TV with a set-top box doesn’t show

No TV signal: how to make your TV work

The only way to watch over-the-air digital TV without a set-top box is to buy a TV with DVB-T2 support. CRT TVs do not have this tuner by default. As for plasma and LCD TVs, the first models with such digital tuners appeared on the Russian market in 2013.

To view DVB-T2 digital TV an antenna is required, but the simplest version can be assembled yourself in 5 minutes. You can watch digital channels on cable, Smart TV and IPTV without a TV antenna.

What you need to switch to digital TV?

Note that the changes will not affect subscribers to satellite and cable TV. All other subscribers need a special tuner that supports DVB-T2 in order to receive digital technology. In modern TVs it is already built in, you need to set it up properly and install a CAM-module.

Other TV sets will broadcast TV air only with additional equipment. a T2 receiver. But before you buy a T2 set-top box, consider what other options there are.

Watch the whole Assortment of T2 set-top boxes on our site.

How to watch digital TV without a set-top box

If the TV corresponds to the above conditions, it is possible to watch digital TV without using a receiver in several ways. Let’s compare them to each other:

Consider the features, advantages and disadvantages of each option.

Air TV on your digital TV

One of the easiest ways to connect to digital TV without using a set-top box. The receiver must support DVB-T2 standard, that is, have a built-in tuner. The second prerequisite for watching digital TV is the availability of an appropriate broadcast signal. The coverage area of the transmitter is limited to 30 kilometers, taking into account the terrain, the farther you are from the tower, the more powerful must be the receiving antenna.

Connection algorithm looks as follows:

• Install the antenna, orient it to the nearest repeater, connect the cable from the antenna to the TV-receiver;
• Enter the TV menu, and look for the tuning mode;
• turn on the automatic channel search;
• When exiting the search mode we save the settings.

TIP. Antennas can be external and indoor, with or without an amplifier. As to which option will be preferable for you, ask the experts.

The main advantage of terrestrial television is that there is no subscription fee. In this case, the number of available channels is small, and you can not affect it. If there are natural obstacles in the form of hills, tall buildings, trees, reception of the air signal may be difficult or impossible.

Cable TV

This type of digital television viewing is most common in large cities. Its peculiarity is the transmission of a digital signal through cable.

To configure your TV to digital via cable without a set-top box, the following conditions must be met:

To connect the service you need to perform the following steps:

• Select a provider (if there are several), conclude a contract with it;
• to connect the cable from the junction box to your apartment, get a Smart card from the provider, connect the cable and the card to the appropriate sockets on your TV;
• set up cable signal reception, this is one of the most complicated stages of the connection. You need to enter some parameters (frequency of the signal, data transmission standard used by the operator, etc.) and the number of TV channels. д.). All this information should be given to you by your provider, as well as the instructions for connection.
• Ability to watch up to 150 channels with a choice of thematic packages (some providers offer individual channel configuration service);
• Signal quality does not depend on external conditions, the main thing is that your home already has a cable network.

Among the disadvantages are a relatively small number of channels you can receive, due to the technical limitations of signal transmission through cable, which do not depend on the provider. In addition, this is a paid service, and the subscription fee depends on the number of purchased packages for watching.

IPTV television

This way of watching has existed for a relatively long time, but its spread was constrained by insufficient bandwidth of the Internet. Today there are no problems with it: to watch standard (not HD) resolution channels you need only 15 MB/sec, while the minimum provided by some Internet providers is from 30 MB/sec.

So IPTV television is gradually replacing satellite viewing, becoming the predominant way to watch digital television.

Considering that the Internet is present in almost every family, it remains only to find a suitable provider who provides this service, although you can find free playlists, including self-updating ones, online.

All you need to do is to install a correspondent application. a player for watching IPTV. on your TV and set it up by uploading a playlist or a link to it.

Of course, the TV must be connected to the Internet, either by cable or via Wi-Fi. LAN-connection is preferable, but for this TV must have an appropriate connector. Wi-Fi support is not present in all TVs, so you may have to buy a special adapter.

