14 DAY TRIAL // The Apple iPad's potential as a home entertainment device seems to know no boundaries, and it looks like it's just gotten itself yet another application, namely that of a portable TV for satellite-broadcast programs, with the help of the EyeTV Netstream Sat from Elgato.
The new EyeTV Netstream Sat is a network tuner for free-to-view satellite TV that streams the signal, live and in HD, from a satellite dish to any computer in the house, via the home network.
The direct connection between the network tuner and an iOS4 device (requires iOS4.2) requires the new version of the EyeTV app, (version 1.2, available in the App Store).
The application enables both EyeTV Netstream Sat and EyeTV Netstream DTT to stream SD channels over the local Wi-Fi network directly to iOS 4 devices, the DVB-S2 HDTV channels being streamed via the Wi-Fi or 3G/UMTS Internet connection provided a Mac with Elgato’s EyeTV 3 TV software is running as a local streaming server.
An intelligent device, EyeTV Netstream Sat offers centralized configuration via web browser and auto-discovery via UPnP & Bonjour.
Furthermore, Elgato’s new EyeTV Sat Free, an USB 2.0 TV tuner for DVB-S2, has the ability to turn EyeTV Netstream Sat into a dual-tuner.
The EyeTV Sat Free connects to the USB port on the back of EyeTV Netstream Sat, enabling it to stream a second TV channel to computers in the home network.
The Elgato EyeTV Netstream Sat ships on November 22nd at a suggested retail price of 199,95 Euro (£189,95 GBP), while the EyeTV Sat Free ships in January 2011 at a suggested retail price of 99,95 Euro (£89,95 GBP).
Moreover, in order to get the EyeTV app version 1.2, users will have to check-in at the App Store and spend an extra 3,99 Euro (which is not that high a sum, especially since later updates will be free-of-charge).
