 |
synopsis
Although television has looked okay on a computer, it's never been as crisp, clear, and as impressive as watching it on even 10 year old television sets. Because of the way the multimedia chipsets are designed and developed, the technology continued to lag behind other more impressive multimedia products - such as video cards for the latest in high tech gaming.
 ATI, one of the true leaders in Video/TV technology for the PC release the announcement of a new product at the recent CES event in Las Vegas - the TV Wonder Elite. The new TV Wonder card boasts
high quality TV and stereo FM radio,
full hardware MPEG-2 compression, a 3D comb filter, and advanced noise reduction for advanced Personal Video Recorder capabilities. At it's heart, the TV Wonder Elite features a brand new multimedia chipset, the Theater 550 PRO.
so what's so big about the theater 550 pro chipset?
For starters, this new Theater 550 Pro chipset is a huge advancement for TV to PC technology. A breakdown of the new chipset's features:
- Next Generation 12-bit Video Decoder that features 3D Comb Filtering for NTSC and PAL and 5-line 2D Comb Filtering that delivers absolutely unrivaled video quality
- Next Generation Hardware Video and Audio Encoder with new features such as Advanced Noise Reduction
- PCI Express X1 and PCI interface on a single device to allow PC companies the ultimate flexibility in form factor designs
- Digital IF Demodulation that improves video quality and reduces the overall solution cost by eliminating the need for expensive tuners
- Worldwide multi-standard Audio Decoder
The big selling points here is the new 12-bit video decoder that features the 3D comb filtering and the 5-line 2D comb filtering. This delivers a significant upgrade in delivering television signals from the cable to your television set to output to your monitor. tv wonder elite features
The feature list ...
- Home Theater-Quality Entertainment Experience
The onboard ATI THEATER 550 PRO video processor delivers sharper images, truer colors, and more symphonic sound than any other PC-based TV solution.
12-bit analog-to-digital conversion optimizes analog video reception from TV channels or external
video sources. An advanced motion-adaptive 3D comb filter delivers true color and fine picture detail from cable and antenna TV broadcasts, VCRs, and other video sources.
- PVR Playback So Good That It Looks “Live”
Digitally record and play back your favorite programs and movies with TV WONDER™ ELITE's advanced Personal Video Recorder. The TV WONDER™ ELITE frees your CPU for multitasking and timeshifting while recording television programs, so you can watch, pause, and record while working.
Hardware-accelerated MPEG encoding and hardware noise reduction with the ATI THEATER™ 550 PRO video processor enables artifact-free video capture to deliver the best possible video quality at full frame rate with synchronized audio. ATI's superior all-hardware MPEG encoding enables more video content to be recorded to a single DVD-R/DVD-RW disk or hard drive while achieving home theater quality.
- CyberLink PowerCinema™ - ATI Edition
The included software suite can control TV and FM radio playback at a distance with an easy to use interface. Pause, rewind, and fast forward live TV shows with Always Time Shifting recording, and speed up channel surfing with the 12-station preview. Schedule TV and FM radio for recording, and create dynamic photo slideshows with background music. TV WONDER™ ELITE is compatible with all high quality graphics cards and sub-systems supporting DirectX overlay, and is ready for Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition.
- Control with the Remote Wonder Plus
Gain wireless control of your computer and its applications with the included REMOTE WONDER™ PLUS. Equipped with increased range, the REMOTE WONDER™ PLUS eliminates the need to aim – enabling you to operate your computer from another room, even through walls up to 60 feet away. Set-up is easy – just install the software and plug the receiver into a USB port.
Again, we're seeing more hype for the Theater 550 chipset here, improved PVR playback and functionality, the software suite, and the inclusion of the very popular Remote Wonder Plus.
Installation
 Installation of the TV Wonder Elite along with the Remote Wonder Plus is as easy as installing any PCI device into your computer. ATI has included all the necessary documents and software to make the novice feel at home, even though the entire process is very painless. Install the software, install the card, plug in the cable into the card, and you're done. It's that simple.
Evaluation
This product couldn't have come at a better time for me personally. I've just moved to a new city preparing for my impending marriage in June. In my current room (I am renting a small room out from a good friend), there is no possible room for a television - so my computer acts as the entire multimedia center. In the past, the television signals received from other vendors, as well as the old version of the TV Wonder, would occasionally "ghost" or even skip frames while watching television, making the entire process frustrating and fruitless.
After a good demonstration at the show in Las Vegas, I was very eager to try my hand with it here in real life (especially since I wanted it to work well ... my television watching life was depending on it!). I can only say the difference between the TV Wonder Elite and *all* previous TV cards for the PC is as big as night and day. The television is bright, vibrant, and impressive. During fast-motion scenes that would historically blur and chop, the scene now looks clear and moves as it should. So first are foremost - the quality of the multimedia experience that the TV Wonder Elite brings to the consumer is finally something that you can totally enjoy - bravo!
The PVR software included is Cyberlink PowerCinema - ATI Edition. Designed to provide an easy and simple to use interface, it allows you to watch, pause, and record live TV with full PVR functionality, listen to FM radio, create a slideshow of your photos and control it with all with ATI's Remote Wonder Plus from across the room.
Users that desire more can upgrade through Cyberlink to enable the ability to download your local broadcast schedule and "click and pick" the programs you want to capture and watch later. It's a very nice feature to have if your personal schedule doesn't allow you to see all your favorite shows. There's also a nifty MakeDVD plug-in available from Cyberlink for recording the programs to CD or DVD.
Currently the schedule function with TV WONDER ELITE is not active. ATI is waiting for the software to come from Cyberlink in the coming weeks. ATI will post the upgrade software for a free download from ati.com.
Lastly, the saving grace of any good television set (in this case my PC with the TV Wonder Elite), is a good remote control. The new Remote Wonder Plus is a scaled down, much more attractive remote control than we've seen from ATI in the past. Before, they copied the model that is traditional for most home theater remote controls - a large "brick" in other words. This time around the unit is very slim, pleasing to the eye, and armed with all the buttons to control your DVD / TV / or any PC function. The range of the remote is amazing (it works on a radio frequency, so you don't have to "aim" it at anything) and acts as the perfect compliment to the TV Wonder Elite package. Overall Comments
All I can say is - FINALLY. Finally I can watch television on my PC without occasionally getting frustrated with the technology. Before, it was a "cool feature" that wasn't quite as impressive for people that enjoy a quality television experience. Now, armed with the Theater 550 chipset, the TV Wonder Elite delivers as promised and comes as a saving grace to this reviewer who was in die straights for its services. The performance of the card was top notch and signifies a new evolutionary step for multimedia content on the PC.
The value of the card, with a street price point ranging from $140 to $200 is a bit pricey for most, but for people in my position who want to have quality TV content delivered to their PC (along with a nifty remote control) on their large monitor, then the price is worth what you pay for. The coolness factor of having "quality" television on your PC, as opposed to your cousin who is just happy to get a signal into his new store-bought PC, is very high since your TV signal will actually be worth watching - bringing a high usefulness score as well.
Overall, the TV Wonder Elite is one of the better, more useful, and innovative products we've reviewed in recent months. The card is a major evolutionary step in the right direction for people that demand a quality television signal for their PC. With that said, this card wins an Editor's Choice award for quality.
|
|
10 / 10 |
OVERALL SCORE
94%
|
 |
8 / 10 |
 |
10 / 10 |
 |
9 / 10 |
 |
10 / 10 |
 |
9.4 /
10 |
|
|
|
|
)
