ATI's X1800 XL All-In-Wonder: Performance and TV in One Package

The Card



ATI's All-In-Wonder line has been around for a while, and it has consistently provided a quality multimedia solution since its introduction. The X1800 XL version is no different, thus confirming our expectations.



As you can see by the picture, the All-In-Wonder version looks almost identical to its standard X1800 XL counterpart. A somewhat strange thing about the card visually is the purple color of the board, which is only odd because every other ATI board is bright red. Whatever ATI's reason for doing this is, the color is a subtle cue that this card is a bit different.

The color and the heatsink sticker aren't the only differences however. The X1800 XL A-I-W features an FM and Cable TV connection, as well as a digital input/output connection above the dual link DVI-I output. Different Dongles attache to this port in order to enable the desired functionaity such as comonent or composite output or to add a second monitor. The power connection is the same as a standard X1800.



One of the better features of the newest A-I-W is the new improved Remote Wonder. The feel and size of the Remote Wonder Plus is improved over previous versions, and having an RF remote with a programmable buttons and a thumb pad for controlling the mouse is really convenient if using the computer for watching TV is a prime function of your setup. Doing things like flipping channels while waiting for an email or checking who's on your favorite instant messenger service is a breeze. The range of the Remote Wonder is effectively between 25 and 30 feet, which is more than enough for any good sized room. Of course, unless your computer is hooked up to an Apple 30" Cinema display, watching TV at more than 10 to 15 feet is not that comfortable.

The card also comes with a sizable software bundle, and a lot of connectors for hooking up your equipment. Of note here is the fact that ATI has switched from Pinnacle Systems to Adobe software. This small change reflects quite an increase in value, as Adobe is all but the industry standard in photo and video editing. Even though the versions of Photoshop and Premier included are the cut down Elements versions, these software packages do just about everything any home user would want.

The other major difference between the new X1800XL and previous generation A-I-W cards is the FM/CATV tuner. ATI has employed the Microtune 2121 digital tuner on this board. In the past, larger "tin can" style analog tuners have been used which take up quite a lot of board space. This is the same solution used on the X800XT A-I-W cards. Again the Microtune 2121 is paired with the Theatre 200 chip which takes the output from the Microtune 2121 and handles the filtering and conversion of video to a format suitable for display on the PC.

Like we mentioned in the introduction, the MSRP of the X1800XL A-I-W is $429. This would be only about a $30 - $60 premium over most other X1800XL cards, and if we actually see cards come in anywhere around $429 this would make the added functionality and software bundle a terrific value over the stock X1800XL parts. Ideally we would see current X1800XL parts fall to or below 7800 GT prices (low-mid $300s), and even then the X1800XL A-I-W would be a good solution for those who want to watch TV on their PC at $429.

We've heard some murmurs from the community about the delay between the X1800XL and the A-I-W version. While we don't think a month and a half is a huge expanse of time, it is interesting to note that ATI has delayed the launch of the X1800XL A-I-W multiple times over the past month. The reasoning behind these delays was to match the product launch with retail availability. Unfortunately we have not seen any cards anywhere at this time. While we appreciate the attempt by ATI, the failure to deliver on its promise once again is disturbing. How has NVIDIA been able to get availability at launch for over a year on both desktop and mobile platforms while ATI can't get it right for one single product?