Can somebody explain this to me?

How does this work? ATSC Tuner

I dont have cable btw

Can somebody explain this to me?

How does this work? ATSC Tuner

I dont have cable btw


ATSC is essentially Over The Air - just like it was in days before cable and satellite.

If you have an antenna and an ATSC tuner, you possibily can pick up Over The Air HDTV of ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC etc.

Yep, an ATSC tuner and antenna is all you need to get the networks in HD. There is a FAQ thread right in this area that should help: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=611957

Also enter your address into www.antennaweb.org to find out what you can get locally, and go to the Local HDTV Info & Reception area and find your local thread to get good detailed info about your area from people who have probably been getting free OTA HDTV for years.

Oh and welcome to the wonderful world of HD!

Can somebody explain this to me?

How does this work? ATSC Tuner



Just as there are analogue TV stations broadcast over the air in NTSC that you can receive with a TV with an analogue tuner and an antenna (rooftop, interior or set-top) there are now also TV stations broadcast over the air in ATSC digital format - many of which use this to broadcast in HDTV.

You need an ATSC tuner in your TV, or an external set top box, and an antenna that will deliver a good enough signal to receive them. This depends on your location relative to the TV station's transmitter and the terrain between you and it. (You may be able to use something as basic as a set-top Silver Sensor, or may need a roof-mounted antenna)

The ATSC stations are broadcast in previously unusable gaps in the standard TV bands (VHF and UHF) so if you have a decent antenna that delivers a good quality NTSC analogue signal, you MAY find it also works for a good ATSC digital signal.


I dont have cable btw

ATSC OTA is not directly linked to cable.

(However - semantically - most OTA programming isn't entirely free... You may not pay for it directly, like cable subscriptions or satellite pay-TV plans, but you pay for it indirectly whenever you purchase a product from a company that uses TV advertising, which is what funds commercial OTA stations... Though of course you pay this whether you watch TV or not!)

The ATSC stations are broadcast in previously unusable gaps in the standard TV bands (VHF and UHF) so if you have a decent antenna that delivers a good quality NTSC analogue signal, you MAY find it also works for a good ATSC digital signal.

Not quite true (in the US). ATSC uses the same channels/frequencies that are used for NTSC. Virtually any antenna that works for NTSC will work for ATSC.