Comments on: Mac Mini + EyeTV + LCD + NTL(boo!) = Near bliss. http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/ John O'Shea's musings, observations and opinions on anything and everything. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:31:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Administrator http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-50618 Administrator Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:07:10 +0000 http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-50618 One caveat with viewing standard tv signals (recorded or live) is that the picture can be grainy when fulscreen'ed onto a high resolution display - it's not quite as clean as the digital signal the NTL STB normally delivers, probably due to the mpeg encoding of the analog signal (which can be a bit 'dirty' no matter how well I've tune it). For that reason alone, I probably wouldn't use a computer monitor or throw out the NTL box completely... DVD/tunes playback works well, if you are using matinee/frontrow... One caveat with viewing standard tv signals (recorded or live) is that the picture can be grainy when fulscreen’ed onto a high resolution display - it’s not quite as clean as the digital signal the NTL STB normally delivers, probably due to the mpeg encoding of the analog signal (which can be a bit ‘dirty’ no matter how well I’ve tune it). For that reason alone, I probably wouldn’t use a computer monitor or throw out the NTL box completely…

DVD/tunes playback works well, if you are using matinee/frontrow…

]]> By: dodser http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-50617 dodser Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:58:13 +0000 http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-50617 Hi any thoughts on whether its possible to use a 24 inch I-mac to replace.... TV DVD Player/recorder Stereo I note your setup with the NTL box, I\'m not really worried about being able to change channel while recording etc. At the the mo the cable comes in from the street, into the set top box. I\'m wondering is it possible to take a coaxial cable out of that into an elegato and simply watch tv on the mac and also record? any thoughts? Cheers D Hi
any thoughts on whether its possible to use a 24 inch I-mac to replace….
TV
DVD Player/recorder
Stereo
I note your setup with the NTL box, I\’m not really worried about being able to change channel while recording etc.
At the the mo the cable comes in from the street, into the set top box. I\’m wondering is it possible to take a coaxial cable out of that into an elegato and simply watch tv on the mac and also record? any thoughts?
Cheers
D

]]> By: aehso http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-35690 aehso Sun, 20 May 2007 18:45:32 +0000 http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-35690 Jim, The Mini puts out a resolution of 1280x720 (720p) which suits this set perfectly. The picture is great, watching DVDs from the mini rocks as LCD do a great job of sharpening the digital signal at the resolution - it is not far of HD quality. Remember OS X doesn't support increasing the desktop font size natively. I know tools like tinker tool allow this but they don't work well enough. 1280x720 is about the limit of screen res that is usable on a 32" LCD from 12 feet. The mini can set the resolution to 1920 x 1080 but the 32PF9830 only does 1080i (interlaced) so the picture is a bit 'unstable' at the resolution. With a larger LCD, a 42" one that does 1080p, that would be an options... HTH, j. Jim,
The Mini puts out a resolution of 1280×720 (720p) which suits this set perfectly. The picture is great, watching DVDs from the mini rocks as LCD do a great job of sharpening the digital signal at the resolution - it is not far of HD quality.

Remember OS X doesn’t support increasing the desktop font size natively. I know tools like tinker tool allow this but they don’t work well enough. 1280×720 is about the limit of screen res that is usable on a 32″ LCD from 12 feet.

The mini can set the resolution to 1920 x 1080 but the 32PF9830 only does 1080i (interlaced) so the picture is a bit ‘unstable’ at the resolution. With a larger LCD, a 42″ one that does 1080p, that would be an options…

HTH,

j.

]]> By: Jim http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-35359 Jim Sat, 19 May 2007 20:45:35 +0000 http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-35359 Hi, I own a Philips 32PF9830 lcd tv which is great. I really want to connect a mini mac to it via either hdmi or dvi however im been put off by th resolution. I hear that the maximum pc resolution is 1024 x 768. is this good enough???? What does it look like? Thanks, jim Hi,

I own a Philips 32PF9830 lcd tv which is great. I really want to connect a mini mac to it via either hdmi or dvi however im been put off by th resolution. I hear that the maximum pc resolution is 1024 x 768.

is this good enough???? What does it look like?

Thanks,

jim

]]> By: aehso http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-12907 aehso Thu, 16 Nov 2006 23:11:22 +0000 http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-12907 If I am recording (from the R/F input) I can still switch channels on the digital box and watch something else on TV (since the digibox is also feeding directly into the TV). If I'm recording a channel from the DVB-C box (via the EyeTV composite input) then I cannot switch channels as doing so would switch the video comin into the EyeTV composite input. If I am recording (from the R/F input) I can still switch channels on the digital box and watch something else on TV (since the digibox is also feeding directly into the TV).

If I’m recording a channel from the DVB-C box (via the EyeTV composite input) then I cannot switch channels as doing so would switch the video comin into the EyeTV composite input.

]]> By: Alex http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-12898 Alex Thu, 16 Nov 2006 19:08:20 +0000 http://www.xlml.com/aehso/2006/10/27/mac-mini-eyetv-ntl-lcd-bliss/#comment-12898 Can you record one channel while watching another with your setup - I'm investigating this at the moment, and it looks like you'd probably need two EyeTV tuners, but I can't find any software which will drive two tuners (other than Myth?) Can you record one channel while watching another with your setup - I’m investigating this at the moment, and it looks like you’d probably need two EyeTV tuners, but I can’t find any software which will drive two tuners (other than Myth?)

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