Common questions about cable or satellite TV service in residence halls.
The campus CATV (Cable TV) system is an all-digital system. In order to take full advantage, bring a digital TV with an integrated QAM tuner for use on campus. An integrated QAM tuner enables a digital TV to directly receive digital cable channels without a set top box. If you are unsure whether your TV has an integrated QAM tuner, please check the manufacturer’s or owner’s manual that came with your TV.
Some less expensive TVs sometimes come with a lower quality QAM tuner that may be unable to pick up all the digital channels. Users with less expensive brands such as Dynex and Insignia reported these types of problems.
If you still have an analog TV (tube TV) or digital television that does not includes an integrated QAM tuner you can continue to use it by purchasing a converter box.
To receive HD channels, you need an HD-compatible TV.
To receive service, televisions need to go through a process called Channel Scan. This scan allows the television to receive the newer digital channels. Follow the steps below to successfully troubleshoot a problem with CATV.
Question:
How do I set up my TV to receive TV channels?
Answer:
Follow these steps:
Connect a coaxial cable from the TV wall outlet to the input port on the back of your cable-ready TV.
Connect the TV power cord to the wall electrical outlet and turn on TV.
Using your TV remote, select Menu and then select and run the Auto-Setup feature. Refer to your user manual for instructions.
If you're not receiving cable TV after following these instructions, double-check all coaxial connections. If there's still no reception, contact the Help Desk for assistance.
Question:
Will my old analog TV still work with TV?
Answer:
The TV system offers only digital channels. Old style analog televisions will not work on the TV system without a set top box.
Question:
Can a laptop with a TV tuner installed be used to watch TV?
Answer:
Yes, TV offers SD and HD digital stations. Any tuner that can receive an HD or SD signal will work. There is no need to decode TV digital signals as they are delivered using clear QAM.
Question:
Do I need a converter box to receive the HD channels?
Answer:
If you have an HD compatible television with a clear QAM tuner, you do not need a converter box to receive the HD channels.
Question:
What is the minimum hardware requirement to view HD channels in HD and which type of set works best?
Answer:
The minimum hardware required to view HD channels is an HD compatible television. Television sets should be purchased based on the user's preferences and needs. Users are encouraged to use the same consumer product resources they would when evaluating and purchasing other electronic equipment. TV staff do not evaluate television sets nor do they provide recommendations on which sets work best.
Question:
Will a Standard Definition (SD) television set work with all HD channels?
Answer:
No, HD programming can only be viewed on an HD compatible television set.
Question:
Why do the digital channel numbers include a period between the numbers on the channel lineup card?
Answer:
Due to the technology differences between analog and digital television, multiple digital channels can fit within one channel. This is similar to radio channels, which also use decimals.
Question:
Can the HD channels be programmed using the Auto-Setup option?
Answer:
Yes, the HD channels can be programmed using the Auto-Setup option on most sets. However, this may vary depending on the manufacturer of the television set.
Question:
How do I know if I am bringing the right television to view TV?
Answer:
Only digital televisions that have SD or HD capabilities will be able to view the SD and/or HD programming on TV.
Question:
Why won't my Westinghouse TV tune in any channels?
Answer:
You need to run a channel scan:
Select auto-tune on the TV.
Select cable. This will discover one channel and activate the tuner in the set.
The first prompt will tell you to contact Westinghouse. This is not required to activate the tuner.
Select next.
The next prompt will ask you for the QAM tuner activation code. Enter 14159.
The channel scan will start after the correct code is put in.
After the scan is completed, you should have all of the channels.
Question:
Why does my Sony Bravia only tune 156 channels?
Answer:
Your TV needs an upgrade. Go to Sony Television Support, search on the model number for your TV and follow the instructions for upgrading your TV.
Question:
Why does my TV tune in about half of the channels, but not all of them?
Answer:
We have found that some TVs will not tune in all of the channels. This is a problem with the tuner in the TV. You will need to contact the manufacturer with the TV model number and date of purchase to get their recommendation for a solution or upgrade procedure.
Question:
Will a DVR work with TV?
Answer:
If the tuner in your DVR supports signals transmitted in a QAM format, then it will be able to receive and record all of the digital and HD channels. (There is one exception with TiVo DVR. See "Will a TiVo DVR work with TV" below.)
Question:
Will a TiVo DVR work with TV?
Answer:
Yes, it will, with one exception. The tuner in a TiVo DVR does not recognize channel numbers that have a dash or dot in the number such as 2.1, 4.1, 7.1 etc. These channels use local channel numbers and we have to carry them with this numbering format. The TiVo box will tune them in but you will not be able to record future programs on these channels.