A TechLore "Ask the Experts" Question...

Question:

Why do some TV's get cable, but do not get all of the cable stations you are allowed? This is on basic cable, when there is no box. If I move another TV into the room, it receives all the cable stations. The stations are not in order either, but skip some of the cable stations. It probably is a silly question, but we have two TVs in the house that do this.

-submitted by Shirlee

Answer:

This is a great question, and lucky for you, fairly easy to fix as well.

When you initially set up the TV, you need to identify the incoming source on the set to match the appropriate signal. The TV you have is capable of tuning in stations from both an antenna and cable. It's imperative to select the appropriate signal in the TV's menu prior to scanning the signals.

If you have cable plugged into the set but have antenna is selected in the menu, the set will receive the first 13 channels. After that, the channels will be sporadic on the dial up to channel 69. Selecting cable and rescanning the channels will correct this problem.

Some televisions have the capability of working with different types of cable systems. If you see multiple cable options (like HRC, IRC, etc.), you'll need to determine the appropriate cable selection for your area.

In most cases, an option labled "standard" will be the correct choice, but it ultimately depends on your cable provider. The easiest way to find the correct option is to try and scan all cable options available, and you'll be able to determine the proper choice by the results.

Did You Know...

Did you know that you can delete unwanted channels from the TV's memory? Read this.

Matt Whitlock - Editor, TechLore.com