With ATI's HDTV Wonder, You Can Get Free High-Def TV

HDTV antennaThe best source of high-definition television (HDTV) is flying freely through the air. Receiving over-the-air (OTA) HDTV requires a compatible receiver and an antenna. Available in set-top box form as well as integrated into some HD displays, OTA receivers require no monthly fee and most provide complimentary electronic programming information.

The graphics card company ATI has introduced a digital television (DTV) tuner card for the PC dubbed the "HDTV Wonder." If you have been searching or a way to create your own OTA HD receiver/personal video recorder (PVR), the HDTV Wonder is worth laying your eyes on.


HDTV WonderThe Package
The HDTV Wonder package we received included a PCI-based tuner card, a directional antenna, and the sweet RF-based "Remote Wonder" remote control. After navigating our way through the hardware/software install, we soon had a PC capable of pulling in our local DTV channels and recording the uncompressed stream to the hard drive. Besides its DTV capabilities, the HDTV Wonder integrates ATI's analog tuner for standard cable/antenna reception.

ATI's bundled "Multimedia Center 9.0" (MMC9) software provides a suite of applications for recording and viewing practically any multimedia content. Also, MMC9 provides an export tool for outputting captured content to a variety of common formats including DVD and SVCD. For the home-theater PC aficionados, MMC9's "Easylook" offers a large-scale interface for easy visibility on nearly any display.


Your Local Sources
Before you dive into any OTA receiver, find out what content is available in your area. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) maintains a list of DTV stations broadcasting in the United States. Other good sources of local DTV/HDTV programming information are CheckHD.com and TitanTV.com.


HDTV windowsBottom Line
We were very impressed by ATI's HDTV Wonder. However, we were unable to use it in its current state with non-ATI video cards. Updated HDTV Wonder drivers were recently released on ATI's site, and we hope the compatibility issues we experienced with non-ATI graphics cards will soon be a thing of the past.

If you live in an area saturated by DTV broadcasts, and you are the proud owner of an HDTV, it's worth exploring your OTA options.


Summary: The "HDTV Wonder" transforms a PC into an HD receiver/PVR

Pros: Receive/view/record terrestrial DTV broadcasts

Cons: Current incompatibility with non-ATI graphics cards

Company: ATI Technologies
Product name: HDTV Wonder
Price: $199
Availability: Now