Among the advantages is the possibility to watch an unlimited number of channels, and you can catalog them, for example, on your computer using a special program.

The main disadvantage of IPTV-viewing is possible “stutters”, hangs, if the speed of Internet has suddenly decreased or the load on the server, transmitting a digital signal, increases. Note also that, compared to other viewing options, there is some delay in the broadcast, ranging from a few to tens of seconds, although this is not critical.

Smart TV

TVs with a Smart icon on them cost more than their analogues. The thing is that they are initially designed to watch online content. YouTube, online movie theaters, etc. д. Strictly speaking, Smart TV can, in a sense, be perceived as a substitute for a computer. it has a built-in browser, you can control it with both a traditional remote control and a mouse, including an air mouse.

TV with a set-top box doesn‘t show

98% of the problems viewers have with digital terrestrial television are related to user equipment or reception conditions: the location of the house, topography, buildings, and in the summer the blossoming foliage.

Based on the hotline data, RTRS experts have compiled the Top 5 problems of viewers and suggest ways to solve them

“Whiskers” and “dryers”, or the wrong antenna

“The first multiplex does not work, the second with interference”. this is how many complaints about the hot line for the trimmer start. The first thing is to figure out what kind of antenna the viewer has. Typical response: “I don’t know what kind of antenna I have. It hangs very high on a pine tree and was put there many years ago.”.

A little bit of theory. Digital terrestrial television shows without interference, it is either there in excellent quality, or there is none at all. So in cases when the picture on the screen is sharp and then completely gone, the diagnosis is clear: the antenna is receiving the signal at the limit of its capacity. And any change in reception conditions. blossoming leaves, rain, a passing car. changes the signal to such a level that its power for this antenna is no longer enough. On the analog TV the screen would be interfered. “Digital” is disappearing altogether. The conclusion is simple: it is necessary to pick up the aerial appropriate for your place so that it gives the TV or the STB a signal of sufficient power.

Antennas can be indoor or outdoor. Room is placed in the apartment and is suitable if the TV tower is in direct line of sight. If the distance to the tower is more than 10 km, you need an outside antenna. It is installed on a balcony, facade or roof.

According to the frequencies received antennas are divided into meter (analog channels), decimeter (digital channels) and all-wave (“analog” and “digital”). By 2019, more than 12 million Russians were receiving “analog” on the meter band: for example, on antennas like “moustache” or “polka” (“dryer”). They are ineffective for digital reception. Those, who didn’t have time to update their equipment and tried to tune in “digital” on the new receiver with the old antenna, faced with the same periodic loss of TV signal. The old antenna picks up something, but not always. The problem is solved only by changing the antenna to decimeter. The most suitable type is “Christmas tree”.

Rarely, difficulties with reception arise from overamplification of the signal. According to the type of gain allocate active antennas (with an amplifier) and passive (without it). Excessive gain causes interference. Therefore, you should not use an active antenna near the tower. Amplifier is needed in the countryside, in the countryside, at a great distance from the tower in the city.

“Turning the wrong way”, or wrong orientation of the antenna

The problem with insufficient signal can be caused by the receiving antenna “looking in the wrong direction. Zheleznovodsk viewer complained of short interruptions and signal freezes. It turned out that the antenna was turned to the opposite side from the city TV tower. Because of that the signal level was weak, and the error level was high. Same problem: The slightest change in receiving conditions, and the signal is gone. Antenna rotation solved the problem. And such instances occur regularly.

To orient the antenna to the nearest tower the interactive map on the site rts After connection to the TV (or set-top box) by cable watch the indicators of level and quality of a signal on the TV screen. Slowly rotate the antenna around its axis. Pay attention to the signal strength and quality bars. Get the best possible readings: signal level. not less than 60%, quality. 100%.

Sometimes a “wrong turn” does not lead to disruption, but deprives local news. A TV-pilot from the village of Pizhma in Mari El pointed his antenna in the direction of Sanchursk (Kirov Region) and received the Kirov news on the air. In order to watch Mari local programs he had to turn the antenna towards Yoshkar-Ola.

