New ATI Tuner Card.

[satnav4]

hi satnav4,

1. like various others within this discussion, you're a new member to the HEXUS.community, and your only posting track record (here) to date is in this thread.

many manufacturers and its representatives spend time on HEXUS and on our discussion forums.

from what I’ve read, you seem tenacious in ensuring accountability - something I’d not disagree with – but in the circumstances, i’d like to confirm your bona fide, so please would you PM, or email me, your POP email address and a contact telephone number?

2. unless you’re referring to something that was written elsewhere, his response to you here -- is definitely not a statement that suggests you “pursue Sapphire (and others PowerColor)”.

therefore please would you let us all know whether you have approached your reseller with your concerns, and what the outcome of that has been?

cheers,

PD

Please see my posts at tv-cards.com. I just found your wonderful site.

I have PMed my contact details.

I have approached zipzoomfly for a full refund and return postage, and have been ignored. I wrote to Sapphire, and received a Cyberlink Power Cinema cd which I have not installed. It is the basic version, according to them, without EPG. I already had that trial software installed to confirm it was inadequate.

S.

[ciregnol]

Well, if anyone else is still reading the thread who is still concerned about the performance of the card, and not about broken promises, false advertising, and the like:

I have been very pleased with the Theatrix card in XP MCE 2005. In general, picture quality simply rocks.

I have seen some problems lately, whereby the image will look pixellated or mosaiced for a few seconds at a time. I notice this mostly during action sequences, but I have seen plenty of action sequences that look just fine, too. Has anyone else experienced this?

The card runs very hot (I've literally burned my finger on the chip), so I'm wondering if heat is an issue. I'm contemplating getting heat spreaders to fix to the chips and rig up some fan to blow directly on the card.

I have also noticed that one can not listen to the radio and record live TV at the same time. Or record live TV via the tuner and capture video through the S-Video connection. This could be a common limitation to all tuner cards, I'm not sure. Can anyone confirm this? Is this a universal problem with all tuner cards?

I've seen comments of dissatisfaction from some of you that you can't choose the record location of Windows Media Center Edition. Using TweakMCE, you can change that location. I have done so. As far as bitrate quality and such, I am satisfied with the built in MCE levels.

I would like a second Sapphire Theatrix card. If anyone is interested in selling me theirs, let me know. I will pay cash, or trade items (WarCraft III, Ground Control Operation Exodus, Sidewinder FF Wheel, some other stuff).

[islasian]

Good Questions!

I hope it is hardware supported so at least we could write our own codes if nothing else. At this point it seems official that ATI has now thrown us to the dogs of Microsoft Inc. It looks like we're going to have to fend for ourselves.

I wish they just came out and honestly told us that their main goal with the Theater 550 Pro product was to please their new master, Microsoft. Instead, following Microsoft's lead, they entrapped us into having to buy more of Microsoft's overpriced (mediocre) products.

I think they should immediately change the Theater 550 Pro page on their web site to emphasize that it only works with MCE, and it is not supported by the MMC software. Not doing so would be literally criminal, in light of recent developments.

I wonder if www.zipzoomfly.com will still take this card back.

Jonas

I agree with you on alot of this stuff. I had contacted zipzoomfly a while back when I didn't get my PowerEnema 3 with my card, and they gave me the Sapphire contact number to call. Before hanging up, I asked them how long before I can return the card if I wasn't satisfied with the product, and they said 30 days. I have about 1 1/2 weeks left before I can't return my card, which I'm going to do(and probably never buying another ATI product again). It was a waste of my time and expectations from all the ATI hype about this card.
Especially how now all this confirmation from ATI *reps* saying, *yeah, we were going to do that at first, but changed our mind. I know you got a manual stating how to use it with MMC 9.04, but don't believe what we printed, just like don't believe all the hype we said about the card in the beggining...(quoting spacded.. "ERR Yeah whatever guys )

Implemented as it is in the Theatrix product and others, as a 'simple' TV tuner product...

Why call the 550Pro an Elite.. if it's just a 'simple' TV tuner Product... or am I reading this wrong? My bad if I am...

[satnav4]

Before hanging up, I asked them how long before I can return the card if I wasn't satisfied with the product, and they said 30 days. I have about 1 1/2 weeks left before I can't return my card, which I'm going to do(and probably never buying another ATI product again).

Careful. You will have to pay return postage and you will be charged a 15% restocking fee. It will thus cost you to send the misrepresented product back. You are in a bind here.

S.

[islasian]

At the risk of getting shot or getting a PM

Does anyone know the PAL uk release of this card?

spacded, according to the Sapphire site (press release??), their version supports NTSC/PAL.. now... I don't know how you would take that printing, but if you want you could purchase from them and see if it works with PAL as stated... here's the link:

http://www.sapphiretech.com/vga/theatrix.asp

This is from their site, just in case anyone wants to check it out and having problems with the link:

SAPPHIRE Delivers Multimedia Diversity


Bridging the multimedia worlds of high end Videophiles and the modern PC power users, the Theatrix™ tv-tuner comes equipped with a virtual collage of video-enhancing technologies the likes which have never been seen outside of standalone solutions.Step into the digitally diverse world of PC Tv-Tuner utopia, with the SAPPHIRE Theatrix™ tv-tuner!

