diff --git a/drivers/media/dvb-frontends/au8522_decoder.c b/drivers/media/dvb-frontends/au8522_decoder.c
index 30cd2bd7aec2..f4df9ab3d8b0 100644
--- a/drivers/media/dvb-frontends/au8522_decoder.c
+++ b/drivers/media/dvb-frontends/au8522_decoder.c
@@ -721,8 +721,11 @@ static int au8522_probe(struct i2c_client *client,
 #if defined(CONFIG_MEDIA_CONTROLLER)
 
 	state->pads[DEMOD_PAD_IF_INPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SINK;
+	state->pads[DEMOD_PAD_IF_INPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_RF;
 	state->pads[DEMOD_PAD_VID_OUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+	state->pads[DEMOD_PAD_VID_OUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_ATV_VIDEO;
 	state->pads[DEMOD_PAD_AUDIO_OUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+	state->pads[DEMOD_PAD_AUDIO_OUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_AUDIO;
 	sd->entity.function = MEDIA_ENT_F_ATV_DECODER;
 
 	ret = media_entity_pads_init(&sd->entity, ARRAY_SIZE(state->pads),
diff --git a/drivers/media/i2c/msp3400-driver.c b/drivers/media/i2c/msp3400-driver.c
index 3db966db83eb..3b9c729fbd52 100644
--- a/drivers/media/i2c/msp3400-driver.c
+++ b/drivers/media/i2c/msp3400-driver.c
@@ -704,7 +704,9 @@ static int msp_probe(struct i2c_client *client, const struct i2c_device_id *id)
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_MEDIA_CONTROLLER)
 	state->pads[IF_AUD_DEC_PAD_IF_INPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SINK;
+	state->pads[IF_AUD_DEC_PAD_IF_INPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_AUDIO;
 	state->pads[IF_AUD_DEC_PAD_OUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+	state->pads[IF_AUD_DEC_PAD_OUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_AUDIO;
 
 	sd->entity.function = MEDIA_ENT_F_IF_AUD_DECODER;
 
diff --git a/drivers/media/i2c/saa7115.c b/drivers/media/i2c/saa7115.c
index 4c72db58dfd2..0b298aa34a7c 100644
--- a/drivers/media/i2c/saa7115.c
+++ b/drivers/media/i2c/saa7115.c
@@ -1835,7 +1835,9 @@ static int saa711x_probe(struct i2c_client *client,
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_MEDIA_CONTROLLER)
 	state->pads[DEMOD_PAD_IF_INPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SINK;
+	state->pads[DEMOD_PAD_IF_INPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_RF;
 	state->pads[DEMOD_PAD_VID_OUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+	state->pads[DEMOD_PAD_VID_OUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_ATV_VIDEO;
 
 	sd->entity.function = MEDIA_ENT_F_ATV_DECODER;
 
diff --git a/drivers/media/i2c/tvp5150.c b/drivers/media/i2c/tvp5150.c
index 1414c2c14639..dab83a774e73 100644
--- a/drivers/media/i2c/tvp5150.c
+++ b/drivers/media/i2c/tvp5150.c
@@ -1495,7 +1495,9 @@ static int tvp5150_probe(struct i2c_client *c,
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_MEDIA_CONTROLLER)
 	core->pads[DEMOD_PAD_IF_INPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SINK;
+	core->pads[DEMOD_PAD_IF_INPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_RF;
 	core->pads[DEMOD_PAD_VID_OUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+	core->pads[DEMOD_PAD_VID_OUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_ATV_VIDEO;
 
 	sd->entity.function = MEDIA_ENT_F_ATV_DECODER;
 
diff --git a/drivers/media/pci/saa7134/saa7134-core.c b/drivers/media/pci/saa7134/saa7134-core.c
index 267d143c3a48..322e2ac00066 100644
--- a/drivers/media/pci/saa7134/saa7134-core.c
+++ b/drivers/media/pci/saa7134/saa7134-core.c
@@ -846,7 +846,9 @@ static void saa7134_create_entities(struct saa7134_dev *dev)
 	if (!decoder) {
 		dev->demod.name = "saa713x";
 		dev->demod_pad[DEMOD_PAD_IF_INPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SINK;
+		dev->demod_pad[DEMOD_PAD_IF_INPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_RF;
 		dev->demod_pad[DEMOD_PAD_VID_OUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+		dev->demod_pad[DEMOD_PAD_VID_OUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_ATV_VIDEO;
 		dev->demod.function = MEDIA_ENT_F_ATV_DECODER;
 
 		ret = media_entity_pads_init(&dev->demod, DEMOD_NUM_PADS,
diff --git a/drivers/media/tuners/si2157.c b/drivers/media/tuners/si2157.c
index 9e34d31d724d..85e9ea9059a3 100644
--- a/drivers/media/tuners/si2157.c
+++ b/drivers/media/tuners/si2157.c
@@ -469,8 +469,11 @@ static int si2157_probe(struct i2c_client *client,
 		dev->ent.function = MEDIA_ENT_F_TUNER;
 
