equinux Unveils USB HDTV Receiver, TubeStick hybrid for Mac

by , 2:30 PM EDT, May 1st, 2008

equinux has announced the immediate availability of their new USB-based HDTV receiver, the TubeStick hybrid. When combined with an antenna and the equinux TV viewing application,"The Tube," the system brings both digital and analog television to the Macintosh.

The stylish white USB-stick and mini-antenna flow seamlessly with the current design of Apple products. The intent of TubeStick hybrid, and specifically The Tube, is to bring the TV-community together and make it even easier to watch TV-recordings while on-the-go with one's iPod or iPhone, according to equinux.

The Tubestick hybrid has two tuners, one for NTSC analog and the second is an ATSC tuner for over the air HDTV and unencrypted QAM signals. With the included breakout cable, users can capture analog signals from a variety of sources including video cameras and game consoles via either S-Video or Composite video connections.

In the addition, the TV-application "The Tube" can be used for simple viewing or pause and playback. The adjustable Timeshift buffer allows the user to jump back to the beginning of a TV show to start a recording from the moment the user started watching. "Recordings are saved in ttrec-format to save disc space. It's possible to convert to MPEG-4 or H.264 in different qualities. The Tube has an automatic built-in synchronization to iTunes. As soon as a recording is stopped, The Tube will automatically convert the recording to your preset format and send it to your iTunes library," Christian Rüb told TMO

Another feature of the system is TubeToGo, designed for mobility. "With the integrated and free web-service TubeToGo, recordings can be made available in an online web gallery. Once uploaded, these programs can be viewed while the user is out and about. In the protected area of TubeToGo, users have full access to their favorite shows - including the ability to add, remove and even schedule recordings. All this can be done online with either an internet connected iPhone or iPod touch or a standard Safari web browser. All that is needed is a high-speed internet connection and a place to store those recordings - TubeToGo supports both .mac and FTP," equinux said.

In addition, with the included Windows driver, TubeStick hybrid is compatible with Windows Media Center and several other TV applications on Windows XP or Vista. The required driver is included in the TubeStick hybrid box and is also available for download online.

The Tubestick hybrid can be connected to a standard 75-ohm coaxial cable with an IEC/F connector. The equinux accessory antenna, intended for use in strong signal reception areas, is expected to be available in the U.S. soon. Currently, users should connect to their own powered antenna, for free over the air HD, or a cable feed. Cable HD is available for those regions that supply unencrypted HD over QAM channels.

The equinux TubeStick hybrid, designed for U.S. customers, is priced at US$129. Currently, it is available at the equinux online store and will soon be available at Apple retail stores.