tv tuner cards

What is an HDTV Tuner Card?

Executive Summary about TV Tuner Cards by Edward McKellen

What are HDTV tuner cards? HDTV tuner cards are devices which receive HD signals, particularly MPEG-2 encoded packets which it then transmits to a software application. HDTV tuner cards are different from STBs in many ways, though, mainly because HDTV tuner cards are inserted or attached into a computer while an STB connects directly to the HDTV monitor. There are two types of HDTV tuner cards. The first type is the PCI card which you can slip into your computer. To choose which type of tuner card to get, you have to gauge your computer skills, as well as the slots on your computer. If your HDTV already comes with its built-in HDTV tuner, as opposed to being just an HD-Ready TV, then buying a tuner card is no longer necessary – unless you want to watch HDTV on both your HDTV monitor and your computer.

If you need an HDTV tuner card or are already bent on buying one, you can now compare your options. There are many HDTV tuner cards available – both PCI and USB – so make sure you consider the features, the brand and the cost. Different tuner cards have different software and hardware requirements, so make sure your computer can meet these. Once you have your HDTV tuner card, you can install it on your computer, connect it to your cable box and configure it.