Ever since the PCI-Express architecture was introduced, PC users around the world have been left confused with how to use the many available PCI Express x1 slots available on motherboards. Although the slots are available in plenty, there has always been a lack of useful PCI Express x1 products on the market. PowerColor tries to make things a little better with the introduction of their Theater 550 Pro- a TV tuner card based on the latest ATI technology. Packaged in a PCI Express x1 interface, the Theater 550 Pro includes a host of other features such as dedicated 16MB DDR Memory onboard, Real-Time Hardware MPEG2 Encoding, and a 12 bit video engine.
With the increasing popularity of home theater PCs, there has been a sharp increase in the demand for TV tuner cards. If you’re are an avid gamer, the All in One Wonder series can suffice, however, what the All in Wonder series have in versatility they lack in the amount of upgrade elasticity. Usually it takes longer for ATI to introduce the All in Wonder series based on their new GPUs- sometimes 9-12 months longer. For the casual gamer, this isn’t much of a problem, however, it can really interfere with the plans of hardcore enthusiasts who always want to have the “cutting edge” in technology. That is where the high-end dedicated TV tuner cards come in. With more upgrade flexibility and better video quality, they can deliver some of the best video possible on the market. In addition, no matter how many video cards upgrades you undergo, you can always continue using the same TV tuner card plugged into your system.
Packaging
The PowerColor Theater 550 PRO PCI Express comes in a neat orange colored box. On the front of it is a picture of a family gathered around watching a flat panel TV. Also on the front are pictures of the included remote control, a Windows XP logo, a PCI Express logo, and a list of the various technologies the card has. We feel the Theatre 550’s box successfully conveys the home theater feel. It also looks nice, clean, and simple; a match for the portion of the market that PowerColor is aiming for.
Inside of the box you will find the following:
- Theater 550 Pro Card
- Quick Installation Guide
- Driver/Applications CD
- FM Antenna Cable
- AV Cable
- Remote Control
- Remote Sensor
The included items are more than adequate to start you off, however, it would have been good to see PowerColor include some screws since they are definitely needed for installation. The following are the specifications as provided by the manufacturer
- Watch TV quality shows on your PC
- Real-Time Hardware MPEG2 Encoding
- Powerful 12 bit video engine
- Hardware 3D Comb Filter
- Hardware Noise Reduction
- External S-Video/Composite input support
- TimeShifting and scheduler recording
- Listen to Stereo FM Radio
- 16MB DDR Memory
- Low-profile design
We tested the card on an AMD 3500+ system with the ASUS A8B-SLI motherboard and a GeForce 6600 graphics card
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