OldTV
@rr.com
| reply to OldTV
Re: [TWC] Old TV can't get a few channels that a newer TV gets
The TV says it was made in August 1991 on the back.
The VCR doesn't seem to have a date, but it could easily be as old, or older. It was probably my grandmother's originally, heh.
So it sounds like the problem is the VCR is too old to function as a tuner for higher channels?
It functions as a tuner but then all the channels after 13 just give a blank.
So I guess a newer VCR should work, I might be able to find one, but if not is there any sort of cheap radioshack device that'd get the TV to receive 62+?
Thanks for the info guys. |
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MacLeech
The one and only
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-14
SoCal | Above channel 13 the channel layout is different between cable and OTA broadcasts.
Does the VCR have a setup menu or switch to change from antenna to CATV? |
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old TVold VCR
@rr.com
| reply to OldTV
Some old TV's and possibly some old VCR's had separate inputs for lower channels (VHF 2-13) and higher channels (UHF 14-99). If you didn't have an antenna connection on the UHF input, you would get no reception on the upper channels. I used to have an old TV that stopped receiving anything above about channel 67 on its tuner. I usually used the tuner on my VCR to get all the channels up to 99 (TV was set to ch3).
You have probably heard they are changing the way TV signals are going to be broadcast in February of 2009. A new digital tuner will be required for older TV's and VCR's to receive signals over the air after that date. You could get one of the digital to analog converters now and use the tuner in that to receive all the channels available on cable or Broadcast (antenna) reception. The government is giving away coupons that give you $40 off the purchase of one of the converter boxes. I believe if you have cable, you will continue to get the basic channels after the change in broadcast format occurs. I have 2 older sets with analog tuners and a newer set with an analog/digital tuner. I am tied to cable. On the older sets I get about 80 channels with basic cable. On the newer TV, I get about 150 channels - the Digital tuner allows me to see the digital channels as well as the analog channels. I still don't get premium channels. |
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Alan L
@rr.com
| reply to MacLeech
I have a question about the CATV vs Antenna switch. I can set up my TV for cable and have it auto program and stations get plugged into channel numbers. If I then change the switch to antenna and reprogram the tuner, it plugs those stations into channel numbers. I think those channel numbers are different between the 2 switch settings. Is that right? Why? And do I get all the same channels, just on different channel numbers? I have never taken the time to explore this - has anyone else? |
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Flashfox
Eco-Text -- Why print E-mails?
join:2003-10-01
Carlsbad, CA
| reply to OldTV
Hmm... practically any new "cheap" VCR/DVD reader would handle this. While at it, why not look at current "cheap" TVs? You can find CRT based TVs (tube) for dirt cheap now that the push is towards LCD and Plasma flat panels.
Hey, that TV has been running since 1991... time to retire it? (like insisting on running a car which requires leaded fuel in this day and age  |
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MacLeech
The one and only
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-14
SoCal
edit:
May 4th, @12:52PM
| reply to Alan L
said by Alan L :
I have a question about the CATV vs Antenna switch. I can set up my TV for cable and have it auto program and stations get plugged into channel numbers. If I then change the switch to antenna and reprogram the tuner, it plugs those stations into channel numbers. I think those channel numbers are different between the 2 switch settings. Is that right? Why? And do I get all the same channels, just on different channel numbers? I have never taken the time to explore this - has anyone else?
Cable and antenna channel numbering schemes are different after a certain point. Its because cable is considered a closed system and can use frequencies not usable by over the air broadcasters. |
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spat72
@rr.com
| reply to Flashfox
Be sure a new VCR/DVD player has a tuner built in. I noticed shortly after the anouncment of the digital switch many of these items have omitted the tuner altogether on the low budget versions. I bought a DVD recorder with a digital tuner that works great. I used to get basic cable for free due to RR ISP but the signal just disappeared overnight last year. So I now just use an outdoor antenna. I assumed TWC changed the broadcast format. I tried going thru the VCR but still got nothing. I started looking at broadcast formats and saw there are a lot of them and they seem to change regularly among cable companies. I work with a guy who gets basic cable direct to an old tv wo/a box or VCR but he does live about 20 miles away. |
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