Q&A for How to Hook Up a TV Antenna

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What determines if I need a digital converter box or not?

Community Answer

If your TV hasn't got a digital tuner built in (check your model's specifications in the manual or online), you need a converter box. However, if your TV is digital-ready, you can just hook up the aerial straight to the TV.

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How do I hook up an antenna to a flat screen TV with a VHF connector?

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First, check to make sure your TV can support VHF. If it can, buy a VHF to HDMI/VGA/DVI adapter and connect cables correspondingly.

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Can I connect a Terk Outdoor antenna to the outside of my house by disconnecting the existing Time Warner connection and hooking my antenna to their connection and support two televisions?

Community Answer

Yes you can! As long as you program each TV. The signal may not be as strong, though.

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How do I connect an outdoor antenna to three TV sets in my house?

Community Answer

A three-to-one passive splitter is on the market, with the proper F connectors. However, the signal to each set is not as strong than if you are using one cable and set. An amplified splitter is a better setup. It splits and gives you some signal boost at the same time.

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Question

How can I determine if I can hook up a TV without a converter box?

Community Answer

Nearly all modern aerials will work. Try pointing it in the same direction as that of any others on your street. All modern digital TVs don't need a converter to receive freetelevision and radio stations. If you are in a weak signal area you may need a signal booster, but try first without one and see what results you get.

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Question

Can I connect a cable to my aerial socket, extend it to another room and watch TV in two rooms?

Community Answer

Connect the aerial to the main cable coming into the house, and it can be watched on any TV hooked to that cable line in the house. It works very well with digital converter box too.

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Question

How do I build my own antenna if I have no money?

Community Answer

I don't think you can out of just things from around your house. You would either buy one or gather materials to do it.

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Question

How can I connect to digital channels if the analog channels are no longer operating?

Community Answer

You can use a digital antenna if your TV supports it, or get a converter box.

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Question

Sometimes my TV goes off a station then comes back on. What should I do?

Community Answer

Try smoldering the wires that connect from the antenna to the TV together, or use liquid electrical tape to secure them together.

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Why are all my channels analog, not digital?

Community Answer

As of 2009 in the United States, all TV stations are required to broadcast their channels as digital. All the cable TV and satellite TV stations are broadcast as digital. TVs older than 2009 were designed for analog, converters from digital to analog are available; newer TVs are digital. If you are in a different country, check online to see if your country is digital or not. Analog and digital are not compatible, it's like trying to speak two different languages.

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Question

I have no coaxial RF input on my television, only an HDMI port. How do I convert from RF to HDMI?

Community Answer

You will have to buy an adapter. It usually looks like a box you attach the coax cable to, and the other side will have an HDMI out.

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Question

Can I use the cables from the disconnected dish to hook up an outside TV antenna?

Community Answer

No. A satellite antenna is tuned for a much higher frequency, and will not get much reception, if any.

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Question

My HDTV has several inputs, including TV, AV1, AV2 and HDM 1 through 3. Which input do I need to be on to get antenna reception?

Community Answer

That set should require using the TV input for the antenna coming in on a coaxial cable. Once hooked up, you will most likely need to run a "channel scan."

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Question

What does "rf CH" mean on a flat screen TV when trying to hook up an antenna?

Community Answer

This is the actual channel on the spectrum that the TV is searching to try and find channels, which can differ from the channel number that shows up. This really shouldn't matter to the average person though.

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Question

What do I do if I need an access code for my TV antenna before it will let me scan channels?

Community Answer

First, look at your TV/converter's manual (should be in Parental Controls). If you don't find it, search for: "[TV/converter model] reset passcode." If all of these don't work, do a factory reset. (This would delete all of your stuff/settings.)

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Question

How do I use both my TV antenna and cable at the same time?

Community Answer

Most modern cable boxes use an HDMI connection between the cable box and the television. This leaves the F-connector (the threaded connector on the back of your television) available for the antenna cable. You will find that this is the only connector on your television that your antenna cable can connect to. Connect the antenna. Go to the remote for your television, select menu, select scan (you will likely find this in the setup menu of the television, if not, continue looking until you find it). Select antenna, then select scan. In a few minutes you will have local HD television channels. To toggle between cable and antenna just select the TV or HDMI input using your remote.

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Question

Do I scan air or cable when hooking up an indoor HD antenna?

Community Answer

Select air (or antenna), then select scan.

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Question

What do I do if I can't get my TV antenna to pick up local channels?

Community Answer

It depends. Do you have an old TV that cannot receive digital broadcasts in which you need a converter box? Or, do you live far away from your local TV stations? If so, then you can get in line amplifiers that amplify the signal so it will pick up channels much better or just get a better antenna. If you live 30 miles or more away from any cities, then you should probably get an outdoor antenna, which even the cheap ones give much better signal than cheap flat indoor antennas.

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