MaxPC on ATI H.264 and Future AIW

[Geo]

So I received the December MaximumPC today. It included a review of X1800XT, which made me roll my eyes and wonder how magazines stay in business.

But then I flipped a few more pages and hit a preview of the X1800XL AIW. No performance numbers, but a piccie of the card and narrative on its features.

Also a couple tidbits I haven't seen elsewhere:

1). They claim that ATI has told them that h.264 video decoding will not appear in the X1K drivers until February 2006. I seem to recall Cheng promising it before Xmas.

2). They say that there will be a "$200 All in Wonder 2006 PCI Express" based on the X1300 XL, compatible with Remote Wonder (which will not be included in the box). No date given, tho the "2006" part of the name is suggestive. :lol:

[BrynS]

Yeah, I hadn't heard of the A-I-W 2006 Edition before today, but a quick browse on ATI's site (http://www.ati.com/products/radeon9600/aiw2006/specs.html) shows the current model to be an AGP 9600 256MB, as Firingsquad partially suggest in the second last paragraph on this page (http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/ati_all_in_wonder_x1800_xl/page2.asp).

An X1300 A-I-W 2006 replacement would make sense, but presumably signals the end on any AGP A-I-W's. The X1300 A-I-W 2006 should make a cracking HTPC card if Cheng and the guys can get the AVIVO features and performance tuned in the near term.

[Geo]

A little further info from ATI on this issue, at the Hexus support site after I asked them to unscrew the inscrutable -- http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.php?p=638964&posted=1#post638964

It sounds to me like the driver will support it in December, but the MMC won't be able to take advantage of it until a little later. But some 3rd party software should if you have the right ones.