What is the difference between scanning for chhannles and going
directly to one?

I thought that letting a VCR or DVD recorder or TV scan for channels/
stations was only to compile a list in advance of channels a device
could receive, by checking out every station and noting which had
signals.

And that pushing 1 3 on the remote would go to channel 13 whether one
had scanned for stations or not, whether digital station frequencies
had changed since the last time one scanned or not. As effectively as
if one scanned the whole spectrum, and then channeled up or down to
get to 13.

Am I right about the paragraph just above?


And that for timed recording, when the dvd recorder goes to channel 13
directly, it looks for it if necessary, just like scanning does. And
if it gives some reception, though bad reception, even though the
transmitter is only 10 miles away, it's not because it's off
frequency?

Or are digital tuners different from analog, in that scanning first is
essential?

Thanks.