New ATI Tuner Card.

[krose]

Gee they don't have this one fixed and are introducing yet another chip. From OCWorkbench, discussing PowerColor's offerings at CeBit: "Also shown will be the PowerColor Theatre 650 PRO, an upcoming digital/analogue hybrid TV tuner card using ATI’s latest theatre chipset to bring high-end home theater technology to the desktop." Here we go again!

[jonaslasky]

Gee they don't have this one fixed and are introducing yet another chip. From OCWorkbench, discussing PowerColor's offerings at CeBit: "Also shown will be the PowerColor Theatre 650 PRO, an upcoming digital/analogue hybrid TV tuner card using ATI’s latest theatre chipset to bring high-end home theater technology to the desktop." Here we go again!

Actually this makes perfect sense... it's all very clear now. We're all ATI's guinea pigs.... PAYING guinea pigs at that. Most companies pay people to evaluate their products. ATI actually made money conning people that the Theater 550 Pro was a market-ready product.

PS
I think we should all get a free T650 Pro based card for free. That would be just compensation for all our troubles.

Jonas

[hrlslcbr]

I think we should all get a free T650 Pro based card for free. That would be just compensation for all our troubles.

Jonas

Agreed (only if it doesn't come with any cybercrap software).

PS. ATI, when are we going to get Dolby encoding?

[bubbaganoush]

Digital tuner...does that mean it can tune those DVB/HDTV signal dealies?

I can't seem to find any info on the 650 chip. O_o

[SHSPVR]

There is no info on Theater 650 Pro ATI being Shhhh about it.
But I'm sure one them will a core die drop so that it dosen't run 65c+ and hopely this time a REAL Variable Bitrate opposed to carp FIX Variable Bitrate and maybe some more filtering and god know what eles.
They did say hybrid digital/analogue tuner and weather not it be DVB and HDTV signal that hard to say in tell we see the spec.

[Octavean]

Theater 650 Pro,…..

Very interesting indeed,…

I wonder how long it will take for the Theater 650 Pro to get MMC support,……LOL,…. I’m sorry I couldn’t resist that little jab.

Seriously, although the T650P may very well be a new single chip solution, unless the specs are something we haven’t had available before, the T650P would most likely be easier to implement via a combination of existing chips (and possibly cheaper with respect to R&D).

One such example would be ATI's OCUR:

Introducing ATI's OCUR

Inside the tuner are two pieces of ATI silicon - a Theater 550 and a NXT 2003, the combination of which handle all of the tuning and demodulation on the device. There is a FPGA in the device that along with some other custom silicon handles all decryption from the original broadcasted signal as well as encryption before handing the content off to the USB controller for transmission to the PC

http://www.anandtech.com/tradeshows/...spx?i=2662&p=2

Then again, perhaps there is something truly new in the T650P. In either case I would be interested especially if it offers something in the way of true Windows Vista support (Vista MCE for lack of a better term).

I’ve been hearing that only certified OEM systems will support cable card in Vista but if somehow ATI were able to provide such functionality I would probably buy into it.

[SHSPVR]

This part is 100% ture only certified by cable lab (which is 100% B.S. if ask me) of that OEM systems will be support cable card and top all Vista only (which is more 100% B.S. if ask me) so don't count on any Retail cards you may well forget it but who know maybe thoses law maker will change this FAT chance on that one.
I'm pettey sure it has nothing to do with that ATI OCUR device Octavean.
My guest is that ATI maybe working on a custom demodulation that maybe a hybrid digital/analogue tuner, but it really a little to late for that with 2007 only 9 months a away, so what I think it maybe is just a standard digital demodulation tuner allowing for digital stream pass though but with Hardware Encoder for Encording the S/Video or Composite analogue signal which is a lot like what the WinTV-HVR-1300 dose after all this last year that Manufacturer can build with the old analogue tuner when 2007 get they must switch to digital tuner for USA market and in 2009 all AIR analogue signal will be turn off.

[Octavean]

Assuming there really is or will be a T650P, I wasn’t suggesting that it would be an incarnation of the ATI OCUR device. I was only using the OCUR as an example of what can be done with older components (and custom chips). The OCUR seems more like a “proof of concept” device or early (very early at that) prototype.

There is supposedly a HD alternative to cablecard that non-certified Vista systems will be able to use in the USA but it will not be available initially (or so I have heard). I cannot for the life of me figure out what that might be but in the back of my mind I keep coming up with some hybridized version of Microsoft’s upcoming IPTV.

