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Help this Geek watch the SuperBowl - Computer Question

St. Phatty

Active member
I was inspired by Putem's writing about watching TV & Football, and looked up Antennas. So I can use my Samsung TV, to watch normal broadcast TV, the kind with all the commercials that I used to watch on my old CRT television.

I have a Samsung 1080p monitor that I could use.

One of the antennas is digital, one is a big wire, sometimes called analog.

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the digital one -
"This RCA ANT1275F amplified antenna works with most ATSC digital and NTSC analog tuners to pick up HD and standard-definition broadcast signals. SmartBoost technology strengthens weak signals for reliable performance when storms block transmissions."

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/rca-amplified-indoor-hdtv-antenna-gloss-black/3789153.p?skuId=3789153


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the analog one -
"Receive free local HDTV broadcasts with this Insignia™ NS-ANT314 indoor HDTV antenna"

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-indoor-hdtv-antenna-black/8233003.p?skuId=8233003

They both come with a Coaxial cable. :woohoo:


Any enlightenment on how to use these antennas to hook up my monitor so I can watch the Super Bowl is most appreciated.

I know that in some quadrants that is like asking for help praying to the devil. I'm learning to accept my gluttony for cheap entertainment. :huggg::huggg:
 

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dufous

Well-known member
Over the air broadcast tv is all UHF now. The VHF channels got sold off to the cell phone companies. A UHF antenna is all you need. Don't overpay for it. HDTV antennas are just UHF antennas. Look on youtube if you think you'd like to try making your own UHF antenna.

Use that website to find out where the broadcast tower is located and use a compass to aim your antenna. Makes a huge difference.

I'm fortunate to have local TV stations broadcasting from the same tower. That's not the case in most locations. The towers might be all over the place where you are located.

In rural areas, if you can place the antenna as a rooftop mount or in the attic, do it.

You'll need a tv tuner card to watch broadcast tv on your computer monitor.
 

St. Phatty

Active member
Over the air broadcast tv is all UHF now. The VHF channels got sold off to the cell phone companies. A UHF antenna is all you need. Don't overpay for it. HDTV antennas are just UHF antennas. Look on youtube if you think you'd like to try making your own UHF antenna.

Use that website to find out where the broadcast tower is located and use a compass to aim your antenna. Makes a huge difference.

I'm fortunate to have local TV stations broadcasting from the same tower. That's not the case in most locations. The towers might be all over the place where you are located.

In rural areas, if you can place the antenna as a rooftop mount or in the attic, do it.

You'll need a tv tuner card to watch broadcast tv on your computer monitor.


It's a Samsung TV.

It would help if I read the instructions.

Maybe I can download them.

I will give the prospective TV an inspection.

I was thinking there would be a coax connector somewhere on the TV, that is attached to the antenna.
 

buzzmobile

Well-known member
Veteran
It's a Samsung TV.

It would help if I read the instructions.

Maybe I can download them.

I will give the prospective TV an inspection.

I was thinking there would be a coax connector somewhere on the TV, that is attached to the antenna.
You're only supposed to read the instructions when ALL ELSE FAILS!:laughing:
There's bound to be a coax connector on the back of the TV unless it's really old.
 

St. Phatty

Active member
You're only supposed to read the instructions when ALL ELSE FAILS!:laughing:
There's bound to be a coax connector on the back of the TV unless it's really old.

There is !

I bought the "Onn" antenna at Walmart yesterday for $8.88.

Installed that, then took these pictures of the monitor -


On this first pic, the bottom button is Power.

The second from the bottom is Menu, so you can put it in TV mode.

I think I use the Volume + button as the Up key. When it goes into Menu mode it's on PC. You use the Volume + key to move it to TV.

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So I do all that and it sits there with the
"Please Run Channel Auto Scan" message.

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Last pic shows the connectors. Besides the power cord, I think I only need to screw the coax connector sort of forcefully onto the mating connector. I screwed it as tight as I could with my hands.

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Finally, I am not the only one asking questions about it. It's a Proscan TV, found something on the Vizio website -

https://support.vizio.com/s/article/Channel-Scan-Auto-Scan?language=en_US

https://www.tomsguide.com/answers/id-3468326/error-message-run-channel-auto-scan.html

https://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/Telev...ing-quot-Please-Run-Channel-Auto/td-p/1201786

https://www.google.com/search?q=pro...rome..69i57.8895j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8


So what do I do once it's sitting there with the Channel Auto Scan mode message ?

I think one answer is, look EVERYWHERE for all the remotes in the house, and update the batteries on any remote that has a button that says "Auto Scan".

The odds are low that I will find the Proscan remote.

It was used as a second computer monitor for a year, and then sat in the living room. No trauma on the machine, it's pretty close to new in terms of not being knocked around.


Does the status message on the machine refer to something that you can only get to using a remote ?

I'm hoping there's some way to use the Channel and Volume Up and Down keys, 4 keys total, to navigate on the barebones TV without a remote.

The goal is to get it into good old fashioned "Show me the TV with all the ads" television, mode.

Like when I had a CRT TV.
 

buzzmobile

Well-known member
Veteran
If you can find an Input or Source button that is what will set the TV to 'over the air' or 'antenna' before activating the Channel Scan.

I have used the reset procedure from your first link to correct a glitch.

If this does not resolve the issue, Power Cycle the TV and re-run the channel scan:

Turn off the TV.
Unplug the TV from the electrical outlet.
While the TV is unplugged from the wall, press and hold the Power button on the TV for 30 seconds.
Release the power button.
Plug the TV back into the electrical outlet.
Turn on the TV.
 
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