ATI releases TV Wonder 650 OTA HDTV tuner card

Just in time for those immensely popular MLB playoffs and NFL kickoffs, ATI is dropping a new OTA HDTV tuner card that it apparently hopes will catch the eye of those who have been fence-sitting the issue of making a high definition DVR out of their PC. The TV Wonder 650 is based on the Theater 650 chip, including a "motion-adaptive 3D comb filter" as well as noise reduction, and touts the ability to work in Vista systems, even though it's still questionable whether the rest of your system will. Aside from recording over the air HDTV signals in MPEG-2, DivX, H.264, MPEG-4, and WMV9, the card also sports "Avivo image quality enhancements" for those less stunning SD broadcasts. ATI gives you the ability to record / watch two shows simultaneously via the MulTView functionality (if you own two cards, of course), and touts the nifty ThruView technology that displays content in a translucent box as to keep from interfering with all your (presumably) important background tasks. Although nothing here is really groundbreaking, this just might suffice as a stopgap for ATI's CableCard-ready OCUR, and costing just $129, it probably won't hurt too bad to hit the play button on those lingering HTPC plans.

[Via HD Beat]

[Keith L. Dick @ Aug 22nd 2006 3:44AM]

***ATI drops TV Wonder 650 OTA HDTV tuner card***

Did it break when it hit??... Who cares???... Who needs to waste the money on these things????

Anyone???, Anyone???... Buller???, Buller???...

Sir!!!. Ferris is sick today...

[Dude @ Aug 22nd 2006 3:47AM]

This card does NOT support "recording over the air HDTV signals in MPEG-2, DivX, H.264, MPEG-4, and WMV9,"

It is the same as the ATI 550 analog NTSC/PAL tuner with support for ATSC and DVB-T added on. The comb filter is the same (a good thing) the noise reduction is the same (a bad thing: it is a way too strong)

There is no WMV, MPEG4 or H.264 encoding of any kind on this card. Maybe ATIs bundleware supports such things but it will kill your CPU. You are not going to be doing realtime HD to H.264 encoding.

Aditionally the "OCUR" will only be avaailbe as a bundle with an OEM system per the dictates of CableLabs so this card isn't a stop gap to anyting.

I would expect a gadget blog to know this stuff. Damn guys, get your act together.

[henryaj @ Aug 22nd 2006 4:14AM]

So, when you say "drop", you mean "release"...? Typically, when an item is 'dropped', I imagine that to mean 'no longer sold', as in 'dropped from a product range' – i.e. the opposite of what is meant here.

[disguised @ Aug 22nd 2006 4:24AM]

The poster really should stop corrupting us with his strange choice of words.

[ajprice @ Aug 22nd 2006 4:27AM]

What they said. Drop means 'not sold anymore', it doesn't mean 'released'.

Grrrrrr!!!

[D2 @ Aug 22nd 2006 4:39AM]

Just slang guys, not even specific to the US. likely taken from music industry, albums have been "droppin" for years now

[Keith L. Dick @ Aug 22nd 2006 4:46AM]

***Just slang guys, not even specific to the US. likely taken from music industry, albums have been "droppin" for years now***

Coming from a *Music Genius as Yourself* I really doubt you have a clue as to what you are talking about...

Sorry not trying to be rude but that statement has no place in reality...

[Anthony @ Aug 22nd 2006 7:51AM]

How is this any different from the HDTV wonder I just bought a few months back? Besides looking smaller, the specs sound very similar. Been using it in a MCE box just fine (with another tuner, of course).

[T0E TAGG3R @ Aug 22nd 2006 7:52AM]

In any industry when you "drop" a product it means you discontinue it. Don't ever compare the music industry to anything. When yesterday they say "stupid" today they say "bananas"

[post @ Aug 22nd 2006 8:19AM]

"Yes we have no banannas."

I agree with the other posters in condemming the use of the word "drop" usually meaning discontinue. The vry first thought going through my mind was "Oh no! They have stopped production of TV Wonder Cards!", not "Oh my, a new TV Wonder Card is in production."

[Ken @ Aug 22nd 2006 10:06AM]

I don't see any mention of hardware compression. Thanks, but no thanks, this card is not on my HTPC list if I have to compress 2 or more video streams on the CPU. ATI marketing missed the mark.

[Matt @ Aug 22nd 2006 10:53AM]

I can't tell if this thing has a QAM tuner. If it doesn't then I don't care about it. Fusin HD Gold is where it's at baby!

[Zorak @ Aug 22nd 2006 10:55AM]

What complete and total nerd doesn't know that 'drop' can mean release, especially amongst young people? And by the way, the phrase 'drop an album' has been in use for a long time...jeez.

[D2 @ Aug 22nd 2006 1:11PM]

watch out Zorak, some Dick Keith is going to call you a "music genius" and claim you have no idea what you are talking about

[Phoenixfury @ Aug 24th 2006 2:21PM]

I believe Darren's use of the word "dropping" is as in dropping a product on the market. The exact opposite of dropping a product off the market.

Personally I think the AvertvHD MCE A180 is a better choice and value. Granted there's not special upconverting for SD, $80 for HD on your XP machine is not a bad value at all.. I recomend for those that don't want to spring for an HD set yet to just watch HD on your computer monitor and switch your SD programming over to your TV.. Most of the time I just watch everything on a standard def tv anyway. On the other hand that HD on the computer monitor looks sweet! If your paying over $100 for an HD tuner, your paying too much.

[doofusgumby @ Aug 25th 2006 4:07PM]

now if only their freakin' drivers for the stupid tv cards were stable...

[nr82 @ Nov 10th 2007 2:01AM]

ATI's just issued a nation-wide recall of their ATI TV Wonder 650 tuner cards. They should already be off store shelves by now in retailers like Best Buy. No official reason was given, but an ATI insider says that only 30% to 50% of the already paltry 40 stated channels were functioning on these units.

ATI has told Best Buy to tell customers that a "similar product" will be released soon. If you've actually purchased one of these cards, we suggest you contact ATI to see if they can give you a refund or a replacement.