Contenuti
Intro
With the reorganization of frequencies under the national plan, a lot of people have had to figure out how to retune their TVs in order to get back to watching most of the channels present with digital terrestrial television.
Often those who buy a new TV and are not particularly comfortable with the world of technology do not know how to perform the usual channel tuning, which allows us to find the right frequencies that give us the ability to receive the signal of the major TV stations.
This task is very simple and allows us to increase the number of channels on our television, although often much depends on the geographical location we are in and the antennas we use to receive the signal. In fact, it happens that in some parts of Italy it is impossible to receive some channels as coverage is often limited.
With this short guide, we will see how to retune our TV to display all the channels we can see according to our location and configuration. We will also see how to perform the initial setup in the case of newly purchased and plugged-in televisions. Obviously, the procedures to be followed vary depending on the TV model and brand, so we will go over the process to be carried out on the most commonly used TV brands so that anyone can tune their TV.
The new standard of Televisions, the digital terrestrial DVB-T2
Since the beginning of 2022, a progressive reorganization campaign has begun for the implementation of the National Frequency Allocation Plan with the allocation of frequencies among Italian TV broadcasters. This process ended on June 30, 2022, and enabled the reordering of TV frequencies on digital terrestrial television throughout Italy. The advent of the new signal in Italy led to the so-called “refarming,” that is, the change of TV frequencies. With the release of the 700 Mhz band and the redistribution of frequencies among broadcasters, it often happens that we have to retune TV channels in order to find the new channel frequencies and continue watching our favorite TV programs.
Basically, this process of passing frequencies from broadcasters to telcos that will then be used to expand 5G, or the technologies that govern the signal of fifth-generation telephony. In addition to this, there is also a European requirement for TV operators to hand over the 700 MHz band to telephone operators for refarming. DVB-T2 will serve to allow TV broadcasters to transmit the same amount of channels, possibly also allowing for an increase in resolution and quality.
By Dvb-T2 in any case, we mean second-generation digital terrestrial, which unlike Dvb-T (the one used until 2022), will be the signal supported by the next TV sets we will find on the market. Therefore, if we own an outdated TV set, unless we have a specific setup with a decoder, we will not be able to watch TV channels. Obsolete equipment is defined as all equipment purchased before December 22, 2018.
Requirements to proceed with initial tuning and configuration
Let’s see what needs to be done when we have just bought a new TV and need to carry out the initial setup to use it. If we have just bought a new TV, we want to make sure that everything works as it should, so we must first start with the basics.
Before turning on the TV and starting the setup, we need to be sure that we have mounted the TV properly and check that the antenna and power cables are plugged in correctly. In some cases it may be necessary to connect the CAM module or an LNB cable in order to receive the satellite signal, and clearly make sure that they are firmly connected to the TV ports.
Another thing to do is to check that the TV you purchase is compatible with DVB-T2, i.e., the latest generation of digital terrestrial television that starting January 2023, will take the place of the current DVB-T. Once we have checked these basic requirements, we can proceed to the initial configuration.
First we need to turn on the TV, after a few seconds of loading the device, we will need to set some required settings. During the initial setup we will need to specify the language, the PIN of the television set, The home Wi-Fi network with which to use Smart functions (if it is a smart TV) and the type of reception with which we want to receive the television signal usually the choice is between digital terrestrial or satellite antenna.
At this point, the TV will guide us to the initial tuning, by which we will find the channels we can start watching on the screen. There are two types of tuning, automatic tuning and manual tuning. Automatic tuning allows us to find channels quickly and easily, in the case of subsequent tunings, it will allow us to overwrite the channel list without deleting those already present.
Manual configuration allows us to go and pick up the signal of individual channels of TV stations, usually used when we can no longer see some specific channels that we are interested in. To proceed with this type of manual tuning, one needs to know precisely the frequencies of the broadcasters to be added. To find out what the frequency of a channel is, all we need to do is connect to the official websites of the broadcasters and consult the section on coverage according to our geographical location. There are many sites of Rai, Mediaset and other broadcasters that give us the ability to enter the correct frequencies to receive the channels we are interested in.
