Elgato has announced the release of EyeTV 3.1, an update to its TV recording software. The software comes bundled with Elgato’s EyeTV Mac DVR interfaces; it’s also sold for use with some third-party DVR devices as well. A free update for EyeTV 3 users, EyeTV 3.1 costs $79.95. (Upgrades from previous releases are available.)
Using the EyeTV software and a compatible interface, Mac users can record TV on their Mac, “timeshift,” skip commercials, and export content to other applications. You can share recordings over a network or via Wi-Fi to an iPod, iPhone or other device.
New to the 3.1 update is “premium” Electronic Program Guide (EPG) data for the United States and Canada hosted by TV Guide (provided through Macrovision). The TV Guide EPG features 14 days of guide data and offers rich cast, ratings and genre information. One year of service is included; after that, additional years of service cost $19.95.
The new 3.1 update also features Smart Series Guides that let users record an entire season of a show — EyeTV’s equivalent of TiVo’s “Season Pass” option. Parental Controls have been added; they support US and Canadian ratings systems, and ratings embedded in European DVB video streams. Parents can also “whitelist” channels with child-safe content.
EyeTV requires a G4 or better (including Intel), 512MB RAM, Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later and a compatible DVR device; Intel Core 2 Duo is needed for HD (720p or 1080i) recording.