ElGato Eye TV - Watch TV on my Mac - No Channels

[scott03atm]

I recently purchased an ElGato EyeTV Hybrid model TV tuner for my Mac.  I have run the auto tune in various modes at least 20 times and each time I continue to get the same result - No Channels.  Additionally, in one of the diagnostics it tells me that there is 0% signal strength.  I have tried this using multiple cable drops in my house and know that they work because other TV's and/or my Verizon modem is connected to them.  I am beginning to wonder if the device is defective, or if I have to have a set top box connected to the tuner in order for this to work (this would defeat the purpose of buying a $150 tuner in my opinion).  The tuner is suppose to support ATSC and Clear QAM).

Has anyone else experienced this sort of issue?  Were you able to get it to work?  Do I have to have a set top box?  

Thanks in advance for your help!   

[mleduc35651]

I believe you can only use a Tuner that is set up to work with Cablecards and there is only 1 on the market now with limitiations. More are coming. Or you have to get at minimum the lowest Digital Adaptor set top box.

[KenAF · Accepted solution]

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@scott03atm wrote:

Has anyone else experienced this sort of issue?  Were you able to get it to work?  Do I have to have a set top box?  

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All of Verizon's non-local cable channels are encrypted.  You can only tune local and public interest channels with a ClearQAM tuner.  Make sure your PC/Mac tuner is setup to perform a QAM channel scan; you should find the HD locals on QAMs 70-75.

Be aware that QAM channels are internal systems numbers and are not the numbers you see with the Verizon box.  ABCHD might be channel 204 with the FiOS box, but 73-2 with your ClearQAM tuner.

To tune the encrypted cable channels on FiOS, you would need a CableCard tuner.   There is only one [discontinued] CableCard tuner available today, but several are coming later this year.  Upcoming CableCard products include the quad-tuner Ceton PCIe card@ (March @ $399) and the dual-tuner CableCard HDHomerun@  (July @ $249).

CableCard products are only supported under Windows 7 Media Center. Apple opted not to support Cablecard tuners under OSX, presumably because it competes with their iTunes downloads.

[scott03atm]

Thanks to both of you for your assistance.