Cable TV Troubleshooting Tips

How to connect to cable TV

Simply connect your coaxial cable into the 75 OHM input on the back of your TV. If there is no 75 OHM input, there will be two screws marked VHF for which a matching transformer will be required. Transformers are estimated at a cost of less than $5.00.
Some TV units are cable ready, which means that all you need to do is to connect the coaxial cable from the wall to the input of your TV and program the TV unit to store in memory the active channels of the system.

If you have a VCR, you may connect the coaxial cable into the back of it where it is marked input from antenna, or antenna/cable. You must then connect a second coaxial cable from the back of the VCR marked output or to TV to the back of the TV.



You may need to do this because the cable system offers 43 channels and if your TV cannot accommodate all 43 channels, your VCR may. With a VCR you must also program it to store in memory the active channels of the system.

Troubleshooting

Problem: No channels or snowy channels above 13

( 1) If your TV unit has a dial to change channels, your TV is not cable ready. You need a matching transformer.
(2) If your TV is cable ready but you cannot get any reception above channel 13, you must do one of these procedures:
-Look on your TV or VCR for a switch marked cable/catv. This switch must be in the cable/catv position.
-If no switch is found, then you can change this by going into the on screen menu of the TV unit called input/source. This menu will usually gives you a choice of either antenna, cable, catv, catv std, catv hrc, or catv irc. You need to select one of the following depending on your TV: cable, catv or catv std.
-If you are using a VCR as your channel tuner you must also go into the menu of the VCR and select the input/source of your signal. This menu, as mentioned before, usually gives you a choice of either antenna or cable. Some VCRs will have more input/sources, like Line 1 or 2, AV1 or AV2, A1 or A2. You can select these sources for other devices like computer games, etc.
- Whether you have a cable ready TV or a VCR you must store the active channels in memory, by going into the menu of your TV or VCR and selecting auto programming. In some VCR you have to add the channels one by one manually.

Problem: Snowy pictures and ghost lines

Take your coaxial cable directly from the wall plate to the back of your TV bypassing the converter, VCR and TV-game switch. If this clears up your reception, refer to the proper way to hook up cable TV.  If you still have problems please contact: Lorraine Lallier at ext. # 6545.