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:

   (i) Receivers with screen sizes 36&inch; 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.

   (ii) Receivers with screen sizes 25&inch; to less than 36&inch;—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 March 1, 2006.

   (iii) Receivers with screen sizes less than 25"—100% of all such units must
   include DTV tuners effective March 1, 2007

   (iv) Other video devices (videocassette recorders (VCRs), digital video
   recorders such as hard drive and DVD recorders, etc.) that receive
   television signals—100% of all such units must include DTV tuners effective
   March 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.

   (4) The requirement to include digital television reception capability in
   new TV broadcast receivers does not apply to devices such as mobile
   telephones and personal digital assistants where such devices do not include
   the capability to receive TV service on the frequencies allocated for
   broadcast television service.

   (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;  70 FR 38804 , July 6, 2005;
    70 FR 75743 , Dec. 21, 2005]