elgato comes with 2 serial numbers too, and you can play and record from either. If one computer is using one tuner it will tell you that one is occupied but you can use two tuners on one computer and watch two channels. There is no real reason to split any functions up as any computer on the network running EyeTV can use any available tuner and change channels and record etc.

There is no real reason to split any functions up as any computer on the network running EyeTV can use any available tuner and change channels and record etc.
The reason I asked is because someone was mentioning their computer was perhaps inadequate to the task at hand. So being able to split the record and playback across two computers might have some value. Or is it that playback takes 90% of the cycles and there isn't much to gain by using a different computer to record?

I don't think recording is any more taxing on the CPU than just transferring the stream to the disk in use. All the real CPU usage is in the playback. Recording 1080i streams is fine on any Mac that has a hard drive capable of writing 3-4MB/s, which should be just about anything. If a computer is not powerful enough to playback the HD data streams then it won't really matter about recording it elsewhere. In any event you can record easily on just about any system, even with very sub-par specs for HD playback, and watch it over the network on one that has sufficient muscle. If you have a good wired network you don't even need to have the EyeTV recording folder local, you can leave everything on a network drive or on a shared volume on another computer.

I think El Gato could make some changes to EyeTV that would really help multi-computer situations, especially now that they can use the HDHomeRun.

Consider this situation. You have two (or more) computers, and you'd like both computers to be able to record to a NAS drive and you'd like both computers to be able to play any of the recordings from any system (should be easy, since you're storing them all on the network, right?)

I have a setup like that right now. I have a G4 Mac mini running as a web/email server, and since it's always on, I'd like to do all of my recording with it. I also have a MacBook that is actually fast enough to play the 720p and 1080i recordings.

I know that I can drag and drop any recordings onto the application to play them, but I want the list of available recordings to show up in EyeTV! I've tried setting both computer's EyeTV library/recording folder to the same folder, but since scheduled recordings are stored in the same location, both computers import that scheduled recording and end up trying to record.

So my present setup involves setting the MacBook EyeTV library folder to an empty folder, and then using an AppleScript to delete everything in the folder, make new aliases of all recordings (but not schedules) in the actual recordings folder, and store them in the MacBook folder, and then launch the EyeTV program. The disadvantage for this setup is that new recordings made with the mini while the MacBook EyeTV is open won't show up in the library until the next time it is launched (and the AppleScript re-aliases everything). I tried to come up with a script that would watch the original recording folder and automatically create new aliases, but wasn't successful.

Well maybe now that they have the network necessitating HDHomerun they will address this problem.

I have good news on my issue of some of my QAM channels not working. I had sent Elgato some transponder dumps and a week later they gave me a link to download some beta software. Unfortunately I was away for a week.

I am back now and I have good news! Elgato fixed the isssue! I am now able to get all the HD Network channels with both my EyeTV 500s and the HDHomeRun.

So, if anyone else is still having issues where certain QAM channels are not working, I suggest you contact Elgato.

I am not sure when the fixes in the beta version they gave me will be incorporated into a release

-Sean

I have the HDHomeRun and it only tunes in the OTA broadcast channels like (CBS,ABC...) Not the cable channels like ESPN, CNN, MTV... I'm in the Milwaukee area and use Time Warner Digital cable.

Should Elgato EyeTV 2.4.2 (2906) tune in all the unscramble channels?

I have the HDHomeRun and it only tunes in the OTA broadcast channels like (CBS,ABC...) Not the cable channels like ESPN, CNN, MTV... I'm in the Milwaukee area and use Time Warner Digital cable.

Should Elgato EyeTV 2.4.2 (2906) tune in all the unscramble channels?

That entirely depends on your cable provider. I have Time Warner in NY and it has all the OTA channels plus TNT-HD and some of the basic cable channels like E! and the Travel channel. I used to be able to get Discovery HD and YES-HD. During the Olympics they opened up Universal HD for a while. When they add new channels, especially new HD ones, they tend to put them on unencrypted QAM and at a later date they may move it off and encrypt it.

I have the HDHomeRun and it only tunes in the OTA broadcast channels like (CBS,ABC...) Not the cable channels like ESPN, CNN, MTV... I'm in the Milwaukee area and use Time Warner Digital cable.

The HDHR should tune into the OTA-HD channels as you have observed.

The analog SD channels will not be picked up with the HDHR, as it does not have an NTSC tuner.

If your cable system is completely digital, then the HDHR will be able to tune into the digital-SD channels, provided they are unencrypted.

ft