FusionHDTV 5 Express or ATI Wonder 650?

[manton54]

FusionHDTV 5 Express digital tuner Press Release from Nov 24th:
http://www.fusionhdtv.co.kr/ENG/boar...=RD&itemid=302

I am planning on using Intel's D975XBX Desktop Board for a Duo Core 2 HTPC but it has only two PCI slots (and 3 more PCI express slots). I need one to fit a PATA raid card (have two large "old" drives). I can use the last PCI for the ATI Wonder 650 PCI card but then if I want any additional tuners I'm stuck. ATI appears to be too preoccupied (due to the recent AMD buyout maybe) to release a PCI Express version of their ATI Wonder 650 PCI (Theater chip). [This even though ATI's own Theater 650 chip white paper strongly advises in favor of a PCI express solution in lieu of PCI. I question whether the new AMD/ATI even intends to continue their TV Tuner business.]

DViCO may have beaten ATI to the release of a "PCI express" card but I know nothing about how well DViCO's video and software compares against ATI's.

I saw in press release where the owner of Snapstream seemed to offer a glowing endorsement of ATI's Theater 650 chip (basis of ATI Wonder 650 PCI) and several of the tech journals have written very positive reviews for the ATI Wonder 650 PCI. On the other hand Snapstream cities DViCO Fusion for most (all?) of their ASTC bundles.

Comments anyone?

[tscales]

There's not a ton of difference. I have both the ATI 650 and the Hauppauge and the results are the same. If you want the card to do both OTA HD AND Standard Def cable, get the ATI, as it does hardware encoding for analog.

Tom

[jackeric]

Originally Posted by tscales

There's not a ton of difference. I have both the ATI 650 and the Hauppauge and the results are the same. If you want the card to do both OTA HD AND Standard Def cable, get the ATI, as it does hardware encoding for analog.

Tom

Is it Hauppauge 500 ? If so, no TV quality difference (not HD) between ATI 650 and H-500 ? Is your comment on OTA or Cable ?

[tscales]

OTA. I actually have them all. My comment was specific to ATI 650 and Hauppauge 950 (and Dvico 5 PCI and Dvico 5 USB). All are comparable. The 650 grabs a signal the best.

Never used the 650 for SD, so .....

[jalyst]

Are you sure the ATi 650 is only PCI atm? That sux, I wish they'd hurry-up and make a "dual hybrid" PCI-e version!

[jackeric]

Originally Posted by tscales

OTA. I....The 650 grabs a signal the best.

Never used the 650 for SD, so .....

Excuse my newbieness but what do you mean by SD ?

[jalyst]

sd = standard definition. That's the best display format that analogue transmissions can do. So I think he's saying he's never used the ATi 650 to capture analogue signals. He's only used it for OTA (over the air) digital transmissions which are often mastered in HD format.

[jackeric]

Originally Posted by jalyst

sd = standard definition. That's the best display format that analogue transmissions can do. So I think he's saying he's never used the ATi 650 to capture analogue signals. He's only used it for OTA (over the air) digital transmissions which are often mastered in HD format.

Ah ok, It was not clear for me if he was suggesting to never use the 650 for SD. Your interpretation seems more like what he meant I guess.

[jalyst]

nah it's supposed to be one of the best, if not the best for analogue capture because of the overlays and postprocessing it can do to clean up dirty images etc. I belive hexus did a good review, just google, ATI Theatre 650 (TV Wonder 650). If there was a "dual" hybrid version Id snatch it up right away, but because its a single hybrid Im not really interested. Plus ATi doesn't seem to really care about anyone outside north America, pricks.

[cmcquistion]

I would recommend skipping both of those cards and get the Vbox USB HD tuner. You can get it for less than $100, shipped, from PCAlchemy. I've got two hooked up to my BTV server and they work great and take up no PCI or PCI-E slots.

[tscales]

As long as you don't want to record SD, the USB tuners are fine. The ATI's advantage is hardware encoding SD