Monday, August 10, 2009

What You Need To Know About HDTV Tuners

By Richard Nalle

Make way for High Definition television! The old, analog television broadcast is a thing of the past. The new HDTV broadcast is making its way through the United States and beyond. The fact that it is growing more widespread means that the televisions that will be used to display HDTV will need to display a widescreen picture. This is because HDTV is broadcast in widescreen format and a widescreen television will be needed to properly display the picture. But, to be able to see the high definition picture on your televsion, you may need to purchase an HDTV tuner.

How Does An HDTV Tuner Help You?

An HDTV tuner receives the HDTV feed in what is called the ATSC format. It then decodes the signal and arranges the signal into an easily displayable picture on the HDTV tv screen. Having an HDTV tuner (also referred to as a receiver or decoder) allows the picture display to be properly shown with the correct 16:9 aspect ratio.

The HDTV tuner acts as a go between, between the telvision and the antenna. It will receive, decode and display all manner of signals from analog to high definition, to cable and satellite. The best route to go is to probably buy an HDTV television that already includes an HDTV tuner built in. This eliminates the need for a separate one.

HDTV tuners can convert the broadcast for digital televisions as well as analog televisions. It is especially important for these non-HDTV-ready televisions, and especially important for analog televisions. These televisions will not be able to be used for television viewing if you live in a country with an all HDTV format such as the United States after June 2009.

What Is The Cost Of Purchasing An HDTV Tuner?

You can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $450 for a quality HDTV tuner. Like everything else in the electronics world, the price varies between the various manufacturers and from model to model. The more popular manufacturers of HDTV tuners include, but are not limited to; Sharp, Samsung and Panasonic. These HDTV tuners can be found in brick and mortar stores like Best Buy but the best deals will be found online.

One HDTV tuner is not always like the other. The different models have different special features that are meant to attract you the customer and enhance your viewing pleasure. Some of these features include interactive program guides or the ability to record programswith the tuner. The more features included, the higher the price.

You will want to search online and buy yourself an HDTV tuner if you have determined that you need one. If you do not have an HDTV ready television, the HDTV tuner is a must buy if you want to continue seeing your favorite programs.

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