How to Install the HDTV Converter Box
You've finally got your HDTV converter kit. What do you do with it? Converting your analog TV to HDTV involves only a few steps and results in more channels to watch and clearer reception.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Analog television
- HDTV converter box
- Remote control for converter
- Battery
- Coaxial cable
- Antenna
- Electrical outlet
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1
Read all the documentation that comes with your HDTV converter kit. Neglecting this one step will turn an easy job into a complicated one.
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2
Identify each item that is included in your kit. Also, look closely at the connections on the back of your TV and your HDTV converter. The name of each connection will be printed above it.
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3
Hide any remote control that came with your TV. You will be using the HDTV converter remote that comes in your conversion kit instead. Insert the battery that is provided into the converter's remote control.
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4
Unplug your television to prevent electrical shocks.
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5
Disconnect your antenna from your television. Remove it from the connection labeled "Antenna in (RF)" on the back of your TV.
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6
Identify the type of antenna connection you use. It will be either a coaxial connector or a twin-lead connector. Coaxial connectors use a round cable and a twist-on plug. Twin-lead connectors are embedded in a flat plastic ribbon.
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7
Plug the antenna you have just disconnected into the converter box's "Antenna in (RF)" port. If your antenna connection requires a twin-lead wire, use the twin-lead/coaxial adapter included in your kit to provide the needed coaxial connection.
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8
Connect the TV to the HDTV converter box. Connect the short coaxial cable in your conversion kit into the "Out to TV (RF)" port on your converter box. Attach the other end of this cable to your TV's "Antenna In (RF)" port.
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9
Plug the power cords for both the TV and the converter box into a nearby power outlet.
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10
Turn on your both your TV and your converter box. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete a full scan for all HDTV channels in your area.
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11
Use the prompts on the on-screen display to adjust for volume or to add or remove closed captioning.
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12
Decide which of the many new channels now available that you want to watch. Key in your selected channel and enjoy the enhanced quality of the display.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If your TV has A/V input jacks, you can connect the TV to the converter with A/V connectors--sometimes called RCA connectors--instead of using the coaxial cable that is included in the kit. Your antennae should pull in both UHF and VHF channels since HDTV programming appears on both bands. If your antenna only works for UHF stations, buy a new one.
Locate your antenna where it will get the best possible reception. If reception is poor, an analog TV will give you a fuzzy picture. An HDTV channel will simply not appear. You may need to do additional scans after moving your antenna to pick up channels you missed on your first scan.