“Know her place”, or wrong antenna placement

“The multiplexes reception readings vary from 0% to 75%,” the viewer writes. It turned out that his private house is located 50 meters away from a dense forest and the antenna was installed at the level of six meters above the ground.

Raising the antenna higher often solves the problem with reception. At large distances from the TV tower and near natural obstacles, the recommended height for antenna placement is 10 meters from ground level.

It is not necessary to put the aerial on an attic under a roof from a metal tile: this shielding surface interferes with penetration of a signal.

In case of indoor antenna the best place is the window sill that faces the tower. If there is no such window, it is recommended to receive reflected signal. For example, to direct the antenna to the wall of the neighboring house. Sometimes you have to move the antenna to another room.

Spoons, forks and beer cans, or the disadvantages of homemade antennas

A resident of Erofei Pavlovich village in the Amur region managed to receive TV with a tablespoon, but the signal kept disappearing.

Self-made crafts are also made from aluminum table forks, from the rear grilles of refrigerators, from head gaskets of internal combustion engine block, from welding electrodes, from a fishing net, from gymnastic hoops and even from beer cans.

There are successful models, but they are rare, because they require sufficient knowledge in physics and radio engineering. For reliable reception of TV signals it is recommended to receive the signal not “on a wire” but on a factory certified antenna.

Keep the cable safe, or why it’s important to check connections

If there is no signal, it is worth checking the cable connections between the antenna and the receiver. There was a known case when the viewer jammed the antenna cable with a sack of potatoes. The cable was disconnected from the TV set and the signal was lost. The viewer found out after a week without TV.

The denser the braid on the cable and the thicker the central core, the stronger the cable.

The cause of intermittent reception of TV can be a damaged (oxidized) connector on the TV, to which the antenna cable is connected. If you clean the connections and replace the connector, television reception will be restored.

In the case of problems with TV reception, it is also recommended to check the place of connection of the antenna cable to the outdoor antenna installed on the roof of the house. There connector is no less prone to oxidation.

Difficulties with the set-top box

External factors

The equipment may be perfectly serviceable. However, the receiver still does not show the channels of digital terrestrial television, or the signal is too weak. Correct work of the satellite dish can interfere and a number of external factors.

The passage of signals is impeded:

Branches and trees can still be cut down, but the other two reasons present great difficulties. If you can not eliminate obstacles to the signal, try to move the antenna itself in a more favorable and open place.

This may require:

Missing channels T2 2021

If you have not previously had problems with digital terrestrial signal reception, but the TV screen gives the message “T2 no signal” and all channels are missing at one point today on MONDAY, then the first thing you should pay attention to is preventive measures on the repeater.

In the Комментарии и мнения владельцев to this article there is a link to the Zeonbud site with a schedule of preventive maintenance. So in 2021 it is May 24 and September 6.

Why doesn‘t the TV with a digital set-top box show

As standard, 20 channels are available for viewing through the digital tuner. The main reasons that lead to interruptions in the broadcast:

Often, the breakage is corrected on your own without turning to the service. Each variant of the problem has its own solutions, in the first case, the broadcast will resume after the completion of technical work.

Technological malfunction or technical work

Technical malfunction at the station where the signal comes from is the main reason for the absence of some channels. In the case where the broadcast is not restored for a long time, you can try to find programs on your own. What to do:

• Go to “Settings” on the TV;
• through the menu “Automatic settings” activate “Auto search”, the system will start scanning frequencies for missing channels;
• Use the “Manual Search Setup” when the automatic one fails.

To start searching manually, you must first find the frequency map of Russia on the Internet, which will indicate the parameters of the broadcast. The only exception is the situation when the channel ceased to exist and disappeared from the air.

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Incorrect encoding of the DRE-channel

Digital set-top box does not show. a common problem when the digital tuner is not used for a long time. Broadcast digital channels will resume automatically after turning on the network. It may take several hours for the correct synchronization of data, during this period the receiver can’t be disconnected from the network, otherwise the DRE encoding won’t be corrected.

