ATI All-in-Wonder 9600 XT

ATI has steadily improved its All-in-Wonder products since their introduction in 1996. The latest version comes with better interface software and a new remote control. The 9600 XT beat eVGA.com/nVidia's Personal Cinema FX5700 on all of our 3-D tests, though not by huge margins. More important, ATI's experience is evident in the latest version of its media software.

The included Remote Wonder 2 remote control is a bit bigger than its predecessor, with a thumb indentation, but it also has two 1/8-inch plugs that will likely allow infrared blaster capability in the future. This means you could operate a satellite or cable box with it. The remote control is RF-based, so it works without a line of sight to the receiver. You can assign 16 unique IDs for multiremote households.It also now has four AUX buttons for custom use.

ATI's EazyLook 10-foot user interface is also getting better, and for the most part, it's enjoyable to use. Electronic program guide (EPG) information, however, is still a problem. When you want to access the EPG grid to see what's on, you jump from ATI's EazyLook environment into GuidePlus+'s EPG application. Ideally, all EPG info would be found within EazyLook. We found the transition between the EPG app and ATI's TV app to be overly harsh. ATI has used its own TV app and GuidePlus+ for quite some time, and needs to do a better job of integrating EPG into its software. Another annoyance is that GuidePlus+'s search-engine interface is a mess, and trying to find shows using it is cumbersome.

The included Pinnacle Studio SE comes with many vivid 3-D effects, and lets you make DVD menus and discs in a soup-to-nuts solution. Studio's UIs are easy to navigate, though moving video clips in the timeline should be easier.

ATI's FM radio application resembles the rest of the company's media apps, but it doesn't function in the EazyLook environment. You can assign six preset stations, and the app will auto-scan the FM band and then list the stations it found. The good news is that the file you wind up with is a standard MP3 file.

If you're spending $250 for a combo TV/DVR/decent 3-D GPU, ATI's package, as a whole, is stronger than the new nVidia offering. The 9600 XT's flaws are minor, and its better 3-D performance, the media application suite's polish, and the new and improved remote control combine to make a winner.