El Gato or Hauppauge? Best For Mac? Help!!!

PLEASE HELP!!!

NOTE:

1. I own an Apple MAC Pro Desktop Tower

2. I own ONE TV a 32" Sony HD TV (1080i or 1080P if by HDMI)

3. I own ONE Dish Network DuoDVR VIP 722K, it's a Dual Tuner HD Satellite Receiver (It can operate two TV's...TV1 in HD at 1080i or 1080p if using HDMI......TV2 at 480p SD only....But since I only have ONE TV I only use the 2nd tuner (TV2) to be able to record one show on tuner 2.....While at the same time on the 1st tuner (TV1) I'm watching, channel surfing, pausing live TV and recording onto my VCR/VHS little video clips of what I see as I channel surf from tuner 1 (TV1).

4. I still own a VCR and still use it to record my movies and channel surfing clips to VHS/VCR cassette tapes (But this must stop soon).

5. My signal comes from the HD Dish to the HD Sat. Receiver to the VCR then to the HD Television.

6. I own a large stereo digital receiver that I loop all sound through, so whatever I hear on my TV or computer, I can hear it on my speakers depending on what button I select on the stereo receiver.

7. I also own an Apple TV, I very small black box that allows me to connect my iPhone to The Apple TV by picking up my iPhone's personal wi-fi hotspot and then whatever I can see or watch on my iPhone I can then see on my 32" HD TV. I do NOT have ANY internet connection other than my iPhone, I have no regular wi-fi, cable, dsl, not even dial up, the only internet I have is a cellular data internet connection from my celluar telephone provider. HOW WILL THE APPLE TV WORK WITH ALL OF THIS?

NOTE: Regardless of what I say below I just need to be able to do the following no matter WHAT I have to buy.

1. Be able to record what I see as I channel surf onto my MAC.

2. Basically I need to replace what my VCR is now doing for me, except it needs to be recorded on my MAC.

3. I would like to be able to dub the movies on my Satellite DVR to my MAC as a backup.

4. It would be nice if this recorder would be able to handle timed recordings, dual viewing and recording, pausing live tv?, etc stuff like that but NOT vital I guess, considering what I've been putting up with for all these years.

5. I really need to dub/transfer hundreds of VHS tapes to my MAC, but I've heard that many recorders have trouble with this.

6. I must dub/transfer many dozens of 8MM Camcorder video tapes to my mac, I have not researched this yet, I don't know if they have better luck than the VHS transfers.

7. I also have literally thousands of micro-cassette audio & regular audio cassette tapes that need to be dubbed, but that is probably not applicable here.

HERE'S THE DETAILS.......

1. MAC Pro Desktop Tower, Dish Network Satellite Receiver DuoDVR VIP 722k, Sony HD TV, VCR, 8MM Camcorder

2. 7 months ago I converted to MAC I bought a used MAC pro tower, and I

am LOVING it, I was a PC guy for about 15 years, no more hand holding

and changing the PC's diapers FINALLY my computer is just a dependable

low maintenance friend.

3. By the way does anyone know if the Dish Network DuoDVR 722k is better than the 922k for what I'm doing?

4. I THINK I am getting ready to buy either an Hauppauge 1504 HDPVR Gaming

Edition Plus, or the Hauppauge HDPVR Gaming Edition Plus 2 OR PERHAPS something from El Gato (I have not researched El Gato yet).

5. I've spent some time researching this online, and have been on the

phone with Hauppauge several times, I DID look into El Gato as well,

but for SOME reason, I quickly reverted my thoughts back to Hauppauge;

but I can't remember why, I think it was something that limited me.

6. I've never even owned a tv tuner before, over the years and up to this

day, when I watch tv, I like to record some clips of what I watch BUT

I am still using a old VCR and this needs to change soon.

7. I am in my 50's and am not really a gamer yet, maybe someday, all I

will likely use the recorder for is for recording movies and tv clips

etc while channel surfing and dubbing a LOT of VHS tapes & 8MM Camcorder videotapes to my MAC's

hard drive.

8. I NEED YOUR HELP in making the VERY BEST decision for ME.

9. I realize that a vast majority of tv is copy right protected so I will need to use the component

inputs/outputs when recording my TV clips or movies etc. Otherwise the copy right

protection will block me.

