5 DVB-T2 tuners with additional features | Price comparison e-Catalog

Analogue television is slowly disappearing into oblivion and giving way to digital. In Russia, at the moment, broadcasting is conducted simultaneously, but gradually there is a transition "to digital". More and more TV channels can be found already in the new DVB-T2 standard. This is the second generation of terrestrial digital television. Compared to the first-generation DVB-T standard, the new standard differs in both system-level architecture and physical features. It makes it possible to increase the capacity of networks without losing frequency resources, properties and infrastructure.

As soon as all TV channels make the final transition to the digital standard, and as soon as users can watch it "digitally", the analogue signal will be turned off. And in order not to have problems with connection and not to deprive yourself of the pleasure of having a cup of coffee while watching your favorite TV show, you should get a TV tuner, since these devices catch and convert the signal of DVB-T and DVB-T2 standards.

Before reading the article, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with a selection of TV tuners, and you can also choose other models from directory.

Compact size, low cost, easy to set up and use.

There are no USB and HDMI ports, no HD support, the LED is not informative.

The most affordable receiver in our TOP 5 from a Chinese company D-COLOR, specializing in the production of low-cost digital receivers, is also one of the cheapest in our market. This is an external digital TV tuner with support for MPEG-2/MPEG-4 and DVB-T/DVB-T2 standards. This model is quite affordable for many at a price, compact and easy to operate.

The receiver is made in the form of a small (101x88x28 mm) black plastic box with a minimum number of controls. The Ali 3821 with a built-in demodulator is used as the central processor. On the reverse side there are two RCA connectors and one connector for connecting the antenna. There is a red LED indicator on the case. It lights up the same way in any state of the TV tuner — when the device is active or when it is in standby mode.

The receiver is capable of storing up to 999 channels in memory and provides full control over them: editing, saving, sorting, deleting. The functionality includes teletext support, a timer for switching on and off, as well as an electronic TV guide (EPG). The kit includes only a remote control and two batteries for it.

The manufacturer stated that the tuner supports 720p and 1080p resolution. However, in reality, only the processor has this support, and not the receiver itself. Because it has no HDMI output, the signal is transmitted via RCA "tulips" with a maximum resolution of 576i. Therefore, on TVs with a diagonal of more than 20", the picture quality will not be as good as it could be. Therefore, DC1201HD is the optimal solution for kinescope TVs that do not have an HDMI input, and their owners do not make sense to spend money on an expensive tuner.

It works as a media player, the presence of HDMI and USB interfaces, the ability to write to a hard disk.

Uncomfortable remote control, possible problems with reading external hard drives, lack of sleep mode.

The BBK company, founded in the 90s and producing household appliances, is also engaged in the production of audio and video products. Many people have DVD players or home theaters of this brand, and BBK engineers have extensive experience in creating video equipment, including a large range of DVB-T2 tuners. Therefore, it is not surprising that the BBK SMP246HDT2 model was included in our list. This is an external digital TV tuner that supports receiving signals in DVB-T, DVB-T2 and MPEG-2/MPEG-4 standards.

This receiver is larger in size than the first model, but it can also be attributed to compact models. Its large size is due to the presence of numerous connectors – antenna input and output, composite and component outputs, HDMI port and coaxial digital audio output. There is also a USB port located on the front side. There are also control buttons and a display. The front panel has a glossy finish that looks attractive, but not impractical.

According to reviews, the receiver has a simple and thoughtful interface that is designed specifically for such devices. It is convenient to use the device both on a large LCD panel and an old CRT TV. An interesting feature is the Personal Video Recorder (PVR) broadcast recording function, which will allow you to record the desired content at a time that is convenient for you. There is also a useful TimeShift function that allows you to pause the programme you are watching, and then return to watching it from the very place where you finished it. TimeShift also allows you to rewind the recorded material. The TV tuner also has the function of an electronic TV guide.

We recommend this tuner to owners of LCD TVs (including Full HD models): when connected via HDMI, the image quality will be good and better than that of tuners with analogue outputs only. A big plus is the presence of a USB connector, thanks to which you can play content from external drives – flash drives, hard drives (hard drives may not work correctly due to the lack of external power). The receiver can both "read" AVI, MP4, MKV, TS, MOV video files, and show images in JPEG format. This TV tuner can work with HD and Full HD (1080p, 1080i) videos. So it can be used as a media player.

Compact size, good equipment, FM receiver.

The absence of an outlet for end-to-end power supply of the mobile device.

If you dreamed of television on your smartphone or tablet without an Internet connection, then the Taiwanese company AVerMedia heard you and created a receiver for broadcasting TV channels on a mobile device. The developers presented a device capable of recognizing DVB-T and DVT-T2 signals and working with the Google Android operating system (and only with it). The TV tuner is compatible with gadgets that are equipped with a quad-core processor, Android 4.2 and older, and also support USB OTG function.

