OTA local scan

Trouthead

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Jan 8, 2004
243
8
Rockies
I have been getting 4 OTA local digital channels. I have an outside antenna, and it runs through my 622 receiver. I hadn't scaned for local in a few months and decided to do so the other night. To my happy surprise it now showed 6 OTA channel. However when the left hand screen shows the channel, and the guide shows the channels I only get 4. Any idea what is going on.
 
wish it was that simple

First there is no "SAVE", At one point a popup screen that is scanning for channels shows 70 stations scanned and 6 found, but the screen below on the left side of my TV screen, will only list 4, the same four I have had for months.

No new names are added but i keep the old ones? Could it be just a test station?? I am picking up??
 
I have been getting 4 OTA local digital channels. I have an outside antenna, and it runs through my 622 receiver. I hadn't scaned for local in a few months and decided to do so the other night. To my happy surprise it now showed 6 OTA channel. However when the left hand screen shows the channel, and the guide shows the channels I only get 4. Any idea what is going on.

are you using a favorites list? you may need to add them to your list.
 
Guys, I deleted all of the OTA channels and did a re-scan. I get the message 70 channels scanned, 6 channels found, But only 4 show up on the left side of the OTA screen and only 4 show up in the guide. I don't mess with favorites, ao this is showing up in the all channel guide.

I tried it twice. still it says 6 found but only 4 show up. I am at a loss.
 
Guys, I deleted all of the OTA channels and did a re-scan. I get the message 70 channels scanned, 6 channels found, But only 4 show up on the left side of the OTA screen and only 4 show up in the guide. I don't mess with favorites, ao this is showing up in the all channel guide.

I tried it twice. still it says 6 found but only 4 show up. I am at a loss.
Do you have some locked and hidden? I do on my receiver and don't see all the ones that come up on the scan (purposely).
 
Just so we're completely clear on what is going on I want to confirm with some menu images.

You start at this screen: (Menu 6 - 9)
localchan.jpg


Click "Select All" then "Delete" Confirm the delete and the list on the left is empty.
Select "Done"
When you come back in the screen is empty as shown above.

You click on Scan Locals, and see this screen:
localchan-scanlc.jpg

During the scan of the 69 channels, it finds 6 local channels then goes to this screen:
localchan-scanlc-dn.jpg

Which indicates "Channels Found: 6"

But when you click "OK", you go back to the first screen and it only shows you 4 channels in the list on the left?

It's possible the receiver is failing to update the list, or it's possible that some of the channels it's finding don't really exist.

A few things you can try:
-Hook you OTA antenna to your HDTV (If it has an ATSC input) and see if the channels appear.
-If you have parental controls set, unlock the system first.
-Delete all OTA channels as instructed above then do a Restore Factory Defaults (Menu - 6 - 6) Then try the scan again.
-ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT!! If you feel very sure of yourself, and are not worried about possible negative effects, you can try the directions listed from this post
http://www.satelliteguys.us/1101407-post46.html
WARNING: If you go to thread instead of that post and follow the directions from post #1 instead of #46 in that thread you will reformat your hard drive and lose all recordings. Also note that dish sometimes changes these backdoors in updated software releases, so if after a few tries, it doesn't seem to do anything, it's possible that it won't work anymore.
-If none of this helps, and you can see the extra 2 channels from another source, perhaps you just need to have your 622 replaced.
 
AF,

Your screen shots are right on. That is exactly what happens. Can't hook up to my TV as it does not have the digital tuner built in. I don't have any children and I never set up any parental controls.

I will (I think) give the "Restore Factory Defaults" a shot. Are there any downsides or potential problems to doing the "Restore"?

My best guess is that these are some sort of test stations and that maybe they will load when digital goes complete.

thanks for all the help.
 
By default, none of the OTA channels are selected. You must individually select each box left of the channels you want (it will turn purple) or just choose the Select All button.
 
the same 4 old channels show up in the boxes. I choose the Select All Button. What I don't get is some other two channels that it seems to be reading when it says Channels Found 6.

Rabbit ears only list 4 within 80 miles but 6 within 100 miles. I get the 4.

There is not a chance of picking up the two that are more than 100 miles away.
 
the same 4 old channels show up in the boxes. I choose the Select All Button. What I don't get is some other two channels that it seems to be reading when it says Channels Found 6.

Rabbit ears only list 4 within 80 miles but 6 within 100 miles. I get the 4.

There is not a chance of picking up the two that are more than 100 miles away.

Are you getting any sub channels of the 4 channel. The receiver counts those as well.
 
Are you getting any sub channels of the 4 channel. The receiver counts those as well.

I was also leaning toward this (from daveray) as the poster's solution. For the varying brands of OTA digital converter boxes, some boxes count each channel as a "channel" and each subchannel as a "channel" which I think is slightly misleading. Then other boxes define a channel and its corresponding subchannels as a "service", which is what I would rather see during a scan -- that is, JUST the number of TV transmitters from which I'm getting a signal.

Eric
 
I get 2 versions of PBS, both of which show up on the guide and two other channels both of which show up on the guide, and all 4 come it with a strong signal. In fact the HD PBS is the best HD picture I get and I have Dish and Direct.

So 6 channels now show up as found, but i only can tune in 4 and i have no idea what the other two possible channels could be.

What is a "sub" channel?
 
OTA scan

First there is no "SAVE", At one point a popup screen that is scanning for channels shows 70 stations scanned and 6 found, but the screen below on the left side of my TV screen, will only list 4, the same four I have had for months.

No new names are added but i keep the old ones? Could it be just a test station?? I am picking up??

Don't know about the 622, but on the 722 you have to hit done when the scan is done. That puts the new channels into the guide - at least on the 722
 
Trouthead said:
...What is a "sub" channel?

The "decimal" channels, like .1, .2, .3, etc. So 6.1 and 6.2 would both count as channels found. And you would see them listed separately in your EPG (assuming you're paying for locals from Dish so the OTA locals also get EPG info)...

The .1 channel is usually the HD version and the .2 is the SD version. You could have alternate programming on .3 and .4. Not all digital channels use all the subs...
 
Just to make things clear....... I know how to run the receiver to get the channels into the memory. There is nothing I am doing that is wrong.

Still stumped as to why I get more channels found than get saved. Even when it says 6 channels found and I "SAVE" them all I only get 4.
 
Just to make things clear....... I know how to run the receiver to get the channels into the memory. There is nothing I am doing that is wrong.

Still stumped as to why I get more channels found than get saved. Even when it says 6 channels found and I "SAVE" them all I only get 4.
Methinks that the channels have such a weak signal that something is changing between when you scan and when you finish that they are dropping out of signal.

How's your OTA antenna? I had issues with my first (crappy) one and then I built my own coat-hangar antenna and it picks up more channels and with a greater signal strength.

I seem to recall re-doing a scan with the weaker antenna and some of my locals not showing up in the list afterward. A re-scan with a stronger signal solved the problem. Sounds like you are getting the 4 nearby and the 2 further away are too intermittent to be showing up. Have you repositioned the antenna toward the additional 2 from the rabbit ears info?

For me, I have all my channels but one coming from a certain direction and the odd-ball one comes about 90 degrees off so it's more difficult to pick up.


-Just to be thorough - you don't have your receiver in locked mode, do you?
 
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