5. Channel Scanning and Manual Entry

The first time you set up your digital TV or converter, your tuner will scan for available channels. You should also re-scan for channels any time you reposition your antenna.

If you have a directional antenna that you will be repositioning to receive various channels, you may need to perform a scan for each direction that you position the antenna. Your tuner may have an 'EZ Add' function that lets you scan for additional channels without losing entries for channels that have already been added.

Since June 12, 2009
On June 12, a number of area stations moved to new channel locations, to maximize use of the newly available space in the broadcast spectrum. WKAR Channel 23 moved from digital frequency 55 to 40 on that date.

Re-scanning for channels on or after June 12 is necessary to continue to receive WKAR and other mid-Michigan stations.

Double Re-Scan
In some cases where stations moved their digital frequencies on June 12, simple scanning mightnot be enough. There is a procedure - sometimes called "double rescanning" - that can clear your tuner's memory of saved channels.

There are five simple steps to a double rescan for a converter box or digital TV:
1. Disconnect the antenna from the box or digital TV.
2. Rescan the box or digital TV without the antenna connected. As with any scan follow the on-screen instructions or owner’s manual for your device.
3. Unplug the box or digital TV from the electrical outlet for at least one minute.
4. Reconnect the antenna to the box or digital TV and plug the unit into the electrical outlet.
5. Rescan the box or digital TV one more time.

Manually Entering a Channel
When a channel in your viewing range is not found during a scan for channels, you may wish to manually enter the digital frequency for the missing channel. For instructions on entering channel frequencies manually, check your TV or converter box manual.

IMPORTANT: When manually entering WKAR Channel 23, enter frequency 40.

To learn which channels you might expect to receive at your location, and their digital frequencies, visit antennaweb.org

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Cable and Satellite

6. Receiving WKAR via Cable and Satellite

The WKAR channels you receive, and where they appear in your channel line-up, depends on the offerings of your cable/satellite provider.

Visit the TV Schedules page to determine which of the WKAR channels your provider offers, and what channel numbers you will find them on.

At the TV Schedules page

1 - EDIT SETTINGS: PROVIDER (upper right above the grid)


In the pop-up window that appears
2 - select the provider (or 'over-the-air: digital tv receiver') from the list
3- click SAVE


The grid will now display only the WKAR services your provider offers, labeled with the channel number used within that provider.


last update 6/12/09

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Digital TV Basics

7. If you do not have a digital TV

If you watch free over-the-air TV with a broadcast antenna* and don't have a digital TV, you'll have to get a digital-to-analog converter box to continue using your analog TV. A TV converter box is a product that plugs into your analog TV and, along with your antenna, will keep your analog set working after June 12, 2009.

Even before that date, older TVs will begin to lose channels as individual TV stations complete their Digital TV transition in the period leading up to the national deadline of June 12. WKAR ended analog broadcasts on January 13.


TV converter box is a one-time purchase and costs between $50 and $70 at local retailers.

$40 discount coupons are available from the federal government.  You can apply for up to two $40 coupons per household by visiting the website listed below.  When a coupon is mailed to you, it will include an insert with a list of nearby participating consumer electronics retailers.  The TV converter box will plug into the back of your TV (and you will still use your antenna.) TV converter boxes will come with installation instructions.

*A TV that is connected to cable, satellite or other pay TV service won't require a TV converter box -- your pay TV service will help you update to digital television.

It can be a bit tricky to determine if your current televisions are capable of receiving digital TV signals.  One way to do this is to refer to your TV Instruction Manual and look for references to digital TV.  You may also find a toll-free phone number for calling your television manufacturer to inquire about your TV model. 

To learn more...
Help determining if you need a converter box:
Digital TV easy online quiz (Industry Site)

"How to survive the digital TV transition" at Consumer Reports:
www.consumerreports.org (Industry Site)

To apply for a TV converter coupon, visit
www.dtv2009.gov (Government Site)

For general information
www.dtvanswers.com (Industry Site)

8. About the change to Digital TV
Digital television makes more efficient use of the broadcast spectrum, and offers improved picture and sound.
Broadcasting a TV signal uses magnetic waves sent out on an assigned frequency, or channel. All of the channels together make up the broadcast spectrum.

Digital TV uses less of the spectrum than analog TV does. So, by switching to digital, we can free up more broadcasting space. The space that becomes available can be used for public safety and wireless services.

Plus digital TV actually gives you better pictures and sound. So, you're getting better quality TV and more space for other uses.

To learn more, visit:
www.dtvanswers.com (Industry Site)

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More About Digital TV

9. VCR recording with an older TV and converter box

It will be possible to use your old VCR with your digital converter box, but only in a limited fashion. You will not be able to watch one program while you record another, and unattended recording will be limited in a number of ways.

The reason: your old VCR has its own built-in tuner that, in the past, could be tuned to a one channel while your TV is tuned to another. But if you have one converter box, connected to one TV and to one VCR,  that converter box acts as the tuner for both the TV and VCR -- and it can only tune to one channel at a time.

To record one program while watching another, you would need to purchase a second converter box to act as a tuner for the VCR.

Unfortunately, none of the low cost (coupon eligible) converters include a timer, which will make timed recordings difficult.

As an alternative, you might consider a new DVD recorder with built-in digital tuner.

For more information abut DVD Recorders:
CrutchfieldAdvisor: DVD Recorders Shopping Guide (Retail Site*)

10. When the picture does not fill your screen

With the digital TV age comes more viewing options. Some TVs are still the older, 4x3, squarish shape, and some newer TVs have wider 16x9 screens; while some TV programs are made to the fit the squarish shape, and some TV programs are made to fit the wider screens.

As long as we have TVs and TV programs with different shapes, there will be some cases where a particular program you are watching does not entirely fill your screen.

Fortunately, the remote control for many converter boxes includes a button (sometime labeled crop or zoom) that you can use with high defintition programs to best match the picture to your TV screen. Check your television manual or experiment with your remote and see if you like the picture when you make the changes.

Just know that this is going to happen for quite awhile during the transition as stations and networks upgrade their equipment. If you are considering a new television set, your best bet is a widescreen set, as this will eventually become the standard.

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