This card loses one star because of the work required to make it functional.YOU MUST USE CATALYST 5.13, MMC 9.08, AND REMOTE WONDER II 3.03.00 WITH THE X800XT ALL IN WONDER. For the older ones, go to ATI's site, Drivers, XP, to the left side under drivers, XP, Radeon (or All In Wonder, doesn't matter), and Previous Drivers & Software in order to find them. All newer drivers are unstable with the x800xt AIW and have made TV On Demand a permanent service running in the background. They're really designed to cater towards the new PCIE 1800 series cards. Hyperthreading and dual core processing should be turned off whenever using TV streaming. Always turn off anti-spyware and anti-virus software in the background. If you have previous drivers, use the uninstall software, restart, use Driver Cleaner Pro (follow the instructions fully), delete the ATI/NVIDIA folders, then restart again before beginning.
If at anytime after a restart you get dual device sharing error messages, simply cancel out of them, restart the computer, and continue onto the next step. In those cases your computer just needs two restarts instead of one to configure properly.
Install Cat 5.13.
Restart.
Allow WDM drivers to install fully.
Restart.
MMC 9.08 part 1.
Restart.
MMC 9.08 part 2.
Restart.
MMC 9.08 part 3.
Restart.
Install Gemstar off your original driver CD.
Restart.
Install Remote Wonder II 3.03.00.
Restart.
Run Gemstar for setup, but don't let it set up TV tuner yet.
Upon Gemstar's completion (you stopped the TV), Restart again.
Open Gemstar and let it initialize your TV tuner and scan for channels.
This procedure works for me, with the TV even showing up in Gemstar. Occasionally there are still freezes when something else is running in the background, but they are usually associated with me doing something I shouldn't be. I've even had TV running in the background while using X-Plane's Planemaker. When using the PVR, never rename a recording in the middle of the recording process. Let it save in the pre-designated folder (you can change this prior to recording in setup). Stop it and go into that folder to rename and move it somewhere else. If you encounter persistent problems with crashes, the remote not being recognized, or anything else, then clean out everything and try again. You may need to uninstall the remote in Device Manager, unplug it, restart, plug it in, and restart again before installing the drivers in some of these cases. Some games/simulations also do not like MMC and Remote Wonder's software. So you may need to turn them off on the Taskbar before entering such programs.
The frame rates I get on this card are as good or better most of the time than the NVIDIA 7800 GS OC AGP I tried two weeks ago, and it runs much cooler when idle. I can overclock this to 520/560 with Tray Tools and still get great stability. That makes it essentially a Platinum level 800 series card. Add to that VIVO, TV Tuner, PVR, custom aspect ratios, cropping, zooming, etc, and it's very impressive. The radio tuner isn't very sensitive, but that might have more to do with the bundled antenna.
The ATI Rage Theater chip is the best DVD decoder I've ever come across. I have an imported Pioneer Elite SACD/DVD-A Player, and this card blows it away. Superior dynamic range in all colors, including the reds...which the Pioneer and many other players crush, destroying subtlety. With 848x480 widescreen mode, widescreen selected in the MMC options, S-Video "more sharpness", and default ATI picture settings, this card is downright reference grade through its dongle outputs to my Akai Interlaced Widescreen TV. This TV was calibrated by service technicians as close to the NTSC standard as they could. I could master DVDs on this system. And if you have a hidef TV, it will upsample; progressive scan TV, it will do that, too. Stunning quality.
Even though I can't do stereo 3D on very many titles because the Winx3D universal stereo drivers are being sat on by the company that bought them out (Opticality...curses be on you!), I refuse to buy NVIDIA anymore to remedy my stereo situation. Why? Because they're unstable gamer cards that have terrible picture quality. That 7800 was garbage. I have an eMagin head mounted display, and yet I'm giving up on 3D for most everything I use simply because this ATI card looks that good and runs that fast. Now, if Opticality would get off its rear-end and release Winx3D back to the public again (it was freeware before David C. Qualman sold out...more curses!) this ATI card would be unquestionably the best AGP card ever made. I think right now it still probably is, possibly the last great AGP card that will ever be made. Right now ATI's lack of their own stereo drivers is a handicap (even more so is their lie that stereo drivers are impossible pre-1800 series...Winx3D proves it), but it's not enough for me to give up this beauty for NVIDIA crapulence.
