Mac HDTV Jukebox #2 = EyeTV 2.3.0

In my previous post, I detailed the compelling reasons why Front Row makes an excellent HD jukebox. But the one huge drawback is VLC’s weak .ts playback control. Jumping back and forward isn’t going to happen. A bookmark feature is nonexistant. Digital Output is not automatically selectable. But all three features are present and available in EyeTV.

Using EyeTV as a video jukebox involves looking beyond the standard feature set. DVD Assist’s developer reminded me recently that one can “import” .ts files into EyeTV’s library by streaming them through EyeTV’s tuner and recording them simultaneously.

I use the word “reminded” because El Gato’s support clued me into this feature when I asked about importing orphaned EyeTV mpeg files back into the program. They pointed me to this article in their FAQs. And it worked beautifully. In the beginning.

But as I began playing back .ts files, I noticed some of them weren’t having their AC3 signals recognized. Files that played back without a problem in VLC were silent in EyeTV. There isn’t any rythme or reason to which files it accepts…even when I “clean” the files up in varous Mac and Windows apps, no joy.

So the good news is you can timeshift exactly as you would an EyeTV recording (ie like Tivo). The bad news is your very favorite .ts file might not offer any sound in EyeTV. To that end, EyeTV is so very perfect with it’s playback control but not stable enough to playback ANY .ts file you’d like…something VLC always seems to able to do.

Beyond HDTV, it’s worth noting that EyeTV can play back any QT file you’d like. It will open in an EyeTV window and allows total playback control. You just can’t import it into EyeTV’s library…Nick at El Gato set me VERY straight about this point.