JoelandFaith.com Forum

[Joel]

After having taken a look at our network diagrams, feel free to reply to this message (registration required) with any thoughts, suggestions, or questions you may have. Thank you!

Additional information:
AVLAN
Mac mini (MB463LL/A)
- 3 GB RAM
- Display resolution: 1344 x 756, 60 Hz (NTSC), Millions, with Overscan off (System Preferences->Displays->Options tab); 1920 x 1080, 60 Hz (NTSC), Millions when playing downloaded or streaming HD video
- Parallels Desktop running Windows XP Professional (SP3) installed for added PC compatibility

DIRECTV receiver (D11-100)
- Three video outputs: two composite (RCA), one S-video
- Two audio outputs: two composite (RCA)
The S-video and one set of the composite audio outputs goes to the Sony LCD TV. One composite video goes to the EyeTV Hybrid, while the other goes to the Sony VCR. The one remaining set of composite audio outputs is split between those two devices via Y adapter cables.

[phishee]

Joel,

Thanks for sharing your home network and AV setup. It was enlightening. I just had one question regarding your DirecTV setup.

I see you have the EyeTV Hybrid connected to the DirecTV via the composite cable (to S-video, I presume). What are your main uses for this setup? To use as a DVR? To login (via LAN) in to the Mac Mini from other PCs to view live TV?

Also, how satisfied have you been with the EyeTV video quality? Acceptable or not?

Thanks again and I look forward to your response (as I have a new Mac Mini and am contemplating its setup),

Brandon (phishee)

[Joel]

Brandon,

Actually, as noted in the initial post above, our EyeTV Hybrid is connected to our satellite receiver via composite (RCA) both video and audio-wise (the receiver only has one S-video out and that goes directly to the TV).

Thus far we've used the EyeTV Hybrid for PiP (picture-in-picture) as well as to record some video (like a DVR). Regarding PiP, we have the Mac mini/OS X displayed on the TV with a small - say, probably 12" TV equivalent - window in a lower corner that shows live TV (that was part of my wants with the setup: be able to watch sports on TV while having stats, etc., online right next to it). That works well.

As far as recording video, the results have been OK quailty-wise. After video was recorded (various TV shows 30 min. to an hour long, as well as a couple 2+ hour-long movies, all without any trouble/pauses/stuttering), I've watched it within EyeTV, as well as exported it to AppleTV/QuickTime format (.M4V) and watched it within QuickTime Player, and the quality, again, is pretty good, though not quite as good as I had hoped (slightly less quality than is normally displayed when watching TV directly from the satellite receiver). I've not yet tried burning the video to DVD (using Toast 9 Basic that comes with the EyeTV Hybrid), but I'm curious as to whether or not that will be any better. There are all kinds of options as far as exporting the video out of EyeTV, but I'm not familiar enough with video codecs, resolutions, frame rates, etc., to be able to figure out what is best to export to.

I really need to spend some more time researching things as far as recording video (including at the Elgato forum), but I simply haven't had the time to do so. I'm hoping that by reading what others have posted regarding EyeTV (at the Elgato site and elsewhere) I can tweak things until everything is setup as ideally as possible. Don't get me wrong: everything is working well, it just might be able to be working even better.

Edit: According to this post, if I'm understanding what is being stated correctly, the quality issue may be because I'm still working with analog video versus digital (HD) content (i.e., if we had an HD DIRECTV receiver the video being recorded would not have to run through the EyeTV Hybrid's digitizer - instead being recorded/copied straight to the Mac mini's hard drive - and as a result would be better quality, not only because it would be HD, but also because it hasn't had to be "processed"). I could be wrong, though, as I thought that, even though it is not HD, our DIRECTV receiver delivers digital video. I obviously need to investigate this further.

Edit #2: Please read the post below this one for verified-to-be-correct information regarding limitations and ideal setups for the EyeTV Hybrid.

Let me know if you need any further clarification on anything. Thank you for taking the time to register and post!

Joel

[Joel]

As now documented in the post linked to above, there is an explanation for the less than ideal video quality I'm recording using the EyeTV Hybrid. Below is a listing of a brief Q&A regarding this topic: