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Playing cable HD TV on the Mac

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  Playing cable HD TV on the Mac "John Varela" <newlamps@verizon.net> - 2017-11-15 01:01 +0000
    Re: Playing cable HD TV on the Mac Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2017-11-15 04:10 +0000
      Re: Playing cable HD TV on the Mac nmassello@yahoo.com (Neill Massello) - 2017-11-15 00:57 -0700
      Re: Playing cable HD TV on the Mac "John Varela" <newlamps@verizon.net> - 2017-11-16 01:12 +0000
    Re: Playing cable HD TV on the Mac Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2017-11-15 17:46 +0000
      Re: Playing cable HD TV on the Mac nmassello@yahoo.com (Neill Massello) - 2017-11-15 14:11 -0700
        Re: Playing cable HD TV on the Mac "Ed H." <phoney@bogus.com> - 2017-11-15 19:42 -0600
          Re: Playing cable HD TV on the Mac "John Varela" <newlamps@verizon.net> - 2017-11-17 02:34 +0000
            Re: Playing cable HD TV on the Mac nmassello@yahoo.com (Neill Massello) - 2017-11-16 20:44 -0700
              Re: Playing cable HD TV on the Mac "John Varela" <newlamps@verizon.net> - 2017-11-17 19:25 +0000
            Re: Playing cable HD TV on the Mac "Ed H." <phoney@bogus.com> - 2017-11-17 22:13 -0600

#110054 — Playing cable HD TV on the Mac

Does anyone have a recommendation for a way to play HDTV from the 
cable box to a Mac?  (Should mention that I have been using El Gato 
EyeTV HW & SW for years but it's time to replace.)

-- 
John Varela

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#110055

On 2017-11-15, John Varela <newlamps@verizon.net> wrote:
> Does anyone have a recommendation for a way to play HDTV from the
> cable box to a Mac?  (Should mention that I have been using El Gato
> EyeTV HW & SW for years but it's time to replace.)

Won't newer models of EyeTV hardware do what you want? I used an EyeTV
250 Plus for years to view and record cable shows straight from the wall
(no box). The user experience was clunky and buggy, but it generally did
the job it was designed to do. I haven't subscribed to cable in over a
decade, but if I did want to record it, I'd probably just get the latest
appropriate EyeTV.

-- 
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

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#110057

Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:

> Won't newer models of EyeTV hardware do what you want? I used an EyeTV
> 250 Plus for years to view and record cable shows straight from the wall
> (no box). The user experience was clunky and buggy, but it generally did
> the job it was designed to do. I haven't subscribed to cable in over a
> decade, but if I did want to record it, I'd probably just get the latest
> appropriate EyeTV.

Most cable systems have gone to encrypted digital and require CableCARD
to view most of the channels. It's usually only the local must-carry
channels that are transmitted in ClearQAM. There are CableCARD tuning
adapters for computers, but they don't work with EyeTV or (AFAIK) any
other Mac software. To top if off, EyeTV (Geniatech) has essentially
abandoned the North American hardware market and seems to be following
suit with the software as well. If you want a computer-based DVR, even
for OTA, it looks like there will soon be no options other than Windows
and Linux. 

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#110064

On Wed, 15 Nov 2017 04:10:24 UTC, Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com>
wrote:

> On 2017-11-15, John Varela <newlamps@verizon.net> wrote:
> > Does anyone have a recommendation for a way to play HDTV from the
> > cable box to a Mac?  (Should mention that I have been using El Gato
> > EyeTV HW & SW for years but it's time to replace.)
> 
> Won't newer models of EyeTV hardware do what you want? I used an EyeTV
> 250 Plus for years to view and record cable shows straight from the wall
> (no box). The user experience was clunky and buggy, but it generally did
> the job it was designed to do. I haven't subscribed to cable in over a
> decade, but if I did want to record it, I'd probably just get the latest
> appropriate EyeTV.

