Introduction

I would like to thank Powercolor for supplying the review sample.

The TV Wonder series has made some serious waves in the past. It was known for the great output quality and part of the very successful All-In-Wonder graphic card series. In recent years things have become quiet around this brand from AMD. The All-In-Wonder series was scrapped for the last couple of GPU generations, but with the release of the TV Wonder 600 and 650 ICs, all is well again. Not only is this the first time that the parts offer PAL compatibility - something sorely missed in previous generations - but it also ushers in the resurrection of the all-in-one graphic cards. The one big difference between the 600 series and the 650 is the hardware encoding capability of the latter.


Like the previous generation, the TV Wonder 6 series products are available in PCI and PCIe x1 variants. Considering the limited use of an x1 slot, this is some great news.

Features

• Hybrid Tuner for Digital TV (DVB-T), Analog TV, FM Radio, Digital Radio (DVB-T)
• Video Recorder (PVR) with Time-Shifting
• MPEG-2 Software Encoder for analog TV
• Electronic Program Guide (EPG), Teletext
• Audio/ Video Input and Recording
• With Full Featured Remote Inside

Packaging & Contents

PowerColor ships the TV Tuner card in a compact black box. The front shows the card alongside the included remote control. Alone the image of the PCIe x1 tuner should draw some attention, but the green banner with the text "PCI Express" across a corner makes sure of that. The rear lists the features of the tuner in multiple languages. Inside the colorful cover box is a bland white one, which holds the card and all the extra contents.


A small IR receiver is the first pleasant surprise within the package. It does not look like the OEM parts usually found with most cards. This part you can place on your desk or next to your home theater PC without having to worry about looks. In addition to the receiver you will find a manual and CD and the remote control in combination with some AAA batteries. The overall feel of the remote is not that great. It feels hollow and very "plasticy". It would have been nice to see something with multiple functionality for example to use with Windows Media Center.