Editing Set-top box (section)

{{short description|Electronic device to convert a signal to an output for a television}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2023}}
[[File:TEAC DVB-T Receiver.JPG|thumb|260x260px|A typical modern set-top box, along with its remote control - pictured here a [[Digital terrestrial television|digital terrestrial TV]] receiver by [[TEAC Corporation|TEAC]]]]
A '''set-top box''' ('''STB'''), also known as a '''[[cable converter box|cable box]]''', '''receiver,''' or simply '''box''', and historically '''television decoder''' or a '''converter''',<ref>{{Cite web| title=Communications Engineering Digest/The Magazine of Broadband Technology | date=December 1981 | url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-C-ED/80s/C-ED-1981-12.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303181812/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-C-ED/80s/C-ED-1981-12.pdf | archive-date=2021-03-03}}</ref> is an [[information appliance]] device that generally contains a [[Tuner (radio)#Television|TV tuner]] input and displays output to a [[television set]], turning the source [[signal]] into [[media (communications)|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of set-top box |url=https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/set-top-box |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=PCMAG |language=en}}</ref>

Set-top boxes are used in [[cable television]], [[satellite television]], [[terrestrial television]] and [[Internet Protocol television]] systems, as well as other uses such as [[digital media player]]s ("streaming boxes"). Alternatives to set-top boxes are the smaller [[dongle]]s, and television sets with built-in TV tuners.