I am on my second EyeTV box, having upgraded to HDTV some years ago.
The original standard TV box worked fine, and the software has 
improved quite a bit over the years, but the HDTV box has always 
been buggy. It is impossible to watch something as long as a movie 
or a football game without it freezing and needing a reset at least 
once -- which means no using it as a DVR.

The EyeTV line used to be made by El Gato, but is now made by 
Geniatech, whoever they are. My problem arose after installing a new
version of the EyeTV software. I sent Geniatech a problem report via
their Web site.

A reinstall of the old version of the software solved the immediate 
problem. However, pessimist that I am, I assumed that my El Gato 
legacy box was no longer supported and I needed to think about 
replacing it, so I posted here.

I was only half right. Geniatech sent me the .1 version of the new 
software release to make it work with El Gato legacy hardware. 
Evidently they hadn't tested with that hardware before releasing.

So my question was premature, though the day will come...

-- 
John Varela

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#110059

In message <51W5y0sPNk52-pn2-OtjycfIl99ze@localhost> John Varela <newlamps@verizon.net> wrote:
> Does anyone have a recommendation for a way to play HDTV from the 
> cable box to a Mac?  (Should mention that I have been using El Gato 
> EyeTV HW & SW for years but it's time to replace.)

Newer EyeTV, Silicon Dust HomeRun HD (which I used to use when I still
cared about broadcast TV). Probably others, but these two work well.

-- 
Clarke's Law: Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from
magic
Clark's Law: Sufficiently advanced cluelessness is indistinguishable
from malice
Clark Slaw: Anything that has been severely damaged or destroyed by 
application of Clark's Law

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#110061

Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:

> Newer EyeTV, Silicon Dust HomeRun HD (which I used to use when I still
> cared about broadcast TV). Probably others, but these two work well.

The most recent builds (7521 and 7522) of EyeTV 3.6.9 lack support for
the HDHomeRun. 

<https://eyetvforum.com/index.php?/topic/2042-369-7521-breaks-compatibility-with-hdhomerun/>

EyeTV's new owner (Geniatech) is headquartered in Germany and
concentrates on the European market, and it looks like they are dropping
support for North American hardware. 

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#110065

In article <1nfj9y2.1rnosk416nuf14N%nmassello@yahoo.com>, Neill
Massello <nmassello@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:
> 
> > Newer EyeTV, Silicon Dust HomeRun HD (which I used to use when I still
> > cared about broadcast TV). Probably others, but these two work well.
> 
> The most recent builds (7521 and 7522) of EyeTV 3.6.9 lack support for
> the HDHomeRun. 
> 
>
> <https://eyetvforum.com/index.php?/topic/2042-369-7521-breaks-compatibility-wi
> th-hdhomerun/>
> 
> EyeTV's new owner (Geniatech) is headquartered in Germany and
> concentrates on the European market, and it looks like they are dropping
> support for North American hardware. 
> 

Thanks for the info - I'm using build 7518 and it looks like 7520 is
the end of the line.

-- 
Ed H.

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#110080

On Thu, 16 Nov 2017 01:42:01 UTC, "Ed H." <phoney@bogus.com> wrote:

> In article <1nfj9y2.1rnosk416nuf14N%nmassello@yahoo.com>, Neill
> Massello <nmassello@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> > Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:
> > 
> > > Newer EyeTV, Silicon Dust HomeRun HD (which I used to use when I still
> > > cared about broadcast TV). Probably others, but these two work well.
> > 
> > The most recent builds (7521 and 7522) of EyeTV 3.6.9 lack support for
> > the HDHomeRun. 
> > 
> >
> > <https://eyetvforum.com/index.php?/topic/2042-369-7521-breaks-compatibility-wi
> > th-hdhomerun/>
> > 
> > EyeTV's new owner (Geniatech) is headquartered in Germany and
> > concentrates on the European market, and it looks like they are dropping
> > support for North American hardware. 
> > 
> 
> Thanks for the info - I'm using build 7518 and it looks like 7520 is
> the end of the line.
 
Has anyone complained to Geniatech support? Squeaky wheel, grease.

