ATI delivers TV Wonder 650 Combo USB HDTV tuner for Mac

Ok, it may not be the beloved CableCARD we so quickly learned to love in our Windows Media Center PCs, but we certainly wouldn't kick ATI's new TV Wonder 650 Combo USB for Mac out of bed. We're not sure why ATI didn't just announce it along with the PC version a couple of weeks ago, but this dual tuner package does what's expected for your Mac, including ATSC and NTSC and playback via its tvPORTAL software. It'll run $150 when it hits retailers later this month.

[GreezyG @ Nov 14th 2007 1:35AM]

Sweet! I can uninstall vista when this comes out :D
If only we can get a good GPS solution for the mac then all will be good... if any of yall know of a good GPS program for mac lemme know ;)

[Ruben @ Nov 14th 2007 9:13AM]

Yea, its a good thing your getting rid of Vista, because OSX has a much better alternative than Media Center.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Nov 14th 2007 10:49PM]

Why doesn't ATi just release one version that is OS independent and will work with BSD, Linux, Windows, and MAC OS? For me, this make much more sense.

[Zydawn @ Dec 28th 2007 2:51PM]

I noticed that the mac version will work on vista http://cnet.nytimes.com/peripherals/visiontek-tv-wonder-hd/4507-3132_7-32768516.html?tag=specs
but will the pc version work on the mac.
I know its ugly and black but alot cheaper

[H. Park @ Nov 14th 2007 1:42AM]

hey do any of you know if i can use this to play my PS2 using my macbook pro screen??

if i wanted to use a monitor to play PS2 games (using a real PS2 not emulator), what would i need to buy?

i am CLEARLY a noob just trying to get by. help would be much appreciated.

this looks awesome btw.

[CL @ Nov 14th 2007 1:47AM]

you can use one of the video inputs (looks like this thing is sporting the s-video and composite) to hook up the ps/2 to it and then for the tv program itself, you just need to switch the signal source like you would on a normal tv.

[H. Park @ Nov 14th 2007 1:52AM]

hey thanks, but do you think there's going to be a frame rate delay issue with this one?

[Nubaeus @ Nov 14th 2007 2:51AM]

I have it for PC, there is a delay but quality is pretty damn good. I record saved films from Halo3 and watch tv on it. I run 1650x1280 res and the picture for analog tv is still impressive.
Buy it if you want a good quality tv tuner

[Jugomugo @ Nov 14th 2007 9:18AM]

From my experiences, there's way too much of a delay to use a tv tuner for a monitor for gaming. Maybe their better nowadays from when I had mine, but I'd be weary.

[Carlos @ Nov 14th 2007 11:04AM]

You are looking for the EyeTV Hybrid from El Gato - its a TV tuner for the mac with zero latency so you can play and record live video game play on it.

http://elgato.com/index.php?file=products_eyetvhybrid&PHPSESSID=30301d16fe3067974eac06f695da926d#

[ugg.tryptophan @ Nov 14th 2007 1:44AM]

this dual tuner package does what's expected for your Mac...it hits retailers

[au @ Nov 14th 2007 1:45AM]

You just need the elgato eyetv hybrid usb tuner, its rediculously easy. Also, as far as I know the best way to get gps on mac is through bootcamp :(

[aaronlh @ Nov 14th 2007 2:33AM]

Why not call it what it is. A Hauppauge HVR-950. It has simply been rebranded by ElGato.

[Brian @ Nov 14th 2007 1:53AM]

anyone know if video from this (cable, xbox) can be recorded with this to something like a .mov?

[steveo @ Nov 14th 2007 2:05AM]

Yes, the tuner comes with software that allows for recording from the input.

This enables the use of your computer as a DVR, which is especially nice if you have a Media Center Extender, such as a 360, and are running MCE or Vista.

[Garst @ Nov 14th 2007 4:15AM]

I'm not sure if Xbox 360 or Media Extenders will work too well with this. It's for a Mac.

[steveo @ Nov 14th 2007 4:38AM]

I'm not too saavy with Macs, but I would think that the 360 should be able to pick up and play the media files from a Mac box on a home network so long as the media is shared and in a format the 360 supports. Doesn't the bundled Mac media software support the DLNA standard?

[Azayzel @ Nov 14th 2007 6:20AM]

Nope, the 360 won't be able to touch the video using the Media Extender software. M$ has locked down that software/device such that it won't work unless you have MCE running & farming out the video. I picked up a Mac Mini hoping to use it as an extender, but there isn't anything available to get it to talk to MCE and the tuner cards are friggin expensive! I should have simply picked up a $200 extender device from D-Link or something and used that instead.

On the flip side, you can share to your Mac from the MCE box using iTunes. A little slow on the initial buffering over wireless but works. I might have to chech out this device when it's available and drops to the sub-$100 price range (why spend $150 for this when you can get a DVR/extender for the same price???)

[Chicksta @ Nov 14th 2007 7:34AM]

As far as using the 360, you can always use Connect360 on a Mac. It works pretty well, and beats getting an Apple TV if you already have the console.

[TJ @ Nov 14th 2007 3:01PM]

Wow, is that thing ever ugly. Especially when it's meant to sit near a Mac.

[Deuz Augustine @ Nov 14th 2007 3:07AM]

Appealing to the most vain computer users on the planet, and they made it that ugly?

(I'm a Mac user. We are vain about our electronics.)

[M@ @ Nov 14th 2007 11:57PM]

Haha, I was just gonna say, no mac user is seriously going to buy this!

[Chris @ Nov 14th 2007 8:14AM]

I'm curious to how this connects to your mac? Firewire?

Could you plug this into a mac mini?

Would a mac-mini have enough juice to record HD TV [like 1080p?], barring space restrictions?

[Adrian Williams @ Nov 14th 2007 9:01AM]

Same way you plug it into a pc same hardware as a PC just different drivers

[Adrian Williams @ Nov 14th 2007 9:01AM]

Sorry spoke to soon it's in white
http://ati.amd.com/products/tvwonder650/usbmac/index.html
but still usb

[Chris @ Nov 14th 2007 10:05AM]

thanks for the info!

[huh @ Nov 14th 2007 10:21AM]

Would be nice to see Linux drivers since AMD supposedly is more OS friendly. But it doesn't matter to me since I need input (so I can use my Wii on my PC display), and as others pointed out there'd be too much lag for it to be useful. Presumably a PCI card would solve this problem.

[tim @ Nov 14th 2007 12:25PM]

anyone have a side by side comparison to eyetv? and does this have anything like a season pass? im desperately looking to drop eyetv for anything with a season pass (that works with mac)

[Joe @ Nov 14th 2007 2:54PM]

With all the SDV BS the cable companies are perpetuating, how can you love CableCard? TWC has essentially made CableCard useless by hiding all the HD away on SDV channels where CableCard's can't get them. The monopoly will always find a way to protect their turf!

[mcepat @ Nov 15th 2007 12:34PM]

@Rueben

"Yea, its a good thing your getting rid of Vista, because OSX has a much better alternative than Media Center"

you smoke crack correct?

Apple has never even came close to matching media center 2005 or Vista
your joking right? oh I forgot Front Row (gimme a break)

ya you can get elgato but hey its not all intergrated, mine is

and in december you can forget all about tuners, its IPTV and again Apple is way way behind on this since they are sticking with there "hobby"

its full time for microsoft: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zry9yMLj0w