ATI's TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner hands-on

It was a painful conversation to have with ATI on why we can't just buy a TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner and add it to our soon-to-be-running-Vista PCs, but them's the breaks. Until someone cracks the CableLabs cert process that allows these CableCARD tuners to be used on your current PC, that is. Anyway, we caught some shots of the DCT in action, and it looked great. Smooth cable HDTV and the box was light as a feather. Ugly as sin, but light as a feather. Another snap after the break.

[Scott @ Jan 11th 2007 1:04PM]

Can this sort of device be integrated into the video card?

[Mike Smith @ Jan 11th 2007 1:23PM]

Can somebody explain something to me. Can I build my own Vista Media Center and buy one of these All-In-Wonder Boxes or do I have to buy a Cablelabs certified Media Center PC AND this ATI box?

[Scott @ Jan 11th 2007 1:32PM]

You need to buy one premade with CableLabs certification afaik

[itlnstln @ Jan 11th 2007 1:38PM]

I see some A/V jacks on the top. I wonder if this could be used as a stand-alone (provided it received power from somewhere else besides USB and you had a reason to use it w/o a PC...).

[sxt173 @ Jan 11th 2007 2:14PM]

It's basically an external TV Tuner (the box version), so the composite inputs are just those you'd find on a TV Tuner or Video Card. I doubt you can use it stand-alone.

Really hope that the CableCard thing is resolved though, it's ridiculous that someone would need to trash their whole MediaPC and buy a brand new one just to get Cable HD!

[ColdRacerX @ Jan 11th 2007 2:46PM]

They are just forcing the sale of oem built computers when most of the folks that would even use this build their own systems. The draw back will be dell hp and all those other crappy computer companies that will push these computers and the average user will pick it up and have no idea what to do with it and they don't care cause they have their money. Ex. I do IT consulting for medical offices and you would not believe how many windows xp media center editions computers I see on a daily basis.
Man some people just buy what the hype is on no matter what.

[InBloom @ Jan 11th 2007 2:54PM]

I am new to the HDTV landscape and am finding it extremely annoying already. If I want to use a cable card I need a new PC. If I want to split my HD signal to multiple TV's I need to rewire my house and buy expensive hardware. Why is it so hard to figure out that I want to watch TV where I want, when I want, in HD using my existing infrastructure and I am willing to pay for it. I am not willing to pay for the programming, new hardware, new infrastructure (cables, splitters, etc. etc.), and take the time to re-wire my house. They are going to drive me to piracy for the sake of convenience over allowing me to pay for what I really want.

[Skrilla @ Jan 11th 2007 4:16PM]

This will fail miserably

[djbarry @ Jan 11th 2007 4:16PM]

I hope that a combination of hardware becomes certified. Like a video card and motherboard combo. Then you could just order the certified parts and put together yourself.

[Chris @ Jan 11th 2007 4:21PM]

Someone please explain. I understand that Cable Labs won't allow you to build your own cable card pc-- don't agree with it, but I understand the rule.

However since this is an external tuner box, can you plug this into a home-built vista MCE machine? Will we be able to buy this external box or is it bundled with a new PC purchase and has to be used with that PC?

[enzo @ Jan 11th 2007 4:24PM]

um, resistance is futile?

[Joseph Lin @ Jan 11th 2007 4:51PM]

To InBloom,

Have you ever heard of Power Line Communication devices? This is a new technology that allows you to use existing power line for data communication. I have 10 of DS2 PLC devices. I use 2 of them to connect my Vista box and Xbox360 without rewiring. The throughput of these DS2 devices is decent, I am able to get around 94Mbps when the outlets are close to each other, or 70Mbps why connecting XBOx from living room to my study room. I believe the new Intellon chips would outperform DS2's chips. Try it to believe it!

[Serg @ Jan 11th 2007 5:39PM]

What the hell is so hard to understand about this box? There are two kind of devices - external like the pics above and internal pci board. Then you plug in a shitty 1.0 one way cable card.....You can only get this bundled onto a computer that will have the HDCP loop closed. This is so you won't "steal" the HD you already paid for and upload torrents....If you try and take it and make your own rig, it won't work. Jesus was that so hard?

[Chris @ Jan 11th 2007 5:53PM]

Hmmm, you don't need to be a jerk. It is confusing as CableLabs was very clear that cablecard tuners will only be available with specially certified computers available from major manufacturers.

This is being shown as an external add-on box. Is it really that hard to imagine that some users might assume they can buy it as an external box and use it with any computer or even that this may be a full mini-pc form factor we've seen before?

We already know the internal cards will not be available for the home computer builder. This is being shown as an external closed device but nobody has said whether this will be for sale on newegg.

I can imagine that it might be possible to buy this as a tamper-free external device (meeting the CableLabs certification) and add to my old MCE computer I've upgraded to vista.

If these are being sold as external devices that are bundled with a laptop, it won't be long until they are available for sale on ebay. In that case, are these locked to the original bundled hardware or can you use it on any device?

