AMD Unveils HDTV and DVR Cards

AMD has debuted two new solutions that offer high-definition television (HDTV) viewing and digital video recording (DVR) capabilities on desktop and notebook PCs.

AMD launched the ATI TV Wonder 600 USB and the ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo PCIe HDTV tuner devices.

With the external plug-and-play ATI TV Wonder 600 USB, a desktop or notebook PC becomes a DVR for HDTVs. The TV Wonder 650 Combo PCIe is a combo tuner that can capture both locally available over-the-air and cable programming, including HDTV.

The PCIe add-in card offers ClearQAM technology that captures unscrambled digital channels. Both products come with AMD's Catalyst Media Center software and integrate with Windows Vista Media Center and Windows XP Media Center Edition.

The ATI TV Wonder 600 USB package includes a slim credit-card-sized IR remote control, A/V input adapter for video capture from a camcorder or VCR, and Catalyst Media Center Software.

Catalyst Media Center offers a simplified user interface optimized for TVs, an electronic programming guide, DVD authoring and playback, video conversion and AMD LIVE! On Demand powered by Orb! for accessing the DVR from any computer with a broadband connectivity.

Extending the ATI TV Theater family, the ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo PCIe features ClearQAM tuning, allowing PC users to receive unencrypted digital content available from their local cable television provider.

The ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo PCIe is a combo-tuner DVR, so users may switch between analog and digital TV to watch and record a digital TV program while simultaneously watching/recording an analog TV channel. The ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo PCIe also features high image quality, 3D comb filtering, and FM tuner.

The ATI TV Wonder 600 USB and ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo PCIe are scheduled to be widely available throughout North America by September 2007.