Hi,

I am trying to run my ATI TV Wonder 650 on Vista Ultimate 64-bit. My computer *far* exceeds the requirements and i know the card its self is not bad because i have used it before on a machine with a different configuration. The ATI Catalyst Media Center software it comes with crashed immediately, and when i try to run it on Windows Media Center the video is poor quality and choppy and generally unstable and will sometimes crash. It goes in and out of working, but is generally unstable. Does anyone know why this may be happening? Seems to me it may be a driver incompatibility with Vistax64, if this be the case, does anyone know how to fix this? Also, does anyone know of some good TV Tuner media software compatible with my card? Thanks!

I would recommend not using the drivers that came on the included C.D. - By the time you bring the card home from the store, those drivers are already obsolete. Just go to ATI's website and download the latest driver for your card, then you should be able to use windows media center.

I have to say I am using the TV Wonder 650 in Vista 64 Home Premium and it runs flawlessly in Windows Media Centre and in ATI's own CMC. I used downloaded drivers off the bat.

Good to know i am not going towards a lost cause. Where did you get the drivers? Thanks.

I tried downloading updated drivers from the site, same results...

Is it an Nvidia or ATI video card? I happen to be using an 8800 gts. Use the ATI uninstall utility to remove ALL ATI drivers and files, shut down, physically remove the 650, reboot, let the system install the ATI video card (if it's ATI) as default VGA, reboot, install the Video card's catalyst Suite, shut down, (both of these are unnecessary if it's an Nvidia video card) put the 650 back in, turn on, let the sytem automatically install the 650 drivers, reboot. It should now be working in Vista. If it's an Nvidia video card then after the 650 is put back in install JUST the 550/650 drivers, (a 6 meg download from ATI,) reboot, the tuner should now work in Vista. You may now install catalyst (for the 650's CMC) It would have been easier to explain if I knew which video card you were using.

I believe i understand what you are saying, thanks. I am using an ATI Radeon HD 2900XT. You're suggesting to remove all ATI drivers for everything, physically remove the 650, boot up, install the 2900XT, physically reinstall the 650, boot up, let it install, and add CMC?

Yes exactly, get rid of everything, but in the case of an ATI video card CMC should then be installed with Catalyst. Though there ARE separate packages for CMC, Video, and WDM. Also for AVIVO.

Get rid of all vestiges of the failed install and start over, a particular technique for ATI drivers (and HP's.)

Also one may try the 650 in a different slot..

ATI's drivers are a PITA to remove. Get ready to spent about 2 hours doing this as I had to EVERY time i updated ATI's crappy tuner software/drivers. Uninstall ALL ati drivers, even your display drivers. Install your display drivers again (after you've restarted, and restarted again just to be sure), then install the Tuner's driver's one piece at a time, make sure you restart after EACH piece (even if it doesnt ask you to). Once you've installed each piece IN THE RIGHT ORDER!!!! you should restart yet again. After you've done that you should be good to go. You don't need to remove the tuner card, but heck, with ati's tuners you might as well. Just be sure to uninstall EVERYTHING ATI when you start this process.

This is why I went for hauppauge, simply because i HATE ati's drivers even though they do offer better picture quality. Sure not everyone runs into this, but once you're burned you dont touch the flame again.


Make sure you UNinstall ALL ATI SOfware!!!!! Before you remove the hardware. Personally I would leave the cards in the mobo, and just do a nice fresh uninstall and reinstall. Heck, use a drivercleaner too. Best thing you can do is remove every piece of crap code ati wrote for its tuner card.

I feel you! I spent much of my last weekend wasted on installing a ATI TV Wonder 650 PCIe into my Vista 64 Home premium system. It was a real pain in the butt. First, allow me to digress. The TV card uses a PCIe x1 bus slotn, which is relatively small in size. However, this TV card is long and low profile which lends it to interfere with components on the motherboard. Long story short, I had to purchase a new Mobo to get this tv Card to fit (I'm trying really hard to make this things happen here).

Ok, after installing new mobo, new operating system (3 hours), I can't get the HD digital or QAM to operate on the TV Wonder. I look on the ATI website, and notice they have a bulletin that warns that QAM does not work under Vista Media Center. WOW-I looked over the 10 page manual with this card and it mentioned no caveat about QAM and Vista. Imagine that!!!!!! Ok, so that was 1.5 hours of hardship. Luckily, MS has a hotfix, so I got that finally downloaded. In the meantime, ATI Catalyst program either locks up or issues a BSD. No problem, I'll go to the AMD/ATI website and get a new driver. After downloading the driver and loading it on my system, Vista indicates that the program MAY NOT have loaded successfully. So I repeat the process several times. Another 3-4 hours pass before I realize older driver update loads successfully.

However, the Catalyst program still is not stable and appears to lock up during the digital tune scan. This is the part that really ticks me off!!!!! AMD/ATI do not provide any status of what is going on during this scan. It sit there for hours (I waited for 3 hours) and if you try to minimize the window, the application stops running resulting in either program termination, BSD, or machine lock up! As mentioned, this would not have been terrible if there were a simple diagnostics program that could at least tell me what was going wrong; either hardware or software.

After spending almost 12 hours on this, I gave up and submitted a ticket to AMD/ATI. This was my complaint:
Ok, I'm ready to trash this piece of junk!!!! Everytime I purchase ATI, I get screwed!!!! My TV Wonder 650 PCIe still doesn't work after 12 hours of troubleshooting driver upgrading and pulling my hair out. The digital tuner doesn't seem to work. I would have not spent this amount of time if ATI had made a diagnostic program. All I know is that your crappy program hangs up with a blue screen or it simply locks up my PC. Windows Media center doesn't work and it produces errors too. Oh yeah, I've installed the 'hotfix', but I know that you suggest that I do it again anyway. I can't believe what a crappy piece of junk this is!!!!!! absolutely the worst POS I've ever purchased!!!!!

Four days later I get this reply back from AMD/ATI customer care:

Please note that AMD Incorporated enforces guidelines for inappropriate language. Therefore, your ticket is now resolved (closed) by the system. We recommend that you open another ticket and your issue will be addressed based on the language guidelines reflected herein as stated:

"We would ask that you refrain from using abusive language and/or profanity in your future correspondence."
I guess using the colorful adjective 'crap' or POS is considered profanity?

Anyway, I have deemed that digital tuner as defective and have RMA'd it for a replacement. Why? Because I have too much time on this product, and I understand that Happauge has problems, although different I don't want to waste my time on a new learning curve.

As for Windows MC, since the tuner was defective, I couldn't get it to work with the digital (QAM or ASTC) tuner input.

My thoughts- AMD/ATI has to improve customer support and provide adequate diagnostics to support this product.


Rick H

I'm running ATI-650 PCI on my PC with Vista-64 Ultimate. I receive HDTV from Air-broadcast. My analog source is time warner cable.

With respect to HDTV and Analog TV video quality this is the best compare to other Tuner that i tried (1800 hauppage, pinacle, avermedia).

None of these tuners are perfect and you will have issues on other aspect.

I did encounter ATI650 Tuner card crashing my system during installation. I had it returned.

Customer support from visiontek, diamond, and AMD is as good as nothing. Go to different forums to find clues, options, and solutions.

I bet the O.P. has the issue resolved by now, but I'm using a Theatrix 650 (guessing it's the same card) on Vista 32 without issue. I have a feeling driver and Vista stability has increased enough since then to nullify his problems.