Not All Cable TV Channels Available

Hikerdogs · 09-10-2011, 08:01 AM

We're sitting here in Bemidji MN waiting for the start of the Great River Road Caravan. When we checked in the clerk told us they had cable TV- but we couldn't get all the channels if we had an older television. They have ATT Uverse service.

We just found out we have one of those "older televisions". The menu on the screen says there are over 50 channels available but we can only get 23 of them. In all our years of camping we've never run into this before. I was wondering if anyone else has had this experience, and whether there's any hardware that can be purchased to allow those of us with older crt televisions to pick up all the channels supposedly available

TXiceman · 09-10-2011, 08:08 AM

You will need to go into the TV menu system and change the antenna input from antenna or off-air to cable or CATV for the TV to recognize all of the cable channels.

Ken

Clay L · 09-10-2011, 08:22 AM

I am wondering if the clerk gave you some bad info.
What we used to see in the old days in some campgrounds was different decoding schemes used by different cable companies.
There used to be three decode modes out there - STD, HRC, and IRC.
What we used to have to do was go into the TV menu and select the proper one of the three.
It was basicly a trial and error deal where you selected one scheme and then ran Auto Run and see if you got the higher channels. You did that until you got the right scheme and all channels available.

I am not sure modern TVs even have the decode options in the TV menu. My 96 TV did and I think - but am not sure - that my 2003 TV had them. I am pretty sure my two year old flat screen does not.

I wonder if she meant new TVs won't get all channels instead of the other way around?

MaverickBBD · 09-10-2011, 08:48 AM

I have a newer lcd flat screen in the front of my coach and an "older" tv in the bedroom. The newer tv is digital capable but the bedroom is not. Sometimes when I connect the cable and do the learn or search for stations the front may pick up many more. I.e. it will hit channel 74-1 then 74-2, 74-3, etc while the older tv does not. Is the tv you are questioning digital capable or on a converter box? Just a suggestion.

fansill · 09-10-2011, 09:18 AM

We have the same problem whenever we check into a new campground that offers cable. If you can get to the menu button on your TV...turn to SET-UP. You should be able to choose CABLE and then choose either MANUAL SET-UP of CHANNELS or AUTO SET-UP. I always choose AUTO and the TV then takes over and runs through all of the channels and locks onto the channels that are available channels at that particular campground. After this short set-up step, you should have all of the channels.

Hope this helps. I know I hate to be without my cable TV...

Faith

GreatWhite · 09-10-2011, 09:24 AM

I usually have to go into the Menu and do a search. Station availability from one campground/city to the next is usually different. That's the one benefit of satellite.. the channels don't change from place to place.. ya just don't get local news.. only from your subscribed areal.. which is OK with me. I can usually pick up the local stuff at the clubhouse if it matters.

Hikerdogs · 09-10-2011, 02:15 PM

I guess we're in a situation I've never had to deal with before. The TV is in the Cable mode, the distribution box is set to Cable, There are no options for the decoding, and I've gone through the "Channel Auto Search" several times. The TV searches through 125 channels but we only get channels 1 - 23 and 98.

I'm begining to think that of is that Maverick BBD is correct that the channels we don't get are broadcast on 27.1, 26.1, 29.1 etc etc. I've spoken to other members of the caravan that have newer flat screen tv's and they are able to get about 90 channels.