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Lulu1997
Newbie

Antenna channels missing from Roku tv

My TCL Roku tv won’t pick up any antenna channels, I’ve moved the antenna, checked all the cables, done a factory reset and still nothing. Any ideas 

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2 REPLIES 2
Michelle3
Roku Guru

Re: Antenna channels missing from Roku tv

Perhaps you have a defective antenna?  Some antennas may not perform well for a specific device, so I’m pretty sure that’s the issue.

~ Jordan

I’m into videotapes and old electronics stuff, including extenders, converters and analog 4:3 TV sets (which are obsolete these days), and Miss Bianca is my favorite character in Disney’s The Rescuers (1977) and its sequel, The Rescuers Down Under (1990). I am not a Roku employee, only a user like you. ~ Jordan

Roku Express+ 3910X
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DBDukes
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Antenna channels missing from Roku tv

@Lulu1997 

It could be the TV tuner. It could be the antenna.

There are three broadcast TV bands: Low VHF (2-6), High VHF (7-13), and UHF (14+). Not all antennae pick up all bands. Most antennae pick up UHF, since that's now where most channels are, but some channels operate on a VHF band still.

Also, the channel you see (3.1, 22.3, etc) is a virtual channel. It may or may not be related to the actual RF channel. Usually, it's a VHF-seeming channel that's actually on a UHF RF channel, but there are instances where it's the other way around.

Additionally, the distance to the TV tower, the height of the antenna, and the terrain can make it difficult to pick up certain stations.

Check your physical location on Websites such as AntennaWeb, and see not only the actual channel. bit tje direction and distance to the towers. It does a decent job of taking terrain into account as well.

If it says you need a large outdoor antenna, you probably need a large outdoor antenna. If it says you need a pre-amp, you probably need a pre-amp.

If all of your stations are close, and you have a sufficient antenna, it could be the TV tuner is the problem. But you may have an insufficient antenna setup. Use that or another reliable guide to make that determination.

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

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