AVerTV Mobile 510 is a small receiver, which also comes with a telescopic antenna, an antenna with a base and several mounts for it. The material used is matte plastic with a logo in the centre of the front surface. The design of the device is non–standard — it is a rectangle with sharp edges that make the front and back sides trapezoidal. The size of the tuner is surprisingly small – it does not exceed 5 cm in length.

On the one hand, the device has a microUSB slot for connecting to a mobile gadget, and on the other — an MCX socket for an antenna. Connecting the tuner may seem unreliable, but in fact it sits quite tightly in the slot. The problem may be different – in the cases of some smartphones, the interface may be "deepened" and because of this, the receiver and the smartphone may not work together. The downside can be called the absence of another microUSB connector on the tuner case, in order to recharge the mobile device and continue to enjoy watching TV. But the functionality does not cause complaints. The device is equipped with an automatic channel sorting function, TV guide, broadcast recording and audio track/subtitle selection.

To work with the receiver, connect one of the antennas. The simplest is telescopic, it is inserted into the socket and adjusted by inclination, but the signal catches noticeably worse than an antenna with a base. This option can be considered as a mobile one — for watching TV on the road, at work, etc. The second antenna comes with a base that is larger than the tuner itself and is connected to it using a cable. Therefore, it can be put in a place where the signal will be better caught. To fix it in place, there are two fasteners, and depending on the surface, you choose which one to use. This option is suitable for relaxing in the country or on the couch after work. In addition to using the antenna, you should download a proprietary application from Google Play, which is called AVerTV Mobile II.

DVB-S2 satellite signal reception, the ability to install a hard disk, numerous interfaces, reading files of various formats from an external drive, FM receiver.

Manual configuration, slow loading when turned on, does not recognize some of the claimed formats.

Our TOP 5 also includes a premium TV tuner from the Russian company Rolsen Electronics, specializing in the production of audio, video and household appliances. The model has an appearance corresponding to its level with a glossy front side and its elegant design. On the reverse side there are sockets for antennas and connectors for connections, including HDMI, component, RCA and S/PDIF. And the USB port is placed on the front side for the convenience of connecting drives.

The MSD7816 chipset acts as a processor. Rolsen receives signals both in the DVB-T2 digital standard and in the DVB-S2 satellite standard. Therefore, it is suitable for those who watch not only broadcasting, but also catch channels "by satellite" . What is another advantage of this model over all others is the ability to install a 2.5" HDD SATA hard drive up to 500 GB and record the content of interest on it, and then play it. But although the idea is good, it is not perfect in terms of implementation — some users have encountered problems.

The receiver processes the image in 720p, 1080p 1080i formats. The presence of a USB port allows the owner of the tuner to record broadcast programs (PVR function), as well as play content from external drives. The device supports numerous popular formats, including MP3, AVI, DivX, MKV and JPEG. Other functions of the TV tuner include teletext, digital radio, TimeShift, which allows you to pause the broadcast and play/rewind the recorded segment, and TV guide (EPG), which provides viewing of an electronic programme.

Compactness, extensive functionality, the presence of hardware H264 compression, the ability to view content in 3D format, a simple and intuitive menu.

Incompatibility with some devices, delay when switching channels, possible software "hang".

Another unusual model on our list is a hybrid TV tuner designed to turn your personal computer into a TV. The receiver is made in the form of a large-sized flash drive and looks like a 3G modem. It supports analogue TV, DVB-T, DVB-T2 and FM radio standards with stereo sound. The tuner is compatible with the Windows operating system, starting from version XP and higher.

The design echoes the TV tuner for smartphones, which we wrote about above — the same rectangle with pointed edges. There is a USB connector on one side of it, and an antenna socket on the opposite side. On the side face there is an AV In slot, to which the supplied adapter with four "tulips" at the other end is connected: analogue, composite and S-Video. The latter is designed to work with old media and equipment, for example, with video recorders, in order to digitize recordings. The kit also includes a radio antenna, a mini antenna and a remote control.

Thanks to the proprietary AVerTV 3D software, the user can view programs and movies in 3D format. You should watch the content using polarizing or anaglyph 3D glasses. And by downloading the branded Home Free TV application from Google Play to your mobile gadget and installing similar software on your PC, you will be able to watch TV programs on both your smartphone and tablet. To do this, the mobile device and the computer must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

The device has a very wide functionality. You will be able to set "parental control", take a screenshot of the screen using the remote control, change the appearance of the programme interface, use channel preview, configure teletext and 3D capabilities, and much more. The electronic TV guide, in addition to an excursion through the programs, will also allow you to plan what you want to watch. There is also a function of delayed recording of the selected transmission. Finally, the developers have equipped their device with Smooth Edge technology, which improves the image. As a result of her work, the viewer gets a smooth, beautiful video without a heavy load on the PC processor.