Best Tv Tuners For Mac
Advertisement With cord cutting on the rise, many people are learning. Yet while streaming sources thrive, over-the-air (OTA) antennas have also witnessed a resurgence.
5 Great TV Tuners to Watch Live TV on Your Mac. Elgato EyeTV Diversity. PCTV nanoStick Ultimate Plus. Elgato EyeTV Netstream DTT. Elgato EyeTV Go TV Tuner Micro Stick. AVerTVHD Volar MAX. Mac TV Tuner Roundup: Eight Tuners to Tap Into Your TV. By Peter Venero Aug 12, 2009 - 11:24 AM CST. Would the same apply to any of the Mac TV tuners featured in this round up? Jacqui September 9th. I’ve got two EyeTV digital sticks attached to my MacMini and its the best thing ever. With the integration between EyeTV.
According to, 20 percent of broadband homes still receive TV from an OTA antenna. Using an OTA antenna and a TV tuner, it’s simple to make a do-it-yourself DVR. This allows for free television programming from local broadcast stations. Check out the best OTA antennas and TV tuners available, and learn why this is essential cord cutting hardware.
Cord Cutting: Why Use an OTA Antenna? Cutting the cord can result in massive savings. However, you’ll need to calculate the When you add everything up, do you really save money by cutting the cord? We do the math involved with cancelling cable in favor of Internet services.
Canceling satellite or cable puts an onus on streaming and often leaves a void for live coverage and sports. If you’re considering snipping the cord, be wary of the several Before you cut the cord to save yourself some money, there are a few things you should be aware of. Then, determine if you should If you're still holding on to your cable subscription, but are debating if its time to make a change, we're here to help. This guide should help you make your mind up. The Benefits of OTA Antennas While there are plenty of One of the biggest drawbacks of canceling cable TV is the availability of news.
Or lack thereof. Thankfully, things are changing, and here are now plenty of free news channels for cord-cutters., an over-the-air antenna is an inexpensive means to obtain free broadcast television.
For a one-time fee, you gain a device that delivers live television directly to your home. Even with a streaming cable replacement service, an over-the-air antenna may be a necessity since streaming broadcast networks is difficult. Yet, OTA antennas vary quite a bit. Primarily, channel lineups range a lot. Features an excellent tool to help you browse your local broadcast networks. Because over-the-air antennas rely on broadcast signals, placement is key.
As such, you may need to hang an antenna on a window or prominent wall space. This could result in an unsightly antenna your precious natural light or cluttering a wall. But the free channels make this totally worth it. Pros:. Monetary savings. Free live TV.
Affordable. Simple to install Cons:. No over-the-top channels. Signal strength is variable. Channel lineups vary The Best OTA Antennas An over-the-air antenna is one of the best ways to. So check out the best OTA antennas you can buy.
Great reception. Made of 100 percent recycled materials. Multi-directional Cons:. Non-amplified $33.96 With its bold styling, the is an awesome over-the-air antenna. You’ll find the ClearStream Eclipse in 35-mile and 50-mile variants.
Both include detachable coaxial cables, and the 50-mile ClearStream Eclipse is amplified. The ClearStream Eclipse is as much eye candy as it is high performing. Adhesive and a replaceable coaxial cable come bundled, and its reception is top notch. However, the non-amplified version didn’t pull in many more channels than budget options such as the RCA111Z or Channel Master Flatenna.
Still, the ClearStream Eclipse is a comprehensive antenna kit with spiffy styling. Pros:. Bold styling. Amplified version available. Great reception.
Includes adhesive. Detachable coaxial cable Cons:. Average reception on non-amplified version $52.47 Once again, Mohu dominates with the Curve. You’ll love the Mohu Curve for its excellent build materials, phenomenal reception, and modern, minimalist aesthetic. The only downside of the is that it’s pricey compared to competing OTA antennas. Sure, the Curve includes a USB power adapter for its amplifier, and sports a lengthy coaxial cable at 73 inches long.
Macintosh Tv Tuner
Still, for less money you can snag plenty of 50-mile antennas with detachable coax cables. Pros:. Great reception.
Lovely modern aesthetic. Long (73 inches) coaxial cable. Detachable coaxial cable Cons:.