10. I DO realize that because I'm a MAC user that the BEST Hauppauge

solution is the Hauppauge HDPVR 1504 Gaming Edition Plus because the

MAC software comes bundled with it, but I also understand that

Hauppauge is mainly for PC users.

11. One person with first hand experience told me that the Hauppauge HDPVR 2 Gaming edition plus capture VHS transfers better than the Hauppauge HDPVR 1504

12. HERE IS THE ISSUE...I want to buy the Hauppauge 1504, I'll take

another look at El Gato (I was told El Gato is For MAC users), but for

some reason the last time I researched El Gato, I quickly learned

there was some limitation that sent me back to Hauppauge (can't

remember what).

13. HERE IS THE ONLY THING that is keeping me from buying the Hauppauge

1504, I will be doing a LOT of recording with this recorder to my MAC

Pro tower hard drive. This will include just recording movies while

watching satellite tv, and recording little clips from tv as I channel

surf AND AND AND.... DUBBING/TRANSFERRING MY HUGE NUMBER OF MY OLD VHS/VCR Video

Cassette Tapes & a lot of 8MM Camcorder video tapes using the Hauppauge or El Gato recorder to my Mac Pro

Tower hard drives.

14. I only mention this, because I've heard that the Hauppauge HDPVR 1504

"chokes" on VHS transfers. I don't know why and I don't even know if

this is true.

15. One person with first hand experience told me that the Hauppauge HDPVR 2 Gaming edition plus capture VHS transfers better than the Hauppauge HDPVR 1504...IS THIS TRUE.......If so what is my BEST solution NO MATTER WHAT THE BRAND IS????

16. I just want to buy THE VERY BEST recorder for my MAC Pro Tower, and

don't want ANY limitations with regards to copy right protection

issues or "choke" issues when dubbing my HUNDREDS of VHS tapes & 8MM Camcorder video tapes with

the Hauppauge 1504 or whatever I buy.

17. IS THERE A INTERNAL SOLUTION......YOU KNOW INSTALL A RECORDER OR CARD INTO MY MAC DESKTOP....OR IS THE EXTERNAL SOLUTION MORE FLEXIBLE? BETTER?

18. THE ONLY THING else that concerns me is that Hauppauge is primarily

for PC users and El Gato is primarily for MAC users,

19. BUT I am NOT sure El Gato has what I need, the issue that concerns me is that there is

SOME reason after researching El Gato that I returned to Hauppauge, I

need to do more research but I THINK it might have been something to

do with my NEED to use component inputs/outputs to avoid the copyright

protection issue, maybe El Gato doesn't have the component

connectors?.

20. IT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED if you can offer me insight and advice on

HOW TO MAKE THE VERY BEST DECISION IN BUYING THE VERY BEST RECORDER

FOR MY MAC PRO TOWER, SATELLITE TV MOVIE, VHS & 8MM TRANSFER RECORDINGS.

Much Appreciation,

Randy

"Perfection Seeker"

P.S....I also have an Apple TV, a small black box a little larger than

a couple packs of cigarettes, how will this fit into the equation and

will it work with the Hauppauge 1504?

If the Hauppauge 1504 can only record & playback on a MAC, then what features and function will I be

missing out on?

One person told me to buy an OLD DVD recorder for PC

and use that because the copy right protection thing was not on the

older ones; hopefully I will not need to do this.

Another person said the Hauppauge Colossus might be my solution, I don't know.

I have done none or little research into this but does ATI, Avermedia Portable,

Eye TV, Sony have any solutions for me EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL? Any suggestions or advice

would be MUCH APPRECIATED......I JUST NEED TO BUY SOMETHING THAT I KNOW WILL WORK WELL FOR ME......I WAS HOPING FOR A SOLUTION SOON, BECAUSE I CAN'T GO ON FOREVER RESEARCHING THIS.......THANK YOU!!!!!!

P.P.S.....Do you know of any other REALLY GOOD WEBSITES I can post my

questions and concerns to?.....THANK YOU!!!!!!

PPPS…..I was told/under the impression after speaking to Hauppauge a few times that the HDPVR Gaming Edition Plus 1504? included the Mac software whereas the HDPVR 2 Gaming Edition Plus did NOT ship with Mac software, the last time I talked to Haupaugge, they advised me to forget the “2” because it doesn’t contain the Mac software (they said) BUT you mentioned that people who do VHS transfers have better luck with the HDPVR 2 Gaming Edition Plus 1504?….anyway.