High Definition Television will be more affordable than ever when ATI Technologies introduces its add-in card for personal computers to allow watching HDTV later in 2004. This will hardly put much pressure on consumer electronics makers who sell $2000 HDTV sets, but will definitely boost popularity of the standard.

“In 2004, ATI will continue to perfect our analogue technologies and introduce new digital television (DTV) products such as HDTV WONDER – concrete proof of how ATI’s investment in television and video technologies is coming to fruition. By leveraging our core DTV technologies and the power of the PC, ATI has delivered a PC product that has more functionality than many of today’s more expensive consumer electronics devices,” an ATI spokesperson said.

Later during the year ATI will unveil its HDTV WONDER that will support analogue NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) cable and will allow consumers to experience the new ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) digital, free-to-air HDTV broadcasts without having to subscribe to cable or satellite subscription services. ATI also said that the HDTV WONDER will provide the same capabilities as current ALL-IN-WONDER graphics cards.

HDTV WONDER incorporates ATI’s own NXT2004 VSB/QAM receiver designed to receive off-air DTV signals in a wide variety of challenging terrestrial signal reception environments. NXT2004 integrates features such as advanced multi-path cancellation, tuner control and all-digital carrier recovery circuitry that eliminates the need for any other external components.

Starting this spring, HDTV WONDER will be available as a bundled purchase with selected ALL-IN-WONDER video cards and separately on ATI.com followed by broad distribution in retail stores.

Additionally, HDTV WONDER will be offered in Hy-Tek’s Tekpanel 300HD and the Tekpanel 370HD wide-screen all-in-one multimedia computers for home or office. The Hy-Tek solutions offer state-of-the-art 30” diagonal WXGA TFT/LCD, full-color, wide screen displays to showcase the digital detail found in HDTV broadcasts.

Consumers in the home and office can now receive DTV content in more places than ever before. Popularly rated TV programs, such as major league sporting events, soap operas, and prime-time shows, are all broadcast in HDTV. The National Association of Broadcasters reports there are currently 1155 DTV stations on air in 203 markets, serving 99.42% of the United States’ TV households.