HDTV Wonder PCI TV tuner $86 AR at buy.com

[KF]

link

ATI - HDTV Wonder PCI TV Turner w/ Remote Control

FREE BUDGET SHIPPING
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$85.99 After Rebate
Buy.com price: $105.99
List price: $119.00

You put the card in your computer and get over-the-air HDTV on your computer monitor. Also has a separate ordinary tuner and video inputs for a VCR or whatever.

A lot of people had trouble installing the earlier software, but it seems to be OK since it stabilized sometime in June. IAC, for me it installed off the CD and worked; unlike the common problems described for earlier software. But DO check and comply with the considerable hardware requirements. The card uses software decoding (I guess) and seriously flogs the system. The software is not really Intel or ATI specific as some people seem to think. My processor is AMD, not Intel, and likewise the chipset is not Intel, but Nvidia. My video is Nvidia (5900XT), not ATI.

 

[kamranziadar]

This HDTV tunner is software decoder not Hardware decoder.

 

[RIGorous1]

Originally posted by: kamranziadar
This HDTV tunner is software decoder not Hardware decoder.

So you're trying to say that this will use CPU power when in use... Are you also trying to imply that the quality may suck?

 

[mshan]

I think an underpowered system will probably just lead to stuttering.

It produces a beautiful picture, but it is very finicky about associated hardware.

The rebate is an ATI rebate, so you could probably buy the HDTV Wonder from somewhere better than Buy.com (CompUSA had it for around $70 AR in the recent past).

 

[QED]

It does use your CPU while watching... on my system is runs between 15-40% (Athlon 64 3000+).

But it also uses a TON of HD space... if you get one of these (or any other HDTV tuner card) do yourself a BIG favor and get yourself a 200+ GB drive to use solely for this card.

 

[Diogenes2]

A similar item worth a look..
KWORLD ATSC-110 PCI Interface PCI Digital / Analog HDTV Tuner

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16815100140

$63 after $30 MIR.. $4.99 ship

 

[BaNzaiDags]

I have one of these... got a 300 gb drive.. bought it when it cost $150. I'm using a XP1800 `1.53 mhz (i think) and i don't have any troubles with it, great if you have media center edition. it does alot of space i recorded family guy last sunday in regular digital (not HD) and that 30 min show was 2.xx gigs.

but with a 300 gb hd i haven't had a problem yet.