Scanning not finding channel (old thread)

I am not able to get WTTW Channel 11 (PBS) to be found when scanning. I know that this channel has received great reception with my old device, so the antennae should be able to view it. Is it possible it’s just not showing up for some reason? All the other channels are loading with almost all green dots!


Let me know if there is more information I can give to help with this problem… I NEED MY STORIES!!! :wink:

Let @TabloSupport know what your zipcode is and they will check to see if their guide provider has that channel i their DB. if not they will add it.  I had the exact same problem with WTTW and a few other PBS stations.  fixed within half of a day!


@Tablo is awesome

Awesome! Thanks @PiX64, I’ll give that a shot

Hi @petenawara - @PiX64 is correct. Send the details (your zip code and the channel call sign e.g 2-1 CBS) over to support@tablotv.com and I’ll take a look from there. Keep in mind that this may just be a reception issue if you’ve changed the orientation of your antenna when you switched from your old device to your Tablo.

petenawara,

       I recently went through a bunch of issues with a Channel in my area. First of all you may want to search the web for people that talk about problems with this channel. I did this and I found that the one station that was on the same transmission tower as another that came in crystal clear was very sensitive and even a 5 degree difference in the antenna direction could mean getting the channel or not. Armed with this information I downloaded a compass onto my iphone and move the antenna 5 degrees at a time until I found that 195 degrees got me great reception. 
I also tried an amplifier. I would not recommend an amplifier. I bought it prior to finding out that the Tablo already has an amplifier. So by buying another one it just double amplified everything including the noise. I never noticed increased noise but even though when getting total green with the channel scan on the Tablo the problem station did not come in. 
I also had a different tuner that worked for this channel and could not understand why I was having the problem with the Tablo. So,I know how frustrating this can be.  I hope you find this information helpful and it doesn’t take you a week to figure this out like it did me. 

@a9erfan First I don’t have my tablo yet.


I have an amplifier on my line just before a splitter, as I plan on running one line straight to the TV and the other to the Tablo. You mentioned that the Tablo has an amp built in, do you suggest I add the amp after the split for the line running to my TV?

Without the amp, CBS is hard to bring in and that is my wife’s channel.

Napercort,

      Why are you planning on a splitter? Tablo has the capability to stream live TV. I do not understand why do you want to have more wires than you need? You should try to use the Tablo to watch live TV. 

@a9erfan Great question. The answer is there are about two or three times a week (Fall season) that there are 4 shows recording. With a 4 tuner I am stuck watching one of them. I want the ability (if needed) to watch a fifth show if needed while the others record. 

Also my plan is to watch my Football thru the TV, not the roku or tablo via the roku. Its a DVR so I am using it as such.

Wow 5 shows at once. You must be in NY or something like that. I get 12 stations and I’d think very rare that would want to record more than 4 shows. I would also hate to watch the Football game live since that means I’m also having to watch commercials. That said amps are cheap. but I’d wait until you tried to set it up to verify that you even need an amp? Yes If I thought I needed the ability to watch a fith show your suggestion is the way I’d go also.

I plan on watching the Titans using an antenna directly to the TV rather than the Tablo (though still record the game).  I post constantly during games, and the Tablo (especially Tablo-Roku) delays the game so much that plays are being discussed on the message board before the ball is even snapped on my viewing.


I am actually using two antennas, one for the Tablo and one for my TV.  It may be a bit of overkill, but I seem to have several antennas lying around now.

…and there ya go! 


As far as 5 shows, to clarify it is a rare occurrence, but it does happen. I am in Chicago and the wife has these “stupid shows” also known as drama’s that she watches (Vampire stuff and soap operas at night, etc). Every once in a while (not all the time) those and a couple I like are on CBS,ABC,FOX,NBC and WGN. 

If a game is on then it will be on one of those stations…but that still puts 4 recording. 4 tuners means I get stuck with no game…so I split and walla…I can watch the game live while the four shows record and I am happy and she is happy.


Back to the original discussion of not being able to tune in one station. I’m having a simular problem that petenawara first reported in that one channel will not come in. I was able to correct with my 2 tuner by positioning of antenna but with the 4 tuner no such luck. I think the 4 tuner does not pull in stations as good as the 2 tuner did. I also have a lot more pixulation than I did with the 2 tuner. I did test if moving my antenna outside would help and in my test it did make it so it would receive my problem station. So now I will be moving my antenna outside. Lickly I have an antenna that can go outdoors.


I have a 4 Tuner Tablo with a similar issue with one channel that isn't showing up.  After contacting Tablo Support and asking for it to be added I still was not able to pick the channel up.  As part of trouble shooting that I have been doing with Support I have connected my antenna directly to my TV, scanned channels and picked up the station that the Tablo just won't scan in.

Has anyone else had this happen (TV can scan the channel but the Tablo can't) and how were you able to resolve the issue?  Are the Tablo tuners that weak or does it have a high threshold signal cutoff than TV or other PC tuners?  While this particular station is a lower power (170KW) transmitter I am located 12 miles LOS from the tower.

Any ideas?



I had this issue ALOT. CBS was the tricky one for me. Amps, splits, no splits then finally no amps. Moved my antenna to a higher position and did the same thing. Finally got all green on all channels (that I need) by a straight run to the Tablo without any amps or splitters.


Oddly last night (and a few other nights) the recordings were choppy. So I tried something out. Since I scanned straight to the Tablo without an amp and got all green strong signals I added an amp and recorded shows on all channels last night. (Note I did not try to rescan with Tablo just added the amp). The shows recorded without a single blip in signal.

So based on that…Position the antenna as high as you can straight to the tablo. Once you have the strong signal’s loaded, then add an amp. Perhaps that will help?

It is frustrating as I too have TV’s picking up channels without a single issue but once the Tablo is inserted…butkus. Its working for me now Channel 11 as well as CBS, which if you live in Chicago…you know CBS is a bear.

@fubie and @napercort - It’s certainly frustrating for sure. It’s on my to-do list to write a blog post explaining why sometimes you can get a signal through your TV but not Tablo. It doesn’t happen very often and usually only when you’re right on the edge of available vs. unavailable. 


@napercort is right in that improving your signal (usually getting your antenna in a better position or getting a more powerful antenna) is the solution. 

@TabloSupport, I am in zipcode 90290. When I scan via my antenna rigged to my tv, not to the table, fox (KTTV 11) comes right in, but it does not on the tablo. Can you get this set up?

Thanks!

If the channel does not show in Live TV, they can’t fix it. If it is in Live TV but missing guide data, they CAN fix that.

Since it comes in on the TV and NOT on Tablo, I suspect the station isn’t strong and when split 4 way, it isn’t good enough to view. An amplifier might help. What antenna do you have?