I want to get one, but the one Im looking at doesn't have a tuner. The only reason im considering it is because its so cheap. What does this mean exactly?

Uhhh, you already started a thread about this... :o

try to buy a dvd recorder with tuner...

As mentioned above, please avoid double-posting: it confuses others with the same question, who then have to follow more than one thread for answers:).

A recorder without a tuner is a recorder that has no tuner: the very name explains itself. Your actual question is probably along the lines of "why do they make these?" and "would it affect me?". These are the answers: in 2006, the US govt decreed all new television products that include a tuner, even dvd recorders, must have tuners that can receive the new "digital" ATSC broadcasts that would take over in 2009. These tuners are currently much more expensive to make than tuners for our existing "analog" broadcasts, which cost pennies. Especially in 2006, when the tuners were very new, including them could add $100 to the cost of existing dvd recorders and televisions. To avoid scaring off millions of consumers by the high price, mfrs started offering two versions of many recorders and TVs: one with the required new tuner at a higher price, and one with no tuner at all for a more affordable price.

Your obvious next question is "who would want a TV or recorder without a tuner?". The answer: you'd be surprised. A great majority of Americans rely on cable or satellite services to receive TV programming, and most of those users get the signal from a cable or satellite decoder box. Since the decoder box is a tuner in itself, it is actually not necessary to have an additional unused tuner built in to an attached display or recorder. The line outputs of the decoder box feed the TV and/or recorder directly. If you live in an area with lousy off-air reception, and have no plans whatsoever to get rid of cable/satellite service within the next two-three years, a tuner is a wasted expense on your new TV or recorder: you can save money and complexity. The drawback is if you move, and decide you no longer want cable/satellite: you'll need either an accessory tuner or new recorder/TV. The other scenario would be an off-air user: you just bought a $1299 TV with built-in ATSC tuner. You want to save money on the recorder, so you buy one without a tuner and loop it thru the line outputs of the TV, using the TV as if it were a cable box to feed the recorder.

In any case, DVD recorders cannot accept or record a full hi-def signal. They only accept the classic left audio (white), right audio (red), and video (yellow) line inputs. Some can pick up a downrezzed but widescreen video signal using the S-video connection if the cable box supports that output. But even the recorders with built-in ATSC tuner cannot record in actual hi-def: if that is a factor for you, rent the cable or satellite box with built-in hi-def timeshifting recorder.