HDTV Wonder

By: Kristin Foulks

http://graphics.tomshardware.com/video/20040917/index.html

One of Ati’s latest products is the HDTV Wonder. This product allows you to pickup HDTV signals and display them on your computer’s monitor. There is simply a receiver that plugs into a regular USB port and an antennae that is set up to pick up the OTA (Over the Air) channels. The receiver will not accept a signal from cable or satellite. One of the weak points of the program is the installation; if you are lucky it is installed easily with the CD but it has difficulty sometimes and then it is an unpleasant ordeal. The picture is so clear it is hard to believe you are pulling the channels strictly with an antennae and like any other antennae it can be adjusted to pick up certain channels better. It can be controlled from the computer with onscreen directions or it also comes with a remote like any TV for easier control. Another neat feature is the recording power like that of Tivo with the ability to go back to certain points at anytime. With the price tag of $199 I would definitely recommend this to anyone with the desire for HDTV. The only precaution would be to check to make sure that you have OTA channels in your area.