Cable TV: Scanning for Channels

It is normal to connect your TV and see no channels or very few channels. You must ensure the TV has been appropriately configured and you have scanned for available channels.

Cable TV Lineup

Verify that your TV is set to cable

Depending on the type and model of the TV, you will need to go into the MENU and find either a SETUP or CHANNELS section (This is different for every TV but each one should have a variation of these settings in it).

In this menu, you need to have sure that the TV input is set on CABLE and not ANT (Antenna).  This would be selected if you were connecting a standard rabbit-ears antenna into the TV.

Scanning for TV channels

The next step is to perform a channel scan on the TV.  This will force the TV to scan all available channels accessible through the TV provider and make them viewable on the TV.
When the channel scan is being performed, it should look similar to the following:

Follow the instructions below to scan for channels for specific models.  This will find HD and non-HD channels.

Adding channels to VIZIO

  1. With your VIZIO remote, make sure you have the “TV” input selected and press the input button.

  2. Press the MENU button, and the TV’s menu should appear. Using the arrow keys (the keys surrounding the OK, Menu or Logo button on the remote) navigate until you find the TV TUNER MENU.

  3. Use the arrow keys to highlight Tuner Mode, which should be the first option on the menu. Select cable (for any cable or coaxial connection).

  4. Once the option is highlighted, you should be able to change it using the arrows.

  5. Once you confirm that the Tuner Mode is set correctly, highlight the Auto Search option, press the right arrow and your TV will scan for all available channels. Let it finish completely. The scan usually takes 5-10 minutes.

  6. Once the scan is complete, you should be able to surf channels normally with the HD channels available as well.

Adding channels to Samsung

  1. Open the TV’s menu and select Channel Setup or Channels.

  2. Select the Auto Store or Automatic Scan option by scrolling with the channel buttons. Press the Enter button to begin the scan. The TV will scan for all available channels including HD.

  3. Once complete, the HD channels should be available.

Adding channels to Westinghouse

  1. Find the model number of your TV. It should be on the back of  your TV set. One tuner should work and the other shouldn’t.

    There are two tuners: QAM and ATSC.

    QAM - QAM is used strictly for digital cable. However, it isn’t mandated so TV manufacturers have the option of using it or leaving it out. So one has to check to see if their specific TV set has the proper tuner.

    ATSC - Does not support HD channels.

  2. If you have the correct tuner, go to the menu on the TV set and choose “Cable/Antenna” set up. Select which one you are using.

  3. After making the correct selection, there should be a menu function for channel auto-scan.

  4. Select Auto-Scan, which will send the set into auto channel mode. This could take up to 30 minutes.

  5. Once completed, the auto-scan message goes away and the HD channels should be present.

Adding channels to LG

  1. Press Menu on the remote control/TV set.

  2. Select Setup on the menu and press OK.

  3. Select Auto-Tuning and press OK.

  4. Select Start and then press OK.

  5. The television will begin to search all available bands for channels. You don’t have to choose if you are using cable or antenna because the TV searches for both OTA analog and digital signals.

Adding Channels to Sony

  1. Press Menu on the remote control/TV set.

  2. Select Setup on the menu and press OK.

  3. Press ENTER and you should see an option to scan the available channels for cable.

  4. Select Start and then press OK.

  5. Once completed, the HD channels should be present.

Other Manufacturers

  1. Press Menu on the TV screen. Multiple tabs should appear.

  2. Go to Setup or Settings.

  3. There should be an option called Channels (Other TV sets might say “System”)

  4. Go to Scan Channels. (Other TV sets might say Program Channels, Autoscan, Autoprogram, or Autotuning.)

  5. Press either Select, Enter or OK to start the scan.

 

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Article ID: 59995
Created
Thu 8/9/18 1:02 PM
Modified
Fri 8/11/23 12:38 PM

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