Sapphire Theatre 550 pro
Pros
*Very good image quality* *Cheaper than the very similar Elite* *Good price for the quality* *Remote control with multimedia interface included* *Software can be upgraded to PowerCinema 4 for a relatively cheap price* *PowerCinema 4 upgrade includes DVD player software* *Upgrade to PowerCinema 4 software will impress you and your family* *Best value TV tuner for the image quality recieved*
Cons
*Need newest Theatre 550 pro software for proper function of card* *Need to upgrade to PowerCinema 4 to take full advantage of remote* *Relatively slow channel changing with included and upgraded software* *Lousy user manual which lacks deals beyond installation* *IR remote technology requires line of site in order to function*
Over all I would give the Sapphire TheatriX theatre 550 pro TV tuner card a 4 out of 5 rating. It is a good price and has the best image quality for the dollar value but the weak out of the box ATI drivers that are hard to locate within ATI's website, lousy user manual and leaving the user with limited software out of the box but for the current price of less than 100USD that is to be expected. The price was once over 100USD but has lowered considerably in the past year making it a far better value. Luckily the upgrade to the limited software isn't that costly and hopefully the to be released PowerCinema5 will have more powerful options as well as bug fixes. You can get the driver upgrade for the Theatre 550 pro a few clicks away as a direct link does not work; simply click here.