Auto program a TV and using a Channel Master antenna
We had high hopes of at least getting the 4 local channels. ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX.
The instructions and watched videos show people hanging the antenna on the wall. We thought, wrongly I assume, that half hanging in the window would be better. Here are the instructions for the antenna.
Auto program the TV. The settings are Beta, Video 2, another Beta, Cable Box, no signal (I think is may be on channel 4 which is the channel to receive the TV signal from a cable TV box which had to be removed). The manual for the remote got us to the menu items to select auto program. It ran through all channels from 1 to over 100 and nothing on the screen buy static. At one time we have the menu on the screen with no static and at one point we heard a bit of audio vs. nothing but static.
Here are the gruesome images of all of it.
Thanks.
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ASKER
The TV and remote are a pair. The antenna had a 12 foot coaxial cable and one end to the TV at antenna in and the other other end to the antenna. I have not noticed in the owner's manual about digital vs. not.
I do have a smaller TV with HDMI port so that one should be digital but all I have for that is a Dish Network remote which is another problem on getting it matched with the TV. The previous owner said it was Roku ready and they had the remote programmed. I have had no success with that remote. It's an Orion TV and maybe the remote is on Ebay, etc. Before purchase the owner of the Orion showed me a video of the TV working as it should.
I do have a smaller TV with HDMI port so that one should be digital but all I have for that is a Dish Network remote which is another problem on getting it matched with the TV. The previous owner said it was Roku ready and they had the remote programmed. I have had no success with that remote. It's an Orion TV and maybe the remote is on Ebay, etc. Before purchase the owner of the Orion showed me a video of the TV working as it should.
@Kaffiend:
"your tv is not ancient, and thus it has a built-in digital tuner"
That's an important assumption. The copyright date on the posted manual is 2000. No mention in the manual is made about digital. I suspect that the TV is "ancient" and lacks a digital tuner.
"your tv is not ancient, and thus it has a built-in digital tuner"
That's an important assumption. The copyright date on the posted manual is 2000. No mention in the manual is made about digital. I suspect that the TV is "ancient" and lacks a digital tuner.
ASKER
The TV was acquired from a relative. They did not have cable TV service being in the rural areas. They did have some sort of antenna box hooked to the TV and they got quite a few channels such as the ones I want.
They were maybe 15 miles from the center of town and I'm about 20 from the same city where the four major channels are received. I think I sold the antenna but I remember it working very well. That would remove the issue of digital or not since they got good reception on the same TV. I even watched the TV at their house for several weeks.
They were maybe 15 miles from the center of town and I'm about 20 from the same city where the four major channels are received. I think I sold the antenna but I remember it working very well. That would remove the issue of digital or not since they got good reception on the same TV. I even watched the TV at their house for several weeks.
ASKER
The TV was made in 2005. The model number is KV-32FS120. I used the TV in the relatives house as late as early 2010 and they had an antenna hooked up. I remember the antenna had rabbit ears. I think I sold the antenna and don't remember the brand. They liked brand names so Radio Shack was a possibility. In either event the TV did capture the same channels I seek now.
"the TV did capture the same channels I seek now. ": that was likely when the channels were broadcast in analog form.
ASKER
The digital analog time line will be looked at.
ASKER
So the cable TV box we have been using for decades has a built in digital converter?
Our cable TV company is a monopoly and most of the county had to use their TV up to around the end of 2021 when the company was switching over to streaming TV via Fire Stick and an Amazon account.
There must have been tens of thousands of customers of all ages who have an older analog TV. Little old ladies are not going to buy a new TV. When they were required to accept the new streaming they may have been shocked to know they needed an HDMI to A/V adapter which I have.
The local TV company literally forcing people to buy a new digital TV - additional equipment = bad situation.
Our cable TV company is a monopoly and most of the county had to use their TV up to around the end of 2021 when the company was switching over to streaming TV via Fire Stick and an Amazon account.
There must have been tens of thousands of customers of all ages who have an older analog TV. Little old ladies are not going to buy a new TV. When they were required to accept the new streaming they may have been shocked to know they needed an HDMI to A/V adapter which I have.
The local TV company literally forcing people to buy a new digital TV - additional equipment = bad situation.
This transition (analog to digital) happened in 2009. !!! This had been planned for long before that.