No digital tuner registration

Stopped showing at least 2 channels. a direct result of the lack of registration of the tuner. To check that the technique is entered into the system you need to go to the website of the service provider. Check the serial number in the registration section, if there is no serial number. After saving the data the receiver is rebooted.

End of subscription to the services provided by your provider

If you do not pay for satellite TV service on time. on the screen you will see the message that the channels are paid. With this message all broadcasts are blocked and it is impossible to watch TV programs. It is possible to correct the malfunction by paying the bill. It’s completely different situation when a message pops up on a free channel, in this situation the provider should warn you that the channel has become a paid one and you have to subscribe to watch it.

Influence of bad weather on the antenna

Heavy rains cause interruptions in broadcasts, bad weather interferes with the quality of the signal. In such cases you don’t need to move your antenna or take it outdoors, broadcasting will resume when the weather stabilizes. All you need to do afterwards is to check the connection cable for continuity and in case of breakage replace it.

No signal

No signal. message pops up unexpectedly and leads to confusion. There may be many reasons for loss of connection, you should look for the problem gradually:

• Check the integrity of the wires, signs of oxidation or breaks lead to a deterioration and complete loss of signal;
• turn on the set-top box and see the menu display, on the back of the tuner there is an RCA connector, which may have a damaged plate;
• Check the possibility of connecting digital channels in the house.

Cases where the user buys a T2 and does not check the digital card are some of the most common.

Incompatible software

One of the causes of failure in the broadcast. a system failure in the software. You can check the incompatibility by entering the “Restore Channels” mode when an error is displayed:

If you still have questions or complaints, let us know

• Press “CHANEL” and “TV/Radio” simultaneously, the buttons are located on the remote control and the receiver itself;
• A loading window appears where you select “STANDBY”.

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Faulty antenna settings

Not shows half of the channels. a direct indication of a malfunction in the antenna setup. The problem can be solved by a technician, so you should call your provider and order additional configuration. Also it can be bad contact between the equipment.

Insufficient antenna power

The quality of broadcast channels depends on the signal level. The closer the tower is to your home, the clearer the transmission will be. If several channels are missing, you should turn the antenna to improve the signal. To check the quality press “i”, after clicking on the screen you will see a bar with the levels, if the value is 50% or less the channel will not show. The solution will be to buy a powerful antenna or amplifier. If the distance between the house and the tower is 2 km, a room antenna is enough for a good quality of work. If you use a collective antenna, the power drops and the signal splits.

Damage to the STB

If channels are missing on the digital set-top box, you should check the tuner for malfunction. Breaking Alarms:

• The STB does not show the receiver main menu, but there is no mechanical damage to the connectors;
• STB continuously restarts;
• The antenna is properly tuned, but when you switch channels, there is no information about the signal quality.

If you see one of these symptoms. you must call a master for diagnostics.

The TV set is damaged

If the equipment doesn‘t react to pressing the buttons. it can be the cause of serious problems and require long-term repair at the service. Before you call a technician, you should do a basic check:

• See if the cord is unplugged and if there is any light in the house, if there is a voltage drop, the protection may trip and turn off the TV for a while;
• Check that the remote control is working and the batteries are charged;
• Remove unnecessary objects from the surface of the set-top box, the presence of physical interference blocks the signal;
• Look at the serviceability of the indicators, when using the remote control is the reaction of the indicator;
• Check the modes, if the sleep function is on. the screen will be black.

General Tips

Don’t panic if the TV doesn‘t show digital channels via set-top box, satellite, or cable. First, figure out if there is a common signal in the house or apartment. Check the TV on another TV or a neighbor.

Then, follow the simplest algorithm:

• Restart all equipment by turning it off from the network for 10-20 seconds.
• Check continuity of cable and connectors. Visually inspect everything.
• Run the autodetect. Save your changes.
• Call the operator to find out if there is a general fault on the line.

Advice. If after all the operations failed to restore the work of the channels, call the master. You should not disassemble the equipment yourself and look for internal faults. It can lead to the purchase of expensive equipment.