TV repair question

[Hank_Scorpio]

Recently, my second TV has stopped showing cable channels. It works for DVDs and Xbox on the appropriate functions.

But it won't show cable channels. The cable coaxial is securely connected. Even brought another TV in to check the cable connection and that TV worked fine, getting the cable channels.

It's not HD or anything.

Just a 20-inch Magnavox flat screen TV.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Recently, my second TV has stopped showing cable channels. It works for DVDs and Xbox on the appropriate functions.

But it won't show cable channels. The cable coaxial is securely connected. Even brought another TV in to check the cable connection and that TV worked fine, getting the cable channels.

It's not HD or anything.

Just a 20-inch Magnavox flat screen TV.

How old is the cable? Sometimes the shielding goes bad and it needs replaced.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Not sure. It's a few years old though.


That's why I brought another TV to that cable connection. To see whether it was a cable or TV problem.

Pretty sure, it's a TV thing now since the cable connection worked on a different TV.

 

[Gomer]

The TV you brought in to check, was it high-def? If so, my guess is that your cable company finally went digital as per FCC regulations. You'll need a converter if that's the case.

Most HDTV's have the digital converter built in. Older TV's don't.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Neither TV was HD.


The one that worked on the cable outlet is much older than the one that doesn't, which is about four years old.




It worked fine until about three days ago. When it first stopped, I checked a few connections and it worked again for a day.

Now, nothing.

 

[Batman]

Not being a smartass, but have you made sure you're not on the AUX setting or whatever your TV calls it? Our TV (and cable) remote has a separate button you hit to go to the game system/DVD player. Maybe you hit that button by accident?

 

[Gomer]

When it first stopped, I checked a few connections and it worked again for a day.

Now, nothing.

That's your answer. Since other video sources work well, it's clearly your TV's converter.

A 20-inch screen? Probably not worth the money to fix it. Buy a new one or heck, buy a converter box and use it to change channels instead of the internal converter, which clearly is on the fritz.

 

[Killick]

The TV you brought in to check, was it high-def? If so, my guess is that your cable company finally went digital as per FCC regulations. You'll need a converter if that's the case.

Most HDTV's have the digital converter built in. Older TV's don't.

"The Switch" affected only broadcast signals, I believe. Shouldn't affect cable reception, nor do you have to get a converter (unless you want to use it as a work-around, plugged into the audio/video ports).

Anyway, if I had to guess, Hank, I'd say the internal connection on the coax port went bad. I had a Magnavox TV a few years ago that did roughly the same thing. It just wasn't anchored very well to the body, so whenever the cable was jostled it turned that silver-threaded devil. After years of it, something broke. It was a pretty easy and inexpensive repair then (I think it was $40 at my local TV repair shop). Of course, once I got that fixed the damned thing lasted maybe another 6 months before the tube blew and I ended up tossing the TV out.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Killick, I was kind of figuring it was the coax port, once I was sure it wasn't the cable.

I'd been doing some googling and didn't really find any real answers.

I wonder how hard it will be to find a TV repair shop now.



Batman, this one has a TV, AV1, AV2 setting. Switch those all the time to get to DVD, video game units. It's definitely on the TV setting.

 

[Batman]

Batman, this one has a TV, AV1, AV2 setting. Switch those all the time to get to DVD, video game units. It's definitely on the TV setting.

Figured as much, but it's worth asking. Kind of like the tech support people making their first question, "Is your computer plugged in?"

 

[BTExpress]

Is the "video input" setting the correct one?

If your cable is coming through Video 1 and your TV somehow got switched to Video 2 . . . then you won't be seeing anything.