Great all in one product
Written: Nov 17 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: can watch tv, vcr, dvd, play dreamcast with ease
Cons: inputs like vcr or dreamcast not great quality; lacks a remote
The Bottom Line: Great product for people who want to watch tv and movies on their computer
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| mastercha's Full Review: ATI ALL-IN-WONDER RADEON, (32 MB) PCI Video Card |
I bought this video card over my NVIDIA GeForce2 card not for gaming purposes, but for the entertainment purposes. I am a college student on a very tight budget and I can't afford a tv, dvd player, etc. so I decided to go the cheaper way and buy them for my computer. I bought the All In One Radeon because it had a tv tuner, dvd hardware for smoother playback, and inputs for other devices like a camcorder, vcr, or video game console (dreamcast for example). For my old computer, I had the original All in wonder which was just a tv and video card, and it worked great so I decided to stick with the product family instead of going with Nvidia or 3DfX (when it was still around) or the pricier Haupague. I read reviews that praised the Radeon video card family for having superior 3D graphics with games and other programs and although the only computer games I play are civilization 1,2, and 3, I figured that my computer can only run better with a better video card.
The quality of the television is bar none. It is just like watching tv on a regular television set like a Sony or Panasonic. The software that comes with the card is very easy to use and quick to setup. It autoscans for channels, you just tell it what you have, cable or antenna and you are ready to watch tv! ATI got smart for this card by making an extension for the input cable. Now it is a small box that attaches either on the side of your computer, on top of it, or anywhere you want to put it for easy access to connect input devices like a VCR or game console. It has one RCA a/v connection (the three red,white, and yellow cables) and one S-Video connection. This is great because I can connect my VCR and Dreamcast to my video card for a full fledged entertainment machine. And what would a home entertainment system be without a dvd player? not a very good one, so ATI gives you dvd hardware that improves the quality of dvd's played on your dvd-rom. Before I had this card, dvd's played on my computer sometimes became choppy and freeze becuase my computer couldn't handle the playback. But now with the help of the all in wonder, dvd playback is smooth like a baby's behind :-).
My only complaint is the quality of input dsevices like the VCR or dreamcast, which is subpar. My other all in wonder had the same problem, only worse. I wish ATI can fix this problem for their next All in wonder because although I have gotten use to it, it is still an annoyance.
Also, it doesn't come with a remote control which in my opinion is sheer stupidity. If you want to watch tv or a movie why would you want to get up off your couch or bed and use the keyboard or mouse to change the volume, channel, or pause a movie? I had to buy a keyspan digital remote (see my review on that product) for that problem, but it only adds to the price, and like I said, I am college student on a tight budget.
All in all this is a far superior product to its competitiors. I have seen what NVIDIA and Hauppague have to offer and its subpar to ATI.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 150
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Epinions.com ID:
mastercha
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Member: Ari E
Location: Amherst, MA
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 1 member
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