VIP222 not recognizing local digital channels?

[clj2]

I have hooked my OTA antenna up to my Dish VIP222 receiver because there are some local digitals/subchannels I want to get....have gotten several channels that way, but the results have been less than satisfactory...I don't want to have to use a converter box, Dish box, etc. I thought maybe I could combine it (I don't have a HDTV/digital set yet)

I used just a basic amplified antenna which does great for me, that is all I need given my location. When using said antenna with a cheap DTV converter box, I get all of my locals (many at around 80%) and their subchannels, with no problem.

So, like I said, I hooked that antenna in to the OTA jack in my VIP222 so I could just get them on the same box that I get my satellite programming on and cut back on wires and remote controls. When I go to Local Channels > Scan, VIP222 recognizes FIVE digital channels that way, while I get 20 digital channels with the DTV box, most in the 65-80% neighborhood strength wise that way - all of my locals and the subs. 7.1, 7.2, and the ETV channels show at 70% strength on my VIP222. Those 5 are the only ones VIP222 will recognize, no matter how many times I try to re-scan, add, or move the antenna.

When I try to get, say, 21.1 and 21.2, which blast in with the DTV converter, they are not recognized on the VIP222 when I scan for local digital channels. Not recognized when I enter it manually either, using the virtual or the digital channel. Zero strength it says, I know the signals are strong enough. And yes, these are the locals included with my Dish locals, I'm just trying to get the .2 and .3's....it's like they're just not there (except for the same 7.1, 7.2, 29.1, 29.2, 29.3, which always come in on the Dish box), but if I use the converter box, I get everything just fine.

So, my question, what is my VIP222 not recognizing that the cheap DTV converter is? Is there anything I can do? Just very confusing. Sorry for such a long post. Thanks...

 

[rocket69]

The tuners in the dish box are hit and miss . With your set up i wuld try and remove the ant amp and re scan. your amp could be over powering the tuner.

 

[garys]

You could try adding the missing channels manually. You would need to use the transit numbers and not the local channel numbers.

 

[TheKrell]

Agree with rocket. I have a 612 that would only scan in a few channels when I had an amp in the circuit. I had to remove the amp and add a trap for a nearby station before I got them all. Note that on Dish tuners, if you get down below 70 you are about to lose lock entirely. Note also that it's not really a signal strength meter; it's more like an inverse digital error rate meter where 100 means no errors. So, you could be seeing lousy "signal strength" when in fact the signal strength is too great.

 

[clj2]

Thank you all for your answers and suggestions! Sorry for the delayed response.

I'm starting to wonder if it has to do with digital channels above ch. 9. I get channels on digital numbers 7 (actually on 7) and digital 9 (29), but anything above that is DEAD. Still getting the same 5 DTV channels. Have tried manually, different antennas, un-amplified, etc...no luck.

Could it be possible that I can't receive anything above 9 for some reason? No matter what antenna I try, any channel that broadcasts from a ch # above 9 is just....not there. DTV box still pulls everything in fine...funny thing, digital channel 9/actual 29 is very weak but VIP222 still picks it up, but none of the others that have better signals.

Thanks again.

 

[TheKrell]

Recommend posting your TV Fool results. If the AGC control logic is all screwed up in the 222 as I am convinced it was on my 612, then we can explain your results (as well as mine) by the existence of one very strong station that prevents the tuner from locking channels above the very strong one.

 

[clj2]

TV Fool

The stations in green are the only ones I'm trying to get. Even with my distance, these are extremely powerful stations that never seem to break up OTA.

I should be able to get WMYA-DT, but no way does it recognize it.

 

[boba]

Please tell us more about the TV antenna and where it is located? Are you using the same antenna at the same location when comparing it to the DTV converter? If I am reading your post correctly the 222 is only getting channel 7.1 actual VHF ch 7 and 29.1 actual VHF ch 9 no UHF channels?

 

[clj2]

Yes, that is correct. No UHF channels. And that's strange, because the UHF channels are stronger at my location than the VHF. I get 29/actual 9 and 7/actual 7 only. Which is funny, because the 29/9 signal can be difficult to get and breaks up OTA and through the 222 sometimes.

This is the antenna I am using (has always worked great for me):
Amazon.com: Philips High Performance Amplified Indoor Uhf/Vhf/Fm/HDTV Antenna: Electronics

The antenna is sitting on my 222 which sits above the TV. When I connect the antenna to the converter, I just move the cord down to it which is close to the floor- I don't move the antenna, and it's on the same set. I don't understand why the VIP222 won't grab the UHF channels which are the strongest.

 

[boba]

With that information I would have to guess at a bad tuner in the 222.

 

[clj2]

Makes sense to me. At least it gets my satellite channels and the locals through satellite, I can still use my DTV box for the subs. Thanks