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ATI TV Wonder digital cable Tuner

Dell XPS 410 with ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner


Pictures of ATI s TV Wonder

Editors' Note: Since this preview was published, Timothy Dodd (Time Warner Cable Group President for Technology Policy) issued a statement on Time Warner Cable's behalf: "Time Warner Cable has worked with both Microsoft and PC manufacturers throughout the development and testing of this new technology. Our priority is to provide all our customers with a positive installation experience. The opportunity for self-installations of CableCARDs in OCUR devices will be determined on a system-by-system basis, in light of actual experience in the field with this new product." Also, while Dell initially told us it would be ordering the cable service on behalf of the customer, it has since decided that this strategy needs further investigation.

The Dell XPS 410 with ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner is the culmination of the things we've been promised for years: the ability to use Media Center Edition (MCE) with digital cable TV. With this latest iteration of the XPS 410, users can now time-shift (and even place-shift, to an extent) TV programming that they've been aching to view on their PCs. The XPS 410's copious storage capacities alone are reason enough to be excited for this technology (think about the last time you "lost" episodes on your DVR or TiVo during a vacation because they were edged out by newer recordings). Though TV on Vista's MCE interface is still a niche product, this system makes great strides toward making Dell and Microsoft's vision of the "digital home media suite" a reality.

Cable Without the Set-Top Box

We've been promised CableCard on PCs for years. For the uninitiated, CableCard is a cable industry-standard technology, comprised of a PCMCIA-sized card and an external or embedded card reader, that allows your local cable TV company to send basic and premium channels, including HDTV, to devices in your home without the use of a "set-top" box. I define a set-top box here as your typical cable box with an addressable tuner that is required for viewing premium content (like HBO and Showtime). It is usually directly connected to your TV with a DVI, HDMI, Component, S-Video, or RF coaxial cable. It differs from a CableCard in that cable boxes are self-contained, have their own remotes, and are usually rented from the cable company (which owns it).

For the past couple of years, high-end flat-panel TVs have been shipped with working CableCard readers built in, which decode premium and other digital cable channels. Similarly, the same CableCards fit in the TiVo Series3 DVR and work much the same way. Both setups mean you have to pay only the cheaper rental fee on the CableCard itself. With its TV Wonder Digital Tuner (also known as the OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver, or OCUR), ATI is bringing the same built-in functionality to PCs. The TV Wonder, which is the only CableCard reader available for all PC manufacturers, allows computer manufacturers to create Vista PCs that can access digital cable instead of the simple analog SDTV or over-the-air HDTV that users have been limited to in the past.

The TV Wonder is a sleek, yet bulky box that sits next to the PC, in this case a tricked-out Dell XPS 410 multimedia powerhouse. We received two TV Wonder units from Dell, along with a new 27-inch widescreen LCD monitor and a set of speakers. The internal TV Wonder found in systems like the Sony XL3 Digital Living System (announced at CES this year) is the same card reader, without the outer casing. Niveus created a new case to hold two internal card readers. Other desktop-style systems will likely come with the same external boxes as the XPS 410, while other Digital Entertainment System–style PCs will use the internal card reader.—



DPDUSA Generic Compatible Replacement AC Adapter Charger For ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner DCT Power Cord Charger
Speakers (DPDUSA)
  • High Quality Replacement Charger Part
  • Over Voltage and Current Protection
  • AC 110V-220V Wide International Travel Voltages Input
DPDUSA Generic Compatible Replacement AC Adapter Charger For ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner DCT Power Cord Charger
Speakers (DPDUSA)
  • High Quality Replacement Charger Part
  • Over Voltage and Current Protection
  • AC 110V-220V Wide International Travel Voltages Input
Genuine Dell ATI NW823, DN804 Theater TV Television Wonder HD 650 Combo PCI-Express PCI-E Full Height TV Tuner Card Compatible Part Numbers: NW823, DN804 Compatible Model Numbers: B041, CN-0NW823, ATI-102-B041(B)
PC Accessory (Dell/ATI)
  • Type: TV Tuner Card | Interface: PCI-Express | Bracket Size: Full Height | TV Standards: Over-the-air Digital TV / HDTV (ATSC), Over-the-air / Cable Analog TV (NTSC)
  • Ports: Antenna, S-Video, Tv, Audio | Supports over-the-air digital TV / HDTV (ATSC) and cable analog TV (NTSC), Clear QAM (unscrambled) digital HD cable and FM radio.
  • Compatible Systems:Dimension Desktop 9200, 9200C, C521, E520, E521|XPS 430, 630I, 700, 710, 730
  • Compatible Part Numbers: NW823, DN804 | Compatible Model numbers: B041, CN-0NW823, ATI-102-B041(B)
  • ATI TheaterTM Video Processing Technology:The motion adaptive 3D Comb Filter, Edge Enhancement and Noise Reduction work together to produce an ultra sharp and pure...
ATI Technologies ATI HDTV Wonder 100-714127
CE (ATI Technologies)
  • PCI card for analog TV, free-to-air digital TV, and full quality free-to-air HDTV reception
  • Includes NTSC (analog) and ATSC (digital) TV tuners
  • Offers personal video recorder capabilities, with the controls to watch, pause, and record all forms of TV to hard disk or to CDs and DVDs
  • Includes DTV antenna, ATI s Multimedia Center software, and a Remote Wonder remote control
  • Product does not receive satellite or cable HDTV transmissions
LGM 5V AC Adapter For ATI TV Wonder External Digital Cable ATSC Tuner Power Supply
Speakers (LGM)
  • 30 days money back guarantee. 1 full year service warranty.
  • 100% Brand New, High Quality AC Wall Power Charger (non-OEM)
  • Input: 100V-240V AC; great for replacemnt or travel back up
  • Build in Dynamic IC, Charger IC & Power fuse for rapid charging and over charge protection.
  • Tested Units. In Great Working Condition.



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