AMD rolls out low-cost ATI digital TV tuners

AMD's graphics division ATI today introduced a trio of new TV tuners, all of which are aimed at bringing digital TV to a wider range of home theater PCs. The company's TV Wonder 650 Combo USB is designed to accept dual sources and will record either one analog or digital signal while playing the other, including unencrypted HDTV. The device also sports a ClearQAM tuner for picking up unprotected digital cable. It also has an FM tuner to pick up radio, the company says. AMD packs a custom media center interface for Windows as well as Internet access to DVR functions with the $149 tuner, which ships today.

Two internal tuners are also rolling out on Monday, AMD says. The TV Wonder 600 PCI and 600 PCI Express are both some of the least expensive TV tuners to carry ClearQAM but also add an ATSC tuner for receiving over-the-air HDTV broadcasts. Either records one show at a time and brings the same media center software and online DVR access as the 650 model, but sell for a considerably lower $99 each.