Pictures of ATI's TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner

We wish we had 'em last night, but for the curious here you are: photos of ATI's new TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner box. It certainly looks after-market to us (please oh please let us roll our own Vista CableCARD boxes) but we have a feeling that's just a dream we're gonna have to keep on dreamin'. Click on for another shot.

[badaczewski @ Jan 8th 2007 6:13PM]

So the second shot of this device shows a PCI style card. Can I put that card in a custom built computer and turn it into a DVR? I don't understand this authroized microsoft CablCard stuff. Does just the PCI card have to be authorized or do I have to use a whole authorized computer package?

[roncore @ Jan 8th 2007 12:27PM]

its so pretty.

[Doctadjones @ Jan 8th 2007 12:54PM]

I would like to think that ATI wouldn't make a sell this product unless they were sure they could sell to consumers looking to upgrade their home brewed media PCs.
So it makes me a bit more optimistic about CableCARD support in home built Vista machines. But then again it's up to CableLabs and not ATI.

Also, how many tuners can be installed in that thing?

[Joe @ Jan 8th 2007 6:24PM]

And that right there is the problem. Cable Labs only interest in the world is to keep CableCos' profit streams in tact and crappy STB's and rental space on crummy EPG's are the name of the game.

There may be hope yet...

Technically, one could envision this becoming part of Vista based DYI HTPC's. If this external device somehow connects via an expansion port or known interconnect in a standard way, and if "signed" Vista drivers are needed to decode the bits coming off that interface, it is possible to keep the content "secure" from the copyright cartel's perspective.

If Cable Labs will be certifying whole HTPC's, what happens when you plug in a USB, IEEE 1394, or eSATA device on the system. Does that totally screw your certification? No. If you're going to allow "certified" systems to add peripherals, then you might as well only "certify" the component (the tuner card) and its interface with the motherboard and O/S (sorry LINUX fans). Under this set of assumptions, one could envision a roll-your-own-please-dear-God-help-me-get-rid-of-this-awful-POS DVR running Vista.

[Jeff @ Jan 8th 2007 1:00PM]

I'm not exactly clear on how this works. I have iO digital cable here. Could I use this device with my cable card to get the TV on my PC? And can I record it to my PC? Sorry for the questions, but this looks very interesting.

[seamonkey420 @ Jan 8th 2007 1:20PM]

oh please say its true!

i hate my comcast HD DVR box so much.. man do they just suck or what? been missing media center / htpc since i upgraded to HD Cable. Arggh!

i know i'll be an early adopter for sure, sign me up.

[sxt173 @ Jan 8th 2007 3:54PM]

If I can just stick this into my Vista (or dare I say XP) MediaPC, I will feel like I just won the lottery!!

How about 2 or even 3 of those PCI babies for recording 2 channels while watching a third.. OMG OMG!!

[Dimmy @ Jan 8th 2007 2:20PM]

Doctadjones: Each unit has one tuner. You can have two of these babies hooked up to Vista Media Center (Home Premium or Ultimate). If you choose this option with CableCARD, you will need two CableCARDs.

Jeff: If you have a cable provider that utilizes CableCARDs, you should be able to use this with Vista Media Center. However, I do not have any concrete facts to confirm or deny if it works on iO Digital. Sorry.

[sxt173 @ Jan 8th 2007 3:20PM]

I am guessing that using this on Win XP is a definite no-no?

Also, hope that the only requirement is use on Vista and not use on Vista Media Center, for those of us that like to use spin-your-own media centers.

[K @ Jan 8th 2007 8:07PM]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How MUCH!!!!!!!!!?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please.

[Hank McCoy @ Jan 8th 2007 3:35PM]

http://techreport.com/onearticle.x/11564

Self built pc's wont work with this unfortunately.

Sadly, the OCUR-compliant PC must come from a major PC manufacturer. AMD says PC makers will have to provide a letter to CableLabs labs certifying that their PCs meet OCUR requirements. As a result, AMD expects to see OCUR-compliant PCs from major PC makers like Dell very soon, but expects smaller PCs vendors and system integrators to be left out. The smallest PC manufacturers on AMD's list of TV Wonder resellers look to be AlienWare, Velocity Micro, and NiveusMedia. Others include larger players like Sony, Toshiba, HP, Dell, and Gateway. PC DIYers will be left out in the cold entirely, and AMD could not say whether this situation might change at some point in the future.

The article has all the details on why it won't work.

[cerev @ Jan 8th 2007 11:09PM]

if it is only slated to come out with computers from certified PC manufacturers, why would they make an external one? for laptop users?

[Marcfferes @ Jan 11th 2007 3:36PM]

A few things to note...

1) You will NOT be able to record Every HD channel/show,

If the stream has the 5c bit set to allow watch only then it doesn't matter WHAT tuner/capture card you have, it won't record that station/show.

2) What's the advantage?

This card is going to be VERY expensive and I'm sure they will require the cable company to come out and input some sort of private Key before it works, which is going to make getting it working just that much more difficult, also they are requiring Vista because of the extensive DRM built into that OS Hence another nail in the coffin for Linux support, I'm going to assume that also will mean NO mac support.

All that I can live with (Even though I prefer Linux :) ) and if they were offering something that was REALLY awesome I might load up vista and try it out

But to be honest, it doesn't do anything that I can't do now with Firewire port on my cable box. All it offers is a neat compact setup that isn't reliant on a STB to get signal, and IMHO that simply isn't worth the hassle of spending the $ for the card, buying a name brand PC, and then Running MCE on top of it....

Just my 0.02

[Charles J. Etheridge @ Mar 28th 2007 11:06PM]

I found out about this tuner in January, and when the new rules were publicised at the beginning of March, I began to hound Gateway to install it in a new FX530XV with Vista Ultimate. So far all they'll say is that no one has the authority to get them and that it might beas long as a year till they're available. I couldn't get any names or email addresses in Irvine,CA, but I just wrote by guessed titles to the President of Gateway as well as the Director of Customer Relations, and the Director of Technology Assessments. This was just a couple of days ago after I put the system on hold. If I don't hear something soon they stand to lose a $2700 order, and I'll certainly spread the news of their recalcitrance to as many forums as I can. So far it seems that nobody there really cares at all.