Trouble With Set Top Box Install

[BlkWhtTSI]

Ok I'm up at college with my crap old TV and i recently noticed all my channels went away so i went and bought a STB and antenna. I have every thing plugged in correctly but i still only get 4 channels i used to get. I have the antenna plug in to ANT in and the ANT out plugged into the TV. I've got the audio set to RF out and set the time settings appropriately. When i scan i still end up with the same channels. What could be wrong? Antenna is getting great signal and picture looks great... i just have only 4 channels everyone else with a HDTV has a lot more channels.

[SovXietday]

Are you scanning with the TV or the set top box? Scan with the set top box, not the TV.

[05Accent]

do you have a digital tuner? Because your going to need one. Tv --- digital tuner----antenna..

[WolfsFang]

yea wasent a law passed saying tv's will now need digital tuners to get channels?

[05Accent]

correct!! thats why at work we get ppl still asking why there tv doesnt work.

[BlkWhtTSI]

Yes, I am scanning with the STB. An STB is a digital tuner, says so on the box.
Could it just be the old (1991) TV? I did go on this one website (antennaweb.com) and typed in my address here, and it said that I'll only be able to recieve the 4 channels that i get but, my room mates all have HDTVs and get 50+ channels.

[SovXietday]

No, it has nothing to do with your TV. At this point, your TV is merely a monitor and it displays what the set top box is finding. The only difference would be that your old crappy TV wouldn't be able to display the HD channels very well, that's about it.

Are your roomates using the same set top boxes? Their HDTVs probably have much better tuners than what you're using.

[OMGz Turbo]

Link to STB???

Digital tuner? You sure thats the same as a Digital CONVERTER

[05Accent]

Originally Posted by SovXietday

No, it has nothing to do with your TV. At this point, your TV is merely a monitor and it displays what the set top box is finding. The only difference would be that your old crappy TV wouldn't be able to display the HD channels very well, that's about it.

Are your roomates using the same set top boxes? Their HDTVs probably have much better tuners than what you're using.

correct the "HD" channels are technically just digital channels upscaled, diaplayed with a -1 at the end of a channel number. to inform you its a digital channel. with the old tv you will not see any of them.

[SovXietday]

Originally Posted by OMGz Turbo

Link to STB???

Digital tuner? You sure thats the same as a Digital CONVERTER

Everything is digital now. The digital tuner and the digital converter are the same thing built into one. The tuner finds the stations, the converter converts to analog so that older TVs can still see the signal. Many of these signals are ENCODED, and if they are most cheaper digital tuners will not be able to decipher the code and will not be able to pick up the channel.

However, a lot of the smaller HDTVs have unique tuners built in that are far superior and can actual decode a lot of these stations and pick them up. Which is probably what he's running into here.

[BlkWhtTSI]

I spoke with the cable company up here and they told me that the box i'm using isnt supported by them and that they have the boxes they support for rent ($52 for the semester, returned when equipment is returned). The converter i have is this one:
http://www.buzzillions.com/reviews/m...refurb-reviews

My friends have HDTVs and just plug into the wall jack. They have no boxes or antenna.

[SovXietday]

^ Yup, read my last sentence. The built in tuners in those TVs are capable of picking up more channels that normally you would need a special box for. Those encoded channels are what keep you from "stealing" cable now.

[BlkWhtTSI]

Damn encoded channels!! Alright thanks for the help guys. Sucks i bought all this crap and it's basically useless. Oh well i bought it at Wal-Mart and they'll take anything back.

[SovXietday]

^ LOL. Yeah it sucks. I didn't realize you had a cable line offered from the school or I would have been able to answer your question from the getgo, I just thought you were all dealing with an antenna and picking up off air channels.

I used to deal with all of this for a living, lol.

[05Accent]

Originally Posted by SovXietday

^ LOL. Yeah it sucks. I didn't realize you had a cable line offered from the school or I would have been able to answer your question from the getgo, I just thought you were all dealing with an antenna and picking up off air channels.

I used to deal with all of this for a living, lol.

i still do..