Question: Does Your TV Need a Digital Tuner to Receive Digital Television Programming?
Answer: Your TV always needs a digital tuner in order to watch digital television programming. But, the tuner might not necessarily be inside the TV.
Where Is Your Tuner?
Sounds like a trick question, doesn't it. It isn't. Just pick the scenario that fits your situation and you'll know where the TV tuner is:
- If you own an analog TV and use an antenna then the tuner is located inside the DTV converter box.
- If you own a digital TV and use an antenna then the tuner is located inside the DTV converter box. The exception is if your digital TV is actually a digital monitor. There is a difference. If this is you then the tuner is either in the external digital tuner or the DTV converter box, whichever you use for reception.
- If you subscribe to analog cable then the tuner is the analog cable tuner in the TV.
- If you subscribe to digital cable then the tuner is located in the digital cable set-top receiver unless you are one of the few people that use a CableCard. If you are a CableCard user then the tuner is the CableCard, which is inserted into the TV.
- If you subscribe to satellite then the digital tuner is inside the satellite receiver.
If this doesn't make sense to you then let me ask you, "Which remote do you use to change channels?" Answer that and get the answer to where the tuner is.
This might seem like useless information but it isn't. It could be life-saving. Seriously. What if you're experiencing the worst storm ever and you lose your cable or satellite signal. What are you going to do? Are you prepared to use an antenna?
