New OnePost
Elgato has untroduced the EyeTV One to the US market, its lowest-priced TV tuner for DTV antennas for Mac solution for $119.95 (or $101 at Amazon).
EyeTV One delivers digital TV and HDTV channels straight to a Mac or PC, enabling users to watch and record the huge variety of TV shows that are broadcast over-the-air for free – it’s an HDVR for the Mac (or PC).
The product ships with Elgato’s EyeTV 3, which enables users to watch, pause, and rewind live TV on a Mac, as well as record shows, subscribe to a favorite TV series, and create Smart Playlists. EyeTV 3 has a built-in editor to remove unwanted content and can automatically send recordings to iTunes to sync with an iPhone, iPod, or Apple TV. Recordings can be shared over a local network with other Macs. Elgato also offers optional apps to stream live TV and manage recording schedules on an iPhone while away from home.
Users who have a Windows PC as well as a Mac can use EyeTV One with either computer. EyeTV One is compatible with Windows 7 and works with Windows Media Center.
Who is trying to face down Apple’s anticipated tablet this spring?
Here’s a partial list covering tablets from larger hardware companies like Dell and HP, along with lesser-known devices and a few e-readers. The pricing details and public launch dates aren’t available on all of these yet, so we’ve provided what we know and linked to deeper reviews.
HP’s Slate computer
This video demo shows the HP tablet that runs on Windows 7. HP is also reportedly building another based on Google’s Android OS. When Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer demoed it on-stage at CES, he was spare with details and used it to read a book using Kindle software. Using the touchscreen, he swiped through the pages, then went onto Amazon, where he purchased and downloaded another e-book.
OpenPeak Tablet powered by Intel Atom chip
Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini showed off a tablet using an upcoming Atom chip dubbed “Moorestown” during his CES keynote speech. It’s a prototype with no firm dates for launch.
HP’s tablet-laptop hybrid, the TouchSmart tm2:
This kinda qualifies. It’s a fourth-generation touchscreen laptop with a swivel 12.1-inch screen that can be turned into a tablet. You can enter things with your finger, full-size keyboard, or a digital pen. It has a capacitive multitouch display that recognizes multi-finger gestures such as pinching or swiping and an aluminum case with a Riptide engraved illustration. (See Dean Takahashi’s full take on HP’s lineup here.) This laptop starts at $949.
Dell
It has a five-inch display and is supposed to complement (not be a substitute) for a conventional PC. The small size may hurt the product in the long-run, since it duplicates the feel of a smartphone instead of an actual tablet computer. The more promising features seem to revolve around connecting multiple tablet users at once — users will be able to swipe and send pictures to other tablets, or connect tablets to play games together.
ICD’s Vega
The Android-based Vega specializes in home scheduling and other basic functions and will come to the U.K market later this year with T-mobile. We covered the first appearance of the Vega back in November. Developed by Seattle-based Innovative Converged Devices (ICD), a mobile computing engineering firm, the Vega includes features that make it a solid in-home device, suited for the average family kitchen, including a 15-inch touchscreen, NVIDIA Tegra 250 mobile web processor, full HD 1080p video playback, 3G, Wi-Fi and a T-Mobile SIM card. The carrier hasn’t released pricing. (We did a longer take on the device here.)
Marvell-based Alex Reader
This dual-screen reader from Spring Design runs on a Marvell processor and has not one, but two different kinds of displays. The smaller screen is an Android tablet while the other is an electronic paper display with an LCD. It comes out next month retailing at $399.
Skiff
This is an e-reader, not a tablet. It’s an 11.5-inch device comes from a company backed by newspaper and magazine publisher Hearst Corp. It’s got a 1,600-by-1,200 pixel resolution, which is enough to view an entire page of The New York Times up-front, according to Engadget.
Asus
Another netbook-tablet hybrid here. It’s two pounds and one-inch thick. It comes with a TV-tuner, GPS and should be out in March.