 		dev->pad[TUNER_PAD_RF_INPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SINK;
+		dev->pad[TUNER_PAD_RF_INPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_RF;
 		dev->pad[TUNER_PAD_OUTPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+		dev->pad[TUNER_PAD_OUTPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_CARRIERS;
 		dev->pad[TUNER_PAD_AUD_OUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+		dev->pad[TUNER_PAD_AUD_OUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_AUDIO;
 
 		ret = media_entity_pads_init(&dev->ent, TUNER_NUM_PADS,
 					     &dev->pad[0]);
diff --git a/drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb-v2/mxl111sf.c b/drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb-v2/mxl111sf.c
index 67953360fda5..9161064b7718 100644
--- a/drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb-v2/mxl111sf.c
+++ b/drivers/media/usb/dvb-usb-v2/mxl111sf.c
@@ -893,7 +893,9 @@ static int mxl111sf_attach_tuner(struct dvb_usb_adapter *adap)
 	state->tuner.function = MEDIA_ENT_F_TUNER;
 	state->tuner.name = "mxl111sf tuner";
 	state->tuner_pads[TUNER_PAD_RF_INPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SINK;
+	state->tuner_pads[TUNER_PAD_RF_INPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_RF;
 	state->tuner_pads[TUNER_PAD_OUTPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+	state->tuner_pads[TUNER_PAD_OUTPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_CARRIERS;
 
 	ret = media_entity_pads_init(&state->tuner,
 				     TUNER_NUM_PADS, state->tuner_pads);
diff --git a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/tuner-core.c b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/tuner-core.c
index 7f858c39753c..4c09c30e6ea1 100644
--- a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/tuner-core.c
+++ b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/tuner-core.c
@@ -685,15 +685,20 @@ static int tuner_probe(struct i2c_client *client,
 	 */
 	if (t->type == TUNER_TDA9887) {
 		t->pad[IF_VID_DEC_PAD_IF_INPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SINK;
+		t->pad[IF_VID_DEC_PAD_IF_INPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_RF;
 		t->pad[IF_VID_DEC_PAD_OUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+		t->pad[IF_VID_DEC_PAD_OUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_ATV_VIDEO;
 		ret = media_entity_pads_init(&t->sd.entity,
 					     IF_VID_DEC_PAD_NUM_PADS,
 					     &t->pad[0]);
 		t->sd.entity.function = MEDIA_ENT_F_IF_VID_DECODER;
 	} else {
 		t->pad[TUNER_PAD_RF_INPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SINK;
+		t->pad[TUNER_PAD_RF_INPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_RF;
 		t->pad[TUNER_PAD_OUTPUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+		t->pad[TUNER_PAD_OUTPUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_CARRIERS;
 		t->pad[TUNER_PAD_AUD_OUT].flags = MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE;
+		t->pad[TUNER_PAD_AUD_OUT].sig_type = PAD_SIGNAL_AUDIO;
 		ret = media_entity_pads_init(&t->sd.entity, TUNER_NUM_PADS,
 					     &t->pad[0]);
 		t->sd.entity.function = MEDIA_ENT_F_TUNER;
diff --git a/include/media/media-entity.h b/include/media/media-entity.h
index a732af1dbba0..bf0604d315ef 100644
--- a/include/media/media-entity.h
+++ b/include/media/media-entity.h
@@ -155,6 +155,38 @@ struct media_link {
 	bool is_backlink;
 };
 
+/**
+ * struct media_pad_signal_type - type of the signal inside a media pad
+ *
+ * @PAD_SIGNAL_DEFAULT
+ *	Default signal. Use this when all inputs or all outputs are
+ *	uniquely identified by just its number and all carries the same
+ *	signal type
+ * @PAD_SIGNAL_RF
+ *	The pad contains a Radio Frequency, Intermediate Frequency or
+ *	baseband signal.
+ *	All Tuner sinks should use it.
+ *	On tuner sources, this is used for digital TV demodulators and for
+ *	IF-PLL demodulator like tda9887.
+ * @PAD_SIGNAL_CARRIERS
+ *	The pad contains analog signals carrying either a digital or an analog
+ *	modulated (or baseband) signal. This is provided by tuner source
+ *	pads and used by analog TV standard decoders and by digital tv demods.
+ * @PAD_SIGNAL_ATV_VIDEO
+ *	Contains a bitstream of samples from an analog TV video source, with
+ *	usually contains the VBI data on it.
+ * @PAD_SIGNAL_AUDIO
+ *	Contains an Intermediate Frequency analog signal from an audio
+ *	sub-carrier or an audio bitstream. Provided by tuners and consumed by audio AM/FM decoders.
+ */
+enum media_pad_signal_type {
+	PAD_SIGNAL_DEFAULT = 0,
+	PAD_SIGNAL_RF,
+	PAD_SIGNAL_CARRIERS,
+	PAD_SIGNAL_ATV_VIDEO,
+	PAD_SIGNAL_AUDIO,
+};
+
 /**
  * struct media_pad - A media pad graph object.
  *
@@ -169,6 +201,7 @@ struct media_pad {
 	struct media_gobj graph_obj;	/* must be first field in struct */
 	struct media_entity *entity;
 	u16 index;
+	enum media_pad_signal_type sig_type;
 	unsigned long flags;
 };
 
