ATI Shows Groundbreaking High Definition Digital Cable PC Receiver

[Idiscuss]

MARKHAM, Ontario, Jan 05, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- ATI Technologies Inc.
(TSX:ATY) (NASDAQ:ATYT) today announced a preview of the revolutionary (HD)
digital cable PC receiver. Available later this year, the ATI OCUR (open
cable uni-directional receiver) product will allow Media Center PCs that run
on the forthcoming Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, to receive High
Definition premium digital cable TV content on the PC, ushering in the next
level in functionality and opening new avenues for PC entertainment. The new
device will also offer traditional analog TV and free-to-air HD broadcast
reception to the PC. ATI demonstrated this new technology at the 2006
International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 5 to 8, 2006.

The ATI OCUR product opens a crucial barrier to making the PC ubiquitous for
the ultimate entertainment PC. According to the Consumer Electronics
Association, almost 68 per cent of the North America market is served by
cable operators(1), and now these end users will be able to access premium
content. This new OCUR product is designed to support any cable television
system in North America on the PC.

"We're working with Microsoft and other industry leaders to drive Media
Center PCs to be more intuitive, powerful and robust than standalone
consumer electronics devices," said Godfrey Cheng, director of marketing,
multimedia business unit, ATI Technologies Inc. "The forthcoming OCUR PC
receiver is powered by ATI's Avivo(TM) technologies which means that not
only will the Media Center PC have a new level of functionality but also the
highest available video quality. ATI is proud to work with Microsoft to
demonstrate this new OCUR PC receiver for a new era of media PCs."

"Microsoft strives to provide our customers with the most compelling TV
experience possible on Windows Media Center," said Dave Mendlen, director of
Windows Consumer Marketing at Microsoft Corp. "We're excited to work with
ATI on this project, based on the company's industry-leading expertise in
both multimedia PC solutions and the digital TV marketplace."

ATI will exhibit its solutions at International CES 2005 at booth 30779 at
the South Hall, Upper Level, Las Vegas Convention Center, January 5 to 8,
2006.

Microsoft Windows Media Center delivers advanced computing plus easy-to-use
integrated digital entertainment, including live and recorded television,
movies, music, photos and radio, that consumers can enjoy when and how they
want. It provides a central hub for digital entertainment and productivity,
accessible on either a PC monitor or TV display, using a single remote
control.

 

[StewRat]

MARKHAM, Ontario, Jan 05, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- ATI Technologies Inc.
(TSX:ATY) (NASDAQ:ATYT) today announced a preview of the revolutionary (HD)
digital cable PC receiver. Available later this year, the ATI OCUR (open
cable uni-directional receiver) product will allow Media Center PCs that run
on the forthcoming Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, to receive High
Definition premium digital cable TV content on the PC, ushering in the next
level in functionality and opening new avenues for PC entertainment. The new
device will also offer traditional analog TV and free-to-air HD broadcast
reception to the PC. ATI demonstrated this new technology at the 2006
International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 5 to 8, 2006.

The ATI OCUR product opens a crucial barrier to making the PC ubiquitous for
the ultimate entertainment PC. According to the Consumer Electronics
Association, almost 68 per cent of the North America market is served by
cable operators(1), and now these end users will be able to access premium
content. This new OCUR product is designed to support any cable television
system in North America on the PC.

"We're working with Microsoft and other industry leaders to drive Media
Center PCs to be more intuitive, powerful and robust than standalone
consumer electronics devices," said Godfrey Cheng, director of marketing,
multimedia business unit, ATI Technologies Inc. "The forthcoming OCUR PC
receiver is powered by ATI's Avivo(TM) technologies which means that not
only will the Media Center PC have a new level of functionality but also the
highest available video quality. ATI is proud to work with Microsoft to
demonstrate this new OCUR PC receiver for a new era of media PCs."

"Microsoft strives to provide our customers with the most compelling TV
experience possible on Windows Media Center," said Dave Mendlen, director of
Windows Consumer Marketing at Microsoft Corp. "We're excited to work with
ATI on this project, based on the company's industry-leading expertise in
both multimedia PC solutions and the digital TV marketplace."

ATI will exhibit its solutions at International CES 2005 at booth 30779 at
the South Hall, Upper Level, Las Vegas Convention Center, January 5 to 8,
2006.

Microsoft Windows Media Center delivers advanced computing plus easy-to-use
integrated digital entertainment, including live and recorded television,
movies, music, photos and radio, that consumers can enjoy when and how they
want. It provides a central hub for digital entertainment and productivity,
accessible on either a PC monitor or TV display, using a single remote
control.

Hot-fsckin'-dickety-dog!!!

Now - how do they handle encoded material? I don't give a rat's behind about
on-demand (ok, I do, but...), but if I wanna watch (ok, I wanna record it
too; duh) HBO or HDNet etc, how will they do it?

Thanks for the HU; more research to do now. OCUR? Hmmm...

 

[Idiscuss]

I don't know about that, but I am pretty excited about this new product!
I really would like to use my media center to watch and record HDTV shows!

 

[Tsunami]

While strolling carefully through the minefield that is Usenet, on
Thu, 5 Jan 2006 18:03:55 -0500, "Idiscuss"

Snip lots of interesting info

That's pretty great to say the least, hopefully there will be a UK
specific model to follow fairly shortly thereafter.
The next question therefore is, how do you get that HDTV signal into a
HDTV from the PC?

