In preparation from the upcoming
analog-to-digital DTV transition, any device manufactured since 2007 and equipped with a standard analog NTSC tuner has been federally mandated to also include a digital ATSC tuner. For manufacturers of DVD recorders, that leaves two options: include a digital tuner, which increases the price a bit, or opt to exclude tuners completely. Cheaper, tunerless models are perfectly sufficient for most buyers, since an over-the-air ATSC tuner is largely unnecessary for cable and satellite subscribers.
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Source: C|Net