PowerColor AMD TV Wonder 600 PCIe x1 Review 2

PowerColor AMD TV Wonder 600 PCIe x1 Review

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Value and Conclusion

  • The PowerColor TV Wonder 600 PCIe will set you back around $89 US Dollars. Expect a similar price, but in Euros when it hits the channel in Europe
  • Incredibly easy installation
  • PCIe x1 interface
  • Hybrid analogue and DVB-T
  • No internal or external audio cables required
  • IR receiver is USB based and very stylish
  • Bundled PowerCinema 5 works well
  • Great TV quality
  • Fast channel switching
  • Support for Vista & AMD Live!
  • Not low profile
  • A bit more ghosting than usual
  • No hardware MPEG encoding
  • A bit pricey
  • PowerCinema overkill for occational use
  • Remote feels flimsy
  • Limited availablity
The PowerColor TV Wonder 600 offers some great TV quality, in a very small package. The easy installation makes for a great start, as you do not need to fiddle around with additional cables or any application settings to get audio and video running right of the bat. The very stylish looking IR receiver is certainly the most beautiful one I have yet seen bundled with any TV tuner, but the remote is the stark stark opposite with bland looks and a flimsy feel. It would have been nice if the remote was more in the direction of the new Windows Vista unit, with clean cut lines, better feel in-hand, backlight and MCE support. This and the fairly high price for a hybrid TV Tuner with the lack of hardware MPEG encoding are the only real gripes I have. But, considering that most users do not record a lot of shows, those who do will surely go for the large models. It is obvious that the TV Wonder 600 is intended to be the entry level card of the new generation, so the full height of the unit and the bloated software are something you can overlook. If you do, however, plan to use the TV tuner in your HTPC, you may be better off with the TV Wonder 650 or the TV Wonder HD 650. Both of which are low profile and feature hardware MPEG encoding. If you want fast channel switching times, great audio and excellent video and color reproduction, the TV Wonder 600 is certainly a great choice.
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Nov 23rd, 2024 15:39 EST change timezone

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