Did you try a re-scan to see if it would get the channels again?

Did you have a blackout around the time you lost the channels, or did you unplug the TV from the wall? I wonder if it needs power to keep its internal memory.

Yeah, I tried to re-run the auto-search the same way I had done it before and got nothing. Not a single channel.

The only thing I had changed since the programming was that I hooked up a device that allows me to switch between a/v devices. I've since removed that and I still can't get the HD OTA channels.

Maybe I should just unplug the tv and try again?

Before I do that, anyone else have any thoughts?

Thanks everyone, you guys are awesome.

-- J

Hi Jason, just checking some things:
is an antenna connected?
is your TV input set to Antenna when you do the scan (rather than Cable)?
have you ever picked up OTA TV (even analogue) at your location with another set?
has the weather been weird there lately?

Hi, thanks for taking the time to try and help me.

No antenna connected (but there wasn't before when this same set did pick up channels).

I was able to pick up channels with my old analog tv in the same spot too (though not as many).

The weather has been perfect.

So maybe I should just unplug it and try again? I don't know that that would even help though...

thanks,

-- J

Jason I think it was an odd incident in which you received signals in the first place with no antenna connected. Perfect weather in the summer sometimes means that OTA signals are momentarily waaaay stronger than usual. Hook up an antenna and do a scan, and you'll be happy I'm sure.

Also it bears repeating that almost all HDTVs use ATSC tuner boards manufactured by only a few sources, with the likeliest being LG or Samsung. Beyond that, the generation of chipset also matters, and almost all HDTVs have Generation V or now Generation VI chipsets. The newer, the better.
Stampeder, is there any way to tell which generation the chipset is for a particular brand or model? For my Aquos, I'm assuming 5th by comparing performance against known external tuners, but nowhere (manual/the web) can I find anything to prove that.

My guess is that retail sales people won't be able to (as many probably don't know what an ATSC tuner is for in the first place).

I'm trying to advise someone about a HDTV purchase and advised them to try and get a 6th generation if possible, but the question back to me was "how do I tell"?

As far as I know, and from some info that roger1818 has posted here, most or all of the Generation VI ATSC chipsets seem to be going into the CECB coupon converter boxes being sold in the U.S. prior to the Feb. 2009 cutoff.

I wish I had better info as to new HDTVs out there so I'll look into it, but if you find out anything I know you'll let us know. :)

I agree with Stampeder and it is very difficult if not impossible to tell what generation chipset is in a TV. You can try and write to the TV manufacturers to see which of their TVs have Gen VI chipsets, but the customer service people probably won't know either.

Its no guarantee, but to increase your chances, get a 2008 model with as new a date code as possible. The other thing is LG is likely using their latest chipset and Samsung is likely using their latest chipset (to the best of my knowledge, those are the only TV manufacturers that also design their own chipsets). Third party manufacturers are likely going to be slower at getting newer chipsets into their design, but none of this is a guarantee and for every rule there is an exception.

I bought the latest LG television 2 weeks ago - the 37LG60 with the 120 Hz refresh. I have noticed over the last two weeks that, for example, I can always get at least the sound on channel 29 Fox Buffalo and usually the sound on 27. My old analog TV from 15 years ago could never do that, given the same antenna. The selectivity of the tuner has to be incredible to discriminate the very weak signal on 29 in the middle of the afternoon from channel 30 here in Ottawa, granted I live on the opposite side of the building not facing Camp Fortune. Also I have my own homemade preamp using the 54143 chip and a yagi tuned for channels between 20 and 40 -- and im up 130 feet above ground.

Nevertheless, Fox 29 Buffalo is an incredibly hard channel to get especially when there is no ducting. Also tonight, for example, I am getting a solid signal on WWNY 7.1 even though channel 16 analog is very fuzzy. My ATSC tuner card in the computer is not quite that good.

Another amazing thing about this TV is that with the antenna pointed the wrong way in extreme multipath, if I tune to Sun or CBC it takes about 10 seconds but it finally tunes in the signal without blocking. My tuner card in the computer cannot tune it, given the same input signal - and it's not a question of internal interference in the computer since the antenna is 50 feet away in a different room, boosted by a preamp well above the noise floor by the time it reaches the computer.

On a Samsung Plasma TV, is there a way to add a DTV channel without rescanning?


Thanks,

Intravino

Another amazing thing about this TV is that with the antenna pointed the wrong way in extreme multipath, if I tune to Sun or CBC it takes about 10 seconds but it finally tunes in the signal without blocking.GerryB from everything I've heard and read about Generation VI chipsets it seems that you've got one in your new HDTV. :)

On a Samsung Plasma TV, is there a way to add a DTV channel without rescanning?I'd like to manually add channels without rescanning on my Samsung N4053T LCD TV. Example City TV at 51-1 sometimes it see's it but since its weak and coming from the CN Tower in Toronto I'd like to use it to aim the antenna. A rescan seems like a pain in the ... and how to you add the channels if you have a rotor?

Another amazing thing about this TV is that with the antenna pointed the wrong way in extreme multipath, if I tune to Sun or CBC it takes about 10 seconds but it finally tunes in the signal without blocking.That's actually quite amazing.. sounds like this new generation wasn't just a small leap...

That's actually quite amazing.. sounds like this new generation wasn't just a small leap...

That is what you get with the VI Gen LG chip. From what I have read, the other VI Gen chips aren't quite as good (though they are better then any of the V Gen chips).

Sitting here in Ottawa watching David Letterman on WIVB-DT from Buffalo. Yes there is some tropo tonight - but that's not the amazing thing. The amazing thing is that when I set the tuner to analog mode on 39 (which is the WIVB channel) - there is actually the sound and some horizontal sinc pulses of the TFO channel 39 from Hawkesbury! The sound is clear, and yet when I switch back to 39 digital the picture of Letterman is perfectly fine - no blocking. How bizarre is that?

Also I am noticing that the sound on WWNY 7.1 - channel 35 UHF - is lower than WIVB for the exact same show. I would have thought a network feed in digital would have no difference in the sound - but I guess it does.

nobody answered Bluerooms question.

I also have a new samsung and would like to know how to add channels.

I see that all the channels i deleted are still in the list but not highlited anymore and i can put them back in, but i can't find a way to add new channels.

Anybody else have this problem?

Experimented with the samsung tuner. It was way too easy. to add a channel all you have to do is enter the transmit channel and it will automatically re-map and add to the list. way too easy. :rolleyes:

Just got a Samsung 50" 1080p A550 plasma...

Main draw for me (instead of getting another LG) is the features of the ATSC tuner because it has an EPG guide and my 2007 LG42PC4D does not. The tuner appears pretty responsive and fast in loading all the available EPG info.

Reception is not magical, still can't get NBC to worth a darn...There is a very very slight edge in other poor channels like ABC which the Samsung can display with a 1 bar signal. One thing I immediately noticed is the PSIP situation with Global CIII still plagues the Samsung - no problem getting the channel @ 65-2 but without channel name or time update, not a big deal since they don't have any EPG info anyways.

I ahve no idea what chip is in it - mfg date was June 2008.

I have no idea what chip is in it - mfg date was June 2008.

I would guess it has the Gen VI Samsung chip. Could be wrong though.

Does anyone have an idea of what Generation chip would be in a Panasonic 42PX75 manufactured in Dec of 2007?

Tryign to see if its worth getting a box as i have alot of multipath interference in my building