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 A TechDigs.net reader recently asked, “Is it important that my new HD set include an HDTV tuner, or can I buy an HD Ready set without a tuner?” Sets without tuners are becoming harder to find, but the short answer is that you don't need the HDTV tuner if you use cable or satellite. However, there other considerations that play into the decision. To more thoroughly answer the question, it's worth understanding the various ways you can get HD content to your new HD display.
Read more for details.
HD displays can use a variety of sources including over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts, cable, satellite, disk media (DVD, Blu-ray and HD-DVD) and computer. With cable, satellite and OTA broadcasts, keep in mind that just because a network or channel broadcasts in HD doesn't mean every program aired will be in HD. Below, we highlight the pros and cons of each of the HD sources. OTA (Over-the-Air) HDTV Broadcasts HD Ready - No Tuner  HDTV - Tuner Included  Pros - Free
- Excellent quality when you can receive a signal.
Cons - Limited locations with adequate reception.
- Requires an antenna
- Limited channels (generally the big networks and public TV)
Cable TV Cable companies have recently accelerated their HDTV offerings. Most cable companies offer standard broadcast channels, premium movie channels, plus a few other channels such as Discovery HD, TNT, EPSN, ESPN2, MTVHD, etc. Generally, cable providers offer between 15 and 25 HDTV channels. Additional service fees and equipment are required to receive HDTV. If your equipment supports it, cable HDTV may give you the option of using a CableCARD. CableCARDs let you eliminate the cable box because CableCARDs decode and authenticate directly with the cable company. Your equipment will have to support CableCARD use, and your cable company will have to provide you with the CableCARD. Check with your specific cable provider on their channel lineup. Pros - No equipment purchase required.
- Usually a decent channel line-up.
- Quality is acceptable to very good (although, not as good as OTA) depending on the compression implemented by the cable company.
- CableCARD use is an option.
Cons - Compression by the cable company can introduce pixelation and noise.
- Monthly service fees for HDTV.
- Additional equipment configuration.
Satellite TV The two major US satellite providers are DirecTV and Dish. Both offer over 20 HDTV channels. Both require specific equipment including HDTV satellite boxes and possibly a different satellite dish than the dish used with non-HD satellite. Channel offerings are usually better than cable providers. Quality of the HDTV broadcasts vary by channel and provider. Pros
Cons - Additional equipment purchase required.
- Additional monthly service fees for HDTV.
- No CableCARD option.
DVD Standard DVD content is not HD. It's usually 720x480p. However, you can improve the picture display by using upscaling DVD players. Depending on the player, the results can be surprisingly good. To learn more, check out our how-to: Want Better DVD Movies? Buy an Upscaling DVD Player. Pros - Tons of content.
- Inexpensive equipment ($200 or less buys an excellent upscaling DVD player)
Cons - Not HDTV quality – picture quality varies depending on upscaling player and DVD.
High Definition DVD There are two hi-def DVD formats: Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Unless you tend to be an early adopter and don't mind being leading edge, we don't recommend either format today. However if you want the best picture available, both formats offer up to 1920x1080p, depending on the player and connections. These formats are the best way to show off your HDTV. Pros
Cons - The Blue-ray/HD-DVD format war will leave one of them in the ditch down the road. Remember the BetaMax.
- Limited content availability.
- Equipment cost.
Computer Diving deep into a how-to on computers as a source for HDTV is beyond the scope of this article, but it's worth brief coverage. If your HDTV has a digital connection (DVI, HDMI) or a VGA connection, it's easy to connect it to a a computer if you get the right cable. You can use your computer with your HDTV for all the things you regularly use a computer for -- surfing the web, listening to music, even work-related activities. But, with the right tuner card, you can also use your computer to watch TV, watch movies (both disk-based and downloaded) and play video games. There's nothing quite like Half-life 2 or World of Warcraft on a 61” display. Pros - Can be true HD resolution and beyond, depending on your computer, connection, video card and content.
- Doesn't necessarily require a specific computer to make it work. Many existing computers will hook right up.
Cons - Very little HD content that can be downloaded.
- Not worth it for DVDs alone. Most sub-$200 DVD players can do an equally good or better job of upscaling DVDs.
- Gaming on 1280x720 or higher requires a relatively powerful graphics card to render graphics at HDTV quality.
- No matter which source you use, make sure you have the right connections for audio and video.
Summary Now, what's the answer to the reader's question, “Is it important that my new HD set include an HDTV tuner, or can I buy an HD Ready set without a tuner?” If you can receive OTA HDTV, want excellent HDTV quality, and are willing to purchase the antenna required to receive it, then it's probably worth getting the built-in tuner. If you won't use OTA broadcasts, then there's no reason to worry about it one way or the other. Either way, the cost difference is negligible, so it's more important to get a set that meets your needs in all areas, and if you don't need a tuner but it has one, that's fine. If you have a question of your own, you can send us a note at
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