Maybe you’ve seen one of these in the club stores under the Vizio brand. There are other companies as well, that sell what they call “tunerless tv’s.” It would seem to be part of a trend to keep prices low. But really, what’s the deal?
As I explained in an earlier article, technically there’s no such thing as a tunerless TV. In order to be called a television, it must have a tuner. That’s the FCC rule. Then again the FCC rules have been… a little flexible lately. A while back I reported that since 2017, broadcasters now have the right to broadcast signals that today’s TVs can’t receive. (It’s true that during the digital transition older TVs couldn’t receive newer broadcasts, but you could get a $50 coupon for a box to fix that.)
My point here is that by the strictest rules you can’t call something a “tunerless TV.” But apparently we just don’t live by the strictest rules. Vizio knows that, and that’s why they’ve taken tuners out of their TVs. They figure you won’t miss the tuner and they can offer the TV for a lower price since they don’t have to put the tuner chip in.
The idea for tunerless TVs came about a decade ago when a lot of people had closed the book on over-the-air TVs. Antennas were a stagnant market, they said. Antennas won’t ever stage a comeback. Turns out those people were wrong.
Every year since 2018, we’ve seen growth in the antenna market. Streaming has become a very expensive proposition and even stuff that was free last year might be behind a paywall this year. Every year, companies like Solid Signal sell more and more over-the-air antennas, and I promise the best is yet to come. With all the upcoming changes in over-the-air television you’re sure to want an antenna somewhere in your TV setup.
Personally I think tunerless TVs aren’t a smart investment, but there are a few things to think about.
If your TV doesn’t have a tuner, you can invest in something like this excellent converter box from Proscan. I personally use one of these myself. While it isn’t the cheapest tuner on the market, it offers excellent performance that’s probably better than the tuner built into low-end TVs. It also gives you a guide and basic DVR service.
Recently, we’ve been talking a lot about combining live antenna TV with streaming options. DISH’s AirTV boxes give you the ability to integrate your own antenna signals right into your streaming guide. That’s the ultimate in flexibility, but keep in mind that all Roku TVs, even tunerless ones, have HDMI inputs as one of the main menu options so it’s as easy as opening an app. Personally I think that the complaint about changing inputs on the TV is overrated, but if it is something that worries you, take a good look at how it’s done on your TV and decide if it’s worth it. An antenna could add 50-60 channels to your selection, all free.
While I don’t see a strong future for 4K over-the-air in the next 5-7 years, there are plenty of people who disagree. Yet, there are very few TVs available today with ATSC 3.0 over-the-air tuners. That may change next year, or it may not. Keep in mind that just this year, LG started taking ATSC 3.0 out of their TVs. ATSC 3.0 is the tech you’ll need if 4K over-the-air is to be a reality, so if you’re looking at a TV purchase today and 4K is important to you, it might just be that you need a separate tuner anyway.
It’s your decision, really, if you want to go with a tunerless TV. It’s one option, not a terrible one and not a great one. Personally I’m a purist. I like my TV to have a tuner. That way, I know I’ll get great live TV no matter what, even if every other little dingle and dongle fails. But that’s just me.
If you want to know more about your options for live TV, call the experts at Solid Signal! We’re here for you during East Coast business hours. The number is 888-233-7563. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below! We’ll get right back to you.
The post NICE AND EASY: A TV without a tuner? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
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A TV without a tuner…
As I explained in an earlier article, technically there’s no such thing as a tunerless TV. In order to be called a television, it must have a tuner. That’s the FCC rule. Then again the FCC rules have been… a little flexible lately. A while back I reported that since 2017, broadcasters now have the right to broadcast signals that today’s TVs can’t receive. (It’s true that during the digital transition older TVs couldn’t receive newer broadcasts, but you could get a $50 coupon for a box to fix that.)
My point here is that by the strictest rules you can’t call something a “tunerless TV.” But apparently we just don’t live by the strictest rules. Vizio knows that, and that’s why they’ve taken tuners out of their TVs. They figure you won’t miss the tuner and they can offer the TV for a lower price since they don’t have to put the tuner chip in.
Should you buy a “tunerless TV?”
The idea for tunerless TVs came about a decade ago when a lot of people had closed the book on over-the-air TVs. Antennas were a stagnant market, they said. Antennas won’t ever stage a comeback. Turns out those people were wrong.
Every year since 2018, we’ve seen growth in the antenna market. Streaming has become a very expensive proposition and even stuff that was free last year might be behind a paywall this year. Every year, companies like Solid Signal sell more and more over-the-air antennas, and I promise the best is yet to come. With all the upcoming changes in over-the-air television you’re sure to want an antenna somewhere in your TV setup.
Personally I think tunerless TVs aren’t a smart investment, but there are a few things to think about.
It’s not a death sentence
If your TV doesn’t have a tuner, you can invest in something like this excellent converter box from Proscan. I personally use one of these myself. While it isn’t the cheapest tuner on the market, it offers excellent performance that’s probably better than the tuner built into low-end TVs. It also gives you a guide and basic DVR service.
Other options are even more interesting for cord-cutters
Recently, we’ve been talking a lot about combining live antenna TV with streaming options. DISH’s AirTV boxes give you the ability to integrate your own antenna signals right into your streaming guide. That’s the ultimate in flexibility, but keep in mind that all Roku TVs, even tunerless ones, have HDMI inputs as one of the main menu options so it’s as easy as opening an app. Personally I think that the complaint about changing inputs on the TV is overrated, but if it is something that worries you, take a good look at how it’s done on your TV and decide if it’s worth it. An antenna could add 50-60 channels to your selection, all free.
If you’re thinking 4K…
While I don’t see a strong future for 4K over-the-air in the next 5-7 years, there are plenty of people who disagree. Yet, there are very few TVs available today with ATSC 3.0 over-the-air tuners. That may change next year, or it may not. Keep in mind that just this year, LG started taking ATSC 3.0 out of their TVs. ATSC 3.0 is the tech you’ll need if 4K over-the-air is to be a reality, so if you’re looking at a TV purchase today and 4K is important to you, it might just be that you need a separate tuner anyway.
Tunerless TVs…
It’s your decision, really, if you want to go with a tunerless TV. It’s one option, not a terrible one and not a great one. Personally I’m a purist. I like my TV to have a tuner. That way, I know I’ll get great live TV no matter what, even if every other little dingle and dongle fails. But that’s just me.
If you want to know more about your options for live TV, call the experts at Solid Signal! We’re here for you during East Coast business hours. The number is 888-233-7563. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below! We’ll get right back to you.
The post NICE AND EASY: A TV without a tuner? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
