Digital TV switch question: How do I get the extra digital channels (for example, channel 2.1)?

Question

I was talking to my mom on the phone today, and she said that with her converter box, she is getting digital channels right now, like channel 2.1 etc. I have a new TV that is digital, and I don't get any new digital channels, although I will say that I am very rural and she is in a city, so maybe there aren't any. But there is no way to punch in channel 2.1 on my remote, either. This TV is a brand new HDTV, so I dunno how to get these new channels. It would be nice to have some HD programming though, so I can enjoy my TV's full capabilities. I have a normal antenna right now (turned off satellite since I am busy in the summer).

Thank you for any help you can give!

Answer 1

What digital channels you can receive does depend on where you live. And it can, I heard, also help if you have a rooftop antenna.

Since you're in a rural area, you might not be able to get good reception. I have a converter box, so I don't know for sure how TV with an internal digital tuner work, but I think you still need an antenna.

Anyone who's closer to a bigger city, or digital station antennas will get more channels.

Answer 2

As far as I know there are no channels broadcast as channel "2.1" or "22.1" or anything like that. It's like "KS95" may actually be 94.5 on your radio dial, but it would be 95 if you had channel buttons. All my video equipment is digital but only the TV actually shows decimals, which is useless anyway at this time.

Answer 3

Three things. (1) You should have a "." or "-" button on your remote control. Some DTVs use channel numbers like 2-1 instead of 2.1. (2) Your DTV should have a scan function to look for digital channels. (3) DTV is not HDTV. You might be receiving digital channels that are not high definition. (4) (I lied) you should have told us the exact make and model TV you have, otherwise, we're guessing about your problem.

Answer 4

There are a couple of possibilities:

1.

If you get TV through translator stations there may be no digital broadcasts to pick up. But if you get decent analog reception from network stations, there are probably digital broadcasts.

2.

Your HDTV may never have been set up for digital reception.

Start by looking at the back of your HDTV or look in the manual. Most of them only have one antenna input for both analog and digital broadcasts, but there are some that have separate connectors.

A HDTV or converter box has to "scan" for digital stations. If you look through your HDTV's menu, there will be an option to scan for digital antenna service, have your HDTV do this scan.

When you use an analog TV, each channel is defined, that is, channel 2 is always sent out on the same frequency. So any TV made in the last 60 years can find a channel without any setup.

But with digital broadcasts, the channel number is just like a name. Digital channel 2.1 can be sent out on any unused TV frequency. The one place it can't be is the frequency used by analog channel 2, because the analog channel is already using it until 2/17/09.

When a HDTV scans for digital channels, it checks for signals on all of the possible 67 channels and remembers where the digital broadcasts really are.

If you run into problems, the following information would be useful:

Make & model of HDTV

Type of antenna and how good your analog reception is

Zip code

Distance to transmitters

Answer 5

I live in the city and although my TV's are still analog, I have a new VCR with an ATSC tuner. I see many fractional channels such as the 2.1 you cite. If you do not see them, perhaps you have not turned on your ATSC tuner? Are you sure your TV has an ATSC tuner. Many digital TV's sold in the past few years only had analog (NTSC) tuners, not a problem if your using cable or satellite, but if you do not have an ATSC tuner, your SOL.

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