Around that time, there were offered for sale boxes that would convert the digital signal to something older TVs could use. Also, there was a govt program that offered coupon rebates for buying one of these things. Don't know if you can still find these things anymore.
We all (or at least, cell phone users and some other groups) benefited somewhat from this transition.
Around that time, there were offered for sale boxes that would convert the digital signal to something older TVs could use. Also, there was a govt program that offered coupon rebates for buying one of these things. Don't know if you can still find these things anymore.
We all (or at least, cell phone users and some other groups) benefited somewhat from this transition.
ASKER
They can be had on Ebay for around $25. We'll try the antenna later today with the flat screen Orion that was made in 2012. It has a HDMI port etc. so it should work for us with the antenna we have mounted near a window. I'm not clear on why videos of installation just stick it onto a wall which looks like the locations they are using are not even near a window.
The relative's antenna came with a remote and I do remember the government offering the devices via coupons. Either I got one and sold it or passed it up since we had the local cable TV company for decades and were not planning to change providers at any point in the future.
So the cable TV box we have been using for decades has a built in digital converter?
The relative's antenna came with a remote and I do remember the government offering the devices via coupons. Either I got one and sold it or passed it up since we had the local cable TV company for decades and were not planning to change providers at any point in the future.
So the cable TV box we have been using for decades has a built in digital converter?
"So the cable TV box we have been using for decades has a built in digital converter? "
That box received signals over a cable, not over the airwaves. The cable company has control over the format of the signals on its own cables. The federal government regulates what can be sent over the airwaves. As you can read in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television_transition_in_the_United_States , the Act that initiated the transition was passed in 2005 with an initial deadline of 2009 for analog broadcasts to end. It appears that it was extended a number of times with the last conversion being Alaska in January of 2022.
If your cable box has an RF output (threaded on the outside, small hole in the center, connects to an antenna input on your TV) then it is putting out an analog RF signal. Yes, it is converting from whatever input the cable company provides over its cable to an analog output. Newer cable boxes will typically have HDMI outputs as they provide much better signal quality and have been present on TVs for quite a number of years.
A TV made in 2012 should certainly have a digital tuner.
That box received signals over a cable, not over the airwaves. The cable company has control over the format of the signals on its own cables. The federal government regulates what can be sent over the airwaves. As you can read in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television_transition_in_the_United_States , the Act that initiated the transition was passed in 2005 with an initial deadline of 2009 for analog broadcasts to end. It appears that it was extended a number of times with the last conversion being Alaska in January of 2022.
If your cable box has an RF output (threaded on the outside, small hole in the center, connects to an antenna input on your TV) then it is putting out an analog RF signal. Yes, it is converting from whatever input the cable company provides over its cable to an analog output. Newer cable boxes will typically have HDMI outputs as they provide much better signal quality and have been present on TVs for quite a number of years.
A TV made in 2012 should certainly have a digital tuner.
If you are considering spending $25 on a digital-analog converter, check new TV prices first. You should be able to spend less than $100 for something what will work much better than the Sony for which you provided the manual link.
The two TVs listed in the manual show power consumption of 115W (20") and 170W (24"). A new 22" LG TV draws about 22W. Give some thought to the difference in operational cost.
The two TVs listed in the manual show power consumption of 115W (20") and 170W (24"). A new 22" LG TV draws about 22W. Give some thought to the difference in operational cost.
ASKER
Unless they have sold it there is a seller on Facebook who is near us and has a like new converter for $5.
I'll try the antenna with the smaller TV I have. The Sony have given great quality and I do have a Staples reward account and around July 11 I'll have $40 in rewards and they have a converter for $41.49 = net cost $1.49.
So with the smaller Orion and options on a converter time will tell.
As well as people selling TV's and as you say there are sellers everywhere.
I'll try the antenna with the smaller TV I have. The Sony have given great quality and I do have a Staples reward account and around July 11 I'll have $40 in rewards and they have a converter for $41.49 = net cost $1.49.
So with the smaller Orion and options on a converter time will tell.
As well as people selling TV's and as you say there are sellers everywhere.
ASKER
We are going to try the antenna with the Orion TV that accepts digital signals but the TV has no power button, etc. and the remote given to us with the TV is a Dish remote. They said it was programmed to operate the TV and Roku so we have to find out how to use or program the remote to get to menu on the TV to look for the auto program process.
ASKER