Type
— Media player. Smart set-top boxes with a pre-installed operating system for the "smart" component of the connected display, whether it's an old CRT TV or a computer monitor with a suitable set of interfaces.
The media player transforms any ordinary TV into the category of "smart" and expands the range of possibilities of many modern smart TV models. The vast majority of set-top boxes for TV work under the control of the Android operating system and its modifications. As a result, a huge list of compatible applications has been released for devices of this kind, which provide access to network storage of films and series, are responsible for viewing streaming broadcasts, browser operation, social network clients, etc. Media players with powerful electronics support any type of content and pull quite resource-intensive games. Smart set-top boxes are available in form factors from small to large: some of them are indistinguishable from a standard USB flash drive, while others can be made in a rather large case with Wi-Fi antenna “horns”.
— TV tuner. A separate device for receiving TV broadcasts of the digital broadcasting network and transmitting them to the TV screen or any other suitable display via video and audio outputs. An external receiver will be useful for older TVs that do not have a built-in tuner, and if the TV does not support the desired TV broadcast format. Broadcasting programs in digital format is the main, but by
...no means the only task of most TV receivers. A considerable proportion of them can record broadcasts to a USB flash drive, play audio and video files from it, and read common file formats from memory cards. Advanced TV tuners can connect to the Internet and be used to consume media content online.
— Tuner for PC. Devices for watching TV on a computer. Among them, two main varieties can be distinguished: external tuners for a PC connected via USB, and internal tuners installed in a PCI-E slot as an expansion card. The first option, usually, is characterized by a minimum of equipment, however, such devices can be used with almost any computer, from a powerful desktop workstation to an ultra-compact laptop. Internal tuners can have several inputs and outputs, while they are only suitable for desktop PCs, the case of which allows disassembly and installation of additional boards. Note that in both cases, the set of native functions of the tuner for PC, usually, is very limited. But this cannot be called a disadvantage: many additional features (for example, IPTV or video recording) are easier to implement directly through a computer.
— Tuner for a mobile phone. A rare category of devices for broadcasting TV programs of the digital broadcasting grid on the screen of mobile gadgets. TV tuners of this kind are connected to a smartphone or tablet via a microUSB or USB-C port. They often receive DVB-T2 broadcast signals. To display an image from the tuner, you will need to install the appropriate mobile application on your phone. Smartphone tuners have not received wide popularity.
— Video capture device. A type of specialized equipment for capturing audio and video streams through the appropriate connection interfaces and transferring it to a computer for recording or organizing streams. A video capture device will come in handy for creating live broadcasts on Twitch or recording let's plays on YouTube. Such equipment is rarely equipped with its own drives and slots for them — usually it is designed for video recording using computer resources.
— CAM. CAM is an abbreviation for "Conditional-access module". Such modules are used in the networks of cable and satellite digital television operators as an element of a coded broadcasting system: a smart card is installed in the CAM, issued to the subscriber by a cable or satellite service provider, and the module itself, together with the card, is connected to a TV tuner, most often by the PCMCIA standard. The subscriber gets the opportunity to watch certain channels, depending on the specific settings of the card. Devices of this type are not independent tuners — they are only additional accessories necessary for operation in some television networks. When buying, you need to take into account that modern CAMs use several different coding systems and not all such accessories allow reprogramming. It is best to choose a module for a specific smart card.Digital tuner
Digital TV broadcasting standards supported by the device.
Digital broadcasting has a number of advantages over analogue: it allows to transmit a high-resolution image and multi-channel sound, and also provides many additional features that are not available for analogue format. In addition, the signal level in the digital format almost does not affect the reception quality: the picture and sound are either in full quality, or (with a critical weakening of the signal) disappear altogether. The most relevant digital broadcasting standards today are terrestrial
DVB-T and
DVB-T2, cable
DVB-C and satellite
DVB-S and
DVB-S2, here are their main features:
— DVB-T (terrestrial). The European standard of terrestrial television broadcasting. It is relatively rare due to the spread of the more advanced DVB-T2 standard. So it makes sense to buy a DVB-T tuner specifically if you are sure that there is such a broadcast in your region. Also note that DVB-T uses 2 terrestrial standards — MPEG-2 and MPEG-4; the compatibility of the tuner and the standard should also be clarified separately, otherwise there is a risk of being left without TV even in the digital broadcasting zone. However, many modern models are able to work with both options.
— DVB-T2 (terrestrial). The European broadcasting s
...tandard, which replaced DVB-T. It provides higher bandwidth and is more resistant to interference; it is not compatible with the original DVB-T, but this is not a serious drawback: in most countries of Europe and the former Soviet Union, digital broadcasting is conducted precisely according to the DVB-T2 standard.
— DVB-C (cable). The European standard for digital broadcasting in cable networks. Despite the emergence of a more advanced DVB-C2 standard, it is still widely used by cable providers: DVB-C bandwidth allows you to transmit video in resolution up to Full HD and multi-channel audio, and equipment of this standard is relatively inexpensive.
— DVB-S, DVB-S2 (satellite). Standards for digital broadcasting via communication satellites; originally developed by European specialists, but are used worldwide. DVB-S2 is actually a development and improvement of DVB-S, DVB-S2 tuners can also work with the signal in the original DVB-S format. In light of this, modern TV tuners can provide both two separate satellite receivers and one module that supports both of these standards at once; before buying, this nuance should be clarified (especially if the characteristics of the type of satellite tuner is designated as "DVB-S/S2").Coaxial output
In this case, the term
coaxial refers to a type of SP/DIF interface that uses an electrical cable with an RCA connector. This interface provides sound transmission, including multichannel, in digital format; at the same time, the electrical cable is more susceptible to interference than the optical one, but is not as fragile.
Screen
The device has its own external screen. Such
a screen has a small size and performs an auxiliary role; various additional information can be displayed on it: operating mode, selected media, file name and location, playback time, etc.
