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I have a 21.5 iMac, purchased Fall, 2010, running latest OS. My cable TV & data provider is Comcast.
I want to route my Comcast set-top box into my iMac so that I can watch cable TV on my iMac. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can accomplish this?
iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.7)
If the settop box has s-video, component, or composite connections then you can get adapters to hook up that way. But you are not going to get HD quality and you cannot use the HDMI outputs from the settop box due to HDCP copy protection.
Thanks. That prompts these two questions:
1) I do not have HDMI but do have component connections. My TV is "720" resolution. Are you saying I won't get 720 on my iMac? (I cannot accept a lower resolution.)
2) If I wanted to purcahse the adaptors, what would I search on? Say I go to Amazon; what search term would I use?
Navigate to www.elgato.com, they have exactly what you need.
Elgato is not what he asked for. He wants to connect his comcast box to his TV, not an alternative to receiving from another service or OTA.
1) I do not have HDMI but do have component connections. My TV is "720" resolution. Are you saying I won't get 720 on my iMac? (I cannot accept a lower resolution.)
Sorry you cannot do it, no HD. Thank the entertainment industry for that.
2) If I wanted to purcahse the adaptors, what would I search on? Say I go to Amazon; what search term would I use?
Google search for the kind of adapter you are looking for. For example, if you decided to use component connection then google for say, "component video adapter for mac" (or other appropriate combination of words). Apple also has a page that includes various adapters:
Based on what he's told us this looks like it would work OK.
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/EyeTV-Hybrid-10/product1.en.ht ml
That device is basiclly similar to their OTA device. If comcast was passing the local channels through their box unscrambled (QAM) it may (or may not) work. But I think they scramble everything now. This forced every comcast customer who didn't have a settop box (or DTA converter) to get one from comcast.
X423424X is correct: comcast scrambles their channels (that's why I pay a monthly subscription fee). The elgato device is limited to unscrambled cable (if there is such a thing anymore), digital broadcast TV (i.e., antenna TV) and analog sources such as a camcorder.
X423424X has answered my question. Thanks, everyone.
Addendum:
Elgato offeres this eyeTV HD DVR for the Mac:
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/buy.en.html
for price ($200) then:
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/EyeTV-HD/product1.html
for more details.
It's interesting. It claims "high definition" but what that means is anyone's guess.
If you use OTA (over the air, antenna) or I think their service (I think they have one) then you can use those devices to record. But there's no getting around the HDCP trying to use the HDMI output from comcast's settop box.
"It's interesting. It claims "high definition" but what that means is anyone's guess."
where I live all channels which call themselvs HD are 720P
havent come across true ota 1080P
How about using a Slingbox? Then you can view your cable tv from any computer anywhere (Assuming an internet connection.).
Rudegar wrote:
where I live all channels which call themselvs HD are 720P
havent come across true ota 1080P
And you are not going to. No OTA is 1080p (in the US, don't know about other countries that use the same system) There are locals that use 1080i however. They can do that if they only use a single subchannel and don't have to worry about splitting the bandwidth among multiple subchannels.
I think many CBS stations don't have multiple subs so they broadcast 1080i. On the other hand I heard ABC specifically uses 720p because they think it looks better for sports events.
Slingbox is the answer. For $130 my quest would ordinarily be satisfied, but the large number of 1-star reviews indicates the company is very difficult to deal with, which makes purchasing problematic.
Compnay Site - Products:
http://www.slingbox.com/go/buy
One Device Hookup - Amazon - $130
Three Device Hookup - Amazon - $235
The Elgato Eye TV HD does exactly what you're asking for.
I run my Bell Digital Set top box to my EyeTV HD via component cable and get full HD on my Mac.
I choose channels via the digital box and remote.
(ElGato has a remote system, but it;s skittish and dependent on what digital box you have; the EyeTV itself, however, coupled with the bundled EyeTV3 software is pretty trouble free and performs well.)
Unless Comcast has some encryption method that only your TV can decode, there should be no problem.
And why should there be? You paid for your service. Who's to say what screen you should choose to watch it on?
threesixty, which Elgato Eye TV unit are you using? I subscribe to Bell as well and I'm looking to purchase an iMac and use the monitor as my TV which I'd like to hook up to my set top box as well...and I'm not sure which device will be best for me.
How To Watch Cable TV On My iMac?
