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Mac Mini Media Centre... Help please

  • 27-01-2008 11:47am
    #1
    Dammer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 343 ✭✭


    Hi All,

    I'm in the middle of building a Media centre using a Mac Mini and a 750 GB external HD. But would like to also use it as a DVR / PVR. I have NTL digital and don't fancy "renting" their PVR box.

    After doing some research the are two very good TV Tuner add ons. Both are external USB components.

    MIGLIA TVMAX+

    and the

    Elgato 250+

    So has anyone used either of these items? And what would be their opinion on them. Any help is appreciated in aiding my decision.


Comments

  • #2
    J-blk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    Hey Dammer,

    I've got a very similar setup to what you're describing....

    Up to recently, I had NTL analog cable and my observations for the Eye TV 250 were not positive. I run a long cable from my TV point (10m) to the PC and even with a booster in the loop, the quality was pretty poor on many channels (and I had major issues getting sound working on Sky One, BBC2 and E4). It definitely was something tuner related too, as I have a Hauppauge Win TV PVR USB2 as well and in Windows, that could tune all channels much better. The problem is, the Hauppauge does not work with the Eye TV software which IMO is the best TV/PVR solution for Mac OS X at the moment.

    I recently switched to NTL digital cable and the Terratec/Eye TV 250 is brilliant with that but... there's another problem. With NTL Digital, you will have to connect the box NTL gives you to the TV tuner's composite/s-video in - there's just no way around that. If you want to change channels in Eye TV then, you can't, you need to use the NTL box's remote.... and the software can't change the channel for you either so forget about recording anything else than the channel the box was last set to....

    There is a solution to all this in Windows Media Center (Vista or XP MCE both do this) - you can buy the MCE remote/IR Blaster for about 40 euro and this allows you to control the NTL box via the MCE remote. Media Center can also change channels for you automatically when a recording is scheduled....

    And that's where I'm at at the moment, using the Mini with Vista Home Premium and NTL Digital - it's a brilliant setup, though I would much prefer to use Mac OS X but you can only stick with that if you are on analog NTL I'm afraid.... I hope this helps a bit.


  • #3
    Dammer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 343 ✭✭Dammer


    Hi J-blk,

    Thanks for the info on the elgato 250+. I did read somewhere that the elgato 250 does have signal quality proglems.

    After reading more about the Migila one, I reckon that just about edges it. But the elgato 250+ has a Freeview tuner.

    Anyone have use of, or own the Migila?


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