Best Tv Tuners For Laptops
Expensive $130.00 Although it’s listed as an indoor antenna, the is suitable to mounting outdoors as well. This OTA antenna features a whopping 70-mile range. Unlike flat, unobtrusive over-the-air antennas, the ClearStream 4 Max is a behemoth with a 20-inch mast, and multi-directional UHF and VHF antennas. Oddly, especially for its substantial price, there’s no included coaxial cable. Regardless, the ClearStream 4 Max might be an expensive eyesore, but its performance is unrivaled. For a smaller option, check out the 60-mile 2Max.
Pros:. 70 mile range.
4K capable. Indoor and outdoor mounting Cons:. Massive. Expensive. No coaxial cable included The Best TV Tuner Devices Just because doesn’t mean you should too.
Among the biggest cord-cutting pain points is the lack of live content. Pairing an OTA antenna with a TV tuner affords the ability to create a DVR, alleviating that challenge. These are the best TV tuners you can buy. An affordable TV tuner, the is an amazing budget DVR. Although the Homeworx lacks advanced features as found on pricier models from Tablo or TiVo, it’s a capable, no-frills DVR. There’s no required subscription or software.
What’s more, since the Homeworx uses a standard hard drive to store recordings, you can transfer files to virtually any device. Disappointingly, the menu is difficult to navigate and scheduling conflicts are tough to resolve.
Aside from minor shortcomings, the Mediasonic Homeworx is an awesome, barebones DVR. Pros:. Super affordable. No subscription/paid software. Can transfer recordings easily Cons:. Awkward interface.
Lacks advanced features $68.95 This stick TV tuner is capable of handling two television streams. Therefore, you can watch one channel while recording another, run picture-in-picture, or watch two channels simultaneously. It’s easy to set up with a small form factor. In addition to PC compatibility, the is compatible with the Nvidia Shield TV and Plex. Alternatively, you may want to consider the, which offers a similar feature set. Unfortunately, the Tablo is only compatible with the Shield TV, so it’s not the best option for PC users.
Pros:. Easy to set up. Works with Plex and Nvidia Shield TV.
Dual tuner Cons:. Barebones TV tuner $99.99 The by Silicon Dust is a top-tier DVR with dual-tuners.
Thus, you can watch and record from two sources at once. It’s capable of handling 1080p resolutions and includes DLNA for network streaming. While it’s a solid hardware choice, the Silicon Dust software is clunky.
What’s more, the Duo lacks built-in video transcoding capabilities. For that, you’ll need to step up to the. Nevertheless, the HDHomeRun Connect Duo is a good bet as a solid television tuner. Pros:. Dual tuner. DLNA streaming. Works with Plex Cons:.
HDHomeRun software is clunky $244.90 With its superb hardware options, Tablo has become a go-to in the DVR space. The is its top choice for the average cord cutter.
You’ll find two tuners, easy networking with Wi-Fi and Ethernet, and 64GB of storage space. Plus, it’s expandable via USB for additional storage space. The Tablo Dual OTA DVR features intuitive set up, robust streaming apps, and the lack of a paid subscription. However, standard storage fills up quickly especially when recording in high definition.
Moreover, storage is a bit limited and some live channels load slowly. Still, it’s easily the best DVR you can find. If you need four tuners, check out the. Pros:. Dual tuner.
Easy set up. Good networking. 64GB storage space Cons:. Live channels sometimes slow to load. Built-in storage fills up fast Final Thoughts on OTA Antennas and TV Tuners With loads of streaming sites, over-the-air antennas, and TV tuner devices, this is an ideal time to cut the cord.
Notably, the WeTek Play 2 ranks among the, largely because of its built-in TV tuner capabilities. Simply hook up an OTA antenna to use your WeTek Play 2 streaming box as a media player and live TV with DVR unit. Mohu and ClearStream generally provide the best antennas, while Tablo, Silicon Dust, and Hauppauge provide the top TV tuners on the market. Are you still merely considering cutting the cord?
Perhaps you should Ditching cable? Stay away from dedicated media center devices. Your spare PC makes for an excellent alternative because it's cheap to set up, more powerful, and forever flexible. Explore more about:,.