I have a Samsung 19" Flat Screen I purchased back in 2011. As of now I have it hooked up to Satellite and I have no problems with the reception. When I hook it up to an outside antenna I get an error, Weak or no signal. Back in May I purchased a Samsung 50" Smart TV. I have this hook up to an A/B switch with Satellite & Antenna and I have no problems viewing either of them. Any ideas what's going on? Thanks, CSB
Make sure you’re using the EXACT same cables and hook-up site (wall outlet) as the big one (not the 6’ 10-year old “extension” you might have hanging off the back of the old small one). Re-scan channel search.
If still a problem, go buy another (a 19” flat screen is only $125-$150 these days)…
A while back I remember having to get an Digital TV Converter box. It had something to do with converting an Analog Signal to Digital? As mentioned above, it probably time for a new Smart TV. As I stated earlier I have no problems with reception and the 50" Samsung Smart TV. Once again, thanks for the replies.
I have a Samsung 19" Flat Screen I purchased back in 2011. As of now I have it hooked up to Satellite and I have no problems with the reception. When I hook it up to an outside antenna I get an error, Weak or no signal. Back in May I purchased a Samsung 50" Smart TV. I have this hook up to an A/B switch with Satellite & Antenna and I have no problems viewing either of them. Any ideas what's going on? Thanks, CSB
I think all local TV channels pretty recently started broadcasting in digital and no longer use analog. The newer TV must have been made for the changes. Check this out:
Springcove, I did try to rescan and it comes up with the same error, "Weak or no signal." I'm thinking its the age of the TV. Why would the 50" Samsung Smart TV pick them up, no problem?
Signal strength calculations assume an outdoor antenna 30 feet above ground level. Actual reception quality may vary significantly for viewers using an indoor antenna.
Springcove, I did try to rescan and it comes up with the same error, "Weak or no signal." I'm thinking its the age of the TV. Why would the 50" Samsung Smart TV pick them up, no problem?
Better digital signal amplifier. OP Amps have a lot better gain configuration than 15 years ago.
If you can still get the digital boxes at a place like Walmart or Best Buy, try that first. If it doesn't work you can take it back. Reason is that it might simply be your tuner in your old TV is out.
Your satellite is going out to your TV with a HDMI cable and is not using the tuner in the TV. That little box if you can still buy them is way cheaper than buying a new TV and will do the same thing if the problem is your tuner which sounds like it is if your newer TV gets channels on the same hookup.
If that digital tuner is working then it should pick up every channel that has enough signal to do so. Current technology has nothing to do with it. Digital broadcast and the tuner that receives them is still the same. Yes some tuners are more sensitive than others, but not where 1 TV gets a bunch of channels and another gets none. Your tuner either works or it doesn't.
You are testing it on the same hookup as your newer TV that is getting channels, correct?
One is alone in a land so vast, there is only the mountains, the wind, and the eyes of God.
If he bought the TV in 2011, and it wasn't several years old then, there's no need to buy a digital converter box. It is already all digital. Except that, as Swifty says, it may be a lesser-capable one.
I bought a really cheap TV on eBay solely for use at a remote fishing cabin, to get weather and such. With an equally cheap indoor antenna, it gets something like 45 channels.
Damn how I miss the days when an unknown person would crank up their not legal 100 watt radios with 50 ft antennas and stomp on the TV reception for everybody around. Better yet was when cable companies had a bad connection somewhere that gave you cable ghosts over air reception.
ShadeTree, I checked both TV's off the same lead. In regards to signal strength the 50" Smart pulled in 68 channels when I did the search. Talking to the neighbors not another one in the area pulled that many channels off an antenna. The antenna is mounted in the attic. When I first put it up there I had a TV that showed "Signal Strength" in the set-up. I rotated it until I got the maximum strength and locked it in that position.
If he bought the TV in 2011, and it wasn't several years old then, there's no need to buy a digital converter box. It is already all digital. Except that, as Swifty says, it may be a lesser-capable one.
I bought a really cheap TV on eBay solely for use at a remote fishing cabin, to get weather and such. With an equally cheap indoor antenna, it gets something like 45 channels.
A better antenna may be all he needs.
Cool. Digital tuners within your "digital" TV are really not needed and if you have one they last to infinity, so as long as your TV says it's digital, things are golden. The tuner itself no longer needs to work. Good to know.
I'm not saying his digital tuner is bad, I'm not there to trouble shoot it. I am saying that if he hooks up that TV to the exact same line as his other TV that is getting channels and it gets nothing, then it is very likely his tuner is bad, and a simple digital box will grab all, nearly all, or maybe more channels than his newer TV is getting. That depends on a number of factors. And do it for way cheaper than buying a new TV. But carry on.
If he doesn't have it hooked to the exact same line as his other TV to test it, then all that's been discussed so far is a mute point, as it could be any number of things that has absolutely nothing to do with the TV itself.
One is alone in a land so vast, there is only the mountains, the wind, and the eyes of God.
ShadeTree, I checked both TV's off the same lead. In regards to signal strength the 50" Smart pulled in 68 channels when I did the search. Talking to the neighbors not another one in the area pulled that many channels off an antenna. The antenna is mounted in the attic. When I first put it up there I had a TV that showed "Signal Strength" in the set-up. I rotated it until I got the maximum strength and locked it in that position.
Okay you answered that question I had. I doubt this is the case but I don't know without asking. How close are you to the stations where the channels are being broadcasted? Reason I ask that is it can actually work the other way.......you got channels that are already solid db ratings because of close proximity, then if you're amplifying that signal some TV's the tuner is not hefty enough to handle it and they blank out.
You can have some TV's that will handle all the channels, and others that will show nothing. Absent of that, I'd say your digital tuner is bad, but like I said above I'm not there to trouble shoot it. That's why my suggestion was to grab a digital box. They're cheap. Hook it up to the TV not working and rock on if it's the tuner that's the problem.
Can't say I've used any recently but newer digital boxes should have a HDMI out. Antenna line into your box, HDMI out to your TV, do the scan on your digital box and you will now change the channels through the box and the TV will stay on the same input. Same as with your satellite on that TV. You change channels through the receiver, and the TV channel (input) remains static.
One is alone in a land so vast, there is only the mountains, the wind, and the eyes of God.
With the age of the TV and the cost of a new one its not worth the time to bother with a Digital Box. I'll just get a new one. Thanks for all the response from everyone. CSB
TVs are pretty much disposable now. I mean in terms of justifying hanging on to an older one.
I was at a conference a few months ago and the hotel wanted to "rent" me a 50" TV for something like $400 a day. I went on Amazon and had 43" TVs shipped to us for $179 a pop.
$179 for a 43" TV. I think they might have been 4K to boot.
Last edited by KFWA; 07/20/23.
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