Reviews: iLive IS108B, Elgato EyeTV 250 plus
updated 09:40 am EST, Wed December 23, 2009
Portable sound provides mixed results
MacNN has reviewed the iLive IS108B, a portable speaker system with a built-in iPod dock. The unit folds up into the size of a paperback, and can be powered either through AA batteries or an AC adapter. A clock display is situated in the dock, which fits many different iPods.
The speaker is considered cheap at $50, and capable of putting out a fair amount of sound. It lacks bass response however, and does not properly support the iPhone, leading to low levels of static. The clock is described as an "afterthought," with awkward date and time controls and no way of setting an alarm.
Also reviewed this week is the EyeTV 250 plus, a USB tuner and digitizer which allows a Mac to be used as a DVR. It can be synced with a TiVo, and supporting software allows editing out unwanted content, as well as saving video in preset formats or device profiles. Using a companion iPhone app, broadcasts can be streamed from a Mac to a remote destination.
The 250 plus is said to be easy to use, and offer plenty of preferences, including numerous formats. The iPhone app is said to work perfectly after router configuration. The one drawback is the remote control, which is called low-quality compared to the rest of the package.
Mac Elite
Joined: Mar 2001
$4.99 for EyeTV iPhone App
Are they crazy? And on top of it, the FREE web app they have deletes functionality that could be included in the web app. There's no reason they excluded it except for greed. Seriously - why do some manufacturers charge for an additional iPhone app for a product that their customers ALREADY purchased? Are they going to make *that* much more money off the iPhone app if just a small subset of the users of said product purchase the iPhone app? Compared to the desktop app/drivers, etc. The development time for the iPhone app (and web app) is a tiny fraction of the cost (and maintenance).
Pure greed. Thanks for nickle-and-diming us Elgato. This is probably why they don't allow integration with FrontRow and Boxee/Plex/XBMC - so we don't develop a better app for free.