I was running 7520. It was 7521 that broke support for the EyeTV HD.
I complained and in a day or two they sent me 7522, which corrected 
the problem.

-- 
John Varela

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#110081

John Varela <newlamps@verizon.net> wrote:

> I was running 7520. It was 7521 that broke support for the EyeTV HD.
> I complained and in a day or two they sent me 7522, which corrected 
> the problem.

I downloaded 7522 from the European Geniatech web site, but it didn't
see my HDHomeRuns. They must have sent you a special build. The EyeTV US
site <https://www.geniatech.us/eyetv/> has a link to 7520. In any case,
this gives me some hope that omitting the HDHR was an oversight rather
than a deliberate decision. 

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#110088

On Fri, 17 Nov 2017 03:44:14 UTC, nmassello@yahoo.com (Neill 
Massello) wrote:

> John Varela <newlamps@verizon.net> wrote:
> 
> > I was running 7520. It was 7521 that broke support for the EyeTV HD.
> > I complained and in a day or two they sent me 7522, which corrected 
> > the problem.
> 
> I downloaded 7522 from the European Geniatech web site, but it didn't
> see my HDHomeRuns. They must have sent you a special build.

I suppose that's possible and, if so, then it reinforces my 
suggestion that someone should get in touch with Geniatech support.

The EyeTV US
> site <https://www.geniatech.us/eyetv/> has a link to 7520. In any case,
> this gives me some hope that omitting the HDHR was an oversight rather
> than a deliberate decision. 

-- 
John Varela

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#110096

In article <51W5y0sPNk52-pn2-H6TJLDLHwjbk@localhost>, John Varela
<newlamps@verizon.net> wrote:

> On Thu, 16 Nov 2017 01:42:01 UTC, "Ed H." <phoney@bogus.com> wrote:
> 
> > In article <1nfj9y2.1rnosk416nuf14N%nmassello@yahoo.com>, Neill
> > Massello <nmassello@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Newer EyeTV, Silicon Dust HomeRun HD (which I used to use when I still
> > > > cared about broadcast TV). Probably others, but these two work well.
> > > 
> > > The most recent builds (7521 and 7522) of EyeTV 3.6.9 lack support for
> > > the HDHomeRun. 
> > > 
> > >
> > >
> > > <https://eyetvforum.com/index.php?/topic/2042-369-7521-breaks-compatibilit
> > > y-wi
> > > th-hdhomerun/>
> > > 
> > > EyeTV's new owner (Geniatech) is headquartered in Germany and
> > > concentrates on the European market, and it looks like they are dropping
> > > support for North American hardware. 
> > > 
> > 
> > Thanks for the info - I'm using build 7518 and it looks like 7520 is
> > the end of the line.
>  
> Has anyone complained to Geniatech support? Squeaky wheel, grease.
> 
> I was running 7520. It was 7521 that broke support for the EyeTV HD.
> I complained and in a day or two they sent me 7522, which corrected 
> the problem.

From that forum topic, someone named AlanG posted the following on
Wednesday. I didn't see anything there about 7522 resolving the problem
though, so we'll see.
=====================================================
My email trail with support:

Me:  New version (7521) does not have HDHomerun on hardware list
Software now unusable!

Geniatch:  Thank you for contacting us.
We are just confirmed with the techs that they remove the hd home run
and do not support it from the 7521 version of eyetv 3 software, so
please use the 7520 version and it will work well with your productˇ
content/uploads/software/EyeTV3.6.9(7520)20170831.dmg

Me:  Why have they removed it?  And why was there no warning in the
update notification?  Seems like very poor customer service!

Geniatch:  We are really sorry for the inconvenience.
It is te decision of our company and we can not control it, sorry to
take the inconvenience to you.

.... so that's that then! 

Shame, as I haven't found any other software with the same ease of use
and clarity of program guide. 
=====================================================

https://is.gd/1e4PoE

https://eyetvforum.com/index.php?/topic/2042-369-7521-breaks-compatibili
ty-with-hdhomerun/&tab=comments#comment-3174

-- 
Ed H.

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