If they are encryption locked to a piece of hardware in the pc, is that hardware a removable pci card or is it something soldered to the motherboard?

If you can answer all these questions then the rest of us will be as smart as you and you won't have to worry about reading these posts any more.

[apk @ Jan 11th 2007 8:02PM]

There is no way they can stop this from working on other PC's, its usb The hacking community will blow through any of their software/hardware checks, put in on a Linux box and rip the stream. They should stop punishing the legitimate users and accept that some people will distribute the signal. If you look around now, people already take the raw HD feeds and upload them. This "solution" is going to solve nothing and just tick a lot of people off and probably cost sales.

[CaptCaveman @ Jan 11th 2007 11:21PM]

I was so looking forward to this. Until they said that I had to use a 'certified' PC. The only recording that would be done is to time shift. I'm sure for most people that the only thing that would be done is to time shift and that's it.

I think that if they didn't require the certified PCs then Media Center users would snatch this up quicker then 100 dollar bills laying on the ground. But instead I'm forced to mothball my computer that I rolled myself and buy some crap from Dell or some other rip off place.

[scooter @ Jan 12th 2007 12:21AM]

a cable card seems to be a modified pcmcia card.

When i inserted one into my laptop it said found new hardware, but obviously couldnt find drivers.

[icanfixit @ Jan 18th 2007 12:34PM]

There is a tuner card for digital cable that can go directly into the computer case. it is from Twinhan. It has a slot for the card to descramble the channels. The bad news is that no one brings them into the USA. The reps they list only buy their sat. products for the computer. Check the web site out.

[Brian @ Jan 26th 2007 4:53AM]

Twinhan only has DVB-C tuners, not Open Cable tuners. DVB-C is used for European cable. Open Cable is used for US.

[Stas @ Feb 20th 2007 12:23PM]

Is there anywhere to purchase the ATI TV wonder digital cable tuner

[ungahdoohah @ Feb 28th 2007 3:32PM]

I don’t see how they can just lock this unit down for use with big name manufactured pc's. I did some research & Comcast apparently has this pcmcia card for use with a device such as a newer TV w/ digital tuners already built in (i.e.) plasma, lcds, and projector TV’s. Now this is my theory, you can lease one of these pcmcia cards via your cable provider & just put it in this ATI device it should work, being that now you have an authorized device to use the channels that you subscribed for. Also I did have a discussion with the cable tech & he told me that in AUG of 07, Comcast will allow you to buy your own digital equipment, i.e. DVR's or set top boxes from major retailers (Best Lie, Crap USA, Radio Trash, ETC) & all you have 2 do is register the device with them & your service will then be authenticated on that personally owned device. Now who's to say that there won't be pc TV tuners that the cable companies will register as well for the home made MC Pc's/HTPC's. I am going to call this Twinhan Company tonight (due to the time difference) & I will try 2 get my hands on this TV tuner card with the pcmcia slot already built in. I will keep updating my progress here; I'll also put this on MySpace somewhere if anybody wants to see the pictures & setups I'm experimenting with. I'll post that address up later...

[MikeN @ Mar 5th 2007 2:58PM]

Good luck with that, considering the ATI box is one way only, and all Comcast's features are two way (On-Demand, PPV, Program Guide, Sports Packages).

[glide @ Mar 8th 2007 4:22PM]

Not true. Comcasts' cable cards are currently one way only. Cable card 2.0 will be 2 way, but it does not exist yet. So what's to stop someone from ordering the ATI box and popping the comcast card in there?

[MikeN @ Mar 8th 2007 5:18PM]

CableCard... maybe, not sure. However to access the features I listed in my post, at least in my market (denver) you need a digital cable box, which does use 2 way. You could watch and record tv, but that's about it. Consider this:

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CableCARD

"Two proposals exist for enhancing the CableCARD standard. Both are designed to add support for two way features whose operation details the CE and cable company representatives could not agree on in time for inclusion in the CableCARD 1.0 specification. These two way features include ordering Pay-per-view via remote, Video On Demand, advanced electronic programming guide information, and Switched Video services. These features are not available on existing CableCARD 1.0 enabled products."

[Lem @ Mar 20th 2007 9:48PM]

So 2.5 months after this post at Engadget and I am still forced to rent a set-top box from Comcast. My thinking is that if you want to see CableCard 2.0 implemented, and are fed up with the FCC's lack of enforcement of the 1996 legislation requiring alternatives to having a set-top box to receive full access to paid content, then I suggest you take it up with the FCC. As long as people keep paying $10-$20 per month for their cable boxes, the only way to light a fire under the cable companies is via legal action aimed at the FCC.

[eZekiel2112 @ Mar 30th 2007 10:26PM]

I believe this is why MS is working to bring out IPTV with big names like ATT, etc. That would definately bring the power to the consumer and eventually kill off the cable systems.

Why do I really need 20+ food channels anyway (perceived value for the money spent)

Hopefully the "roll your own" will come soon... I just want discovery/cnn/nickolodeon myself.