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Catgurl
Reel Rookie

Antenna: Rescan for channels lost major network

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I read a post from over a year ago that had a problem similar to mine, and all the responses say that Roku needs to issue Firmware to fix it. Has this happened yet? I'm at my wit's end.

I bought a great antenna and enjoyed ABC for nearly a year. Recently got some really bad weather, and no matter what I did in repositioning the antenna, the channel had pixelating/buffering. So I rescanned for channels and WOW do I regret it. Now none of the major networks show up. Isn't there a way to manually add a channel and then just tweak the antenna's reception while it's on, over the air?

Please tell me some improvements have been made!

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atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Antenna: Rescan for channels lost major network

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@Catgurl assuming your answers for @DBDukes is that this is a Roku TV, the answer is no, there's no way to manually add a channel.

One thing I will mention is that many TV stations have changed the actual RF frequency that they use recently, and that might be the cause of your issue. For example, here in the Seattle area the four major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox) were all originally on VHF channels (13 and below). When digital TV became the standard, they have all moved to a UHF channel number, even though they still call themselves "King-5" or "KIRO-7". If your OTA antenna is not optimized for both VHF and UHF bands, you simply might not be able to get your local channels with the antenna you have. 

Since Digital TV became the standard, there has been at least two separate times that the actual RF channel was changed by local stations. This was because the FCC (which controls and licenses TV station channel assignments) required stations to make the changes. The best way to determine exactly what channels you should be able to receive, and what sort of antenna is required, is to enter your home address in Antenna Web. It also tells you the direction each station is from your home, to assist pointing your antenna. It tells me that I have the potential of 97 different channels from 27 OTA stations. In reality I get about 62 of the total listed, with terrain blocking the others. I have a medium sized yagi antenna hanging inside my garage ceiling, which places it 15' off the ground and my home is 300+' off the valley floor, looking north. 

With digital TV, you must have a minimum signal strength to receive a watchable broadcast. Back in the analog days, a weak signal would often be watchable, albeit with "snow" and other artifacts. But digital is like a cliff: you either have a good image or nothing at all. When you're right at the edge of the cliff, you get a picture, but often pixelated and unwatchable. Some antennas can be improved with an in-line amplifier placed close to the antenna itself. If you have splitters feeding the signal to multiple TVs, remember that each splitter is reducing the signal by roughly 3.5dB. How much of a loss is that? Well, a 3 dB increase in signal takes almost double the RF power. In audio, 3 dB is a barely noticeable increase in volume, but again takes double the power. More than one signal splitter in the line, and you've dropped your signal by 50% or more, and you can have problems receiving even the stronger stations. 

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."
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DBDukes
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Antenna: Rescan for channels lost major network

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@Catgurl 

Just to confirm your situation...

You have a Roku TV -- that is, a TV built by a third party (TCL, Hisense, etc) running Roku streaming software -- and not a TV with a Roku attached?

It's always helpful to list the Roku model number -- and in the case of a Roku TV, both the Roku model number and the TV manufacturer model number -- as well as the software version. Settings > System > About

DBDukes
Roku Community Streaming Expert
Note: I am not a Roku employee.

If this post solves your problem please help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."

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atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Antenna: Rescan for channels lost major network

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@Catgurl assuming your answers for @DBDukes is that this is a Roku TV, the answer is no, there's no way to manually add a channel.

One thing I will mention is that many TV stations have changed the actual RF frequency that they use recently, and that might be the cause of your issue. For example, here in the Seattle area the four major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox) were all originally on VHF channels (13 and below). When digital TV became the standard, they have all moved to a UHF channel number, even though they still call themselves "King-5" or "KIRO-7". If your OTA antenna is not optimized for both VHF and UHF bands, you simply might not be able to get your local channels with the antenna you have. 

Since Digital TV became the standard, there has been at least two separate times that the actual RF channel was changed by local stations. This was because the FCC (which controls and licenses TV station channel assignments) required stations to make the changes. The best way to determine exactly what channels you should be able to receive, and what sort of antenna is required, is to enter your home address in Antenna Web. It also tells you the direction each station is from your home, to assist pointing your antenna. It tells me that I have the potential of 97 different channels from 27 OTA stations. In reality I get about 62 of the total listed, with terrain blocking the others. I have a medium sized yagi antenna hanging inside my garage ceiling, which places it 15' off the ground and my home is 300+' off the valley floor, looking north. 

With digital TV, you must have a minimum signal strength to receive a watchable broadcast. Back in the analog days, a weak signal would often be watchable, albeit with "snow" and other artifacts. But digital is like a cliff: you either have a good image or nothing at all. When you're right at the edge of the cliff, you get a picture, but often pixelated and unwatchable. Some antennas can be improved with an in-line amplifier placed close to the antenna itself. If you have splitters feeding the signal to multiple TVs, remember that each splitter is reducing the signal by roughly 3.5dB. How much of a loss is that? Well, a 3 dB increase in signal takes almost double the RF power. In audio, 3 dB is a barely noticeable increase in volume, but again takes double the power. More than one signal splitter in the line, and you've dropped your signal by 50% or more, and you can have problems receiving even the stronger stations. 

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."
If you appreciate my answer, maybe give me a Kudo.

I am not a Roku employee, just another user.
Catgurl
Reel Rookie

Re: Antenna: Rescan for channels lost major network

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I have a TCL from 2020. I'm not home, so I can't check the model at the moment, but it was definitely one of the best-selling 48-50-inch models.

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Catgurl
Reel Rookie

Re: Antenna: Rescan for channels lost major network

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Thank you for the thorough reply. I'm in SoCal, and we switched to digital channels quite some time ago. I have a Winegard Flatwave Amplified HDTV Indoor Antenna. 

Nothing has changed on my end, though I suppose ABC could have done something new. The weather has improved. I was still receiving ABC when I decided to rescan: it had very little artifact but I'm intolerant to any little thing, so I thought Why not, nothing to lose! DOH! I get almost 100 channels, but I would trade them all for ABC. It's my favorite channel for news and morning shows (excluding Kelly, irrelevant but I cannot stand her as she seems so bitter these days lol) and basically the only live tv I watch bc I have all the streaming services. 

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atc98092
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Antenna: Rescan for channels lost major network

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You have to remember that at the frequencies used for TV broadcasts, sometimes only a minor change in something at either end could cause a problem. If your ABC station switched RF frequencies, moving your home antenna as little as 6 inches one way or another might be all that's needed to get it back. Indoor antennas aren't always very good at picking up signals. Even though they generally try to be omni-directional, in reality they are going to have lobes in their reception pattern and that's why a little tweak of the antenna can make a difference. 

Even though the switch to digital TV happened many years ago, these channel repacks have happened more recently, although I think the last time was in 2020. 

Try that antennaweb web site I linked above and see what direction your ABC station is from your home, and see what color code they say you need for your antenna. If the ABC station is rated something other than yellow, an indoor antenna might not be good enough. There's a guy on YouTube that calls himself the Antenna Man. He's not the most smooth presenter (a bit of a geek, as I am!) he knows his stuff and can assist choosing a good antenna. 

Dan

Roku Community Streaming Expert

Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."
If you appreciate my answer, maybe give me a Kudo.

I am not a Roku employee, just another user.
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