How to Add a Dtv Converter Box to a Tv Set

For those of you with an older analog TV who gets your signals over the air with an antenna, you'll need a DTV converter box after 6/12/2009 to get your signals. This article will help you hook it up. And don't worry, I'll walk you through the entire process in plain-English!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• DTV (digital converter box)
• Coaxial (coax) cables
• A/V cables
• S-video cables

1. ** Connect TV antenna to converter box **
   
   The first step in the process is to hook your TV antenna into the new converter box. And you do this by connecting the antenna cable to the RF (coax) IN on the converter box.
   
   Note:
   
   (a) If you are using rabbit ears, you'll plug them directly into the RF in of your converter box
   
   (b) If you are using an outside antenna, then you'll connect the cable coming from the antenna jack in the wall to the RF in of your converter box

2. ** Connect converter box to VCR or DVD **
   
   If you have or will have a VCR or DVD so you can record programs, you'll need to do this step. But if you don't or won't have a VCR or DVD, then you can skip right to step # 4.
   
   (a) If your converter box has an RF (analog) antenna pass-through, then you'll simply connect a coax cable from the RF (coax) OUT on the converter box to the antenna IN on your VCR or DVD recorder.
   
   (b)If your converter box does NOT have this RF pass-through, then you'll need to use either RCA composite or S-video connections.
   
   (i) With composite cables, you'll connect one from the video OUT of the box to the video IN on your VCR or DVD. Then connect the others to your audio OUT on the box to the audio IN on your VCR or DVD.
   
   Note: Make sure you connect the audio cables from the left OUT on the box to the left IN on the VCR or DVD. And from the right OUT on the box to the right IN on the VCR or DVD.
   
   (ii) With an s-video cable, you'll connect one from the video OUT of the box to the video IN on your VCR or DVD. Then connect your audio using the same process as mentioned in (i) above. In other words, the s-video cable carries the video (picture). And the audio (sound) is carried over the composite cables. The advantage is that s-video is a higher quality picture than composite!

3. ** Connect VCR or DVD to TV set **
   
   If you have a VCR or DVD, then you'll need to complete the hook-up process by connecting the machine to your television. So you only need to do this step is you had to complete step # 2 above.
   
   (a) If you have coax connections, just connect a coax cable from the antenna OUT on your VCR or DVD to the antenna IN on your tv set
   
   (b) If you don't have coax connections, then you'll need to use either s-video or composite cables to connect your VCR or DVD to your tv.
   
   (i) With s-video, connect an s-video cable from the s-video OUT on your VCR or DVD to your s-video IN on your tv. Then connect composite audio cables from the audio OUT on your VCR or DVD to the audio IN on your TV. Once again, make sure you connect the left out to the left in and the right out to the right in.
   
   (ii) For composite connection, follow the same steps for audio in (i) above. But for the video, you'll connect a video composite cable from the video OUT on the VCR or DVD to the video IN on your tv.
   
   Congratulations, you're all done! Now all you have to do is set the converter box to either channel 3 or 4 and setup the channels by following the instructions that came with your box.

4. ** Connect converter box to TV set **
   
   (a) If you have coax connections, just connect a coax cable from the antenna OUT on your converter box to the antenna IN on your tv set
   
   (b) If you don't have coax connections, then you'll need to use either s-video or composite cables to connect your converter box to your tv.
   
   (i) With s-video, connect an s-video cable from the s-video OUT on your converter box to your s-video IN on your tv. Then connect composite audio cables from the audio OUT on your converter box to the audio IN on your TV. Once again, make sure you connect the left out to the left in and the right out to the right in.
   
   (ii) For composite connection, follow the same steps for audio in (i) above. But for the video, you'll connect a video composite cable from the video OUT on the converter box to the video IN on your tv.

Tips & Warnings

• RF or analog antenna by-pass (pass-through) is the simpliest hookup
• S-video will give you the highest picture quality
• Composite connections will give you the poorest picture quality. Use only if you have to!
• Depending upon the converter box you're using, you may not be able to manually add channels. Some only do an auto search for channels, but won't let you add ones it doesn't detect.
• You should rescan for channels after June 12 to make sure your box detects all the ones it can
• If you're using rabbit ears, you may not need a new and expensive antenna! I suggest leaving it alone to see what reception will be like. And then take it from there.
• Expensive HDTV antennas are not necessary! A good quality regular VHF / UHF antenna will do just fine.
• Visit antennaweb.org to see what stations you can get in your area.
• Some stations may operate on one channel (frequency) prior to conversion on June 12. For example, broadcasting on channel 13 before June 12 and channel 38 afterwards.
• Channels 2 to 13 are VHF stations. Channels 14 up are UHF.