What ATI All In Wonder card to buy?

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · October 2nd, 2005, 01:30 AM

Well I was just about ready to buy a Theater 550 Pro until I realized there's no S-Video input, I need this to connect my DVD player. Are there cheap ways of adding s-video in with quality enhacing like the AIWs do?

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · October 3rd, 2005, 01:29 AM

Are there other tuner cards by any brand (except nvidia, of course) that are better than the ATI All In Wonders? I also absolutely need an s-video input to connect my DVD player, I'd prefer component/dvi/hdmi input, but then I'm looking at a few thousands bucks, I'm looking for something around $300 or less.

Thanks

**Ferrit** · October 3rd, 2005, 08:23 AM

Better go rechech the compnonents on the Theatre. The block that connects to the card has svideo i believe
http://www.hothardware.com/viewartic...leid=720&cid=2

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · October 3rd, 2005, 09:13 AM

I thought it was an s-video output, now that I think of it, it wouldn't have made much sense on a capture card.

I read there is no TV guide in the included software and that it can only run in timeshifting mode, this would definately be a deal blower for me, I want to be able to watch TV with 0 CPU usage as you can do with an all in wonder, and I know how cpu intensive timeshifting is, there's no way I'd be able to work and watch TV with timeshifting always on. Also, even with my 5 year old all in wonder, I have built in tv guide and if I press record it automatically names the video file after what is currently playing, I'd rather get an all in wonder and keep this feature if it really can't work with the TV guide. Does anyone know if it can work with ATI's TV software? I've been using it for years and it seems like the one included with the Theater 550 is much inferior to ATI's.

Also, for dual tuners, can this work with an ATI normal TV wonder card or even perhaps 2 of these theater 550s? They're pretty cheap, but again if it can't work with the TV guide and can't disable timeshifting as the review says, I'll have to forget about it.

Thanks

**Ferrit** · October 3rd, 2005, 09:32 AM

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/produc...il.php?UID=603

it works with the ati multimedia centre just fine if thats what yer asking
But you need to read and phone or email their tech support for these questions

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · October 3rd, 2005, 09:37 AM

I'm leaning more towards the VisionTek XTASY Theater 550Pro since it comes with BeyondTV which looks much better than the program included with the MSI one, even though the TV listings aren't free, the added features seem to be worth it, and they do offer a $50 lifetime subscription or $5/month. And if they work with ATI Multimedia center, I can just revert to that since I know it works well.

Thanks for all the help, I sure on the Theater 550 now, just not 100% sure which one to get, but I'm leaning towards the VisionTek XTASY Theater 550Pro.

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · October 6th, 2005, 05:51 AM

I think I decided on this one:
http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/produ...pvr500mce.html

Dual tuners and MPEG encoders built in, I was going to buy 2 of whichever I was going to buy to have dual tuners, but with this one I only need one, and I expected it to be $400 and it's only $139, that's like $10 more than the single tuner ones.

The only problem is that I'll need to find another TV program, I'll really miss ATI MMC, none of the other TV programs I tried are as good as ATI MMC, I want to find a program I like before buying it. I tried Beyond and absolutely hate it, I'll try the other TV programs, hopefully I'll find one I like.

**confus-ed** · October 6th, 2005, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by ClickHere2Surf.com

I think I decided on this one:...

Did ya ?

..Note: the WinTV-PVR-500 MCE does not come with a remote control or a software DVD decoder. If you are building Media Center systems, please check with Microsoft for a list of MCE certified remote controls and DVD decoders..

I seem to think you wanted a remote earlier ?

You can add one of course, but that's more pennies to put in your sums ..

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · October 6th, 2005, 09:49 AM

I just got the PVR 500 on ebay for $128, I actually prefer that it comes with nothing at all, that way I can choose my favorite TV software and remote, anyway it's one of the only dual tuner cards I found and I read good things about Hauppage, and I'm sure I'll manage to get my ATI remote to work again, and I may get another remote later.

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · October 6th, 2005, 09:52 AM

Oh, I also found the "hidden" control panel in Beyond which allowed me to make it better, I think I'll be able to learn to use it. For some reason any non basic setting msut be configured through a web browser like a router (???) no idea why they did that, no wonder I found no options anywhere, I found about it on avsforum.

**Kenteth420** · October 7th, 2005, 04:18 AM

That looks like a great card, I have been really happy with my Hauppage pvr 250, It looks like it may be worth the money to upgrade to the pvr 500.

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · October 7th, 2005, 05:27 AM

Kenteth420: Do you know if these Hauppage cards send the audio by analog cable from an audio out on the tuner card to the AUX/Line In on the sound card like the all in wonders or is the audio processed digitally through the PCI bus? One problem I have now with the combination of my all in wonder and nvidida motherboard (which will soon be in the garbage where it belongs) is that the tv audio is very weak, I need to put my receiver at volume 36 of 74 to get the volume I would normally get at 12 of 74, so while I watch TV, all other sounds are extremely loud, I've learnt to live with it since I got this motherboard, but I'm hoping I won't have this issue with the pvr500, in any case I'll be getting a new mobo very shortly so one way or another the problem will be solved, but I'll still be using it for a few weeks with this buggy motherboard. I actually had to change my "incomming email" sound, I used to have one that said "incomming mail" when I got an email in outlook, but each time I was watching TV and got an email the speakers would blast INCOMMING MAIL, I'm sure the neighbours heard it each time I got an email while watching TV, I eventually returned to the default outlook sound that's very soft to start with so it's not as bad.

Thanks