If you have multiple TVs in your home receiving Over-the-Air TV channels with an antenna, you may have noticed some TVs don’t get a signal as well as others.
The reason for this is some TVs have a better built-in receiver sensitivity.
Most newer TVs built in the last 4-5 years do a better job compared to older units, but they can still vary.
Keep in mind other problems can cause a TV to not receive stations but a weak TV tuner can be an issue.
Is it the TV Tuner or Broadcasts Signal?
The first thing to do is verify it is the TV and not a bad or weak signal.
If one TV is getting more stations than a TV in another room, the easiest method is to swap them.
After swapping the TVs, be sure to re-scan for channels.
- If the TV receiving lesser channels starts getting more stations, it is the signal.
- If there is no change and the channels still are not picked up, it is the TV.
If the TV tuner is good but you have low-quality or bad TV signals, a booster or amplifier can be installed that will improve a signal when multiple TVs are used.
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Example Amplifier for Up-to 4 TVs
Channel Master Ultra Mini 4 TV Antenna Amplifier, TV Antenna Signal Booster with 4 Outputs for Connecting Antenna or Cable TV to Multiple Televisions (CM-3414),White
How To Upgrade an OTA TV Tuner in a TV
If you swap out TVs and find the unit doesn’t receive signals well, there are two ways to upgrade a TV tuner, buy a new TV or an OTA digital converter box.
If your TV is old, it may be time for an upgrade, and a new unit may be a good option.
This doesn’t guarantee the new TV will have a better tuner, although most new TVs do work better.
Keep in mind many new TVs don’t come with a built-in OTA tuner, so be sure to look at the specifications if you do buy a new unit.
Buying a TV tuner converter box is a good option that is low-cost and doesn’t require buying a new TV.
There are many available, with most having extra features such as recording TV shows.
Example OTA TV Tuner Box on Amazon
Mediasonic ATSC Digital Converter Box with Recording / Media Player / TV Tuner Function (HW130STB)
Installing a TV tuner box is simple enough by hooking an antenna to the box and running a cable into a TV.
Most will also have multiple outputs such as Coaxial and HDMI.
Summary
If you have multiple TVs in a home with some getting fewer channels, it can be the TV or signal loss.
Having multiple TVs in a home often requires a booster distribution amplifier as the signal can weaken when multiple TVs are used.
A long coaxial cable can also cause signal loss.
The first step is to swap out the TVs location and see if the problem follows.
If, after swapping TVs, the stations still cannot be picked up, the TV tuner is the likely problem.
Buying a TV tuner box is the best budget option without having to replace the TV.
The sensitivity of the tuners make a HUGE difference. Always have
It is sad that no reviewing companies, like rtings and tom’s, include checking the quality of a tv’s OTA capabilities. The receiver on my tcl tv brings in more stations than the lg and Samsung tv’s I’ve had. Same rabbit ears, same placememt for tv & antenna, just different brands.
The sound on the tcl isn’t just bad, it sucks. And the picture quality is uneven. Many stations look like the old garish tube camera video where hot areas are washed out. No channel looks good. Only video shot, edited and broadcast in 4K looks decent, like national news broadcasts. I have come to believe that upscaling provides the more uniform image from channel to channel. I haven’t hooked up a vcr to the tcl yet. Viewing at a store is a facade that gives no real world presentation of the units.
I would like to know if non-smart, non-4K tv’s have better uniformity. Am refering to 740 pixels in HD and full HD offerings. And I also think they will last longer bnd except the heat of long hours of daily use. It’s an expense and time consuming venture to find “that” tv.
Using cheap coax offers you no benefit. Always use RG6U 18 AWG Quad Shield Coaxial Cable
I even use RG11, less loss at UHF. A bit hard to handle but works well.
i have tried the tuner and get 1/3 the amt of channels vs. just ‘direct to tv’ coax
this tuner was [for me] useless and expensive
my installation is a bit weird since i use an outdoor antenna [Digiwave 8 Bay Ultra Clear Digital Outdoor TV Antenna] of my ground floor apt w/ souther window – my postal code m6k 2y3 [toronto, canada]
i found the best ‘bang for buck’ is to upgrade the coax cable
i went from 20′ dollar store coax cable to a 10 foot hi performance shielded coax cable
“10ft Black RG6 Digital Coaxial Cable Shielded PVC Jacket FIRE Rated UL CATV RoHS 75 Ohm RG6 Digital Audio Video Coaxial Cable with Premium Metal Compression F-Connectors” is what i bought
VERY BIG DIFFERENCE in stability and number of channels !!!
for me – $10 cdn
get the BEST coax u can afford
also i upgraded the ‘combiner/splitter’ from my 8 bay multidirectional antenna
i get more channels but just a few compared w/ the combiner that came w/ antenna
for me – $21 cdn
“channel Plus 2514 DC + IR Passing 4-Way Splitter/Combiner”
i found a USED “Digiwave ANT0104 Indoor TV Amplifier, Sliver” and am going to try it out when it arrives
Have 3 samsung smart tvs. All have finicky tuners that are sensitive to very strong ota tv antenna signals due to me being from 7-12 miles from the antenna farm in southern Indiana. power levels are strong and even samsung admits a problem with the strong signals. Want to receive a strong quality signal via a converter-tuner dvr but don’t know which one to give me the same crystal picture as the samsung tuners when they work properly/ I would like the same quality picture if possible. What tuner should i purchase to bypass the tv tuner in the samsungs and not have a problem with strong signal power. Do i have to go to channel master or how about tablo with the app to be able to record and send out to multiple devices. Want the best quality picture and sound with ability to record and playback/ Too many choices out there. Please give me some ideas. Thanks.
Channel Master has worked well for in many satiations I have used them in and would be a good option.