How to connect your TV through a digital TV set-top box

To connect a digital set-top box to the TV: how to do it right

Before you connect the receiver digital TV to the TV, you need to understand what is the receiver. As you know, “digital” operates in a new broadcasting format. In addition to the twenty standard TV channels, digital television is able to catch more than three hundred different TV channels, and gradually this number will increase. For the most part, older TV receivers, even LCD and plasma, are designed to work with the analog signal standard.

Also note that the farther away will be the reception point from the nearest tower, the lower will be the quality index of the signal. To improve the quality of broadcasting channels to the level of Full HD, you should connect to the TV a special device which is called set-top box. You can install and configure such equipment yourself. If you can not install the set-top box yourself, you can always use the services of professionals.

Equipment

To connect the TV set-top box to the TV, you will need special equipment. It can be conventionally divided into two groups.

• Tuner. Its functions include receiving, converting and transmitting the signal to the TV. Depending on the model, the functionality of the receiver may differ. In modern devices can be provided Wi-Fi, recording to a memory card, delayed viewing, and other options.
• Remote control. The basic configuration of the set-top box for digital television is carried out using the remote control, allowing you to remotely set the necessary parameters and connect the channels.

Auxiliary (required to connect the digital set-top box to the TV set). The set includes:

• Antenna (external or indoor). Designed to receive the signal. You can do without it when digital TV comes through a provider’s cable or from a rooftop receiver.
• An antenna wire (for example, RK-75). Allows you to connect your receiver to the set-top box.
• Two plugs. They are installed at the ends of the cable to connect it on one side to the antenna and on the other side to the tuner.
• RCA or HDMI wire. When considering how to connect a digital TV set-top box to the TV correctly, it is important to consider the connectors available in the equipment.

Do all Samsung TVs need a set-top box

Using the tuner is not difficult. If you know how to switch your Samsung TV to and from set-top box, you can switch between modes and watch the content you like. The peculiarity is that not all Samsung TVs need to be connected to a digital set-top box.

In many models, the DVB T2 and Smart TV option is already built in. The list of supported models includes hundreds of devices, so there is no point in enumerating them. The main thing is to set the correct filter when buying and immediately determine where the Samsung digital tuner is already built in and where it is not.

How to connect a set-top box to multiple TVs at the same time

To connect several televisions at the same time, it is worth buying a splitter for HDMI cable. Such a splitter costs about a thousand.

It copies the output signal and broadcasts it to all of its HDMI outputs. If you use an RCA cable, you’ll need a splitter for the analog signal, which costs from 400. It works the same way as the HDMI splitter, but the quality is much worse.

You can use a set-top box to connect your digital TV to two older TVs

If you want to watch different channels in different rooms, you can connect multiple set-top boxes to one antenna. You will need an antenna splitter, which operates at a frequency of 1000 Hz. It allows all devices to receive the same signal.

Connecting multiple devices

Connection types

Depending on the capabilities of your TV, there are several ways of how to connect a digital receiver.

Antenna Cable

The first and most basic thing is to connect a digital set top box to your TV through the antenna input. Many people do not realize that it is not enough to connect the decoder to the TV. You will need to remove the antenna plug from your TV and insert it into the RF decoder jack. It is marked on the panel of the unit with the appropriate RF IN symbol.

To watch analog programs in parallel with T2, use the RF OUT antenna output that most tuners are equipped with (you need an extra piece of cable). To learn how to choose an antenna cable click here.

HDMI connector

Owners of modern flat panel televisions can connect the digital receiver to the TV with an HDMI cable. This combination provides the best picture and sound quality and allows you to display programs in high definition (HD). You can easily find the HDMI connector on the set-top box, as it has a characteristic shape of a flattened trapezoid.

How to Connect a TV set-top box to the TV set-top box with an RCA Cable

Simply use regular tulip cables (or an RCA cable) and connect the appropriate jacks in the decoder and TV receiver:

• Connect the VIDEO OUT (CVBS) jack on the decoder to the VIDEO IN jack on your TV;
• Connect the AUDIO L and R jacks on the set-top box with the AUDIO IN L and R jacks on the TV.

The colors of the plugs used can be any color, it is important not to confuse the cables of different colors between the jacks. There must be the same cable between the VIDEO jacks on the TV and the tuner, and the AUDIO jacks on the TV and the tuner. It is possible that one end of such a cable is made with a Scart plug.

Necessary equipment for connecting the TV set-top box

To get digital broadcasting on your old or new TV, you’ll need to buy a certain piece of equipment:

Set-top box (receiver) for digital TV

The need to buy a digital set-top box or receiver is that it helps to decode the received encoded digital TV signal on the TV.

Some models of receivers manufactured after 2012 are already equipped with a digital tuner as standard. This eliminates the need to purchase an additional receiver. You can immediately begin to adjust the antenna.

If your TV does not have a digital tuner, you need to buy an external set top box. The receiver model must be designed to meet the minimum requirements of the latest standard:

• DVB-T2 support. TV models can be equipped with an old-style digital DVB-T tuner to receive TV signals, but this is an obsolete format and is not suitable for new conditions.
• Support for video in mp4 format. Allows the highest quality video playback.