Cydle M7
This Korean electronics company entered the Tablet fray this month with a $199 Android-powered device. It has a seven-inch resistive touchscreen and should come out in the spring. (See Engadget’s slightly longer take here.)
MSI
MSI has built a 10-inch Android tablet that’s based on one of the new chips Nvidia showed off this week and has a capacitive display, which is very responsive. (Engadget has more here.)
Notion Ink
Here’s another Android-based tablet from Notion Ink. It’s on a 10.1 inch Pixel Qi display (which is what Apple’s version will reportedly run on). It comes with GPS, a digital compass, an accelerometer and even water sensors. There’s a three-megapixel camera that comes with autofocus and can record video. There will be a 16-gigabyte and 32-gigabyte version. (Slashgear has a longer take on it and Engadget tests it hands-on here.)
Compal
This is a seven-inch tablet that runs on Android 2.0. Engadget gave it a pretty horrible review, complaining about the lack of GPS and Bluetooth. It also has a resistive, rather than a capacitive touchscreen, which makes it less responsive to touch.
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Will televisions sets become a thing of the past now that we can watch our favorite shows on our laptops? Probably not – we'll always have a use for both options. There's nothing quite like relaxing in front of the tube with friends or family on the couch, but being able to watch television while you're out and about can make traveling, commuting and other activities that call you away from home that much more enjoyable.
How to Watch TV on Your Laptop No. 1: Slingbox
Sling Media has a few Slingbox products that you can choose from to watch television on your laptop. I recommend Slingbox Pro, which runs around $129. Slingbox Pro will let you watch and control up to four video sources when you use HD connect from anywhere in the world. When you use Slingbox, you virtually take your home theater with you. You can control your digital cable, DVR, satellite receiver and DVD player, even if you're on the other side of the United States. Slingbox Pro even has a built-in TV tuner so that you can have access to your basic cable line up without changing your set up on your television at home. There is no monthly fee to use your Slingbox software.
How to Watch TV on Your Laptop No. 2: MobiTV
Currently, you can get MobiTV through AT&T Broadband TV. This allows you to watch television on any PC. This service is only available in the U.S. System requirements are a computer system with Windows XP, Internet Explorer 6+, Flash 8+ and Windows Media Player 9+. They advertise it as live television without the TV, plus you don't have to buy any hardware to work with your existing laptop. You simply watch live television through AT&T and get your choice of more than 30 channels. With MobiTV, there is a monthly fee but you can get a 14-day free trial to see if it's the right fit for your lifestyle. The only downside is that not all channels may be available to you during your free trial. Package prices start at $9.99 and go up.
How to Watch TV on Your Laptop No. 3: Beyond TV 4.7
Beyond TV 4.7 offers the option to watch and record television with your PC. With Beyond TV 47 you can skip commercials or parts of a show you don't want to watch. There is never a subscription fee. If you get the additional DVD Burning and H.264 Plug-In, you can burn your favorite television shows. The cost to get Beyond TV 47 is high (around $180) but since you'll never have to pay a subscription fee like MobiTV, it might be well worth the one time price.
How to Watch TV on your Laptop No. 4: Sony's LocationFree TV
With Sony's LocationFree TV, you can connect wirelessly to your own home network and watch television on your laptop. Watching television away from home is super easy. You are able to log in and instantly watch live TV, change channels and more. There is an onscreen remote that is easy to use. The LocationFree Wireless Base Station from Sony runs for around $200 with no monthly fees.
How to Watch TV on Your Laptop No. 5: TivoToGo
TivoToGo is accessible if you have a series two or later TiVo video recorder with home networking. After you've downloaded the TivoToGo software on your laptop, you can access shows that you've recorded on your TiVo box. The only monthly fee is what you already pay for your Tivo, although you may need to buy other hardware if you don't have the series two video recorder.
In my opinion, Slingbox is the best deal. You get better selection since it's through your own cable service and you only have to pay the one time fee to get the hardware. So if you want to watch television on your laptop, consider Slingbox first and weigh the pros and cons of each service to see which one will truly fit your lifestyle.