OTA TV Viewing on an iMac

[sleddriver]

Anyone done this before?

I'd like to use an old 20" iMac as a media machine to record & edit OTA TV (sports, movies, etc). I currently do this using two Panasonic DVD/HD recorders. However, I'm then locked into the DVD file format. I've managed to pull the audio file into Audacity, edit out the endless commercial interruptions, then save & use. However editing the DVD video on a computer is a bit of a puzzle. Of course, I could be missing something here...

if not in the Apple-domain, then how about Windows or Linux? Could also build a box for this.

Please advise!

 

[uc50ic4more]

There are scads of small devices with an OTA antenna on a thumb drive-sized tuner that plugs into your USB port. Many are cross-platform. Google "TV tuners for Mac" for choices.

As far as auto-removal of commercials, rocrding formats and so on, my guess would be that that is an issue left for software.

 

[sleddriver]

Yes, I did do a bit of searching.

Didn't know if any iMacs had the option of internal TV tuner cards. Appears to be (or were) many USB types with either their own antennas or (best) coax input. I have a spare ATSC tuner I bought in the change over and never used. If I went this route, then I'd have to set the channel beforehand. With a software controlled tuner, I could use the computer like a DVR.

Don't have any experience with iMovie but thought of using it to do editing with. However, it won't edit a dvd I record on the Panny.

My usual procedure is to record on the Panny hard-drive, edit out the commercials, then burn a disk to use in the garage. More than 4hrs of football quickly turns into less than 2hrs of actual playing time. The NFL has really ruined the flow of the game these days, I don't even bother to watch in real time as it's a waste of my time!

Just discovered my W7 version has MS Media Center. Didn't realize that! So another option is to do record then edit on W7, then share the result over the network where the iMac can access it and display it that way.

I thought there was some guy here who collects/uses old Mac hardware. Perhaps he'll chime in.

Thanks UC!

 

[Johnny2Bad]

I had an internal TV-tuner (yes, Apple OEM) equipped Mac in 1995. They were early to the game.

These days the easiest and least expensive way is to get one of the Elgato solutions that fit your needs and budget.

 

[cpayne5]

If you go with Windows Media Center, there's a Windows app called MCEBuddy (there's a free version, but you can also pay for the latest and greatest version). It can remove commercials. It can do so automatically after shows are recorded by WMC. http://www.mcebuddy2x.com/

Then you can run Plex, which will serve the media files to whereever you want. Phones, browsers, tablets, whatever.

I run Windows Media Center and use XBox's as extenders. I have two HDHomeRun Duals, and two HDHomeRun Primes (with CableCards for my Comcast subscription). Other than the CableCards, we have no Comcast provided equipment. An old computer runs WMC, and I have 6 XBox's that I use as STBs. It works flawlessly. It all runs over my wired home network.

 

[Garak]

In Linux, it's fairly easy. Depending upon how polished you want the final DVD to be, you can use the FFMPEG/WinFF setup, which is very easy to use in Linux. With the WinFF thing, particularly in Mint, you get all the presets, as they call them for video and audio output. You input a file, and output whatever way you like it to be, be that something for DVD, or a PS3, or a mobile device.

If you want to make a really polished DVD, with options for little graphics and actual menu trees, the tovid suite is what you're looking for. I haven't used it for a while, but if it's anything like it was, be prepared for a lot of command line stuff and XML editing. The suite basically edits the video into a proper DVD format, then another part of the package organizes everything, then everything is put into the proper file formats, and burned directly.

Of course, just generally editing the video using FFMPEG/WinFF is much easier, and gives you easier options if you want to escape being "locked" into the DVD format. You can with tovid, too, but the command line invocations are pretty arcane. With respect to recording TV and the like using a Linux box, that's something I've not yet tried.

I'm pretty sure there are some things for recording TV; I remember reading some stuff years back on the Ubuntu forums, but never experimented with it. I'd check there. The name MythTV comes to mind, for some reason.

 

[sleddriver]

Thanks to all who have answered. I appreciate your input. This has been in the back-of-my-mind for quite some time, however life's interruptions rear their ugly head when least expected.

A few years ago I completely rewired my home for both VOICE & DATA. Cat 5 cable, punch blocks, Cat 5 jacks, to all locations save for the garage. All wiring is now home-run, ADSL modem & router have been relocated to this location and AC power is provided. The infrastructure is all in place. Further, my outdoor VHF/UHF antenna provides OTA signals to several locations throughout the house via RG-6QS cable. I had a great signal even in the analog days. No worries.

I was still using VHS tape 10yrs ago to record OTA when I stumbled upon the two Panny DVD recorders in a garage sale for $10/$20 that actually worked! These were great for those of us without subscription TV service.

I also began to record FM/AM sports broadcasts OTA into Audacity, then strip the commercials out, save as a audio file, then port to a Sansa Clip player to listen to on long road trips, play in the garage while working, etc. Neighbors would wonder over asking "Where'd you get that? Why is that on now (as opposed to the season). Should the recorded game be a dud, I'd just erase it.

In this day & time, all of this technology is cheap, readily available and the learning curve easy.

I recently had friends over for dinner and we visited in the kitchen while I cooked and watched out-of-season football on the 17" iMac sitting on the kitchen counter. They were rather amazed and asked lots of questions. When they realized there were no $%^&! commercials interrupting the flow, they asked even more questions. I told them I edited the OTA broadcast on a 15yr old DVD recorder, burned the result to a disk and they were watching it on a 10yr old iMac. Further that the cost was very little: I don't pay for TV. They DVD recorder was from a garage sale and the iMac was free from a neighbor. A blank DVD is 50 cents. They just looked at each other amazed. I then added they could play the disk in their car on the next road trip.

They had just gotten so used to being "locked-in" to paying for TV, complaining about increasing bills and all the ad/marketing/junk channels.

Major paradigm shift for them....

 

[sleddriver]

I'm one step closer to trying this out. Just found a neighbor who is going to give me an Elgado eye one tuner that's never been used! Looking forward to experimenting with it both on the iMac and with WMC within W7.