ATI All-in-Wonder 9600 Pro: Multimedia Refresh
by Andrew Ku on October 16, 2003 11:38 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
As you probably have noticed, we took a small hiatus from All-in-Wonder reviews, skipping the All-in-Wonder 9800 Pro (among others). By no means are we implying that it is a poor product. Rather, it was and continues to be a great multimedia product that addresses the need of the enthusiasts and high-end market segment. However, overall, the All-in-Wonder 9800 Pro was a minor upgrade from the All-in-Wonder 9700 Pro, basically with an improved graphics processor.
From a price point, the All-in-Wonder 9800 Pro took its former contender's spot at $449 and effectively, the All-in-Wonder 9700 Pro was bumped down to $399. At these prices though, these cards are intended clearly for those with a bit of cash to spare in the multimedia department.
Earlier in August, ATI announced the All-in-Wonder 9600 Pro, and since that time, it has been emphasizing aggressively as mainstream multimedia choice, essentially replacing the All-in-Wonder Radeon 8500.
Approximately two and a half months have passed since product launch, and we have set aside time to take a look at this new offering. After all, it isn't too often that we get a chance to see technical change to the design of the All-in-Wonder line (which we will explore further in the review), as ATI still continues to employ their “like it or love it” purple video in breakout box.
Even though some time has passed, we have yet to see the All-in-Wonder 9600 Pro listed on the price list, at least for the US. From the information that we have been passed, we expect to see it listed at $249, a much easier-to-swallow price than even its predecessor (All-in-Wonder Radeon 8500) at $299. That, coupled with new features such as EasyLook and an FM Tuner, the All-in-Wonder 9600 Pro still begs the question, “is it worth my $249?”
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ddschmidt - Tuesday, October 28, 2003 - link
I just bought an ATI AIW 9600 Pro and am wondering if you want tell me how to get the tv tuner to display on the secondary monitor. The article talks about the tv display "docking" when you try to move it to the secondary monitor, but the article goes on to discuss what happens when the tv display spans two monitors and that it shows only on the monitor that has the largest part of the tv display window.Thanks.
Anonymous User - Friday, October 24, 2003 - link
Does anybody where I can buy this card in Europe (Germany)Anonymous User - Friday, October 24, 2003 - link
Is it really worth it to upgrade to an AIW AGP card for PVR type features, versus a PCI card? I have a AverTV Studio Card and use WinDVR software to record my shows. But, the quality seems to suck on some low & high channels! I was wondering if the xtra bandwidth from the AGP slot versus the PCI slot would clear up the recordings? I already have a 9000 Pro for what litte gaming I do. The gaming I'm not concerned with! I mostly use it as a TIVO (with no subscription fees!!!)Anonymous User - Thursday, October 23, 2003 - link
Does this card offer hardware decoding or/and hardware encoding like the hauppauge PVR 350.Seems quite important if your going to actually use this card as PVR type device.
Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - link
Or perhaps it's slower...Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - link
Hercules has released a AIW 9800SE in europe at a very cheap price! That should be faster than the 9600 Pro and perhaps it can be modded to a 9800 Pro?www.Hercules.com
Anonymous User - Monday, October 20, 2003 - link
I concur. Not having DVI is a real step back for ATI on this product line. This is the first Radeon AIW card that has not offered DVI. A huge disappointment, as my LCD monitor takes only DVI (which I bought because the first Radeon AIW I bought had the DVI connector). And because it's an MDR-20 to DVI-D connector, I can't use it at all (well, there is that $400 converter, but that kind of defeats the purpose). Talk about pulling the rug from under you. Thanks a bunch, ATI.Anonymous User - Monday, October 20, 2003 - link
I am so disappointed that AIW 9600 Pro doesn't have DVI.Anonymous User - Monday, October 20, 2003 - link
I want this card... bbbbaaaadddd! Thank you ATI for finally including RADIO!Anonymous User - Monday, October 20, 2003 - link
I want this card... bbbbaaaadddd! Thank you ATI for finally including RADIO!