Sec. 15.117  TV broadcast receivers.

    (a) All TV broadcast receivers shipped in interstate commerce or 
imported from any foreign country into the United States, for sale or 
resale to the public, shall comply with the provisions of this section. 
The reference in this section to TV broadcast receivers also includes 
devices, such as TV interface devices, that incorporate the tuner 
portion of a TV broadcast receiver and that are equipped with an antenna 
or antenna terminals that can be used for the off-the-air reception of 
TV broadcast signals, as authorized under part 73 of this chapter.
    (b) TV broadcast receivers shall be capable of adequately receiving 
all channels allocated by the Commission to the television broadcast 
service.
    (c) On a given receiver, use of the UHF and VHF tuning systems shall 
provide approximately the same degree of tuning accuracy with 
approximately the same expenditure of time and effort: Provided, 
however, That this requirement will be considered to be met if the need 
for routine fine tuning is eliminated on UHF channels.

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    (1) Basic tuning mechanism. If a TV broadcast receiver is equipped 
to provide for repeated access to VHF television channels at discrete 
tuning positions, that receiver shall be equipped to provide for 
repeated access to a minimum of six UHF television channels at discrete 
tuning positions. Unless a discrete tuning position is provided for each 
channel allocated to UHF television, each position shall be readily 
adjustable to a particular UHF channel by the user without the use of 
tools. If 12 or fewer discrete tuning positions are provided, each 
position shall be adjustable to receive any channel allocated to UHF 
television.

    Note: The combination of detented rotary switch and pushbutton 
controls is acceptable, provided UHF channels, after their initial 
selection, can be accurately tuned with an expenditure of time and 
effort approximately the same as that used in accurately tuning VHF 
channels. A UHF tuning system comprising five pushbuttons and a separate 
manual tuning knob is considered to provide repeated access to six 
channels at discrete tuning positions. A one-knob (VHF/UHF) tuning 
system providing repeated access to 11 or more discrete tuning positions 
is also acceptable, provided each of the tuning positions is readily 
adjustable, without the use of tools, to receive any UHF channel.

    (2) Tuning controls and channel readout. UHF tuning controls and 
channel readout on a given receiver shall be comparable in size, 
location, accessibility and legibility to VHF controls and readout on 
that receiver.

    Note: Differences between UHF and VHF channel readout that follow 
directly from the larger number of UHF television channels available are 
acceptable if it is clear that a good faith effort to comply with the 
provisions of this section has been made.

    (d) If equipment and controls that tend to simplify, expedite or 
perfect the reception of television signals (e.g., AFC, visual aids, 
remote control, or signal seeking capability referred to generally as 
tuning aids) are incorporated into the VHF portion of a TV broadcast 
receiver, tuning aids of the same type and comparable capability and 
quality shall be provided for the UHF portion of that receiver.
    (e) If a television receiver has an antenna affixed to the VHF 
antenna terminals, it must have an antenna designed for and capable of 
receiving all UHF television channels affixed to the UHF antenna 
terminals. If a VHF antenna is provided with but not affixed to a 
receiver, a UHF antenna shall be provided with the receiver.
    (f) The picture sensitivity of a TV broadcast receiver averaged for 
all channels between 14 and 69 inclusive shall not be more than 8dB 
larger than the peak picture sensitivity of that receiver averaged for 
all channels between 2 and 13 inclusive.
    (g) The noise figure for any television channel 14 to 69 inclusive 
shall not exceed 14 dB. A TV receiver model is considered to comply with 
this noise figure if the maximum noise figure for channels 14-69 
inclusive of 97.5% of all receivers within that model does not exceed 14 
dB.
    (1) The responsible party shall measure the noise figure of a number 
of UHF channels of the test sample to give reasonable assurance that the 
UHF noise figure for each channel complies with the above limit.
    (2) The responsible party shall insert in his files a statement 
explaining the basis on which it will rely to ensure that at least 97.5% 
of all production units of the test sample that are manufactured have a 
noise figure of no greater than 14 dB.
    (3) [Reserved]
    (4) In the case of a TV tuner built-in as part of a video tape 
recorder that uses a power splitter between the antenna terminals of the 
video tape recorder and the input terminals of the TV tuner or a TV 
broadcast receiver that uses a power splitter between the antenna 
terminals of two or more UHF tuners contained within that receiver, 4 dB 
may be subtracted from the noise figure measured at the antenna 
terminals of the video tape recorder or TV broadcast receiver for 
determining compliance of the UHF tuner(s) with the 14 dB noise figure 
limit.
    (h) For a TV broadcast receiver equipped with a cable input selector 
switch, the selector switch shall provide, in any of its set positions, 
isolation between the antenna and cable input terminals of at least 80 
dB from 54 MHz to 216 MHz, at least 60 dB from 216 MHz to 550 MHz and at 
least 55 dB from 550 MHz to 806 MHz. The 80 dB standard applies at 216 
MHz and the 60

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dB standard applies at 550 MHz. In the case of a selector switch 
requiring a power source, the required isolation shall be maintained in 
the event the device is not connected to a power source or power is 
interrupted. An actual switch that can alternate between reception of 
cable television service and an antenna is not required for a TV 
broadcast receiver, provided compliance with the isolation requirement 
specified in this paragraph can be demonstrated and the circuitry 
following the antenna input terminal(s) has sufficient band-width to 
allow the reception of all TV broadcast channels authorized under this 
chapter. The provisions of this paragraph regarding frequencies in the 
range 550 MHz to 806 MHz are applicable as of June 30, .
[54 1997 FR 17714 , Apr. 25, 1993, as amended at  59 FR 25341 , May 16, 1994;  61 FR 30532 , June 17, 1996]