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Important Things to Know About Stand Alone HDTV Tuners

January 30th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

Understanding What a Stand Alone HDTV Tuner Does Will Help You Decide If You Need One

HDTV, or high definition television, has take over from DTV (digital television) in popularity and is the latest thing in television technology. It requires programs to be formatted for wide screen viewing, and in addition to the high resolution pictures you also receive surround sound which gives superior ambiance and thus a more theater-like experience in your own home. This is what HDTV is all about. If you have a HDTV at home and need to output the HDTV signal to your stereo components, you just cannot do so without having a stand alone HDTV tuner.

Receives ATSC Signal and Converts It to an HDTV Signal

A stand alone HDTV tuner is commonly referred to as a decoder, receiver, or even a set-top box. The stand alone HDTV tuner receives signals in ATSC format, which is then decoded to HDTV signals for display on a HDTV screen. This means that the stand alone HDTV tuner will provide your HDTV with an aspect ratio of 16:9 along with picture quality in the range between 720p to 1080i.

Typical HDTV Resolutions:

720p - 1280×720 progressive
1080p - 1920×1080 progressive
1080i - 1920×1080 interlaced

In addition, it is also normal that the stand alone HDTV tuner is able to receive all HDTV signals which include cable and satellite as well as over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts, and it must also be suitable for receiving any kind of digital VHS recordings. In most instances, the stand alone HDTV tuner is used as an external box or it can be is integrated with a HDTV receiver, and it is generally connected between the television and the antenna. However, should you buy a HDTV that already has a HDTV tuner, then there is no need to use a stand alone HDTV tuner for receiving regular cable channels.

Stand Alone HDTV Tuners Can Let You View High Definition Programming On an Analog Television

The stand alone HDTV tuner is also very handy should you need to view HDTV programs as it can perform the necessary conversion for use even when using an analog television as well as with digital televisions. These tuners are readily available though they come in different prices while an average one would cost you between hundred and four hundred dollars, though the price really will vary from one maker to the other. And, some of the leading makers of such tuners include Sharp and Panasonic, Mitsubishi and Thomson as well as Samsung, and, in addition, it is also possible for you to get your HDTV tuner from any local dealer as well as from online stores.

You can expect different stand alone HDTV tuners to come with different features intended to suit most user needs. These include individual program guide displays for each channel, self-guided on-screen setup guides, and interactive program guides. Some tuners even include a hard drive allowing you to record TV programs - both digital and HDTV - and the wide variety of features available in these tuners will allow you to enjoy a truly rewarding home theater experience.

You can browse and purchase stand alone HDTV tuners and thousands of other HDTV products at eBay and Amazon.com.