El Gato Software has updated the software for its EyeTV digital video recorder (DVR) appliance to version 1.0.3. The new version adds features, enhances capabilities, and fixes bugs.
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First introduced to attendees of Macworld Conference & Expo New York this past July, EyeTV is a USB-based device that enables Mac OS X users to record TV shows directly to their hard disk. The peripheral sports a coaxial antenna connection as well as composite video and RCA-based stereo audio input. It features a remote control-style interface and pulls US-based channel programming information from a third-party Web site.
The new version of the EyeTV software now features a repeating schedules option, which enables you to create custom repeat schedules for the programs you wish to record. Recording Duration is new, too — it’s a slider control to adjust the recording duration.
Previous versions of EyeTV only enabled users to burn standard-quality video recordings to Video CDs (when used with Roxio’s Toast Titanium CD authoring software). EyeTV 1.0.3 now enables “High Quality” Video CD as well. El Gato notes that this is limited to about 35 minutes of video per CD and does not comply with the Video CD standard, although it should work in most DVD players.
Another new preferences has been added to keep the entire live TV buffer in RAM, thus eliminating disk activity, provided your Mac has enough physical RAM. The live TV minimum buffer size has been increased to 10MB — about 1 minute at standard quality. You don’t have to relaunch EyeTV to adjust the buffer size, as well.
New sound preferences have been added and the Viewer Window is now resizable. Bug fixes have been made for the Program Window, VCD Export, and other problems reported by users of previous versions. Stability has been improved as well, according to El Gato.
El Gato spokesman Victor Nemechek also told MacCentral about an innovative use of the EyeTV employed by some users. EyeTV users who are also video game console enthusiasts have been using the interface to record their activity, according to Nemechek. They later play back the action to critique game play, edit the video, and share their favorite moments with friends. Have other ideas for how you can use your EyeTV? Post to our forum below!