Digital TV/ATSC Help?

Question

For some reason, at my house, I can receive a crystal clear analog signal on a tv channel but no signal on a digital signal. Any idea why this would be happening?

Answer 1

Digital channels are on different frequencies than analog channels (even though they usually display the related analog channel number).  Most digital channels are on UHF, so you need a good UHF antenna.

TV's with NTSC and ATSC may have 2 separate antenna jacks.  If you just get NTSC maybe your antenna is plugged into the wrong jack (been there, done that).  I simply use an antenna splitter to connect my antenna to both jacks.

Answer 2

Since you get a "crystal clear analog signal " your problem is likely one of these things:

1. Your DTV or converter box hasn't been told to scan for digital channels after you attached an antenna to it. Adjust your antenna for the best analog signal then go into it's menu and have it scan for digital channels.

2. If the scan fails to find any digital channels, enter your location at the tvfool.com web site. You will get a list of local digital channels and their transmitter locations. Make note of the "real"*  channel numbers associated with the digital stations. Check the owner's manual and see if your DTV/converter box let you enter "real"channel numbers. If it does, try entering the numbers directly.

*unlike analog TV channels, digital channel numbers are like names; they do not correspond to the actual frequency the signal is transmitted on.

If you still have problems, add your zip code and distance to transmitters to your question

Answer 3

My first thought is that you have a VHF antenna for analog reception and the digital stations are UHF.  However it could be anything that is preventing a good signal into the digital receiver.  The signal strength meters on digital sets are more like signal quality meters.  When you are not decoding anything, they read zero even though a signal may be present.

Visit http://www.antennaweb.org and put in you ZIP code.  It will give you a list of the stations in your area.  Compare the channel numbers of the analog stations you can get with the digital stations.  You probably need a better antenna.

I hope this helps.  Please return and select a Best Answer from all of those submitted.