ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner January 12, 2007
Posted by flung in : Windows Media Center, TV Tuners, HDTV , trackback
I was checking to see if ATI released updated drivers for their graphics hardware when I came across this announcement about their new ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner device. This is the long awaited CableCARD supporting tuner for Windows Vista..
However, there appears to be one catch thus far. The press release mentions the following:
The ATI TV Wonder™ Digital Cable Tuner is scheduled for release Q1 2007 shipping with new Digital Cable Ready PCs running Windows Vista™. Hardware requirements include HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) support on digital displays, providing a robust and premium HD viewing experience.
Notice - nowhere does it say that it will be available for purchase in retail stores - only that it’s going to be shipping with new Digital Cable Ready PCs… Hmm.. that’s a bit suspicious - Could it be that ATI won’t sell this tuner directly to consumers? That would be a bummer.
Well let’s get back to the description of the device - this is the world’s first PC TV tuner offering CableCARD support for receiving premium HD content. What does this mean for you if you have a Windows Vista system with Windows Media Center? You’ll be able to use your digital cable service (assuming you have that) and be able to finally tune into the premium channels without the need of a set top box. You just need a CableCARD from your cable company and you’ll be in business. Of course you still need to have the service enabled on your line!
The ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner also supports over-the-air ATSC digital TV, NTSC analog TV, and satellite set top box connectivity. Inside the new ATI device is the OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver (or OCUR) which was looked at by Anandtech last year. Other features found on the ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner include:
- Advanced 3D comb filtering
- Support for ClearQAM, OTA ATSC, and NTSC analog
Pretty exciting folks.. but here’s hoping ATI will do the right thing and sell the unit direct to consumers.
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