Enjoy a new way to experience PC multimedia entertainment with ATI Theater 650 Pro and Catalyst Media Center ATI Technologies announced the Theater(TM) 650 Pro video processor chip for analog and digital TV reception for PC users around the world. The new chip offers full hardware support for Personal Video Recording (PVR) backed by unrivaled Avivo(TM) image quality. Theater 650 Pro is supported by ATI's new Catalyst Media Center(TM) software which combines easy-to-use PVR capabilities with the ability to handle any signal, any time in any advanced format, from H.264 to DivX.

"Now with Theater 650 Pro, PC owners around the world can enjoy improved TV reception and PVR performance," said Paul Lypaczewski, Senior Vice President Marketing and General Manager, Desktop, ATI Technologies Inc. "Theater 650 Pro is an outstanding solution to offer both analog and digital PC TV tuner support for worldwide reception standards. Users can expect a new level of video quality designed for home theater PCs that will match or better most consumer electronic solutions today. ATI's new Catalyst Media Center combines with Theater 650 Pro to offer users improved usability with a focus on TV entertainment enjoyment."

Theater 650 offers a new motion-adaptive 3D comb filter and noise reduction capabilities for better image quality. Additionally, Theater 650 Pro delivers worldwide digital TV support: ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) for United States, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea plus DVB-T (digital video broadcast terrestrial) for European DTV standards. Theater 650 Pro is designed for a variety of multimedia applications including SnapStream's Beyond TV, Media Center PCs, Microsoft Windows(R) XP Media Center Edition, and the forthcoming Microsoft Windows Vista(TM) operating system.

With a 125-channel TV tuner, Theater 650 Pro features hardware MPEG2 encoding to offload intensive PVR functions from the main computer processor to deliver competitive performance. As a highly integrated chip, Theater 650 Pro includes a 12-bit worldwide video decoder, digital TV support, worldwide audio decoder, MPEG encoder, 3:2 pull-down, motion compensated noise reduction, edge enhancement, FM radio reception, hardware DRM engine, PCI/PCI-Express 1X bridge, and much more.

Theater 650 Pro supports Catalyst Multimedia Center, ATI's next generation PC multimedia application. Catalyst Multimedia Center delivers the best of ATI's long-standing expertise with a new interface that's easy even for the novice while offering enough core interaction to appeal to die-hard ATI multimedia fans. Key features include:

- Full PVR functionality - Stop, pause, and rewind live TV on the PC

- 3D interface powered by ATI graphics cards

- MulTView(R) functionality - Record and watch two shows at the same time, or watch one show in a picture-in-picture window while watching another full-screen

- Advanced video compression and conversion settings - Record or convert to MPEG2, MPEG4, DivX, WMV9, H.264

- Capture video from VCRs or camcorders

- ThruView(TM) - Translucent video window over other desktop applications

- Hybrid tuner support - Access both analog and digital TV with one TV card

- Advanced electronic program guide (EPG)

Theater 650 Pro also complements Cyberlink's PowerCinema(TM) and Intervideo's WinDVR(TM) and Home Theater, Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition, and SnapStream's BeyondTV. ATI will continue to support other third party applications based on customer requirements.

Products featuring Theater 650 Pro will be available by early summer from by leading PC manufacturers including: ASUSTek Computer Inc., Micro-Star International Co., Ltd., Sapphire Technology Limited, Tul Corporation (PowerColor brand), and VisionTek Products, LLC.