Can someone clear up this controversy?

[casino_boy]

What's the deal, can or cannot the AIW 9600 use DVI with a converter?
I see many reviews from companies stating that you can. Also, doesn't
the AIW have a component video adapter for HDTV? According to
"DesignTechnica" you don't have that option. And while we're at it
this same site claims you can't pvr digital cable channels, my
understanding is you can by using your cable box as the tuner. I see
many reviews of this card, both by companies and users, that
contradict each other. I need to know once and for all....can you use
DVI and HDTV with optional hookups as well as record digital cable
stations bypassing the Phillips tuner on the AIW 9600 Pro cards?

 

[J.Clarke]

On 20 Dec 2003 01:01:16 -0800

What's the deal, can or cannot the AIW 9600 use DVI with a converter?
I see many reviews from companies stating that you can. Also, doesn't
the AIW have a component video adapter for HDTV? According to
"DesignTechnica" you don't have that option. And while we're at it
this same site claims you can't pvr digital cable channels, my
understanding is you can by using your cable box as the tuner. I see
many reviews of this card, both by companies and users, that
contradict each other. I need to know once and for all....can you use
DVI and HDTV with optional hookups as well as record digital cable
stations bypassing the Phillips tuner on the AIW 9600 Pro cards?

Go over to <http://www.newegg.com> and find the 9600 All-In-Wonder, then
click on "see it" and you'll see photos of everything that comes in the
box. Note that the dongle has two VGA connectors and no DVI. There is
no way to get DVI from VGA. Go over to the ATI site, look for a DVI
adapter for the 9600 All-In-Wonder, you won't find one. Ditto for an
HDTV adapter. If you find a third-party solution let us all know.

Obviously an experiment on ATI's part and not a very good one IMO.

I don't see any reason why you couldn't record digital cable channels
via the composite or s-video inputs, unless the cable provider has
started putting Macrovision on the signal or something.

 

[Tom Scales]

I think the point is that you cannot easily change channels on the digital
cable box.

Tom

 

[J.Clarke]

I think the point is that you cannot easily change channels on the
digital cable box.

Depends on how much effort you are willing to put into setting things
up. <http://www.fukushima.us/UIRT2/> has links to everything you need.
For more detailed information on setting things up go to
<http://www.avsforum.com> and search the fora on keywords "girder" and
"UIRT2".

Be nice if ATI included an IR-out with programming package but nobody
else does that so there's no reason to expect them to start.

Tom

 

[casino_boy]

On 20 Dec 2003 01:01:16 -0800


Go over to <http://www.newegg.com> and find the 9600 All-In-Wonder, then
click on "see it" and you'll see photos of everything that comes in the
box. Note that the dongle has two VGA connectors and no DVI. There is
no way to get DVI from VGA. Go over to the ATI site, look for a DVI
adapter for the 9600 All-In-Wonder, you won't find one. Ditto for an
HDTV adapter. If you find a third-party solution let us all know.

Obviously an experiment on ATI's part and not a very good one IMO.

I don't see any reason why you couldn't record digital cable channels
via the composite or s-video inputs, unless the cable provider has
started putting Macrovision on the signal or something.


--

Where are you getting your info? The ATI site specifically states that
the AIW 9600 Pro is HDTV capable with the appropiate optional adapter
whereras the 9800 and 9700 has it included in the box. It even says
this on back of the retail box. Also, a couple of the tech companies
reviewing the AIW 9600 state that a DVI converter is possible but
don't go into details.

 

[J.Clarke]

On 20 Dec 2003 23:17:35 -0800

Where are you getting your info? The ATI site specifically states that
the AIW 9600 Pro is HDTV capable with the appropiate optional adapter
whereras the 9800 and 9700 has it included in the box. It even says
this on back of the retail box. Also, a couple of the tech companies
reviewing the AIW 9600 state that a DVI converter is possible but
don't go into details.

Please provide a link to the "appropriate optional adapter" and the "DVI
converter".

 

[casino_boy]

On 20 Dec 2003 23:17:35 -0800


Please provide a link to the "appropriate optional adapter" and the "DVI
converter".


--

Just go to the ATI website>products>multimedia>product comparison>
click the AIW 9600 and 9800 boxes and open your eyes.

 

[J.Clarke]

On 21 Dec 2003 14:32:15 -0800

Just go to the ATI website>products>multimedia>product comparison>
click the AIW 9600 and 9800 boxes and open your eyes.

Perhaps you should try this yourself and this time read the row that
says "DVI" and note the capital letters in the "All-In-Wonder 9600"
column. How's that foot taste?

As for the HDTV adapter, it turns out that they do have one available
now that they did not have available, or if they did, did not list as
being compatible with the 9600 AIW, when I was considering purchasing
the board, and I apologize for the incorrect information on that topic.

 

[casino_boy]

On 21 Dec 2003 14:32:15 -0800


Perhaps you should try this yourself and this time read the row that
says "DVI" and note the capital letters in the "All-In-Wonder 9600"
column. How's that foot taste?

As for the HDTV adapter, it turns out that they do have one available
now that they did not have available, or if they did, did not list as
being compatible with the 9600 AIW, when I was considering purchasing
the board, and I apologize for the incorrect information on that topic.

--

No need to apologize, i am not trying to start an argument. On my
original post i never stated that the DVI adapter was listed on the
ATI site, just the HDTV part. What i did say concerning the DVI was
that some tech reviews like at "DesignTechnica" mentioned that a DVI
adapter was possible. I'm still trying to decide if a DVI connection
is worth $150. Or if DVI only pertains to gaming.

 

[J.Clarke]

On 21 Dec 2003 22:48:38 -0800

No need to apologize, i am not trying to start an argument. On my
original post i never stated that the DVI adapter was listed on the
ATI site, just the HDTV part. What i did say concerning the DVI was
that some tech reviews like at "DesignTechnica" mentioned that a DVI
adapter was possible. I'm still trying to decide if a DVI connection
is worth $150. Or if DVI only pertains to gaming.

Depends on what you are doing, how sensitive you are to image quality,
and what kind of monitor you're using. Generally speaking if you are
using an LCD display DVI will give you better image quality than
VGA--the LCD is a digital device so there's not much to gain by
converting the digital signal to analog in the video board and then back
to digital in the monitor--how much difference there is in the real
world depends on how good the ADCs in the monitor are--with some it's
like night and day, with others it's hard to tell. If you're using a CRT
it doesn't make a lot of difference--they're analog devices so they tend
to work better with analog signals--whether you get a better picture
with DVI depends on whether the DAC in the monitor is better than the
DAC in the video board--usually it isn't. If you're using an HDTV you
may find that the DVI gives you a much better picture than VGA or
component--that was the case with mine, so no DVI was a showstopper.