Choosing a TV Tuner for Cable and Antenna

The right tuner depends on what signal you have and how you want to watch. Start by answering two questions: does your cable system send any channels unencrypted, and do you also want free over-the-air channels from an antenna? Then pick the type of tuner that fits your home.

First, check your signal

Cable with clear QAM channels: any QAM-capable tuner can receive them. See Clear QAM for how to check.
Fully encrypted cable: a retail QAM tuner will not help. You need your provider's box, adapter or app, or a CableCARD device where your provider still supports it. See CableCARD.
Antenna: you need an ATSC tuner. Most tuners that do QAM also do ATSC 1.0. See Over-the-Air Broadcast TV.

Types of tuner

The tuner built into your TV

FCC rules require TVs sold in the United States with a built-in tuner to receive digital broadcast signals, so almost every modern TV has an ATSC tuner. Clear QAM support is common but not required, so check the specifications or try a cable scan. This is the simplest option: connect the coax, choose cable or antenna, and scan.

Network tuners

A network tuner connects to your antenna or cable outlet and to your home router, then streams live TV to apps on TVs, phones, tablets and computers in the house. One box can serve several screens, and the tuner can sit wherever the signal is best. SiliconDust's HDHomeRun FLEX models are an example. Its published specifications list:

Model	Tuners	Supports
HDHomeRun FLEX DUO	2	ATSC 1.0 and QAM64/256
HDHomeRun FLEX QUATRO	4	ATSC 1.0 and QAM64/256
HDHomeRun FLEX 4K	4 (2 ATSC 3.0/1.0 and 2 ATSC 1.0)	All tuners also QAM64/256

As with any retail tuner, cable support covers unencrypted channels only.

USB and PCIe tuners

Computer tuners plug into a USB port or an internal slot and work with recording and media-center software on that computer. They suit a home theater PC or a dedicated recording machine. Check that the specifications list QAM, and that the software you plan to use supports the tuner on your operating system.

CableCARD tuners

CableCARD tuners can receive encrypted channels you subscribe to, using a card from your provider. Few are still made, and support depends on your provider. One-way limits apply: no on-demand or interactive features, and copy-control flags may restrict recording.

A buying checklist

Signal support. Look for "QAM", "QAM64/256" or "clear QAM" for cable, and ATSC 1.0 for antenna. ATSC 3.0 is optional, and some ATSC 3.0 channels use DRM that limits playback. See QAM vs ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0.
Number of tuners. Each tuner receives one physical channel at a time. Count the shows you want to watch or record at once.
Software and apps. Make sure the apps you want run on your TVs and devices. Windows Media Center, once a popular way to watch and record TV on a PC, was not carried forward to Windows 10, so plan on other software.
Recording. Decide whether you need a DVR, and whether it records to local storage, a network drive or a paid service.
Placement and wiring. Fewer splits mean a stronger signal. See Coax, Splitters and Amplifiers.

After setup, run a channel scan and check signal quality. See Channel Scanning and Virtual Channels and Cable Signal Levels and Troubleshooting.

Sources

Good to know. Cable lineups, encryption policies, equipment fees and device support are set by each provider and manufacturer and can change. Check with your provider and the sources listed before you buy equipment.

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