MSI ATI Theater 550 Pro PCI
After recently reviewing the Leadtek WinFast TV USB II Deluxe and Diamond's Xtreme TV PVR 550 Power Pack, there are certain things we've come to expect in PC TV tuners. For one, easy driver and software installation is important. And the bundled software and its functionality is a primary concern as well. After all, what good is a TV Tuner without quality software to run it? And of course, the device's image quality has to be good.
On the surface, MSI's Theatre 550 Pro seems like an appealing product, but as we all know it's how a product performs in the real world that counts. ATI's Theater 550 Pro chip, which is at the heart of the MSI card, has been used to power a few different TV Tuners. We actually took a comprehensive look at the Theater 550 Pro's features a few months back should you want more details on this impressive chip. Today at HotHardware though, we're going to take a look at MSI's multimedia offering, to see if it has what it takes to be a serious contender in this market segment. Let's get started with an overview of the card's specs and the package contents.
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Package: ATI Theater 550 Pro PCI Card Remote Control USB Receiver Manuals and Books: Quick Installation GuideSoftware Packaged: Theater 550 Pro DriversPowerCinema 3.0 MakeDVD Power2Go 4 - DVD System Requirements: Windows XPPentium 3/4 or Similar CPU Television Source(Antenna, Analog/Digital Cable, Satellite) Available PCI Slot Pricing and Availability: $75 USD MSRP Warranty: 1 Year Limited WarrantyNotable Features: FM Radio Reception 16MB DDR memory and 3D Comb Filter Real-time MPEG2 hardware compression Record from any video source (TV, VCR, DVD, Camcorder, etc.) Skip Commercials on Playback Auto and Full Channel scan Scheduled Recording |
ATI Theater 550 Pro Technology: ATI Theater 550 Pro Features:
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