DIGITAL CABLE TROUBLES?

If you're receiving television through a digital cable box or with a cable card inserted into your digital TV set, you may occasionally have problems receiving the right programming on the right channels. Sometimes you may not even be able to get a picture. When that happens, reboot your system before calling your cable company or a TV station. You're likely dealing with one of two situations:

DIGITAL CABLE BOX

If you have a digital cable box, you turn off your TV set. Turn off your cable box by unplugging its power cord. Let the box sit without power for at least 30 seconds, then plug it in again. Then turn on your TV set. Chances are you'll be back in business.

DIGITAL CABLE CARD

If you have a TV set that takes a cable card, the best way to fix reception problems is to "reset" your TV set. Most have a "reset" button located in a recessed spot near the input plugs. You can usually do the reset with a small stiff wire like the end of a paper clip. Simply push the button with the wire and hold it for a few seconds. Your set will "reset" and begin receiving the cable signals again.

If these approaches don't fix your problem, you'll likely need to call your service provider.

Still have questions? Send them to us at dtv@ksn.com and we’ll get back to you. For more details about the digital TV transition, see our Straight talk about Digital Television page. If you have questions about HDTV on KSN, visit our HDTV page.

For many cable viewers who experience poor picture quality on Channel 3, the most common cause is ingress. This occurs when the signal on the cable and the off-air signal try to mix together in the TV’s tuner. Typically, this problem is the result of bad wiring in your home, or a bad cable feed to your house.

Try connecting your set directly to the cable company’s drop to your home... no VCRs or splitters in between... a straight hook-up. If the problem is cleared up and the pictures look fine now, there must be some bad cabling in your home. Have a repairman check the cables for loose ends, etc.

If the problem still persists, then their could be a bad cable on the cable company's side or the tuner in your set could have a problem. The next step is to call the cable company, explain your problem and what you’ve done to check it, and ask if they could send a technician to your home to check your line for ingress.

Channel 3 operates at 61.25 MHz. To be received on an antenna, the antenna should be mounted outside approximately 4-5 feet above your home's roof line. A coax cable should be used as a downlead to your TV set. The antenna should then be pointed toward Colwich, Kansas.

Most antenna are broadband antenna, in order for them to receive VHF channels 2-13. The element of the antenna vary in length from short to long. The shorter elements are for channels 7-13, and the longer elements are for channels 2-6. The longest element is used for channel 3. After storms and high winds, the antenna can often suffer damage or have been moved. The longer elements are the ones that are generally damaged.

Many viewers choose to place their antenna in their attics. Because most attics are small and cramped spaces, these tight spaces often do not allow the antenna to be aimed correctly. Some people will even break off the longer elements in order for them to swing the antenna around in attic to find the best aiming point. By removing these longest elements, they have removed the receiving elements for Channel 3.