At the moment I don’t think I have any HD stations from my cable provider and if so I am not interested in paying more to get them. I’m OK with no HD or just using my HDTV Wonder for OTA. I actually watch rented DVDs more then HDTV anyway. HD is relatively scarce at the moment. Therefore, in a very real way I am a bit more concerned with being able to watch next generation standards like BlueRay and HD-DVD.

I just bought a ViewSonic N3250W 32" 16:9 8ms HD Ready LCD TV With HDMI so that should be an OK (not spectacular but OK) foundation for technology that uses HDCP. Next I’ll need an HDCP compliant video card, BlueRay/HD-DVD hybrid dual format ROM drive and Windows Vista with Vista MCE. However, I can wait since standard DVDs are doing a fine job for me.

Having said all this, I am getting a bit disgusted with the entertainment industries growing paranoia and the hoops we are being forced to jump through just to watch a little of the idiot box. I have already given up on music and will only listen to radio (free radio mind you). I hope the TV and movie industry don’t push me too far because I’ll be left with nothing but reading books,…..,…. Not that there is anything wrong with reading books,….LOL.

[theatrix]

Paying guinea pigs, absolutely agree 100% with that.
Bring out the "MK 1" then wait for the problems, glitches and complaints to come flooding in and start planning the "MK 11".

I have just had this happen with pinnacle who are selling a card that has MAJOR problems and their support forum is flooded with angry posts because there is no support whatsoever. At least ati do try and offer support but I dont like the misleading advertising.

I may try the T650 but only on the basis that I can return it and if there are problems I wont even bother trying to fix them unless im paid to do so !

Most people dont bother with support emails or posting on forums, so why should we !

[e.lectronick]

If they're using us as guinea pigs (which I strongly suspect they are), then we should just not give them any more business. They've been giving us the business for way too long.
The way I see it, I'll use my Theatrix for software capture and wait for a competitor's product to come out before I try again on affordable hardware capture. I'm not getting screwed again.
I've even switched my GPU from X800XT to Nvidia 7800GT just out of sheer "rage"

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me"

Bye bye, ATI. You've taken my hard earned dollars for the last time.

-ERik.

[dutchfudge]

I got an email from ATI yesterday, downloaded a new driver. Went to look again today, and can't get through to download page for this. Here is the link from the email:


'This email was sent to you because you had requested that we contact you about updates to the Drivers and Software article 737-10116

This updated article is available for your review at:

https://support.ati.com/ics/support/...onID=737-10116
'

Has anyone evaluated the new driver yet?

[jonaslasky]

I got an email from ATI yesterday, downloaded a new driver. Went to look again today, and can't get through to download page for this. Here is the link from the email:


'This email was sent to you because you had requested that we contact you about updates to the Drivers and Software article 737-10116

This updated article is available for your review at:

https://support.ati.com/ics/support/...onID=737-10116
'

Has anyone evaluated the new driver yet?

There's something weird about that page... almost like a spoof. I could be wrong but driver number 6.14.10.134 has been on the ATI web site for a long time... it's not new. Another weird thing is the date. It says March 8. 2006, 2005, what the hell is that about? There's something very screwy about teh whole thing.

Jonas

[yasdaz]

Hi, I just checked the ati download page and there does appear to be a new driver (March 8th). Too bad it does not tell us what it might fix. Gee, maybe it fixes the whole kit and kaboodle of problems we are all having, lol! Seriously, maybe it fixes the sharpness problem and gives the audio more of a boost? Will report back if I notice any improvement and hopefully we shall hear from others about their experience with this driver. Cheers, Yasmine

[jonaslasky]

I know it's dated March 8th... but i swear I've been seeing that same version posted there since way before March 8th. and the year... they can't even get the year right. Do they think it's 2006 or 2005?

Hey, weird numerology crap going on too. We're on page 134 and the driver version number is 6.14.10.134

Jonas

[hrlslcbr]

New ATI Theatre 650 Pro announced...
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=30226

I guess I won't be buying any more ATI products... They just screwed us with the 550 pro (test) chip.

[yasdaz]

Hi, I checked with ATI and have yet to get an answer that makes sense, sigh. However, the files are definately differently numbered when downloaded. Maybe ATI made a mistake on it's website with the numbering of the file. Anyway, I don't suppose it matters much unless it fixes something, lol! Yes, the 650 will definately be buyer beware, grr. Thanks everyone for all of your imput and help, Yasmine