Housing

Digital Cable Troubleshotting and Support

Residential Cable TV Network Support

For cable TV related issues, such as missing channels, fill out a Fix It! request.

Residential Cable TV Network Troubleshooting 

How to Connect
What You will Need:
  1. Cable-ready TV that has a "clear qam" tuner built in.
  2. Coaxial Video Cable: If you need a coax cable they are available for purchase at any Housing Dining Services convenience store. If you do not purchase your cable from Housing, you will need to make sure your cable has threaded connectors. Using push-on connectors can lead to signal leakage and fuzzy reception. If we detect leakage as a result of a substandard video cable (this can actually affect aviation communications systems), we will ask you to replace the cable with an approved model.
Connecting:
  1. Screw one end of your video cable into the threaded coax jack on the cable television wall plate. Screw the other end into the appropriate coax connector on your TV.
    • If your set-up only includes a TV, make sure your video cable runs from the wall jack to the IN or ANTENNA jack on your TV.
    • If your set-up consists of a TV and a DVD/VCR, make sure your video cable runs between the wall jack and the IN or ANTENNA jack on your DVD/VCR. Next, make sure you have a second cable running from the OUT jack on the DVD/VCR to the IN or ANTENNA jack on your TV. Please see the manufacturer's instructions for proper set-up, as ResNet will only provide support for the connection between a TV and the wall jack.
  2. Your TV tuner should be set to CABLE or CATV. You can check this by accessing the setup menu on your TV.
    • Make sure you have run the auto-program feature in order for your TV to search for and memorize all of the available cable channels.
    • We recommend that you bring the manual and any remote controls that came with your TV since the setup menus on many TV's can only be accessed via the remote control.
Video Troubleshooting
Can't receive anything above channel 13 OR you only receive channels 2-36.

Your TV may not be configured to receive a CATV signal (review set-up notes above). You should also run the auto-program feature on your TV to search for all available cable channels.

Snowy or no picture on all channels.

Cable is connected to the wrong connector on your TV (review set-up notes above).

Plug your coax cable into another jack in your room. If this solves the problem, contact the …. Help Line to arrange for repairs of the defective jack. If this doesn't solve the problem, try using a different coax cable and test your connection. If you need a coax cable they are available for purchase at any Housing Dining Services convenience store.

Cannot receive a particular channel.

You may have a feature on your TV which disables individual channels. Check your TV's documentation for information regarding this problem.

Interference on channels 3, 13, 18, or 19.

Signal Interference - an electrical device near your TV may be causing interference. This problem sometimes happens when TV's are placed on top of refrigerators.

Residential Television Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up my TV to receive TV channels?

Follow these steps:

  1. Connect a coaxial cable from the TV wall outlet to the input port on the back of your cable-ready TV.
  2. Connect the TV power cord to the wall electrical outlet and turn on TV.
  3. Using your TV remote, select Menu and then select and run the Auto-Setup feature. Refer to your user manual for instructions.

If you're not receiving cable TV after following these instructions, double-check all coaxial connections.

Will my old analog TV still work with TV?

The campus cable system does offer a selected variety of channels in analog format. Simply scan your TV to retrieve these channels.

Can a laptop with a TV tuner installed be used to watch TV?

Yes, if your computer has a tuner installed in it, you will be able to retrieve the SD channels.  There is no need to decode TV digital signals as they are delivered using clear QAM.

Why do the digital channel numbers include a period between the numbers on the channel lineup card?

Due to the technology differences between analog and digital television, multiple digital channels can fit within one channel. This is similar to radio channels, which also use decimals.

How do I know if I am bringing the right television to view TV?

Only Digital televisions that have SD or HD capabilities will be able to view the SD and/or HD programming on TV.

Why won't my Westinghouse TV tune in any channels?

You need to run a channel scan:

  • Select auto-tune on the TV.
  • Select cable. This will discover one channel and activate the tuner in the set.
  • The first prompt will tell you to contact Westinghouse. This is not required to activate the tuner.
  • Select next.
  • The next prompt will ask you for the QAM tuner activation code. Enter 14159.
  • The channel scan will start after the correct code is put in.
  • After the scan is completed, you should have all of the channels.
Why does my Sony Bravia only tune 156 channels?

Your TV needs an upgrade. Go to Sony Television Support, search on the model number for your TV and follow the instructions for upgrading your TV.

Why does my TV tune in about half of the channels, but not all of them?

We have found that some TVs will not tune in all of the channels. This is a problem with the tuner in the TV. You will need to contact the manufacturer with the TV model number and date of purchase to get their recommendation for a solution or upgrade procedure.

Are there TV models that do not work with the campus television system?

We have found that the following TV brands do not have the necessary tuner functionality compatible with the campus TV cable system: Orion, Sansui, Sceptre, Element, Seiki

Will a DVR work with TV?

If the tuner in your DVR supports signals transmitted in a Clear QAM format, then it will be able to receive and record all of the digital and HD channels. (There is one exception with TiVo DVR. See "Will a TiVo DVR work with TV" below.)

Will a TiVo DVR work with TV?

Yes, it will, with one exception. The tuner in a TiVo DVR does not recognize channel numbers that have a dash or dot in the number such as 2.1, 4.1, 7.1 etc. These channels use local channel numbers and we have to carry them with this numbering format. The TiVo box will tune them in but you will not be able to record future programs on these channels.

My TiVo box has lost its programing guide. How do I fix that?

To restore the programing guide you will need to repeat the Guided Setup on your TiVo.

If this does not resolve the problem, contact TiVo Support.

How to Access HBO GO 

  1. Go to hbogo.com /maxgo.com or download the apps 
  2. Scroll down to select "Western Illinois University" from the 'Sign In' menu
  3. Follow the login instructions to start watching 

FAQ PDF