The STB can be equipped with additional features useful for users when connecting older TV sets to the receiver:

• Presence of USB. This port makes it possible to connect a USB memory stick to the receiver and watch movies on a big screen TV. In this case, there is no need to connect to the Internet.
• Software to pause the broadcast during live broadcasting and record it on the hard disk for later viewing.
• Supports router connection. It is possible to connect via Wi-Fi or LAN connection (wires).
• Android operating system. Thanks to this application an old home TV will be enough to create a multimedia entertainment center.

When connecting the equipment to modern Smart TV-sets there is no need to spend more money on buying a more expensive set-top box, because the receiver will already have its own operating system. This feature makes the device a multimedia center. In this situation digital broadcasting will be available even with the cheapest DVB-T2 antenna.

How to choose a DVB T2 set-top box for 2020:

Cable

High picture quality with modern broadcasting format necessitates the use of an HDMI cable. It represents the latest and most advanced development in telecommunications technology. With this kind of wire will be HD quality.

In some situations, you need to connect your new digital set-top box to your old TV receiver. TV-device can be equipped by obsolete ports. “tunipanes” (RCA-connector). To connect equipment belonging to different generations, you need to buy additional RCA-HDMI adapter. This link will be connected with a wire on one side to the RCA output and on the other side to HDMI.

Antenna

Reception of a modern digital TV broadcasting format DVB-T2 is possible practically with any aerial. If the analog television broadcasts did not interfere and did not lose sound on the TV, such a device can be used for digital broadcasting as well.

How to make your own antenna for digital TV, detailed in another article.

According to feedback from users of older antennas, reception of the new TV broadcast format in some cases is possible even with a miniature indoor antenna. It is not necessary to spend money to buy a new antenna when connecting to digital TV.

If you have interference with analog broadcasts, you most likely need to buy a special amplifier. This device will be needed if the TV tower is located at a very long distance from the antenna.

The amplifier should be chosen by making sure that it is capable of supporting certain parameters:

• Frequency range. According to the recommendations of experts, you should give preference to broadband amplifiers due to their ability to catch more TV channels.
• Distance to the nearest TV tower. If the house is located at a distance greater than 150 km from the tower, buying an amplifier will be useless. According to the experts, only a satellite dish will be needed.
• Gain (unit. Decibels). It is better to buy an amplifier that functions within 10-20 dB. These are average values that will be enough to receive a quality TV signal. If you have too powerful equipment, the number of additional extraneous channels will increase, but the image will be of worse quality.
• Noise figure. This value should be minimum. No more than 3 dB.

If auto channel search does not work

Answering the question of how to configure the channels on the digital set-top box 20 channels manually, you should first complete the connection of cables to the appropriate connectors. This way helps if autosearch is unsuccessful. The following steps should be followed:

• Call up the menu using the same name button on the remote control.
• Select the “Channel search” line in the settings list.
• Switch to manual configuration mode.
• Specify the desired frequency range depending on your region of residence.
• Start scanning and wait till the end of the process.
• Save the package of found TV channels. You can rearrange or group these packages at your discretion.

Connect TV

If you have signed a contract with an operator, then most of the questions about connecting and configuring it will be resolved by him.

The most important nuance is that usually the cable transmits both digital and analog signals at the same time. That is, if you just connect the cable to the TV, you can watch channels. Another question is whether you pay for digital TV. Usually these packages are much more expensive, but the quality of service, pictures, number of channels in them is much more.

Here are the basic things you need to know for all situations: both to connect and to understand which set-top box you need for cable digital TV:

• If you have an analog package, just connect the cable to the antenna input of your TV. Next, set the menu to search for TV channels. When it finds them, you can sort them as you like.
• If you have a paid package with “digital” and a modern TV, connect the cable to the antenna outlet. Check if there is a signal and if the channels are detected. If not, contact your operator. It may be enough to install a CAM module.
• In other cases you need to connect a digital set-top box to your cable TV. You can buy any device which supports DBV-C or DBV-C2. In addition to supporting this format, the set-top box may contain a lot of additional functions, including a full Smart Box and tuner for terrestrial television. So choose it based on what functions you will be using.

Before you can watch cable TV through a digital set-top box, you must set it up. But it’s easy enough to do this:

• Connect the antenna cable to the device.
• Connect the device itself to the TV. Most often a HDMI cable is used for this purpose.
• Turn on your TV set and receiver. They must be connected to the network, and the power button must be pressed.
• Use the TV remote control to switch to HDMI, or whatever output you choose before you connect the cable set-top box to the TV.
• Use the remote control of the receiver to switch to the settings.
• Depending on the device, you need to perform a “Channel Search” or “Full Scan”.
• Important: You have to change the “Baudrate” parameter according to the information from your operator. Otherwise, no channel will not be found, and already found channels “will be reset.
• You need to wait for a few minutes while the scanning takes place. During this time you do not need to press any buttons.
• Now you can enjoy watching.

As you can see, the way to set up cable TV through a digital set-top box is very simple and straightforward. The only requirement is that your device has a DBV-C tuner. You’ll be able to tune channels and search for them without any problems. But if you connect a digital set-top box to your cable TV, and it is not equipped with a tuner, this is also “no problem. You’ll get an analog signal. Just as if you connected a cable to the TV.

First of all, check with the operator, for which television you pay. If you pay for a package of digital TV, but do not use it, then either switch to “analog” and pay less, or buy a DBV-C receiver and enjoy full and high-quality “picture. I hope this article has helped you to understand all the nuances.