If you have PCIE, I guess the 1800 AIW is the way to go.
If any of you are interested in 3d stereo and have an ATI card, check out the DirectZ drivers and utility. They're just about the only version of Winx3D you can find on the net anymore and, though they aren't supported actively by the company, they do work on some titles...Draken, for instance.
Buy ATI All-In-Wonder X800 XT Video Card Now
This is probably not the best choice for somebody who wants to have a media center built around a computer or is a computer novice. It's a great video card (for applications/games), but not as good for video processing.I originally bought this card over 6-months ago to run 1920x1200 resolution with my then new Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW monitor (needed an AGP card with DVI output and processing power to run games at such a high resolution). It took a few reboots to get the graphics drivers working as they should, but I was awed at the picture quality and the frame rates I was getting (still am today). I was very happy with the purchase, until I tried watching cable TV using the card. It took me days to even install the drivers and get them all working correctly without crashing every 5-seconds, and I'm not exactly a computer novice. I've tried many different versions of the software and the install crashes just installing not to mention actually running the TV-tuner. To this day my video sometimes freezes or some error occurs which forces me to reboot my machine before I can watch TV again. It's pretty annoying. Despite these annoyances when the TV does work, it's like interacting with a real TV set rather than a computer, thanks to the Remote Wonder II. I should also mention that there seems to be interference in the video as it comes in somewhat grainy (you can't tell if you don't sit right at the computer to watch TV, but this is NOT a video card I would choose if you plan on doing any serious video editing/recording). The plug, to which all the video inputs/outputs connect, is tiny and I'm sure that's part of the problem.
Good:
Affordable considering the feature list
When I bought it the same features cost more for a card WITHOUT the audio/video/tuner/remote
Supports AGP for those of us not ready to upgrade our computers but need new video cards
Very fast with lots of memory great for photo/video editing/games (I wouldn't edit video via its inputs)
Ok tuner for non-videophile
Remote Wonder II is awesome when using the computer as a TV
TV has independent volume control
Bad:
Terrible drivers support (it shouldn't be rocket science to install)
TV Tuner/MMC crash somewhat often (again, drivers)
Inputs are somewhat grainy due to interference (don't use for serious video editing)
Remote Wonder II doesn't work like a "real" remote control and is too sensitive-touching a key is enough to activate it, even though it's not pressed/clicked down
Both video and graphics are on the same board (can't upgrade independently)
There is a lot more than can be said, but I don't want to write a book. Bottom line is if you're good with computers and you can get through the installation of this card, then you will probably enjoy it, even though it's not perfect. However, if you're somewhat a novice I would steer clear of this card. You will probably not even get it fully functioning.
Read Best Reviews of ATI All-In-Wonder X800 XT Video Card Here
I must first note that I am an IT professional and have had a lot of positive experience with ATI products in the past. That's chiefly why I choose the X800XT for my home theater `brain'...I have owned this card for over 8 months now. While the hardware seems to be designed at a very high level and functions well, the software (all aspects of it, from the drivers to the proprietary ATI applications) has serious shortcomings. Anyone who owns this device will tell you this. An example: The software CD that came with the unit was out of date out of the box, i.e. it just didn't work. One of the first things I had to do (after wasting quite some time toying with it) was download the latest versions of every piece of software that came on the CD including: display drivers, catalyst control center, DAO/MDAC, DVD decoder, encoder, multimedia center, remote wonder II... all of which had to be downloaded separately and installed in a very particular order. By the way, the Gemstar Guide+ software, as it turns out, you cannot update (as per ATI, the only copy you get is the one that's on the original CD).