Procedures for retuning and updating TV channels.
In this section we look at what needs to be done to retune all the channels on our TV set. We will see the various procedures for the most popular models and brands in order to help most people who want to update the channel list.
Standard procedure for retuning channels
This type of procedure is the basic method that works on most TVs on the market. To perform it you only need to follow very simple instructions, let’s see them. The directions we will see, will apply to most TV sets, but quite general, this is because each TV manufacturer and model uses ad hoc menus and options with different adjustment areas than other TVs.
First, we clearly need to make sure that the cables are well connected and the TV is turned on. At this point we take the remote control and use the button to open the menu or the one to go to settings (usually marked with a gear symbol).
At this point, we need to select the section related to channel management, usually called “Channels” and found in the “Image” or “General” settings. Once we open the menu related to channels, we need to select an item that has a name similar to “Tune Channels” or “Scan Channels,” and then choose either automatic or manual, depending on our needs. At this point if prompted, we need to enter the PIN we entered in the initial setup in order to perform the operation. If we did not put it at the beginning it is usually one between 1234, 1111 and 0000. If none of these turn out to be right and we did not enter any PIN in the initial setup, we need to check the TV user manual to find out the code to use, or look it up on the web.
Now that we have chosen the type of tuning, we need to choose the channel tuning mode, usually between DTV and SAT. In the case that we chose manual mode, we will need to enter the frequency of the channels to be added and further details about the signal.
Once we have done that, or in the case that we have chosen automatic tuning, we need to start the operation with the appropriate button called “Start scanning “ and press the OK button on the remote control or the button in the middle of the directional arrows, so that the channel scanning starts. At this point, we wait for the channel search, which usually takes a few minutes.
Once the scan is complete, we will find some data on the amount of services found, and then we will have to decide whether or not to resolve numbering conflicts. These numbering conflicts arise when we find more than one service for the number of one or more channels. We have two ways to resolve these situations, choose the automatic option by letting the TV resolve the situations in one go by preferring the channels with the best signal, or dissolve each issue manually by choosing the channels we prefer from the proposed options. Once this task is completed, we will have updated our TV set with the new channels and can immediately start watching them.
Retuning channels on an LG television
Let’s start by taking a look at how to do channel tuning on the most popular brands of TVs, starting with TVs from LG Electronics, a South Korean company that makes some of the best TVs on the market.
To tune channels in LG devices, we must first press the settings button (the one with a gear icon) on the remote control. Now that we are on the settings menu, we scroll down and select the menu with the symbol(⋮) that takes us to the screen with all the settings. On the new screen, we need to look for the “Channels” section in the sidebar of one of the items that appear on the screen, usually within the General Settings group.
Once inside the Channels section, we need to select the “Tune and set channels” option, which allows us to enter the frequency tuning screen. At this point we may be asked to enter the PIN to unlock the settings, once entered we will be opened to the settings.
Within this menu we will find two options that will allow us to initiate automatic tuning or manual tuning. There will be a choice of ways to find the channel, usually divided between antenna, cable and satellite, we will also be able to update the channel list and run a signal test to see the signal strength and quality.
To perform an automatic tuning, we will have to select the appropriate item, choose channel reception mode, channel sorting method and press on forward. At this point, the process of searching for channels will start and they will be added and sometimes replaced to those already present. At the end of the process we will have to choose how to resolve channel numbering conflicts.
If we want to perform manual tuning, we will have to select the appropriate item, choose channel reception mode and press on forward. At this point we will need to specify the channel, frequency and band of the programs to be added, using the entries that appear on the screen. Once we have entered the settings, such as code, frequency and bandwidth, we need to press the add button and wait for the new channels to be detected and added to the list of those already on our device.
