Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

TVs with no HD Tuner

Jan 18, 2005 4:24AM PST

When a TV says it is HD ready but does not have an HD tuner, does that mean you have to purchase an HD Tuner? Or is an HD Tuner something that is provided to you by your cable company? If it is something you purchase how expensive are they?

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Depends....
Jan 21, 2005 7:32AM PST

If you have cable or satellite, you can "rent them" by subscribing to their HD package. If you just use antenna (who buys and HDTV to watch antenna?) you can buy a stand alone box. They are still relatively expensive. Its a shame to have an HDTV and not watch HDTV on it.

- Collapse -
HD-ready means you need a HD tuner
Jan 22, 2005 8:59AM PST

Q: What is the difference between a TV that is labeled "HDTV" and one that is "HDTV-ready"?

A: The Consumer Electronics Association defines an HDTV as having a built-in HDTV tuner, a screen with the wide 16:9 aspect ratio, and the ability to display at least 720-line resolution images. It must also include built-in decoding for multichannel Dolby

- Collapse -
HD-ready means you need a HD tuner
Jan 22, 2005 9:01AM PST

Q: What is the difference between a TV that is labeled "HDTV" and one that is "HDTV-ready"?

A: The Consumer Electronics Association defines an HDTV as having a built-in HDTV tuner, a screen with the wide 16:9 aspect ratio, and the ability to display at least 720-line resolution images. It must also include built-in decoding for multichannel Dolby