It is, however, possible to connect a gaming console by way of an EyeTV Hybrid, which has the necessary S-Video or Composite inputs. HD gameplay isn’t possible at this time, but there could well be products in the future which accept HDMI or Component inputs. This guide gives you an overview of this process and should get you up and running with your Xbox (or any other recent games console).

Getting the hardware together

There are a few different cables and gadgets required, some of which you might already have, some of which you’ll need to fork out for.

• EyeTV Hybrid (be sure to buy the correct edition, PAL for Europe and NTSC for the USA)
• EyeTV breakout cable (comes with the EyeTV)
• S-Video Xbox/PS3 cable (composite doesn’t offer the required quality for an HD screen)
• Composite to Headphone Jack Adapter

Setting up EyeTV Hybrid

The first step is to install the software which comes bundled with the EyeTV. Once this is all set up, simply connect the cables together.

• The EyeTV plugs into your Mac’s USB port
• The breakout cable plugs into the side of your EyeTV Hybrid
• The S-Video cable runs into that breakout cable, from your Xbox 360
• The Composite audio adaptor goes from your Xbox into the Line-In port on your Mac

All done? It’s time to start configuring some software. Turn on your Xbox and open up the EyeTV software.

The Software Side of Things

From the ‘Controls’ menu bar, select ‘S-Video Input’ to point the EyeTV to your Xbox. If all has gone to plan, you should see the dashboard screen appear. Everything should be functioning correctly, and the video should feel fairly snappy. Don’t fire up a game just yet though, there are a couple more things to set up.

The next step is to go into EyeTV preferences and ensure that your ‘Display’ settings match those shown on the following screenshot. This will help to sure a smooth picture and the correct type of scan.

The final hurdle you’ll currently be facing is a lack of any sound coming into your Mac. OS X doesn’t pass audio through by default (any audio coming into your line-in won’t automatically be broadcast to your speakers or headphones). This requires a free utility called LineIn. It will take the audio from your Xbox and ensure you can hear it loud and clear. The settings should be as follows:

Troubleshooting

Once you’ve done the above, you’ll hopefully have a very playable setup. There are a couple of problems you may encounter on the way, which this section should be useful for.

Recording doesn’t work – it’s really laggy – The built in recording function in EyeTV unfortunately can’t keep up with the Xbox input. The only way to achieve this is to use a piece of screen casting software such as iShowU. After tweaking with various settings it can perform fairly well.

My favorite game doesn’t work – Some games published on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii might not work on the Hybrid (for reasons unbeknown to me, but stated by Elgato). All the recent games I have tried worked correctly.

Is my console supported? – Almost certainly. The list provided by Elgato covers the Dreamcast, Gamecube, N64, Playstation 1/2/3, Saturn, Wii and Xbox/Xbox360.

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These days, Sony seems lost.  They missed out on the digital audio player market after being the dominant player in the portable audio market.  The PS3 has not been warmly received.  The XBOX 360 was given a one year head start and is hitting its stride while the PS3 languishes.  The Nintendo Wii is the darling of the casual gamers with its low price and is the antithesis of the PS3 in styling with its compact white form-factor as opposed to the PS3′s gigantic black curved box.  Sony is trying desperately to make the PS3 the only set top box you need in your entertainment center.  It’s a gaming machine, a next-generation DVD player, and will soon be a DVR.  The PS3 is either a jack of all trades or is having an identity crisis.

Apple hasn’t seemed lost in years.  It is the leader in the DAP market and has quickly become a major player in the cell phone market.  With Apple dropping “Computer” from its name, Apple is clearly focused on the consumer electronics market.  So why would Apple even bother adding a DVR to its lineup of gadgets?  The argument against an Apple DVR is simple.  Apple and studios make money when people purchase their shows or movies from iTunes.  A DVR would diminish purchases from the iTunes store.  Plus, the iTunes DRM locks the content to Apple products like the iPod or the Apple TV.

The Apple TV

However, there is one thing that makes me think that Apple could easily come out with their own DVR.  Apple is a hardware company.  The Apple TV, Apple’s hobby, is the most likely candidate for DVR functionality.  The device was quickly upgraded with a larger hard drive and new software features.  Why would Apple bother negotiating with television and movie studios for content when Apple could just make a device that records content?  Apple could easily add the same DRM to keep Apple recorded shows on Apple products.

There is one thing I can’t shake.  Has Apple ever added such a major function to any of its preexisting products?  The iPod may have changed in physical dimensions, added a color screen and revised its clickwheel, but it has not added major new features (other than video playback).  The iPod still lacks an FM tuner, wi-fi and bluetooth even though many competitors have these functions.  The iMac has been through several aesthetic changes, but once again, the all-in-one computer is still just an all-in-one computer.  Apple’s products do not normally evolve into new products.  Apple is a company that jumps from one product to the next (look at how they killed the iPod mini for the iPod nano).  This suggests that if Apple were to do a DVR, it would not be an upgraded Apple TV, but some other product.

Maybe not…

I do not think that Apple would come out with a DVR of its own.  Apple is on a course to become a content provider like Comcast or DirecTV.  Their iTunes model is similar to buying cable a la carte.  If Apple has a direction, a DVR would be a step in the opposite way.  It appears as if Apple sees content coming through downloads and not from recording television programs through traditional content providers.  Just as Apple has declined to enter the bargain basement PC market, Apple will most likely decline to enter the DVR market.

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