Digital TV Facts: The Latest

Another item from National Journal’s Insider Update, this one about the digital tuner mandate, caught my eye (I’m still catching up on reading, and posting, after a vacation):

A survey of two leading electronics retailers this week found 72 percent of the sets for sale at Best Buy included digital tuners, while 83 percent at Circuit City did.

That’s misleading, I fear. All television receivers 25 inches or larger are to include tuners for digital broadcasts as of March 1, 2006, under an FCC order (rules for smaller sets are still being phased in). What the article neglects to say is that the FCC rule applies only to actual TV receivers, i.e., televisions capable of tuning in over-the-air broadcasts. Many TVs today, especially megascreen home theater models, are monitors, not receivers—they have no analog or digital tuner. A monitor (which sometimes carries the “HD-Ready” label) can be a good choice for cable or satellite viewers who have no intention of ever watching TV with an antenna. Otherwise, the consumer must take into account the cost of purchasing a separate receiver.

That said, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that not all 25-inch-plus receivers on store shelves contain digital tuners.

Related:
• Will my current TV still work after the switch from analog to digital?

• Link: National Journal