Mitsubishi Trouble

[Jwheel]

I have a 65" Mitsubishi HDTV with an integrated HDTV tuner built into the TV. I can't get any HD channels to display on it.

I just got rid of Comcast (never had the cable card for HD) and am running the TV off of the antenna in the attic. Before Comcast if I ran the auto setup, the TV would first memorize the analogue channels and then the digital channels. I would have the regular analogue ABC and NBC programming as channels 4 and 5. Then the HD ABC and NBC were 4-1 and 5-1.

Well I’ve ran the auto setup about half a dozen times and after the analogue channels are memorized it isn’t picking up any digital channels to memorize. For instance I’m trying to watch the Fiesta Bowl in HD but the TV isn’t memorizing the digital channel for ABC.

Any ideas on why this might be? Did Comcast possibly do something (flip a switch? – I really don’t know what they could have done) to cause this?

The model # of the TV is: WS-65615
http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com/televisions/details.asp?id=60

 

[BMXTRIX]

You have not seen an OTA channel once.

You were, on the other hand, looking at cable channels. Your 4-1 and 5-1 were being received over cable.

HUH?

Yep!

When cable added the digital channels, they never scrambled the digital HD channels for your local networks. So, your NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and PBS type stations were unscrambled HD channels from the cable company - not channels you were getting over the air.

Now, that I've given you that happy piece of news... - I really am not sure how to set your specific TV up to receive the OTA channels. I would just go through the owners manual and make sure all connections are properly made to the TV then run the antenna setup again.

Good luck with that.

 

[Jwheel]

So if I understand you right, your saying that eventhough I didn't have cable I was watching HD cable channels through the cable running to my TV from the antenna? Because they weren't scramble at the time but now they are?

Please correct my if I'm not understanding.

Is it possible to get ABC and others in HD OTA? Or do I need to get another service (dish or cable) with the HD package to enjoy that luxury?

Thanks!!

 

[BMXTRIX]

So if I understand you right, your saying that eventhough I didn't have cable I was watching HD cable channels through the cable running to my TV from the antenna? Because they weren't scramble at the time but now they are?

I thought you said that you just got rid of Comcast and that is when those channels went away? If you had cable hooked up to your TV, then that is how you got those HD channels. You do NOT need a CableCard to get them, just basic cable service.

Is it possible to get ABC and others in HD OTA? Or do I need to get another service (dish or cable) with the HD package to enjoy that luxury?

Go to www.antennaweb.org and find out what OTA channels are available in your area, there should be some. I'm not sure what is available to you, but yes, with the right OTA antenna there should be some available.

 

[Jwheel]

I should clarify a little more. Before I subscribed to comcast and when I first bought the TV, I ran the autosetup and had the HD channels just off the antenna in the attic.

When I got Comcast, and the autosetup was ran, I never had any HD channels. I recently downgraded my cable package to just the basic cable ($15 or so bucks a month).

I wanted to watch the Fiesta and other bowl games in HD so I thought to myself, If I unplugged the comcast cable and plugged in the antenna cable I can watch the games in HD just like before comcast. But now that I run the autosetup again just off the antenna there are no HD channels like there were before.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Now you are on turf I am not sure about. Probably could figure it out in an hour at your home... but no dice other than something not being setup correctly, or something being fried.

I believe, even with 'basic' cable, you should still be able to receive the HD channels from Comcast. They are on the line and never scrambled... I think. I have digital cable, a DCR plasma, and no CableCard. Cox delivers my NBC, ABC, FOX, and CBS crystal clear to it. I would try that out.

Also, many TVs have two coaxial connections on the back. One is for a cable connection, the other is for an antenna. Not sure with your TV though.

 

[Jwheel]

I'm not sure. I've actually gone through every setup menu on the TV and nothing looks amiss to me.

I have tried both coax connections on the back and ran the auto setup with no luck on either.

I don't beleive that the HD tuner is fried though. My Denon DVD player upconverts to 1080i and the TV displays 1080i when using the DVD player. Given that, is it still possible that the HD tuner could be fried? I sure hope its a setting I haven't found yet.

 

[Jwheel]

Could it be this...

I just thought of something. The only thing that I have changed is the coax cable running from the wall to my TV. When I did get the HD channels, I was using a different (longer) cable and swapped it out for a shorter one that might not be as good?

Will all coax cable carry an HD signal? Is it possible that my cheap short coax cable just wont carry HD or will all coax no matter how cheap carry HD?

 

[Jwheel]

Solution to the problem

Just in case anyone was wondering, I didn't have the latest software uprage for my TV. After talking to Mitsubishi support, they sent me a thum drive with the latest software release. After installing that on the TV and running the autosetup again I now have HD channels.

 

[Matt34]

How do you like the Mistsu so far? I'm thinking about getting basically the same thing(I think it's a newer model #WS-65617)

 

[Jwheel]

I actually really like it. The only complaint that I have is that when changing channels, it takes 4-5 seconds. From what I understand this is pretty common with all Mitsubishi HD televisions.

When watching HD channels, it has a fantastic picture. The menu's are easy to use and overall its a solid TV.