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By Darius Chang, CNET Asia
May 04, 2007

USB hybrid TV tuners have been in the market for some time. These devices allow you to view traditional analog TV signals as well as receive digital broadcasts if available. Unfortunately, most of them are Windows certified only and Mac users had to shell out a pretty penny for Apple compatible ones, which can easily cost over S$300 (US$210.85). Pinnacle's latest solution looks to offer the same functionality at almost half the price.

Design
The Pinnacle PCTV for Mac Hybrid Stick comes in black and is a bit larger than your average USB flash drive. As a result, it blocks the second USB port on your MacBook and you will need to use the included USB extension cable to free up the port. We welcome the fact that the rear RF connector for the TV antenna is a full-sized rather than the more common mini-input, dispensing with the need to carry an additional adapter. A 1.2m whip antenna with a magnetic base is included for use outdoors, but don't have too high hopes for crystal-clear reception.

A mini-USB port at the side of the unit is used by the A/V adapter cables (see below) for recording off external video sources. Other items in the box include a mini-remote control (batteries provided) which allows volume adjustment, channel changing and recording features to be activated from a distance. A simple manual and Elgato EyeTV CDROM completes the bundle.



Performance
Installation of the included EyeTV Lite software is literally as easy as drag and drop. Copy the program to your applications folder and keying in the serial number is all that's required. The initial startup automatically scans and saves both analog and digital channels. The software allows you to record TV broadcasts as well as external S-video, composite input and stereo audio using the bundled A/V adapter cable.



The user interface is simple, with a clean blue background and menu items in large fonts. Elgato allows for timeshifting, permitting you to rewind and view a previous point in the show even as the live TV feed is being recorded. Teletext services is also available depending on the region. Unfortunately, scheduled recording requires the use of the Electronic Program Guide, which may not be implemented in your country. For even more functionality like exporting to iPods, picture-in-picture viewing, Toast 7 integration, etc., you will have to upgrade to the full EyeTV 2 version for US$49.95 (S$76.10).

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