Erica took a first look at Elgato's Turbo.264 USB video encoder last month and found it to be a mixed bag. While it is indeed a powerful accessory to many Mac user's video encoding efforts, it's only compatible with apps that use QuickTime for encoding and export, so HandBrake and VisualHub die-hards are out of luck. Still, if you use QuickTime itself, Elgato's products (such as EyeTV) or any other QuickTime-compatible video encoding apps, the Turbo.264 is a fantastic companion that is sure to make your G4, G5 or even Intel Mac jump for joy when encoding video.
While I personally don't own one yet, a new v1.1 software update from Elgato is motivating me all the more to save up and squeeze every penny out of the living room couch. One of the big-ticket new features is an iPhone-specific video setting, supporting both standard 4:3 (480 x 360) and 16:9 (480 x 270) formats. While that is definitely a cool feature, I'm more interested in another new feature (which, might I add, the rest of Elgato's video conversion software desperately needs): customizable settings for video conversion, including being able to edit the presets for devices like the Apple TV. Until now, the software included with the Turbo.264 simply offered choices like "high quality for iPod," with no ability to set things like data or compression rates. Now, finally, users have complete control over the quality of the video they output with the Turbo.264's software, and I can only hope that it's coming to their EyeTV 2 software as well.
As I said, I don't own a Turbo.264 yet, but I had the chance to test one out myself and this customization was the only major complaint I had. Now that they've fixed this issue, this $99 video encoding accessory seems more appetizing than ever.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-07-2007 @ 11:06AM
mentalsticks said...
Nope - I did get the turbo.264, and my advice is: get VisualHub and a couple of beers for all your friends. Just watch encoding time fly by.
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8-07-2007 @ 11:23AM
Ted said...
I have to disagree with mentalsticks. I own both VisualHub, turbo.242 and eyetv. On my 12inch Powerbook it would take nearly two days to convert a recorded movie - even with visualhub (which I found would often make the sound out of sync). With the turbo.242 i can convert a movie from eyetv in real time (about 2 hours) for my AppleTV. I cannot recommend it enough. I actually use my Apple TV now, whereas before I could never be arsed to wait for the movies to convert. And it doesn't mean the rest of my apps run bog slow whilst the conversion is going on
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8-07-2007 @ 11:33AM
Harbinger said...
I second Ted's emotion.
The point is often missed that you can be using the stick while ALSO encoding in visualhub or handbrake. Your mileage may vary but on my mini I regularly get 50fps for 640w content, while handbrake is still pushing at 12fps. When the Turbo.264 finishes, the handbrake encode jumps back up to its normal speed.
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8-07-2007 @ 11:42AM
jw said...
hi,
i saved the $99 and just hacked my appletv (without breaking the warranty using awkwardtv's instructions with an external usb drive), installed nitotv and i'm now watching mpeg2 videos on my appletv with no encoding necessary (you can export using program streams in eyetv or you can even use the mpg2 video hidden in the eyetv recording directly).
works like a charm, took me all in all two evenings. and there is no wait for encoding now.
caveat: i can't watch it on an ipod or iphone (yet!). ;-)
cheers
jw
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8-07-2007 @ 11:51AM
arkowi said...
when i first bought the turbo.264 i almost returned it. there were too few options/settings. however, it has quickly become something i cherish.
first, you can take divx videos of say a tv show, and covert them to ipod/iphone format in a very short amount of time.
also, if it is connected, and you do automatic ipod export from eyeTV it will use the turbo.
finally, the new settings really add some more functionalty to the device.
i am glad i didn't return it.
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8-07-2007 @ 12:26PM
Billy K said...
Same comment as last time this was featured: the day it works with Handbrake and/or VisualHub is the day they get my $100. Hell, they should bundle those apps with it.
My solution to encoding time wait was to buy another computer. I was looking for an excuse to get a MacBook anyway.
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8-07-2007 @ 2:09PM
pentumforever said...
#7
Thats, at least for HandBrake, probably never gonna happen.
1. HandBrake relies on open source software. There is no open source implantation for turbo.264
2. HandBrake doesn't use QuickTime
3. At least before this update encoding quailty wasn't as good as that of the current HandBrake encoder.
4. The developers want it to be a software solution.
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8-07-2007 @ 3:17PM
navstar said...
Obviously, the slower the computer, the bigger the encoding speed boost. So would it improve encoding times for people who have dual or quad core MacPros?
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8-07-2007 @ 5:21PM
David Chartier said...
#8: For that powerful of a machine, I would be skeptical. On my iMac G5 a turbo.264 I tested was an absolute dream. Cut encoding a full DVD in at least half, if not 1/4 the time. But Mac Pros have CPU cycles to throw away... I wonder if Elgato has even done any testing to see if it would help.
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8-07-2007 @ 6:13PM
Thomas said...
The only thing that interests me in this over visuablhub is that I've always thought quicktime could squeeze better quality video than visualhub at the same settings - especially when re-encoding stuff from other sources that may not be reference quality in the first place. QT being as slow as a very slow thing typically negated that benefit though.
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8-07-2007 @ 8:06PM
Vishal said...
I use it with my 2.4GHZ macbook pro, and it is amazing. It is about 66% faster than running handbrake directly, and it makes watching videos on my iPhone quite manageable. The settings can now be customized, and the only missing feature is subtitles...
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9-06-2007 @ 5:10AM
brandon h said...
Are there alternatives to handbrake and visualhub that do work with the turbo.264? I would hate to try to rip a DVD or transcode an episode of Divx encoded Babylon 5 only to find out there is no handbrake equivalent that works with my hundred dollar magic stick.
Vishal, do you have a Core Duo or Core 2 Duo? I could see it improving a Core Duo, but does it give an improvement to Core 2's as well?
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