[TimtheArtist]

Will most or all new HDTVs allow you to add channels to the channels the TV finds through the auto scan feature. I use a digital antenna and with my current TV (an 8 yr old Vizio that just died) it would only store the channels that it found with its auto scan so I had to try to position the digital antenna so that the TV could find the most HD channels at once. As far as I could tell I couldn't add additional channels that I could pickup by rotating the antenna to a new position or by simply keying the channel in manually. It was frustrating because I knew I was missing out on some channels and I'm hoping that all the new TVs that I will be looking at tomorrow won't have this fatal flaw. The vast majority of users use cable or satellite and don't use digital antennas so I've never seen this topic discussed. I have a particular HDTV in mind to buy tomorrow and it's the Sharp LC-42lb261u. It's a budget TV but I'm hoping it will work well for me. Thanks for the help.


-Tim

 

[Larry Kenney]

Tim... You'll need to check each set before you buy it. Many sets allow you to "Add Digital Channels", some still do not. Some let you add a station manually, but most don't.

I have a Sony that allows me to add channels and a Panasonic that doesn't. The Panasonic is much newer than the Sony. Neither one will allow me to add channels manually, but my $40 Insignia digital to analog converter box allows me to do everything. Ask the sales person to get the remote so that you can check this feature before you spend your good money.

Larry
SF

 

[TimtheArtist]

Tim... You'll need to check each set before you buy it. Many sets allow you to "Add Digital Channels", some still do not. Some let you add a station manually, but most don't.

I have a Sony that allows me to add channels and a Panasonic that doesn't. The Panasonic is much newer than the Sony. Neither one will allow me to add channels manually, but my $40 Insignia digital to analog converter box allows me to do everything. Ask the sales person to get the remote so that you can check this feature before you spend your good money.

Larry
SF

Thanks for the response Larry. I'm not quite sure how trying the remote in the store will help because they won't be set up with a digital antenna like mine. They will probably be using cable or satellite and all of the channels available will already have been scanned and found, right? To truly test this I would need to input a channel that they TV can receive but has not yet been stored in the channel list. Does that make sense? I'll still try to find out by checking out the TVs and asking the sales guy though I really doubt this is something they would know about. I'm going to Best Buy to buy the TV. I have selected a few more TVs to demo and I'll see if I can find some information in their manuals online before I go in. I find this unbelievable that this is still an issue today. I really appreciate your input.


-Tim

 

[Digital Rules]

Some of the Best Buys around here have an OTA antenna connected to their distribution system, so you can in fact test the tuner. The in-store channels are modulated over coax cable instead of using HDMI or component connections.

 

[ProjectSHO89]

You use the remote to see if the option appears in the menus. You don't need an antenna connected to check for that, you just need the remote.

 

[DrDon]

You can also locate the thread on any model you're considering in our Displays section and just ask.

Which is where all questions about tv sets go, btw.