Comments about Elgato's EyeHome

atlauren (apparently) - 04:35am Aug 11, 2004 PST
via email - Practicing random acts of punditry.

Posted with permission...

<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=07766>

At 11:23 AM -0400 8/10/04, Subramaniam, Siva wrote:
>Hello Andrew,
> I read your review of eyeHome in www.tidbits.com. I was
>thinking about getting it but my major complaint was the lack of
>true hi-definition. They advertise that this device can do
>hi-definition. But it cannot. Its processor is only capable of SD.
>I ended up getting Roku HD1000. It does true hidefinition. The
>software on the Roku is not better though. It is actually worse.
>But with software you can get upgrades. With hardware, you are
>stuck!
>
>The reason I griped about hi definition is mainly for pictures. Not
>that many people have high definition video stored in their Mac,
>however, almost all pictures that we store and want to view are in
>high def (greater than 640x480). What disturbed me was the specs
>for eyeHome. When it first came out, I read the specs and truly
>believed that it supported high definition. However, I learned
>directly from an engineer at elgato that the device down-converts
>high resolution pictures to 640x480 and then upconverts it again to
>1080i when you connect the eyeHome to a HD-TV using component video
>cables. This is not good! On the other hand, hi def pictures look
>great using Roku. I can even zoom in without losing resolution as
>long as the original picture is high enough resolution. I just wish
>the software was done better though.
>
>-Siva

I think the EyeHome's true limitation is that it works within the
browser paradigm. The device itself is quite capable (except if you
require high def), but the browser interface limits the UI. I'd like
to see ElGato re-work the Syabas technology for a better UI and
experience-by-remote-control.

-Andrew

--
Andrew Laurence
atlauren

uci.edu

Mark as Read

atlauren - Aug 11, 2004 4:40 am (#1 Total: 3)

Practicing random acts of punditry.

Posts: 814

Re: ElGato EyeHome

with permission...

>Have you noticed that streaming radio stations listed in Itunes >playlists are available for play on TIVO networks? What a pleasure! > >-- >Gerry Sanders

Hi Gerry,

Yes, TiVo's Home Media Option is very nicely done. That same feature is also in the Slim Devices Squeezebox. From what I've seen so far, the Squeezebox is the best solution for music; if TiVo would make HMO a SlimServer client, that would be truly cool.

-Andrew

>The nice thing about TiVo, though, is that if you have it already, >you don't need to spend more for the other device to listen to your >music. The only limiting feature of TIVO with music is that it >can't play iTunes Store music, which limits my purchases there. But >that I suspect is an Apple-driven idea to push people to IPODs or >other Apple devices, which in the end, I fear, only benefits >Wintel, as have other Apple ideas to not share it licenses etc. > >Gerry

-- Andrew Laurence atlauren

uci.edu

Brian Gage - Dec 29, 2005 12:50 pm (#2 Total: 3)

Guest User

Posts: 1

Re: Comments about Elgato's EyeHome

http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=07766

[ A long-ago comment in this thread divulged the detail that the EyeHome down-samples all pictures to 640x480, and then up-converts if connected to an HDTV. -Andrew ]

I too was deceived by Elgato's website, marketing materials, and
manual...
Here it is 12-26-2005, and it all still reads as though you can use
it for HD
content and display... I got everything set up
with holes in the wall, $100 worth of cables, a new Sony HDTV... and...
photos looked like crap... and my HD content off of their EyeTV500
didn't work...
Finally after much searching and grief, I found the answer buried on
the last page
of their FAQ on their website... no EyeTV500 support at all, and only
truly displays at 480i...
this is truly deceptive... they could have adjusted their marketing
materials and manual a long
time ago to state this.

I thought highly of Elgato after nearly a years use of my EyeTV500...
but with this deceptive
behavior, would probably never recommend them again.

-Brian

pns (apparently) - Jan 7, 2006 6:32 pm (#3 Total: 3)

via email

Posts: 7

Re: Comments about Elgato's EyeHome

Brian, does this announcement (http://www.miglia.com/products/video/tvminihd/index.html)

impact your statement below?

Paul

******************

At 2:00 AM -0800 12/30/05, <tidbits-talk

tidbits.com> wrote

Comments about Elgato's EyeHome

1. Re: Comments about Elgato's EyeHome

Message #2: Re: Comments about Elgato's EyeHome
Posted by: Brian Gage Date: Dec 29, 2005.

http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=07766

[ A long-ago comment in this thread divulged the detail that the EyeHome down-samples all pictures to 640x480, and then up-converts if connected to an HDTV. -Andrew ]

I too was deceived by Elgato's website, marketing materials, and
manual...
Here it is 12-26-2005, and it all still reads as though you can use
it for HD
content and display... I got everything set up
with holes in the wall, $100 worth of cables, a new Sony HDTV... and...
photos looked like crap... and my HD content off of their EyeTV500
didn't work...
Finally after much searching and grief, I found the answer buried on

the last page

of their FAQ on their website... no EyeTV500 support at all, and only
truly displays at 480i...
this is truly deceptive... they could have adjusted their marketing
materials and manual a long
time ago to state this.

I thought highly of Elgato after nearly a years use of my EyeTV500...
but with this deceptive
behavior, would probably never recommend them again.

-Brian

--
Paul Schatz
Chem Dept
University of Virginia

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