There is a lot of people looking to get in on the HDTV craze that is currently taking place and one of the most frequently asked questions is, "should I buy a HDTV with or without a built-in HDTV tuner?" To answer this question, we need to first understand what it is that a built-in HDTV tuner does.

First off, most modern HDTVs come equipped with a built in HD TV tuner. We already know from previous articles that to get a HD signal on our TV we need a source. The available sources are, over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts, cable, satellite, disk format (DVD, HD-DVD and BLU RAY) and from a computer.

Most people may have heard that to pick up an HD signal from a cable source, one will need a HD tuner. So buying a TV with a built-in HD tuner will erase the problem of having to buy a HD tuner separately, right? NO!! A built-in HD TV tuner works only with over-the-air (OTA) broadcasting that offers HD signals.

finer details

Let me explain this in much finer details. The function of a built-in HD tuner is to pick up local channels. A built-in tuner does this when connected to a roof antenna, assuming local broadcast is available in your area. Free local channels are what is referred to as over-the-air or OTA broadcasting. For your built-in HD TV tuner to work, these over-the-air broadcasting channels must be in HD signal to be picked up by your roof antennae, then sent to your built-in HD TV tuner to be shown on your HDTV. But there is one unfortunate disadvantage to all of this. to my knowledge none of our free over-the-air channels here in Jamaica broadcast in HD signal. To verify if your local free channels are broadcast in HD, you would have to confirm with your over-the-air broadcasting provider.

So if you are planning to buy a HD TV for the purpose of viewing cable channels in HD, you will need to either purchase or lease a HD cable box and a subscription from your cable provider. Remember a built-in HD TV tuner will not help you in this regard.

built-in tuner

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) rules that all new televisions that include a built-in analogue tuner must also include a built-in digital tuner. This ruling is to protect consumers from buying TVs that would be obsolete after the changeover from analogue to the digital format. Manufacturers that offer HDTVs without a built-in tuner refer to them as monitors to avoid conflict with the FCC regulation.

Here is the bottom line. is there any free HD local broadcasting here in Jamaica? The other question is, are you really going to watch these channels and is it worth the hassle of setting up an on-the-roof antennae to receive them? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, well by all means ensure your HDTV has a built-in HD tuner. But if any of those answers is no, then having a built-in HD tuner is of no significance because it will not be used.

For comments and questions

Technical Writer: Kamar McIntyre

Tel: 849-9381

Email: kamar_mcintyre@yahoo.com