Sec.  15.117   TV broadcast receivers.

   

   (a) All TV broadcast receivers shipped in interstate commerce or
   imported into the United States, for sale or resale to the public,
   shall comply with the provisions of this section, except that
   paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section shall not apply to the features
   of such sets that provide for reception of digital television signals.
   The reference in this section to TV broadcast receivers also includes
   devices, such as TV interface devices and set-top devices that are
   intended to provide audio-video signals to a video monitor, 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
   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.

   (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) Digital television reception capability. TV broadcast receivers
   are required only to provide useable picture and sound commensurate
   with their video and audio capabilities when receiving digital
   television signals.

   (i) Digital television reception capability implementation schedule.
   (1) Responsible parties, as defined in Sec. 2.909 of this chapter, are
   required to equip new TV broadcast receivers that are shipped in
   interstate commerce or imported from any foreign country into the
   United States and for which they are responsible to comply with the
   provisions of this section in accordance with the following schedule:

   --Receivers with screen sizes 36' and above--50% of all of a
   responsible party's units must include DTV tuners effective July 1,
   2004; 100% of such units must include DTV tuners effective July 1,
   2005

   --Receivers with screen sizes 25' to 36'--50% of all of a responsible
   party's units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2005; 100% of
   such units must include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2006

   --Receivers with screen sizes 13' to 24'--100% of all such units must
   include DTV tuners effective July 1, 2007

   --Other devices (videocassette recorders (VCRs), digital video disk
   and digital versatile disk (DVD) players/recorders, etc.) that receive
   television signals--100% of all such units must include DTV tuners
   effective July 1, 2007.

   (2) For purposes of this implementation schedule, screen sizes are to
   be measured diagonally across the picture viewing area. The
   requirement for equipping new TV broadcast receivers with DTV
   reception capability does not apply to units with integrated
   tuners/displays that have screen sizes measuring less than 7.8 inches
   vertically, i.e., the vertical measurement of a screen in the 4:3
   aspect ratio that measures 13' diagonally across the picture viewing
   area.

   (3) Responsible parties may include combinations of DTV monitors and
   set-top DTV tuners in meeting the required percentages of units with a
   DTV tuner if such combinations are marketed together with a single
   price.

   (j) 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 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, 1997.

   [ 54 FR 17714 , Apr. 25, 1993, as amended at  59 FR 25341 , May 16, 1994;
    61 FR 30532 , June 17, 1996;  67 FR 63294 , Oct. 11, 2002]