• A DTV tuner can provide consumers with more channels and better images.Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Declan Jewell
  
  

The Facts

• DTV tuners enable older analog television sets to receive digital broadcasting signals that became mandatory for all television stations providing terrestrial signals on June 12, 2009. There are several levels of picture quality, according to DTV.gov, the government website dedicated to the digital broadcasting era. High-definition television (HDTV) is the highest level. Enhanced definition TV is better than the basic signal. Standard definition TV is the basic digital image.
  
  

Function

• DTV tuners should be used by consumers who find their old sets stopped working in June 2009, when the country switched over to digital broadcasting. Consumers who get their television signals through a cable operator or satellite television distributor need not incorporate DTV tuners into their systems, no matter how old the TV set. The boxes take the digital signals now being delivered by all broadcast television stations nationwide and convert them to analog via set-top boxes that resemble a cable box and are about the size of a small DVD player. The boxes retail for around $60 and are available at most electronics retailers and many large department stores.
  
  

Considerations

• The transition to digital television has not been without problems. While a special antenna is not required, some consumers have found they've needed to upgrade their rooftop antenna or reposition the current units. Consumers may have reception issues if their current antenna does not receive UHF signals, specifically channels 14 and higher, according to the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC reports that the necessary antenna equipment should be available at most traditional electronics stores and Internet electronics retailers.
  
  

History

• The country switched to digital broadcasting in June 2009, but it was a process that began in 1996, when Congress voted to distribute one more channel to each broadcast station so those outlets could offer simultaneous digital and analog signals. The decision was made to switch to digital broadcasting in order to free up part of the broadcast signal spectrum to be used by emergency organizations. CNET.com reports that the old method of broadcasting was "incredibly inefficient" when compared to digital signals.
  
  

Benefits

• There are several benefits to consumers with old analog televisions in using DTV tuners. Compared to traditional analog signals, the picture quality is better with a DTV tuner. Also, digital broadcasting allows stations to offer more than one channel, giving consumers relying on free over-the-air television more programming options. Typically, each broadcast station is offering at least two, sometimes three channels of programming instead of the single signal possible under the old system. DTV tuners also incorporate on-screen programming guides not available before.