It’s one thing to watch over-the-air HDTV on giant, 70-inch plasma display, but it’s quite another to watch such programming on your MacBook or iMac (or whatever other Mac you have nearby). Elgato’s Mac-only HDHomeRun combines a digital TV tuner and EyeTV software in one smart, if not awfully named, package. You’ll need to supply your own ATSC antenna or unscrambled cable TV connection for this to work, mind you, but once you do you’ll be in high-def heaven, provided your processor is up to the challenge. (To be able to view 720p or 1080i programming, you’ll need a dual G5- or Intel Core 2 Duo-based Mac.) The HDHomeRun is network-compatible, meaning that if you set it up appropriately, you’ll be able to watch high-def content on any of your networked Macs. Pretty cool.
The EyeTV software functions like any other DVR: pause, rewind, fast-forward live TV; record everything right to your hard drive for later viewing; picture-in-picture; on-screen program guide, etc. The whole nine yards. I’d suggest that $199 might be just a wee bit pricey, but you’re actually getting a handsome package for the money. The ability to record HDNet or ESPN in high-def is very tempting to me. Surely I can’t be the only one who thinks having “Sunrise Earth” on 24/7 would do wonders for an apartment’s atmosphere?
HDHomeRun [Elgato Systems via MacMinute]