Retuning channels on a Sony TV
After LG Electronics brand TVs, let’s see how to perform the retuning process on TVs from Sony, an American company among the leaders in the industry. We will look at how to perform this operation on the most popular models at the moment, namely Sony Bravia Smart TVs.
To carry out the operation of retuning channels on a Sony TV, first we need to open the main menu by pressing on the Home button on the remote control (the one that presents a stylized house icon). Once we get to the menu we have to select the gear icon that will take us to Settings, this button is usually visible at the bottom of the screen, or in the upper right part. At this point, we need to scroll through the options to find the “Setting” items. channel” or “Channel settings,” once this screen is open we need to select an item with a name similar to “Tuning” o “Setting digital.“
Having arrived at this menu, we can choose to carry out automatic tuning or manual tuning. To make use of automatic tuning, we choose the similar item and press Ok on “start automatic tuning,” after setting some channel reception modes we press “Start” to start the search process. Now all we have to do is wait for the channels to be added and sometimes replaced to those in the TV’s channel list. At the end of the process we will have to choose how to resolve channel numbering conflicts. We have two options to resolve these situations, choose the automatic option by letting the TV resolve the situations by preferring the channels with the best signal, or dissolve each issue manually by choosing the channels we prefer from the proposed options.
To carry out manual tuning, which allows us to add a single channel or group belonging to a specific frequency, starting from the main settings menu, we need to select “Channel Setting” or “Channel Settings.” When we arrive at the new screen, we will have to choose “Digital Tuning” or “Digital Setting” and find the “Manual Digital Preset” option that will allow us to perform certain types of scanning with detailed options.At this point we need to set the type of scanning by adjusting the channel number , frequency and bandwidth. Once we have set the parameters, we can start the search by pressing on “scan up” and if unsuccessful on “scan down.” If the parameters are correct we should be able to get the channel or group of channels that defined by the settings used.
For those who need to carry out satellite tuning, some specific steps will need to be followed in some Sony models. Once we open the channel settings, we will need to select “Tuning” or “Digital Setting. From this menu we will need to get to an option called “Settings. satellite,” from which we will be able to reach the menu we are interested in, which has a name similar to “Digital Satellite Tuning.” From this panel, we will be able to set the search parameters according to our satellite system, once we have entered the correct settings, we will have to press the “Start” button, which will allow the search for channels to begin.
Retuning channels on a Samsung TV
As we continue to see how to perform channel tuning on the most popular brands of TVs, let’s now look at the procedure to follow on TVs from the South Korean company Samsung.
To tune channels in Samsung devices, somewhat like in other devices, we must first access settings by pressing the Home or Menu button on the remote control and then selecting the button with the gear icon or the Settings item.
Once inside this screen, to perform an automatic retuning, we will have to choose the “Broadcast” item and then select “Automatic Tuning,” which will allow us to access the section we are looking for. Once we get this far, we will need to press the Start button and enter the settings protection PIN that we entered in the initial configuration, usually it is one of the defaults such as 1234, 1111 or 0000. Now all we have to do is to choose the channel reception modes, choosing from antenna, cable and satellite. We can also set the Channel Sorting menu, giving preference for automatic or custom sorting, and finally, we can start the channel search by pressing the Search or Start button. Once the search process is finished, we will need to resolve some channel numbering conflicts.
If we want to proceed with manual tuning instead, we need to start from the main settings menu and choose the “Broadcast” item. Within this screen we will need to find the “Manual Tuning” item, from which we can set the specifications necessary to search for the channel or group of channels to be found, such as frequency, channel number, and bandwidth. Once the parameters have been entered correctly, simply press the button to start the search and wait for the outcome.
Retuning channels on a Panasonic television set
As we continue to see how to perform channel tuning on the most popular brands of TVs, let’s see what is the procedure to follow on TVs from the Japanese company Panasonic.
