ATI HDTV Wonder

A recent question from subscriber Jack prompted me to follow up on finding a hardware solution for decoding HDTV signals with a PC. The market is still somewhat limited in this area, but there are a few HD solutions that don't require the purchase of a $3000 television. So far, the HDTV tuner arena is suffering some of the same mistakes found in early versions of the standard TV tuner cards. Faulty drivers and heat issues make it hard to find a card that performs reliably.

The newest addition to the list of HD tuners will quite probably be the best solution, when it hit the streets. ATI's HDTV Wonder includes an HDTV antenna, allowing you to tune in local HD streams, without spending extra bucks on the cable service that barely delivers more. Competitors to this card currently range in prices starting at about $275. At an expected price of $200, keep an eye on ATI.