HDTV Tuners

HDTV Tuners or ATSC receivers are an essential if you intend receiving digital television signals. The ATSC or Advanced Television Standards Committee has developed standards for advanced television systems. This is regarded as an industry standard today so that there is consistency in broadcast compatibility. High definition broadcast standards have now been developed by ATSC for Digital-TV broadcasting. So with an HDTV and Tuner you can watch superb quality high definition TV programming.

These tuners are built into your TV or into your VCR, DVR or set top box. There are also external HDTV tuners, which receive and decode digital TV signals to an HDTV that does not have a tuner integrated into it.

With an HDTV, external tuner and an antenna you are ready to receive digital signals. Most HDTVs have a built in NTSC tuner to receive analog broadcasts and come ‘HDTV ready’ which means your HDTV does not have a built in HDTV tuner. You will need to get an HDTV tuner box to connect between your antenna and HDTV.

Over the air or OTA HDTV tuners or HDTV tuner cards are those that can pick up HDTV channels over the air. The Samsung HDTV tuner is an over the air digital TV receiver. We get USB HDTV tuners that are easy to plug and play. There are many TV shows in HDTV that cannot be received by analog receivers. In order to receive these programs, an HDTV tuner or receiver is essential. These HDTV receivers or tuners can tune and decode all the approved ATSC digital TV broadcast formats.

Tuners come in two types– the HDTV terrestrial tuner and extra terrestrial. Terrestrial is the kind of broadcast you receive form your antenna or cable network. The extra terrestrial type is the satellite TV. For DirectV get a tuner that can receive both terrestrial and satellite high definition programs.

With an HDTV tuner card you can transform your personal computer into a high definition TV. You can watch and record HDTV OTA high definition video through your PC. Component video connections are found on most DVD with HDTV tuners, and on many TVs and A/V receivers. Connecting HDTV tuner to LCD projector will enable you receive high definition TV programming on it.

Every HDTV tuner review on various brands advises you to get an HDTV with a built in tuner, though if you plan to go in for satellite TV like DirectV, then you will need a set top box that will have a tuner built in to it.