Set-top box

A set-top box (STB), also known as a cable box, receiver, or simply box, and historically television decoder or a converter,^[1] is an information appliance device that generally contains a TV tuner input and displays output to a television set, turning the source signal into content in a form that can then be displayed on the television screen or other display device. It is designed to be placed alongside or "on top" (hence the name) of a television set.^[2]

Set-top boxes are used in cable television, satellite television, over-the-air television and Internet Protocol television systems, as well as other uses such as digital media players ("streaming boxes"). Alternatives to set-top boxes are the smaller dongles, or television sets with built-in TV tuners that hence won't require a separate device such as a set-top box.