Yes. You can connect your Apple TV to your television set. Now the last part of your question is a tad confusing. Are you asking whether or not your television set has to be connected to a cable/provider in order to use your Apple TV then the answer is two-fold. In order to view Netflix movies, Hulu Plus shows, etcetera, you will need Internet access of some kind, but streaming via AirPlay will not require the TV set to have a cable/Internet connection. If you're asking if your Apple TV needs to be connected to your TV set via a cable then yes - either HDMI or A/V cables - unless your TV has Wi-Fi capabilities.