For Christmas last year I got a nice Pinnacle HD Stick for Mac which I use all the time to turn my MBP into the worlds most expensive PVR. While browsing the Pinnacle website I noticed their PCTV HD Pro Stick which looks a lot like the TV for Mac HD Stick. I started thinking about how it sucked to not be able to watch TV while booted into Windows using Boot Camp and decided to start doing some research into seeing whether or not I could get a legitimate license for Windows software since I had a legitimate use for the product.

First, I rebooted to Windows and verified that the HD Stick could be detected. Windows saw it as a PCTV 800e which IS the PCTV HD Pro Stick. So far, so good...

Connect to Live Assistance...

Andrei Bologa: Hi, my name is Andrei Bologa. How may I help you?

JF: I purchased the HD Stick for Mac and now have a Windows system. Is it possible to get the PC software for the product?

Andrei Bologa has disconnected.

Ricci Espacio has joined the chat.

Ricci Espacio: Hi, my name is Ricci Espacio. How may I help you?

Ricci Espacio: Hi

JF: I purchase the HD Stick for Mac and now have a Windows system, plus use the Mac in boot camp. Is it possible to get the PC software for the product?

JF: Is it possible to upgrade from eyetv to a pc version of studio at all?

Ricci Espacio: Where would you like to use the HD Stick?

JF: I want to be able to use it with windows and os x.

JF: mac has windows and os x

JF: i have mac hd stick. does it work with windows? can i get windows software?

Ricci Espacio: Let me check if you can use that on Windows

Ricci Espacio: Thank you for holding. I tried to verify, yes the HD for Mac will also work with Windows

JF: ok good where do i get the windows software

Ricci Espacio: You mean Windows?

JF: software for hd stick for windows

JF: eyetv for mac in box no hd software for windows

Ricci Espacio: I see.

Ricci Espacio: Stay on the line

Ricci Espacio: Thank you for holding. Please download TVCenter Pro 4.7 from the link.

*Ricci Espacio: link *

select link and copy to clipboard...

Cut and paste, open new tab and begin to download file.

Browser crashes with error 500...

As I began to respond to Ricci the browser crashed. Looks like their java is buggy in the chat interface and can't take a tabbed world. Good thing I copied the chat window to the clipboard.

Restart browser...

Download file...

Downloaded and installed file Ricci suggested. UH OH! Serial Number!

Reconnect to Pinnacle Live Assistance

Rudy Agenias: Hi, my name is Rudy Agenias. How may I help you?

JF: Ricci Espacio was helping me with HD stick for PC. Here is a copy of our chat:

JF: We got disconnected.

JF: He did not give me a registration for TVCenter Pro 4.7 to use it with my pc

JF: he was helping me use my mac stick with windows

Rudy Agenias: It's not recommended to use that device that way.

JF: He said it would work fine

JF: So I downloaded TVCenter Pro 4.7 like Ricci said but now it is asking me for a registration from the box which I do not have and he did not give me.

Rudy Agenias: Is it the HD STICK FOR MAC?

JF: yes. I have a mac that runs windows and os x and was wanting to use the mac stick for windows too. Ricci checked and it will work and he gave me the link to the windows software but now I can't install.

JF: Because he didn't give me the registration info and the browser crashed.

JF: Could you get Ricci Espacio?

Rudy Agenias: I am confirming this with 2nd LEVEL SUPPORT since you have bought a MAC product and the PC product is not the same with your purchase.

JF: so i can't use tv when my mac is running windows?

Rudy Agenias: Yes, as I have confirmed with 2nd level.

JF: But windows detects the card as a PCTV 800e

JF: Can I at least try the software to see if it works?

Rudy Agenias: No, it's not possible.

Rudy Agenias: I could not give out the serial also, sorry.

JF: Ok but I was trying to see if I could upgrade from eyetv by buying the windows version

Rudy Agenias: No, it's not possible.

Rudy Agenias: You should buy the PCTV product for windows, there is no upgrade available.

JF: but that would be silly as it is for the same mac that runs windows and os x

JF: i will just use os x for tv then

Rudy Agenias: Unfortunately, silly as it is, I don't have other options as well as you do.

Rudy Agenias: You could stick to the OS your product is made to work.

JF: ok thanks

Rudy Agenias: You're welcome. Thanks for chatting with us. Have a nice day!

Rudy Agenias: Please don't forget to disconnect from the chat session. Thanks.

Re-Reconnect to Pinnacle Live Assistance

Zrwyn Santos: Hi, my name is Zrwyn Santos. How may I help you?

JF: Ricci Espacio: Stay on the line Ricci Espacio: Thank you for holding. Please download TVCenter Pro 4.7 from the link.

JF: he was helping me but my browser crashed

JF: i need the code to install

Zrwyn Santos: Just to clarify what code do you want?

JF: i bought hd for mac with eyetv and he was helping me install it in windows for use with os x boot camp

JF: mac runs windows too

JF: card detects as pctv 800e

JF: but when i install from the link i was given i need some serial number ant the eyetv one does not work

Zrwyn Santos: Kindly tell me the software and device your and using?

Zrwyn Santos: Thank you.

JF: so i was trying to ask Ricci for the right code and my browser crashed with a java error and now i lost the chat with him

JF: its pctv 800e and tvcenter pro 4.7

Zrwyn Santos: Have you also registered your product?

JF: yes

Zrwyn Santos: One moment please. Please give me 2-3 minutes to check this.

JF: ok

Zrwyn Santos: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX NOTE: Yeah, that's not the real serial. Don't ask, I'm not giving it to you.

Zrwyn Santos: Please try this serial number.

JF: awesome just a sec

Zrwyn Santos: Is there anything more I can help you with?

JF: great that works

JF: thanks!

Zrwyn Santos: You're very much welcome. By the way , after our conversation, you will get a survey which will give you a chance to rate on how I handled your issue. I would greatly appreciate your feedback so we can continuously improve our service

JF: ok i will be happy to answer

Zrwyn Santos: Thank you have a great time.

PCTV works!

Everything now works correctly and I've officially p0wned Pinnacle's tech support and gotten them to turn my HD Stick for Mac into a PCTV HD Pro Stick.

email: Josh Fuller | tag: /technology/computing/hardware | permanent link | Share on Facebook

Thu, 13 Mar 2008

blog editing on iPod touch

This is a test post to test the feasibility of blogging using an iPod touch.

email: Josh Fuller | tag: /technology/computing/hardware | permanent link | Share on Facebook