toggle

AAPL Stock: 444.05 ( + 2.7 )

http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/01/20/eyetv.31.update/

EyeTV 3.1 brings in TV Guide, series recording

updated 01:15 pm EST, Tue January 20, 2009

 

EyeTV 3.1 update


Elgato has released an update to EyeTV 3, its Mac-based DVR software. Key to v3.1 is the addition of a TV Guide schedule for North America, which covers broadcasts up to 14 days in advance and provides associated cast, rating and genre information. A year of the schedule will be free for new and existing EyeTV 3 owners, but subsequent years will cost $20 each.

Elgato has also introduced a feature called the Smart Series Guide, which lets users schedule the recording of an entire series, filling in episode gaps whenever possible. The update lastly includes parental controls, which lets users censor their children's programming according to rating, or only allow access to particular channels. EyeTV 3.1 costs $80 new, and runs on Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later.


by MacNN Staff

Post tools:

TAGS :

 software, DVR, video, TV

Related Articles

Recent Articles

toggle

Comments

  1. scottrussell

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2001

    -2
    01/20, 02:41pm | report spam | Reply |

    whoa hor$ey

    $80 is a strikingly high price for this software, especially when you consider the $20 annual subscription that will start next year. I've got version 2.5 of the software, but I've been holding off on upgrading to v3 due to the price ($80 new, $40 upgrade). So far, there haven't been any sales or price reductions either. Doesn't this price seem a bit excessive?

  1. Guest

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 1999

    +3
    01/20, 03:13pm | report spam | Reply |

    No

    "Doesn't this price seem a bit excessive?"

    Ummmm. No.

    $40 for an upgrade (which is what you would be charged) seems more than reasonable to me. I got a h*** of a lot out of the extra features in the upgrade

    The guide is optional and is not provided by Elgato, in a similar way as everywhere else it is offered, for example IceTV in Australia

  1. leamanc

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 2003

    +1
    01/20, 03:47pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Series recording

    I could have swore this was supposed to be a part of the 3.0 release. I never found it, but my EyeTV box is still Tiger, and I know some features are only in Leopard (the Cover Flow view, for instance). Glad to hear it is finally here (long overdue), and that it's free to existing EyeTV 3 users.

    As for the TV Guide integration, I won't be using it beyond the free year (if at all). TitanTV is all the integration I need. Its interface is simple, fast, easy and allows for remote scheduling of recordings via the web. How much more do you need?

  1. scottrussell

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2001

    -4
    01/20, 03:48pm | report spam | Reply |

    rebuttal

    I'm not denying that it's a nice upgrade. But for the same $80, I could get all new versions of iPhoto, iWeb, iMovie, Garage Band, and iDVD. Maybe I'm just spoiled by great prices like this and thousands more on MacUpdate.

    MythTV, EvolutionTV and Televio offer their DVR software for free. But in support the "Guest" argument, the $80 price tag is comparable to BeyondTV & SageTV.

  1. testudo

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -1
    01/20, 05:14pm | report spam | Reply |

    Re: rebuttal

    But you're still comparing the full retail price, when you'd be paying half that (geesh, Apple doesn't offer upgrade pricing for iLife, and they get killed, these guys offer up half off, and they get killed - I guess the only upgrade pricing anyone wants is 'free').

    As for your other DVRs you mentioned, they all offer their software for 'free', as in "it comes with purchased equipment". But will they charge for future x.0 releases?

    And I went to the MythTV web site and would've tried the software, but I have no idea if it works with the EyeTV, and they don't even provide compiled versions.

  1. ender

    Junior Member

    Joined: Mar 1999

    -3
    01/20, 09:44pm | report spam | (2 replies) Reply |

    vs TiVo

    I've been debating getting a DVR solution for my mini, but at $20/month for the channel guide I think I'd be better of just getting a TiVo. Sure the TiVo unit cost a lot more than El Gato hardware, but their most expense subscription is only $13/month, and there are cheaper options available. And based on my experience with a Comcast DVR (which also uses TV Guide) and TiVo, TiVo's listings are much more accurate than TV Guide. After two years, the money saved on subscriptions would pay for the difference in upfront hardware costs.

  1. ShadowKatana

    Junior Member

    Joined: May 2001

    +2
    01/21, 03:50am | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    @ender

    It's $20/year (which is a steal).

  1. bjojade

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jun 2007

    +1
    01/21, 10:48am | report spam | Reply |

    Problem

    Downloaded and installed the update to try out TV guide. Totally destroyed the on screen channel browsing to see what is on. TV guide puts in the full name of the channel before the program gets listed, not just the call letters. The result is that you can't see the name of the programs. Makes it completely useless as a functioning DVR.

  1. barristerwa

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2009

    +1
    01/22, 12:27pm | report spam | Reply |

    Ripoff

    3.0 has all of the features that 3.1 is advertising except the feature of $20.00 per year after the first year. They are taking what we already have and making us pay annually for it. I am very unhappy with El Gato and will complain to them vigorously about it.

    If I understand the upgrade description correctly, the ability to see a program and press the red button on it will be gone after 1 year unless you pay the annual fee. Thus the ability to use keyword search for series recordings would also no longer be a feature (that currently exists) unless you pay the fee.

    That is a ripoff.

Login Here

Not a member of the MacNN forums? Register now for free.

 
close
Photo
toggle

Network Headlines

toggle

Most Popular

MacNN Sponsor

Recent Reviews

MaxUpgrades MaxConnect for 2006-2008 Mac Pro

Nobody outside of Cupertino's privileged bunch knows the future of the Mac Pro line for sure. Despite Apple's reluctance to tell us wh ...

Brother HL-3170CDW LED Printer

We've mentioned before that we are far from a paperless society. For now, at least, there are tasks that require a piece of paper for ...

HTC One

It is hard to overstate just how critically important the HTC One is to the Taiwanese company’s fortunes. Despite its alarming decline ...

toggle

Most Commented

 

Popular News