2. Component Details

The Video Card:

I chose the ATI All in Wonder Radeon 8500DV to be the multimedia engine for my HTPC. It features:

A 3D Graphics core A digital TV tuner A hardware MPEG2 decoder TV-out An RF remote control with a built in thumb mouse.

The ATI All in Wonder 8500DV represented a powerhouse of multimedia potential. Since all of the main functions of my HTPC were audio/visual, I needed to have a video card that could handle the home theater content that I was planning to throw at it. At the time, the 8500DV looked like the perfect choice. I knew that it performed fairly well in 3D games since I had originally purchased it for a gaming computer, and the TV tuner, DVD decoder and remote made it a very attractive choice for this project.

Figure 1: ATI All in Wonder 8500DV
(click image to enlarge)

The Remote

The ATI Remote Wonder is a radio frequency remote control that came with the 8500DV. It interfaces with the included ATI Multimedia Center software and also acts as a thumb mouse. I was very impressed with the Remote Wonder. It works with a radio signal, so it does not need line-of-sight like an infrared remote and its range is impressive, allowing it to function through walls at times. I was also pleased to find that the remote wonder is not limited to the MMC software. It is semi-programmable (it comes with some pre-sets that you can change on certain buttons) and the default commands from many of the buttons function with other programs such as Windows Media Player when they are active.

Figure 2: All in Wonder Remote
(click image to enlarge)