Again, the first thing we need to do is to access the settings; to do this, we need to press the Home or Menu button on the remote control and then by selecting the button with the gear icon or the Settings item.
Now that we find on the Settings, we need to select an item with a name similar to “Menu tuning“ or “Tuning.” Usually as soon as we enter this screen, we will be prompted to enter the security PIN that we first entered in the initial TV setup, usually it is one of the defaults such as 1234, 1111 or 0000. Once we have entered it, we need to look for the “Menu tune DVB-T” or “Menu tune DVB-T2” (the latter will probably be present from 2023). From this menu we can change the tuning options for digital terrestrial, this then allows us to choose the Tuning option Automatic or that of Manual Tuning.
In case we want to start an automatic channel search, we need to choose the automatic tuning option, set some options such as channel reception mode, and then press the OK key twice, so that the search will start. Now all we have to do is wait for the channels to be added to the TV’s channel list. At the end of the process we will have to choose how to resolve some channel numbering conflicts. We have two options to resolve these situations, choose the automatic option by letting the TV resolve the situations by preferring the channels with the best signal, or dissolve each issue manually by choosing the channels we prefer from the proposed options.
If, on the other hand, we are interested in conducting a manual search to manually find channels to add, we need to select Manual tuning from the tuning menu. From here we will be able to enter some parameters such as channel, frequency, and signal quality level, which will allow us to carry out a specific request. Once we have entered the settings we are interested in, we press the OK button on the remote control and wait for the outcome of the tuning we have programmed.
Retuning channels on a Philips television set
The next procedure we are going to look at is that of televisions of the Philips brand, a Dutch company that produces TVs spread all over the world.
First, we need to press the Home or Menu button on the remote control and then press the button with the gear icon or select the Settings item found at the bottom or top of the menu.
From the settings, we need to press on the “Channels“ item and then look for the section “Installation via antenna” or “installation via cable.“ Usually once one of the two options is chosen, we will be prompted for the security PIN first entered during the initial TV setup, usually it is one of the defaults such as 1234, 1111 or 0000. Having reached this point, in most models of this brand, we can decide whether to proceed with the channel update or replace all the channels present with the channels that will be found.
To start the channel update, we need to choose “Search channels,” and then select the option “Update channels.” At this point, we need to set some parameters that will allow us to receive channels according to the modes we prefer, after which to start the search process, we press the “Start” button. After pressing the button, the process of searching for channels will start and they will be automatically added to those already present. At the end of the process we will have to choose how to resolve channel numbering conflicts.
In case we want to perform a complete reinstallation of channels, which will serve to delete the channel list in its entirety, and replace it with the new found channel list, we need to enter the “Channels” section and then select “Installation via antenna” or “cable installation.” At this point, we choose “Search Channels.” and then the item “Reinstall channels.” Again, we can set some parameters that will allow us to receive channels according to the modes we prefer.To start the search process, we press the “Start” button. All we have to do is wait for the channel search process that will add the found channels to the empty list. At the end of the process we may have some channel numbering conflicts to resolve.
If we want to carry out manual tuning, we need to follow these instructions instead. Starting from the menu of Settings, we need to head to the “Channels” section and then select “Test digital reception” or “Manual tuning.” In the new screen we will have the ability to set channel and frequency settings so that we can find specific broadcasts and add them to our channels.
Retuning channels on a Hisense TV
The next procedure we are going to look at is that of televisions from the Hisense brand, a Chinese company that manufactures and sells televisions worldwide.
To begin, we need to press the Home or Menu button on the remote control and then press the button with the gear icon or select the Settings item found at the bottom or top of the menu.
Once we are on the Settings panel, we need to search for and access the “Channel” section, and once we get there, we will find the ” AutoScan ” item. Upon entering this item, we will be prompted for the PIN associated with our TV that we entered during initial setup, usually it is 1234, 0000 or 1111. Once we are on the auto scan panel, we can arrange some reception options, choosing the antenna or satellite and the scan mode. At this point, we are ready to start the channel search, we need to press “Start Scan” to start automatic tuning. At the end of the process we will have to choose how to resolve any channel numbering conflicts.
