# Dumb, i mean uninformed, TV question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099 "2003-02-24T05:05:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/1 "2003-02-24T05:05:07Z")
My aunt has just moved into a new complex, and we have connected the TV to their cable, and all we are getting are channels 6 & 7 (both lousy). Others get all kinds of channels. What could it be? The TV is a Phillips Magnavox, manufactured February 1996? 1998? (hard to read). All the hip family members are a hundred miles away. Help help help! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/2 "2003-02-24T05:11:19Z")
Has she called the cable company to start service? Although the building is wired for cable in each apartment, it’s not on until you subscribe. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/3 "2003-02-24T05:15:10Z")
Quick guess (if she already has the cable service on): Check in the menu using the remote: Check for a TV/CATV choice: Chances are her TV is set for the TV (antenna) setting, picking the CATV (usually the STD choice) will get you all the cable channels. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/4 "2003-02-24T05:25:20Z")
I’d have suggested that, **GIGObuster** , but if one of the CATV modes isn’t selected, the TV will still tune channels 2 through 13 in antenna mode. I know from experimentation. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/5 "2003-02-24T05:39:41Z")
Just a nitpick: Experimenting I also got a very similar result like in the OP, if one has a TV with an auto program, chances are that it was programmed to skip the channels that the air antenna was not capturing well in the old location. For example: I set my 5-year-old TV back to TV (antenna) and darned if it only had channels 7, 10 and 13! **MaryEfoo** : to check if that is the case, select and enter a different channel in the remote like 8, and if you can see it then run the auto program again, but only after setting it to the STD, if channel 8 is just snow then **Q.E.D** has the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/6 "2003-02-24T05:53:31Z")
Yeah, but the OP said both channels 6 & 7 came in lousy. That’s the key that tells me there’s no signal present. Forgot to point that out earlier. ---
**Author:** ![mambozzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@mambozzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mambozzy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/7 "2003-02-24T05:57:16Z")
TV is the devil. Go out and ride a bike. \ Sorry. We now return you to your regularly schedueled thread. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/8 "2003-02-24T06:10:51Z")
Wups, sorry, 6 & 7 are lousy in subject matter, OK in reception. I will bring in a remote tomorrow and try the suggestions, can’t do it tonight. And will check with the complex, somehow I thought the cable was included. Thanks, I’ll be back with the results. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/9 "2003-02-24T06:17:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MaryEFoo \* > \*\*Wups, sorry, 6 & 7 are lousy in subject matter, OK in reception. > \*\* As a former denizen of the bay area, I figured out that was the case **MaryEFoo**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/10 "2003-02-24T06:24:30Z")
[ul]**There are no dumb [questions](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=There+are+no+dumb+questions&btnG=Google+Search)**[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/11 "2003-02-24T08:11:38Z")
“There are no stupid questions, only stupid people.” -Mr. Garrison, _South Park_’s worst teacher ever. 😃 (Oh, the above was a joke. The OP isn’t stupid.) ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/12 "2003-02-24T14:37:49Z")
> [@](#): > > “There are no stupid questions, but there are some questions sane people don’t ask” - my instructor in the army. (Note, that’s a joke. I don’t know the OP well enough to comment on his (or her) sanity.) ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/13 "2003-02-24T16:22:42Z")
cable might be included, sure, but that’s only after you turn it on. Why would they want to pay for monthly cable for someone who doesn’t want it? So they turn it off. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/14 "2003-02-25T00:28:10Z")
1. Setting to CATV worked! Yayyy!! Aunt is happy, I am happy! 2. **mambozzy** is right, TV is the devil and rots your brain and character to boot. 3. Who needs sanity? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-i-mean-uninformed-tv-question/157099/15 "2003-02-25T02:55:03Z")
Hey, I get free cable at my apartment complex. Actually not cable, but DirectTV that acts just like cable, so you just plug into the wall. So it’s not out of the range of possibility. Glad you got it working.