VisionTek - TV Wonder 650 PCI Express Tuner Card - $50

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bigsnyder

bigsnyder

Golden Member
Nov 4, 2004
1,568
2
81
Any idea how this compares to the original ATI TV Wonder 650 PCI? I know the newer ones support QAM, but what about tuning speed? The original seems sluggish, but I don't have another digital tuner to compare to. If it tunes the digital channels faster, I just might bite on this deal.
 
R

Ronstang

Lifer
Jul 8, 2000
12,493
18
81
Does this one have a remote emitter that controls changing the channels on a digital cable box?
 
C

country2

Senior member
May 1, 2001
598
4
81
I bought it a few weeks back when it was on sale for about the same price. I'm using it with Vista Ultimate on a htpc with dishnetwork. Its great for the money. It does not come with a emitter and the included software is...well lame.
 
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goodthymes

Junior Member
Mar 28, 2007
8
0
0
country2,

Can you clarify what you meant by using this card with dishnetwork? Asking because I just purchased this card and also have dishnetwork. I'm guessing you are inputing signal from the dish receiver for pvr function? Thanks.
 
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ChunkiMunki

Senior member
Dec 21, 2001
449
0
0
does anyone know if this will record HD? I've been reading conflicting reviews that it only records SD. I've been burnt by the ATI HD-WONDER a few years ago, and wasted weeks and maybe months trying to get that POS working, just junk. I've been scared to try another HD tuner card ever since.
 
Modelworks

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
Looking at the chipset it uses , it only does mpeg2 (720 x 480) in hardware, anything else is software. So if you want to do any of the other formats like h.264 you will still need a decent cpu.

I really wish someone would standardize the mess that is tv cards. They normally end up a pain to use with driver conflicts, encoder problems and a host of other things.
This one looks good for the price.

 
bigsnyder

bigsnyder

Golden Member
Nov 4, 2004
1,568
2
81
It records in HD. This version also supports clear QAM but only with the included software, possibly with Vista. I am interested to see if this tunes faster than the old ones.
 
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cheapherk

Diamond Member
Apr 29, 2000
3,976
0
0
As stated previously, I bought this. Now I have a couple questions (the kind I should have looked into before I bought it). I tried to cancel, but it was too late. They told be if I don't open the package (meaning the one in which it was shipped), I can return it at any BB store.

How will this card work after the digital switchover on June 12th? The only way to get HDTV channels is through an antennae? No QAM through digital cable?
 
postmortemIA

postmortemIA

Diamond Member
Jul 11, 2006
7,721
40
91
clearQAM will work thru digital cable, those are unencrypted local channels commonly provided by every cable provider.
 
S

StormRider

Diamond Member
Mar 12, 2000
8,324
2
0
Originally posted by: cheapherk
As stated previously, I bought this. Now I have a couple questions (the kind I should have looked into before I bought it). I tried to cancel, but it was too late. They told be if I don't open the package (meaning the one in which it was shipped), I can return it at any BB store.

How will this card work after the digital switchover on June 12th? The only way to get HDTV channels is through an antennae? No QAM through digital cable?
Click to expand...

This card will work with OTA (Over The Air) free digital HDTV signals through the antennae (so it will work great with the digital swichover) and work with ClearQAM over cable such as Comcast.

To get both OTA and ClearQAM you need to use ATI's Catalyst Media Center.

Windows Media Center will only get OTA with this card unless you get the Vista TV Tuner Pack (or whatever it's called). This is only available through OEM but can be found if you google it from somewhere.

I think Vista is also required for ClearQAM.

I'm using this card with Vista 32-bit and I can get both OTA and ClearQAM using ATI's Catalyst Media Center.
 
C

cheapherk

Diamond Member
Apr 29, 2000
3,976
0
0
Originally posted by: StormRider

This card will work with OTA (Over The Air) free digital HDTV signals through the antennae (so it will work great with the digital swichover) and work with ClearQAM over cable such as Comcast.

To get both OTA and ClearQAM you need to use ATI's Catalyst Media Center.

Windows Media Center will only get OTA with this card unless you get the Vista TV Tuner Pack (or whatever it's called). This is only available through OEM but can be found if you google it from somewhere.

I think Vista is also required for ClearQAM.

I'm using this card with Vista 32-bit and I can get both OTA and ClearQAM using ATI's Catalyst Media Center.
Click to expand...


Is it worth keeping? I also read some networks block the ability to record shows.
 
arcenite

arcenite

Lifer
Dec 9, 2001
10,660
7
81
Originally posted by: cheapherk
Originally posted by: StormRider

This card will work with OTA (Over The Air) free digital HDTV signals through the antennae (so it will work great with the digital swichover) and work with ClearQAM over cable such as Comcast.

To get both OTA and ClearQAM you need to use ATI's Catalyst Media Center.

Windows Media Center will only get OTA with this card unless you get the Vista TV Tuner Pack (or whatever it's called). This is only available through OEM but can be found if you google it from somewhere.

I think Vista is also required for ClearQAM.

I'm using this card with Vista 32-bit and I can get both OTA and ClearQAM using ATI's Catalyst Media Center.
Click to expand...


Is it worth keeping? I also read some networks block the ability to record shows.
Click to expand...

:confused:

 
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