On the other hand, if we want to scan manually to add a specific channel or group of channels to our TV, after finding the parameters of the channels we are interested in, we need to open the Settings. Once this is done, we go to the “Channel” item and select the “Advanced Settings” option, where we will find some items similar to “Manual Scan” or “DTV Manual Scan.” Almost always at this point we will be asked for the TV’s PIN, if we did not set it differently in the initial setup, it will be 1234, 0000 or 1111. Now that we are on the right section, we need to enter some parameters such as mode tuner, the frequency and the number of channels. With these items settled, just press the “Start ” or “Start” button and see the outcome of this operation.
Retuning channels on a Sharp TV.
Let us proceed with another popular TV brand, namely Sharp, a Japanese company that has been manufacturing and selling TV sets worldwide for many, many years.
Recent models of this television are almost all Android TV, so carrying out the procedure to tune channels is very simple. To begin, we need to press the Home or Menu button on the remote control and then press the button with the gear icon or select the Settings item found at the top of the menu.
In the new panel, we need to go into the “Channel” section and take a look at the “Channel Installation Mode” item, where we need to check the settings related to connection and reception modes. A good alternative to normal tuning is to turn on the “Automatic Update” option of channels,” which allows for a “scan periodic,” adding new channels from time to time after a set period of time. We will also be able to turn on a notification system that will alert us when channels are added to our list, to do this we need to turn on the “Channel Update Message” option.
In any case, to perform automatic tuning, we need to enter the “Channels” item check the tuning parameters entered earlier. We will need to check the reception source and then search for the channels of the Digital Terrestrial, to do so, we will only have to press on “Search Channels” and the process will begin. After a few minutes, the process will be completed and we will need to resolve any channel numbering conflicts. We can press “Use default settings for all” to resolve conflicts automatically according to signal strength or resolve conflicts one by one according to our preferences.
Retuning channels on a TCL television set
Let’s look at one last popular brand of TV sets, namely TCL, a Chinese company that manufactures and sells TV sets all over the world at bargain prices and thus with excellent value for money.
As in the previous case, recent models of this brand are almost all Android TVs, so carrying out the procedure to tune channels is very simple. To begin, we must first make sure we are on the “TV” source, since on other sources such as HDMI or AV the settings will be different. Once we are on the TV source, we need to press the Home or Menu button on the remote control and then press the button with the gear icon or select the Settings item found at the top of the menu.
In the settings screen, we need to enter the “Channel” section and select the “Channel Search” function. Now there are two possibilities to carry out automatic tuning, the first is to select the “automatic update“ option, which will let the TV do everything, arranging the parameters to be set and will start the channel search. After this process is completed, we will need to resolve any channel numbering conflicts. We can press “Use default settings” to resolve conflicts automatically according to signal strength or resolve conflicts one by one according to our preferences.
If, on the other hand, we want to decide to set the search options manually, there are two different ways to do this, using automatic tuning or manual tuning again from the “Channel Search” screen.
To carry out an automatic tuning we have to select the “Automatic Search” item, choosing the reception source from the options Antenna, Satellite or Cable, and arranging the other required parameters. Once this is done, to kick off the search process we need to press the “Search” button, and wait for the channels to be scanned. After the search is completed, we will need to resolve any channel numbering conflicts. We can press “Use default settings” to resolve conflicts automatically according to signal strength or resolve conflicts one by one according to our preferences.
If we want to choose to search for a particular channel or group of channels, we have to select “manual scanning,” an item that is located below that of “automatic search.” In this screen we will have a way to manually set the frequency, channel number and signal strength. Once the various parameters have been arranged, pressing “Search” will cause the system to search for the signals indicated by us.
