A tuner is an adjustable device which passes one radio frequency, or band of frequencies, and excludes others, by using electrical resonance. The simplest tuner consists of an inductor and capacitor. Combined with a detector, also known as a demodulator, it becomes the simplest radio receiver, often called a crystal set.
Tuners can be either stereo or mono, and are available for TV, FM, and AM signals.
Typically, AM and FM tuners are sold with built-in amplifiers and/or loudspeakers, and this device is referred to as a receiver. However, standalone stereo FM tuners are sought after for audiophile and TV/FM DX applications, especially those produced in the 1970s, when standards of quality were higher before plastic replaced metal. A few 1970s tuners feature now-deprecated Dolby noise reduction for FM broadcasts.
TV tuners are rarely found as a separate component. They are usually bundled with a monitor, VCR, and/or PVR. However, they do exist for use by members of the television industry, and may be purchased on eBay.
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Last updated: 05-24-2005 21:55:40
