Why Does a DVD Player Need a Tuner?

Some DVD players have tuners.

DVD players have changed a great deal since their release in the 1990s. Modern DVDs have higher resolution, more jacks and sometimes recording capacity. Some DVD players even have a tuner.

HD

On June 12, 2009, the United States eliminated broadcasting analog television signals. If your television is not digital, it cannot receive off-air antenna channels unless you have a high-definition decoder or a DVD player with an HDTV tuner. Adding this tuner to a DVD player adds tremendous value since decoder boxes often cost nearly the same as an inexpensive DVD player.

Recording Functionality

If you want to record one channel and watch another, your DVD player must have a tuner. Simply record the channel listed on your DVD player.

Remote Control

If you have either lost your television remote or simply like your DVD's remote better, utilizing the DVD player's tuner will allow you to change television channels through it. Simply set your TV on the DVD's input (usually by pressing the input or source button), turn your DVD player on and change channels.

Picture-in-Picture

Some older televisions have a single tuner picture-in-picture. If your DVD player has a tuner, you can manipulate the second picture's channel using your DVD player's tuner.

References

• Consumer Reports: Blu-Ray & DVD Player Guide
• Best Buy: DVD and High-Definition Players Buyer's Guide
• ZNews: Buying Guide DVD Players
• Federal Communications Commission: What You Need to Know About the Digital TV Transition

Resources

• Amazon.com: DVD Player Buyer's Guide
• Gizmodo: Ten Things You Should Know Before You Buy an Upscaling DVD Player; Jason Chen; May 7, 2007