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Elgato EyeHome
Networked
media players are becoming the new must-have gadget for digital snappers
and internet media enthusiasts. Elgato's EyeHome offers one of the smallest
and most elegantly simple solutions - for the Mac
Our first encounter
with a network media player involved Pinnacle's ShowCenter - a set-top
box that connects via a wired Ethernet or a wireless network to Windows
PCs, allowing video, music and photos on PCs to be played on a TV set
or though an AV system. Movies are made to be watched on a TV set in
a comfortable living room, not a computer monitor in an office or study.
Many people seem to feel the same way, boosting sales of network media
players in recent months. In truth, we're surprised that it's taken
so long for a decent selection of such devices to arrive. QuickTime
trailers have long been a staple part of internet marketing initiatives
for new movies, and it seems like we can't get through a week without
receiving at least one 'you've-been-framed'-style moment as a weighty
email attachment.
Network players don't store any media themselves - they rely on database
software to catalogue and browse files on one or more personal computers.
This need for database software means that many models are created for
Windows only. Elgato's EyeHome is one of the few models intended for
use on the Mac. The other big contender is Neuston's MC-500, which works
not only with Macs, but with Windows and Linux PCs, too. Like Neuston,
Elgato has chosen not to reinvent the wheel with its own proprietary
database, instead using the Mac system's Movies folder, iTunes playlists
and iPhoto albums.
The hardware itself is far smaller than Pinnacle's ShowCenter and a
good bit smaller than the MC-500, but it is rather more limited in its
connectivity than these two competitors - providing only composite video,
analogue stereo audio, optical audio and Scart outputs.
Conclusion
On the whole, EyeHome does its job well. It may not have the bells and
whistles we'd associate with the ShowCenter and MC-500, but that's counterbalanced
by the simplicity and general reliability of the unit. More extensive
connectivity would be appreciated - the addition of S-video and component
sockets, for instance.
But while we really like the EyeHome device and applaud the way in which
it almost seamlessly integrates with the Mac's existing media databases,
we're still disappointed that it failed to deliver on some fundamental
promises such as DivX playback and internet access. DivX compatibility
is a must for internet enthusiasts, as the format is becoming the standard
for encoding and sharing movies online (even if most of this sharing
appears to be done illegally). If EyeHome's own internet connectivity
can be made to work properly, it would be a superb way to bring the
benefit of home computers into the living room. As it is, we feel that
there's still a considerable way to go before EyeHome is the killer
product it promises to be.
Peter Wells
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The Archive
Reviewed in this issue:
Elgato
EyeHome
Boris Continuum Complete 3.01
Snazzi DV.AVIO
Terratec Aureon 7.1
Sony Sound Forge 7 v Steinberg Wavelab 5
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Casablanca uses MainConcept
Sony TRV950 replacement
Apple Production Suite
Hitachi 400GByte HDD
MainConcept HD DVD encoder
Networkable Panasonic DVD recorder
Software assistance for DV filmmakers
Roxio sells software arm to Sonic
Miglia FireWire800 storage
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