What is the difference between an ATSC tv tuner and a NTSC tv tuner?

Question

Looking to purchase a new television and when doing some research I came across these two unfamiliar terms.

Answer 1

atsc is the high def tuner... ntsc is for 'regular' tv

Answer 2

That is correct ATSC is for HD over-the-air (OTA) connections and NTSC is for standard TV broadcasts. Basically if the TV has a built-in ATSC tuner you can hook up a relatively inexpensive antenna and pull down HD broadcasts, depending on the area you live. Of course, if you get HD through your cable or satellite, you may not care about getting an ATSC tuner.



Also, if the TV you want is only HD-ready, that is, it does not include an ATSC tuner, you can buy an external tuner for that purpose.