ctrl.altered.mind

While looking for TV solutions for the Mac, I learned that the only (popular) option to add a TV tuner is through third party hardware offered by Elgato Systems, ConvertX by Plextor, and the TV Mini ATSC by Miglia.

As far as Elgato’s hardware options are concerned, the USB-based EyeTV EZ is the most economical (at $149), while the FireWire-interfaced EyeTV 200 (priced at $329) is the way to go if you need really great quality. It’s also needed if your Mac has an entry-level processor, for the (USB) Eye TV relies on software encoding (as compared to hardware encoding on the EyeTV 200). There’s an EyeTV 500 option for HD content as well.

Elgato’s EyeTV 2 software (also sold separately) was a MacWorld Best of Show (2006) winner (news reviews).

Hope this helps, Sean

“Go ahead, just try to play Halo on a budget PC. Most say they’re good for 2D games only. That’s because an “integrated Intel graphics” chip steals power from the CPU and siphons off memory from system-level RAM. You’d have to buy an extra card to get the graphics performance of Mac mini, and some cheaper PCs don’t even have an open slot to let you add one.

So view your digital life at the highest resolution with Mac mini and the world’s most advanced graphical user interface.”

These were Apple’s exact words on the original Mac mini page. Guess what the new Intel Mac mini announced today has inside? The integrated Intel graphics chip! Well done.

See the original web archived page here.

Apple announced their new line of Intel processor-based Mac mini systems today, featuring the Intel Core Solo and Core Duo processors. Obviously, a big performance boost over the older G4 processors, but there are a couple of disadvantages in terms of graphics capabilities as well, in my opinion. The new systems have integrated video as compared to the G4 minis, which had dedicated 64MB of memory with decent Ati Radeon chipsets. Not sure how good the new chipset is going to be in comparison. However, the Core Duo mini is definitely a great system, with Front Row and the Apple Remote. Adding the ElGato TV tuner hardware and software would make the machine a true HTPC.

I’m not too impressed about the iPod Hi Fi boombox, but I understand there’s a big market for them. If you need a dock/stereo system, the iPod HiFi might be good addition. However, paying $350 for just the remote functionality is bizarre - everything else you can do with the standard dock and a half-decent stereo system.

I wonder why Apple stock (AAPL) fell 4 points today after the product announcements. The media probably got too worked up over the simple “fun, new products” announcement. Maybe Steve Jobs has great stuff lined up for the anticipated April 1 meet.

Have you taken a long hard look at Apple’s Front Row application for OS X and wished for a similar utility on Windows? While Front Row-like capability forms the cornerstone of Microsoft’s Windows Media Center Edition, switching operating systems for the purpose is ridiculous. And pointless, now that Team Mediaportal is out with their latest test release, 0.2. Mediaportal has added amazing functionality to their Media Portal software, a fantastic, skinnable interface that consolidates your music, photos, videos, and more. Media Portal works with a Windows-capable remote (if you have one), or a keyboard/mouse will work just fine. Added bonuses (over Front Row) are an option for cable TV, weather, and tetris. Did I mention Media Portal is open source? Yes, setting up the libraries may be a one-time job (especially if your media is all over the place!), but the application is pretty sweet once its up and running. Be sure to take a look at the keyboard shortcuts since they can be quite handy.

MediaPortal - the Open Source Mediacenter!

Jack Ganssle’s Embedded Muse newsletter had a very interesting link that describes a difference engine of a different sort, which I thought I’d write about as well. Andy Carol has built a Difference Engine similar to the one built by Charles Babbage, entirely from Lego blocks! In Andy’s words, “Babbage’s design could evaluate 7th order polynomials to 31 digits of accuracy. I set out to build a working Difference Engine using LEGO parts which could compute 2nd or 3rd order polynomials to 3 or 4 digits.”

The process of building the gargantuan number cruncher is nicely illustrated with pictures, along with a nice and concise explanation of the math and mechanics that combine to form a difference engine. Amazing, Andy!

Andy’s website is hosted on Steve Wozniak’s website.

Andy’s LEGO Technic Difference Engine