Scan, Scan, Scan! It is the thing to do!
I love the Spring and Fall seasons, but Fall will always be my favorite time of year. After the leaves from the neighbor’s tree falls in my yard, (and no, they are not those large leaves easy to deal with, but Pin Oaks with the long narrow leaf the blower has a hard time moving). Cool thing is I get my sight back, line of sight that is between the transmitters and my antenna. Trees are retaining water now in preparation for their Winter’s nap, which does block UHF signals, but now is a good time to check the airwaves for hidden treasures.
I’ve mentioned this before, but with digital receivers you need to re-scan the channels from time to time, even on cable. Time-Warner moved our signals to a new QAM frequency last week, and often make upgrades requiring rescans. Just do it. I have sit there watching the progress bar as it scans, but I suggest starting it before bedtime, and it will be ready in the morning, or do it while you’re doing something else.
I’ve had a couple of people contact me recently that did not want to rescan for channels. I’m not too sure why, but it is somewhat normal and a good thing to do.
The power company lines run through the woods and down highways, and from time to time a glitch in the power will come into your home. These glitches can affect the memory in your set or box, causing some data to be corrupted or lost. Only a rescan will bring it back. If you have a small UPS laying around, it could be handy to plug your new TV or box into it. These devices are basically computers, and a UPS can protect it from losing data the same as with your computer. Also the lamp life in a DLP set could be increased dramatically!
For my main point on why to scan now, reception conditions are ideal in the Fall, and you may discover hidden channels you did not know were available.
Don’t be scared and just accept it is normal. Most boxes have an option to add channels without losing channels. Some TV sets have it as a quick scan versus a full scan. It’s not that hard to do, and something I recommend you do a few times a month until things settle down.
Yes, we are entering a “messy” time with over the air signals while stations make their last minute preps we walk through this month. Some stations recently switched to alternate antennas to enable replacement of their final systems, and there will be a flurry of activity in the next several weeks to be ready to throw the switch in February.
Go ahead and scan for new channels today. You might find a surprise or two hidden in the leaves!
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Hmmm, Russ,
Re “I’ve had a couple of people contact me
recently that did not want to rescan for
channels. I’m not too sure why, but it is
somewhat normal and a good thing to do.”
I have no problem seeing why someone would
not want to scan on a repeating basis. The
viewer didn’t have to scan at all for his
analog channels. Now he has this seemingly
extra job foisted off on him. If I’m right
on this, Russ, just ask your mother what
she thinks of rescanning, LOL.
Regards,
Gene