Also, their customer service is lacking. If you have to "submit a ticket online", you will almost certainly receive an automated response telling you exactly what you just read on the website (which is also lacking). I have submitted several tickets, and got the same amount of automated responses. I have had equal luck contacting them by phone. Their responses sound scripted. I've been hung-up on several times, not called back when promised, and responded to with the same "autoresopnse" emails that I got the first time around. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would say this, but I think Microsoft has better support channels that ATI.
I suggest going with the NVIDIA equivalent.
Want ATI All-In-Wonder X800 XT Video Card Discount?
I just recently upgraded from a Radeon 9700 Pro and the difference is significant. Although I think my Athlon XP 2800+ @ 2.2Ghz is probably bottlenecking the card a little, I don't think I can see the true performance of the card yet. But it did make playing Half-life 2 and Guild Wars a lot more fun. Guild Wars runs great at the highest setting but still lags around towns with many people (I think that happens to all computers, except high end ones maybe). Half-life 2 runs at good quality and good performance. It runs very smooth on other games like CS: Source and DoD: Source. I guess Half-life 2 requires more graphics, especially Episode 1 for some reason. All the other extras like the TV, Radio, Video Input/Output, HDTV Output, etc. I don't use often. I do check out the TV and Radio when I get bored. The quality of the TV and Video Input is alright, kind of laggy and not so clear for some reason. I'm not sure if there is a fix for it. I tried running my PS2 on it and it ran slow. IMO, if I want to run PS2 on my computer it would have to be a different TV Tuner Card (Analog perhaps?). Maybe I'll use the Video Input to record videos off my camcorder someday and post these movies off Youtube or something, I haven't tried it yet but it would be fun.Now here's the bad part. First of all the biggest issue is the software and drivers. I haven't used the software that came with the box. I tried using as what others suggested and it works fine. But I really hate the ATi software since I rather use Media Player Classic or VLC to run my movies instead of being stuck with ATi's software. I hate opening a movie then watch it load up MMC. I know there's a way to uninstall it and reinstall it again but that became another problem. For some reason, my TV might not work or the software installation fails somewhere. I can't seem to figure out how to fix it back yet only because I'm too lazy to do it. All I want is a simple software that can play TV, Radio, and Video Input the way I want to without having to leave the software on the whole time. There's that whole new taskbar they give you when you install MMC, which I don't like at all. I haven't tried remote wonder since I have no use for a remote yet.
Another bad issue is the overheating issue. The default clock settings are 500core/500mem. I was using ATi Tray Tools recently and noticed that my CPU is running at 100+ degrees. This wasn't noticeable when I first bought it about 2 months ago. I guess the fan started to lose it's performance quickly. I have heard that ATi speeds up the fan whenever it demands more usage then quickly goes back to normal when not in use. Even using ATi tray tools and making the fan run at 100% all the time, the temperatures were still at 100+ degrees. I began to see artifacts playing Guild Wars and it has crash my computer twice to the point where my computer shut down completely. I ended up declocking the speeds to 470/470 in order to compensate. I ended up buying the Zalman Vf700Cu VGA cooler (Cost me $40 in Hawaii!!! =\) in order to replace the stock heatsink fan. I also used Artic Silver 5 for the thermal paste. Just letting you know that installation isn't hard, but takes awhile. You don't have to do any hard jacking or prying, just be careful =). Anyway, after installation I ran Ati tray tools, clocked it back at 500/500 and this time the temperatures never touched 60 degrees. Even after running the artifact test for nearly 2 hours, it still hasn't gone up and no artifacts have been found. Talk about a 40 degrees difference!
Pros:
Fast performing card
Gives you TV, Radio, HDTV Out, Video Input/Output, and many more.
Remote Control including batteries =P
Decent price
Cons:
Overheating issue, you really need to change the stock hs/fan asap unless you are lucky. Zalman Vf700Cu has been working great so far.
Bad software and drivers. It's hard to find what out which one to use exactly. One might work for something else and the other might not. If you can deal with trial and error and a lot of patience, then hopefully it won't be so bad.
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