The app side of the setup is particularly good, but investing in a slightly more expensive TV tuner in future could make the EyeTV a top-quality product.Just a thought - is it possible that a radio Take note though, this is reported to have reception issues, although we are yet to test this for ourselves. Those who use earlier Apple devices will need Elgato's other version. It is of course restricted by the fact that you only have the ability to connect to Lightning-compatible devices.
The app works well and it's portable enough to take with you on long road trips or on holiday. Watching TV on the bus with the Elgato is definitely possible, but you might find the odd coverage drop out.įor the £89 asking price, this isn't a bad piece of kit. Even while testing in London, the unit had issues while moving. The EyeTV really needs to be kept still and in one place in order to pick up a good signal. Reception and picture quality also suffers quite a bit when out and about. The iPhone 5 in particular takes a bigger hit, just because it has a smaller battery. Plugged into an iPad 4 or an iPad mini, it makes for a great portable Freeview-style TV platform.īattery life is reduced significantly when using the unit, so you will need to keep tablets charged up. The EyeTV is a handy piece of kit for TV fans. In areas of low reception though, this can start to cause problems. The Elgato has TiVo-like live TV controls, in that you can pause and fast forward whatever you are watching. Once you hit record, shows are then stored to watch later in the recordings section of the app. Tapping the screen will bring up pause, play and fast forward buttons, as well as a record icon. Recording shows is handled via the live TV player itself. These subtitles are stored alongside any recordings you might do, and can be switched on and off later on the fly. While watching live TV it's possible to turn on subtitles and even switch audio tracks. The EPG is nice and responsive though, so you can flick forward through channels fairly quickly in order to get at the show you are after. What's less handy is the lack of a proper search, meaning you will need to scan through all the content available in order to find exactly what you want to watch.
You can even email or print out details of a show. Tapping a programme in the guide will reveal extra information on the show, including details such as genre and show times. It means you can scan forward to see what content might be coming up that you fancy watching.
We particularly like how the app has a proper full EPG, just like the one you might find on your Sky or TiVo box. The app is divided into tabs for live TV, recording, the programme guide and settings. It's a bare bones affair, but does everything you need. Opting for the latter usually results in much better reception.Įlgato's own iOS app is required in order to get the device up and running.
The included screw-in aerial doesn't work quite as well as the fixed aerial that you attach to the EyeTV and then fix to a point. You do need to keep the EyeTV nice and still in order to pick up reception and in certain areas, picture quality can really deteriorate. Included in the unit's box are two different types of aerial to pick up TV signals. It's as plug and play as you would ever want, which is a definite bonus. The Elgato's design isn't really any more complicated than it needs to be. Attach the included aerial though and people will start wondering what you're doing. When attached to your device though, the small black box is so inconspicuous that its portability becomes a real bonus.
Leaving it in a bag or pocket makes the included Lightning connector feel very flimsy. We would have loved a small case, or a way to attach the EyeTV to your device even when it wasn't plugged in. At this size though, it's easy to lose and makes for perfect 'left it on the bus' fodder. At just 31 × 41 × 11 mm and 14 grams, it's definitely not like carrying a set-top box in your pocket. Sounds too good to be true? Read on to find out. Elgato's EyeTV does things differently.įeaturing a built-in TV tuner and even a small extendable aerial, the EyeTV for Mobile is like having a Freeview box that you can plug into the side of your tablet. There are already plenty of ways to watch TV on your iPad or iPhone, but nearly every method involves using up a fair amount of data.