 

[BigJim]

well I guess I will throw out my 60 inch hd dlp so I can watch in on a
computer monitor

 

[StewRat]

well I guess I will throw out my 60 inch hd dlp so I can watch in on a
computer monitor

You're joking, right? I have a whole store of HD DLP, D-ILA, SXRD, plasma
and LCD sets running on the component out of a Powercolor X800XL, playing HD
from WMV-HD discs and an Ati HDTV Wonder (and a *slightly* OC'd 3000+ A64).
Yeah, so we alternate w/ a DirectTV HD box, but you get the point, yes? All
of this first goes to the back of an H-K AVR for switching, and decoding of
the DD or DTS surround sound before it goes to the 7.1 JBL speakers. Playing
music, music videos, etc are also easily handled.

Now, if only someone could get me a way to record a component HD signal...

 

[J. Clarke]

You're joking, right? I have a whole store of HD DLP, D-ILA, SXRD, plasma
and LCD sets running on the component out of a Powercolor X800XL, playing
HD from WMV-HD discs and an Ati HDTV Wonder (and a *slightly* OC'd 3000+
A64). Yeah, so we alternate w/ a DirectTV HD box, but you get the point,
yes? All of this first goes to the back of an H-K AVR for switching, and
decoding of the DD or DTS surround sound before it goes to the 7.1 JBL
speakers. Playing music, music videos, etc are also easily handled.

Now, if only someone could get me a way to record a component HD signal...

I believe it's doable for a price--component to SDI and SDI to Firewire.
You're talking pro equipment though--IIRC you're going to have around $6K
sunk in it before you're done.

 

[Ken Maltby]

StewRat wrote:

I believe it's doable for a price--component to SDI and SDI to Firewire.
You're talking pro equipment though--IIRC you're going to have around $6K
sunk in it before you're done.
--

www.snazzishop.com has a ~$150 capture card with
component inputs, the "Snazzi* V DVD" , but it won't do
HD. To do anything besides play HD, you need a multi-
processor workstation anyway. They have other cards
and their "HDV Video Collection" that they list as $799-
$1,399. But it appears the "HDV" is only input via Firewire.
You could put something from www.promax.com (their
DA-MAX+ Converter, looks good at $1795 MSRP) in
front of one of them. Still >$3000, most likely. ( Not
counting the cost of a high powered workstation.)

Luck;
Ken

 

[StewRat]

StewRat wrote:
.....

I believe it's doable for a price--component to SDI and SDI to Firewire.
You're talking pro equipment though--IIRC you're going to have around $6K
sunk in it before you're done.

Ouch! I have not gotten into this very deeply, but have had fun as far as
I've gone. That sounds like way too much money for me. Will it only be
possible to capture this stuff if you are a professional? Once again, they
stop the regular guy, and leave the pirates in business. Still, I already
spent a small chunk of change - it takes a fairly good box to capture OTA HD
and to play the WMV in HD, and it helped get rid of banding when I went from
the Radeon 9600 to the X800XL. And, that is all I've tried. I should
probably take a serious look at other options, eh? DivX, H.264 (?) maybe?
I'm really totally clueless, obviously.

We have played w/ a couple of Firewire recorders (RCA, Mitsubishi, Toshiba)
but they definitely only work w/ a few TVs, and that is directly - There is
no other output but the firewire back to the set or another firewire. The
streaming server Samsung gave us has a scrambled YPbPr output, and the HDMI
apparently only works on the 6168W they intended it for. HDCP is the rule of
the day, and I don't imagine the studios etc want to make it any easier than
it is. After all, we shouldn't be able to share a 30mb/s ts version of
Gladiator, right?

Anyway, the only way to avoid the HDCP/Copy Flag/etc stuff is probably to go
analog, and that is why I want to see Component inputs on my PDVR. Probably
dreaming, eh?

 

[Lion Of Judah]

You're joking, right? I have a whole store of HD DLP, D-ILA, SXRD, plasma
and LCD sets running on the component out of a Powercolor X800XL, playing
HD
from WMV-HD discs and an Ati HDTV Wonder (and a *slightly* OC'd 3000+
A64).
Yeah, so we alternate w/ a DirectTV HD box, but you get the point, yes?
All
of this first goes to the back of an H-K AVR for switching, and decoding
of
the DD or DTS surround sound before it goes to the 7.1 JBL speakers.
Playing
music, music videos, etc are also easily handled.

Now, if only someone could get me a way to record a component HD signal...

Why not record a Firewire signal and playback or monitor it using component?

Check www.169time.com for details. I've used the system and it works
absolutely great.

 

[StewRat]

.....

Why not record a Firewire signal and playback or monitor it using component?

Check www.169time.com for details. I've used the system and it works
absolutely great.

Wowser - I've got some reading to do!! How are they dealing w/ the HDCP? Do
they just do Satellite, or can they do cable too? Hmmm; this oughta keep me
busy for a few weeks...

 

[StewRat]

Wowser - I've got some reading to do!! How are they dealing w/ the HDCP? Do
they just do Satellite, or can they do cable too? Hmmm; this oughta keep me
busy for a few weeks...

Hey - nice enough web page, eh? Even tells how to figure out if you *might*
be able to decode cable HD (not likely, but...). Not exactly cheap, but not
ridiculous either. What format do these things output - transport stream? -
and what will play them besides the JVC DVHS they are so excited about? Did
you use this w/ a multimedia PC w/ an ATi video card?? <G>

OK, I've only started reading. Looks like I'm gonna be late for work
tomorrow - again...

 

[GMAN]

well I guess I will throw out my 60 inch hd dlp so I can watch in on a
computer monitor

Most modern cards have DVI and component outputs nowadays