locustfurnace
03-26-2007, 05:37 PM
Bought the Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick (http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/Products/Consumer+Products/PCTV+Tuners/PCTV+Analog_Digital+PVR/PCTV+HD+Pro+Stick.htm) yesterday. Although I am using it on my iMac and Macbook, it is sold as a Windows XP Product. Under the iMac I am using the EyeTV (http://www.elgato.com/index.php?file=products_eyetvmain&countrytogo=36&signal=all) software.
What it is, is a USB HDTV tuner. Allows me to receive ATSC HD and SDTV content via an antenna or via a cable.
Although I live too far to receive any over-the-air HD content, I actually got it to connect to my cable. Thus turning my iMac into a PVR (Personal Video Recorder.) This now completely eliminates my need for a VHS VCR. For a while I was using my hardware DVD Recorder. I can now also, connect my VCR to this device and transfer home-movies to the computer for later editing. But for now. I am using it to record TV shows.
I can export the TV shows to mpeg, QT, DivX, and even create iPod movies with 1 click.
What's nice about it is the program guide, I can seek for TV shows, and once-click set it to record. I've pretty much got this recording shows 24 hours a day now for the next month.
Disk space is now going to be an issue, so the next purchase will have to be a 1TB network backup device.
It can also do PIP. But for now, I have just turned my 20" iMac into a television set.
Another interesting way to use this is to connect from another computer and stream the TV shows to another computer. This I have not tried yet.
Now I can easily record TV shows, and even burn them to a DVD-RW to view on the Big Screen television when I want.
Though now I am tempted to purchase the Apple TV (http://www.apple.com/appletv/) next.
If anyone ever wanted to transfer VHS tapes to DVD. This product will do it and more. Or, if you have a newer computer and do not want to shell out the money for a HiDef TV and HDTV programming, this may be the route to go.
What it is, is a USB HDTV tuner. Allows me to receive ATSC HD and SDTV content via an antenna or via a cable.
Although I live too far to receive any over-the-air HD content, I actually got it to connect to my cable. Thus turning my iMac into a PVR (Personal Video Recorder.) This now completely eliminates my need for a VHS VCR. For a while I was using my hardware DVD Recorder. I can now also, connect my VCR to this device and transfer home-movies to the computer for later editing. But for now. I am using it to record TV shows.
I can export the TV shows to mpeg, QT, DivX, and even create iPod movies with 1 click.
What's nice about it is the program guide, I can seek for TV shows, and once-click set it to record. I've pretty much got this recording shows 24 hours a day now for the next month.
Disk space is now going to be an issue, so the next purchase will have to be a 1TB network backup device.
It can also do PIP. But for now, I have just turned my 20" iMac into a television set.
Another interesting way to use this is to connect from another computer and stream the TV shows to another computer. This I have not tried yet.
Now I can easily record TV shows, and even burn them to a DVD-RW to view on the Big Screen television when I want.
Though now I am tempted to purchase the Apple TV (http://www.apple.com/appletv/) next.
If anyone ever wanted to transfer VHS tapes to DVD. This product will do it and more. Or, if you have a newer computer and do not want to shell out the money for a HiDef TV and HDTV programming, this may be the route to go.