The elements of a simple broadcast television system are:
- An image source. This is an electrical signal representing the visual image, and may be from a camera in the case of live images, a video tape recorder for playback of recorded images, or a film chain-telecine-flying spot scanner for transmission of motion pictures (films).
- A sound source. This is an electrical signal from a microphone or from the audio output of a video tape recorder or motion picture film scanner.
- A transmitter, which generates radio signals (radio waves) and encodes them with picture and sound information.
- An antenna coupled to the output of the transmitter for broadcasting the encoded signals.
- An antenna to receive the broadcast signals.
- A receiver (also called a tuner), which decodes the picture and sound information from the broadcast signals, and whose input is coupled to the antenna.
- A display device, which turns the electrical signals into visual images.
- An audio amplifier and loudspeaker, which turns electrical signals into sound waves (speech, music, and other sounds) to accompany the images.