Elgato readies iPad 2 TV tuner dongle
Freeview on the freeway
TV tuner specialist Elgato has come up with a plug-on Freeview pick-up for the iPad 2.
The diminutive dongle - called the EyeTV Mobile - clips onto the popular fondleslab's dock connector and pulls down digital TV signals through a telescopic micro-antenna.
Power comes from its own on-board battery, charged over a separate USB connection.
Not just Freeview - it'll work with any MPEG 2 streams sent out over DVB-T. Alas, it doesn't support Freeview HD/DVB-T2.
EyeTV Mobile will be out at the end of September for just under £100. ®
COMMENTS
Shouting at the wrong people
Elgato don't make any tuner chips, so asking them to get a DVB-T2 tuner out is largely dependent upon their usual ic manufacturer producing the right chipset.
Elgato solely use DibCom 07x00 series chips, which don't support DVB-T2. DibCom are a French company, and the only countries that actually currently use DVB-T2 are UK, Italy, Sweden, Finland and the Ukraine, so don't expect DibCom to be chomping at the bit to produce a DVB-T2 chipset design.
In fact, there are very few companies making DVB-T2 chipsets. I believe all currently shipping devices use a Sony demod chip.
DVB-S2 is a much better bet, although you do then need a dish and a lot of LNBs for multiple tuners.
Stuff to stick with...
It seems like you would be far better off with something that easily migrates your Elgato recordings to our iDevice and just leave it at that. Then you don't have to worry about any absurd looking dongle or signal quality issues.
Portable TVs are so 80s.
Just record your stuff with a nice solid signal and watch it later.
You could even automate it and have it run overnight and be ready for you in the morning.
Snap!
Mobile devices with expensive dongles precariously poking out of them. Makes me cringe just thinking about it.
Very sleek
I love the way that it blends in with the side of the fondleslab and doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.
How much?
You can pick up a usb one for under £20. OK, it's not got a battery, but you can get a whole Telly for that sort of money.
