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Sound Advice: The tuners in modern TVs are nothing to brag about - Minneapolis Star Tribune

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Q: We do not have cable and use a roof-mounted, medium-sized antenna to receive TV broadcasts. The picture on our 32-inch Insignia breaks up and freezes when it is windy. The TV has a few other issues, so we have decided to replace it. What TV has the best over-the-air tuner for receiving broadcasts? We would like a 43-inch screen and can spend up to $1,500. We plan to get an Apple TV box, so the TV does not have to be "smart." What would be a good soundbar to go with it?

A: I'm sorry to tell you that I don't know of any televisions that are known for outstanding tuners. It's not that the reception is inadequate as much as it is the limits in the tuner's options. Every modern television I know of has an autotune function to locate and store stations in the memory. While this is a handy function, it will not allow you to directly enter a station that is not stored in the memory.

In addition, ATSC 3.0 broadcasts are rolling out this year, which will allow TVs with ATSC 3.0 tuners to receive 4K broadcasts with Dolby Atmos sound. These ATSC 3.0 tuners will be available only in the very highest-end TVs, all with sizes above 43 inches and several times your $1,500 budget. It is best not to worry about that for now and concentrate on finding the best solution to your needs. When ATSC 3.0 becomes commonplace, you should be able to get an external tuner to receive the broadcasts.

The antenna is key when receiving any over-the-air broadcast, be it television or radio, and by having an outside antenna you are ahead of the game. The television I am going to recommend is higher-grade than your current Insignia and should do a better job pulling in signals. If you are still having reception problems, you'll need to upgrade the antenna. The website antennaweb.org will help you find the ideal one, although I would suggest that for good measure, you go a size or two bigger than they recommend.

The good news is that you don't need to spend $1,500 on your new TV. My favorite 43-inch TV is the Samsung Q60T (samsung.com), which is $529. Adding Samsung's excellent HW-T650 soundbar will cost $349, with a $30 rebate when purchased with the TV. This puts the entire package at $848, barely half of your budget. You'll get visual and sonic performance that's sure to delight you.

Roku (roku.com) is the best way to stream content, and I recommend you look at their devices rather than Apple TV. You can get the Apple TV+ channel on Roku devices now, and there is much more free content available on Roku, as well.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.

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Sound Advice: The tuners in modern TVs are nothing to brag about - Minneapolis Star Tribune
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