Features:

Theater™ 550 PRO core
MPEG-2 video encode support
MPEG Audio Encoder with sampling rates of up to 48khz
Dolby Digital 2 channel encoding
Programmable filters
NTSC/PAL
Motion adaptive 3D Comb Filtering
FM Radio
World-Wide Audio Decoder
16MB DDR memory controller

*does not provide decoding of off-air HD signals

So, does this mean you can already purchase this and it should work with PAL? Just curious...

[neutron]

I have seen some problems lately, whereby the image will look pixellated or mosaiced for a few seconds at a time. I notice this mostly during action sequences, but I have seen plenty of action sequences that look just fine, too. Has anyone else experienced this?

I have the same with my Hauppauge WinTv PVR-150MCE. In my case it has to do with compressed signal from cable for some channels. Compression over compression equals trouble..

I like the PVR-150MCE for its software support under windows XP
Look you can use WinTV2000 software and scheduler (they work pretty good)
and a lot of third party software...
I use GBPVR (great program) now it even has EPG for my country ..
Are there any other european PVR programs which have a EPG for european countries by the way??

Strange enough however this card is for MS XP MCE.....
Maybe ATI should name its card ATI wonder Elite MCE
Or Theater 550MCE

I am curious to read the Hexus review but am afraid that we will be disappointed....

Erik

[exAndrzej]

...does this mean you can already purchase this and it should work with PAL...

No - sorry !

That was one of the questions that came up on tour from a number of journalists

If the components are 'solid state' then can an internal switch be thrown to get PAL/SECAM/NTSC

As Rys said in an earlier post - the main sites will be looking at PAL versions of the product very soon (with the very latest driver) and - at that point - you will be able to see jst what you will be getting in 'this' part of the world with Theatre 550 Pro

[exAndrzej]

...Dolby...

With that many pages - to be honest - I can't remember either

I have just 're-posed' it to the right person and hope to get you an answer back in the morning

[neutron]

Some more screen shots of ATI's website today:

Yes, they stated MMC support but changed it.
I still wonder why the release of the card took so long...

some pictures from their presentation towards the press explaining the new TV tuner.

[IMG]

[IMG]

[hrlslcbr]

I suppose that answer is for the TV tuner right?
If so, can the NTSC version capture PAL through S-Video or composite?

BTW, will 'the very latest driver' be available for the NTSC version too?
Cheers

[islasian]

No - sorry !

That was one of the questions that came up on tour from a number of journalists

If the components are 'solid state' then can an internal switch be thrown to get PAL/SECAM/NTSC

I figured that, I was just trying to help out specded cus he seemed to be very anxious to get one of these cards for PAL, sorry spacded, I tried..

As Rys said in an earlier post - the main sites will be looking at PAL versions of the product very soon (with the very latest driver) and - at that point - you will be able to see jst what you will be getting in 'this' part of the world with Theatre 550 Pro

Well, it would of been nice if we were able to see just what we were getting in 'this' part of the world before it was released , instead I get a manual that *walks* you thru starting MMC 9.04, but yet, ATI *reps* are saying it will not support MMC on 550Pro. The PR for this card, after sitting back, is just too funny

Anyways, this is my last post on this, as I already know what I'm going to be doing with this card . I will keep an eye on this thread, as it is very entertaining

TBOne, come on now, be nice , you're looking like an arse(as you stated) by coming in here and doing one post to try an rip everyone else...

In the word of all mighty TBOne :
that's my 2 pence.. have a nice one.

[satnav4]

Yes, they stated MMC support but changed it.
I still wonder why the release of the card took so long...

some pictures from their presentation towards the press explaining the new TV tuner.

[IMG]

[IMG]

Please hold onto those screen shots. When were they captured and where?

S.

[satnav4]

Deleted

[hrlslcbr]

Andrzej:
Cheers mate!
BTW, do you know if the sharpness control will be available in a future driver release?
According to Microsoft, there must be a sharpness control in the procamp of the driver of the capture cards to be certified for Windows MCE...

[neutron]

Please hold onto those screen shots. When were they captured and where?

S.

Here

http://www.ati.com/products/theater550/postlaunch.html

you can also watch the video footage were they talk about MMC support (somewere at the end of the 25 minutes presentation)



ATI should be happy that we are interested in their products and willing to spend time on writing about it. Share experiences. If i was no longer interested then I would simply stop looking and discussing.
We are their customers and ATI should realize that our findings are read by many not so technical people how want to make a good decision for a TV tuner card. Maybe we are idiots that we try new products which are claimed to raise the bar....let say superior to existing products.

[neutron]

Andrzej:
Cheers mate!
BTW, do you know if the sharpness control will be available in a future driver release?
According to Microsoft, there must be a sharpness control in the procamp of the driver of the capture cards to be certified for Windows MCE...

check this Powercolor

choose : Accurate video capture (21.5 MB)