I don't have cable or antenna or any way to view actual TV channels but I need to access the channel numbers menu to use the RF input for a video game system.

go to the Menu and you should find it.

First check the current source. Press the Input button on the TV (second from the left) or on the remote (below 9) until the correct Antenna input (Ant 1) is selected. Make sure that the antenna is connected to Ant 1 (the RF connection closest to the back HDMI ports). You only use Ant 2 if you have a coaxial (RF) cable connection. Then press Menu and then try the Setup menu again. You should be able to access the Installation menu and Terrestrial sub-menu now. Change the Input Configuration for Ant 1 to Antenna before attempting to Program Channels.

If this doesn't work, try resetting the TV to the factory settings. You'll have to access the Menu, go to the Installation sub-menu and then select the System Status and then System Information. Select Factory Defaults and enter the PIN. See the manual for the default PIN if you haven't changed it. Then confirm the reset. The manual is available from the product support page: http://support.toshiba.com/support/modelHome?freeText=2841536 . The direct link to the manual is http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/content/support/manuals/userguides/su2846615/42hl196_om_e.pdf . See page 29 for the PIN. Then try accessing the Terrestrial menu and scanning for channels.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

What is the difference between a RF channel and a virtual channel? The RF channel is the channel that the TV station uses to broadcast its signal. Before the conversion to digital, TV stations were normally identified by their channel number, and most people knew that a particular network was on a specific TV channel. While analog broadcasting was being phased out and all TV stations were converting to digital broadcasting, it was necessary for the TV stations to continue to broadcast their analog signals on their original RF channels, and also broadcast their digital signals on a different RF channel. However, since the TV station used their broadcast channel as part of their identification, they wanted to keep using the same channel number. To allow this to happen, the new digital television broadcasting standards (ATSC) provided TV stations the ability to continue to use their original channel number and also tell the TV set to tune to the new RF broadcast channel when their virtual channel number was selected. The original channel number is called the virtual channel number, and it will be followed by a period and a second number (3.1, 7.1, etc.).
One of the benefits of converting to digital for the TV stations is that they now have the ability to transmit more than one program at the same time on the same RF channel. The number of additional channels they can broadcast is determined by the resolution of the program (SD vs. HD, text only, music only, etc.). The second number in their virtual channel number indicates that one of the additional programming sources from the same TV station is being viewed (10.2, 10.3, 10.4, etc.).
When selecting an antenna, it is important to understand the difference between the RF broadcast channel and the virtual channel. Antennas are designed to receive specific ranges of RF channels, and the antenna needs to be selected for the RF channel you wish to receive. TV stations broadcast in two broad frequency ranges, called VHF and UHF. RF channels 2 through 13 are considered VHF, and RF channels 14 through 51 are considered UHF. In order to pick up the channels, the antenna has to be designed for the correct frequency range. It is very common today to find that TV stations using virtual channels 2 through 13 are actually using RF broadcast channels in the UHF range. Although not as common, some TV stations using virtual channels 14 through 51 are actually transmitting in the VHF range. An antenna designed for only UHF channels will not work effectively for RF broadcast channels in the VHF range, and an antenna designed for only VHF channels will not work effectively for RF broadcast channels in the UHF range.

If you are receiving a "No Signal" error message, verify that:

1. All of the cables physically connected to the TV and the input device are secure.
2. The input device is turned on.

Your TV needs to scan for channels before it can show programming from an antenna, from cable TV when the cable comes directly from the wall (no cable box), or from a cable or satellite box connected to the TV with a coaxial (RF) cable. Do not scan for channels if you have a cable or satellite box connected using AV (Composite), Component, or HDMI cables. The box selects the channel, not the tuner inside your television. If you are not using the "TV" input, press the INPUT button on your remote until the correct input mode is selected.
To perform a channel scan using the coaxial input:

1. Press the INPUT button on your remote to view your current input source. The TV (coaxial cable) input must be selected. This may appear as "TV," "ANT," or the channel and call letters of a station.
2. If the TV input is not selected, press INPUT until the TV input mode is selected.
3. Open the on-screen menu and select TV or Tuner option. (This varies by model.)
4. Highlight Tuner Mode and select the correct option:
   • Antenna-over-the air signals from an antenna
   • Cable-direct from the wall cable TV, or a cable or satellite box connected to the TV with coaxial cable
5. Select Auto Search or Auto Channel Scan. (This varies by model.)
6. When the search reaches 100% complete, exit to the menu.
7. Check the available channels:
   • Antenna or direct-from-wall cable-Press the Channel Up and Channel Down buttons on your VIZIO TV remote to view the available channels.
   • Cable or satellite box- Will return only one channel. Use the cable or satellite remote's Channel Up and Channel Down buttons.

If this does not resolve the issue, power cycle the TV and then re-run the channel scan:

1. Turn off the TV.
2. Unplug the TV from the electrical outlet.
3. While the TV is unplugged from the wall, press and hold the Power button on the TV for 30 seconds.
4. Release the power button.
5. Plug the TV back into the electrical outlet.
6. Turn on the TV.

Note: There is also an option to reset the TV to the factory default settings. This option is in either the SETUP or SYSTEM section of the on-screen menu. The option may be "Reset all settings", "System Reset," or "Reset & Admin." Consult your TV's user manual for the location and steps for resetting your model.

1. Remove the coaxial cable from the DTV/TV connector on the back of your television and perform a channel scan to clear the existing channels. See the procedure above. This should not find any channels.
2. Re-attach the coaxial cable to the DTV/TV connector and perform a new channel scan.

This video shows troubleshooting steps to use when a "No signal" message appears.

Hello


To tune the local channels do the following.

1 Press the MENU key on the remote control to
display the Main menu.

2 Use the CURSOR "UP" or "Down"
keys to highlight
Manual Channel Search. Press ENTER.

3 Use the CURSOR "Up" or "Down"
keys to select Cable,
Air (Antenna), or Digital Add-On.

After the search is complete, the HDTV will exit the
menu system and return to normal TV viewing.

IMPORTANT FACT: This HDTV maintains only one database

of digital channels. Therefore, when you search for

cable channels, the database of antenna digital channels

will be deleted. You will only be able to receive those
ClearQAM channels your cable company provides.

NOTE:"Not available" will appear on the screen

when an option is unavailable.

TUNING MODE UNAVAILABLE MENU OPTION(S)

Analog RF Digital Caption

Digital RF None (all Menu options available)

Video 1 Manual Channel Search, Channel Scan

Memory, Digital Caption

Video 2/3 and Manual Channel Search, Channel Scan
HDMI 1/2 Memory, Digital Caption, V-Guide
OK.

If you mean that the TV doesn't have a set of composite video/audio jacks, then you need a converter for the inputs on the TV. (Most likely you need a video converter (RF modulator) that converts the game console composite video to RF (coax) and set the TV to channel 3 or 4 usually. RF modulators are available from stores like Radio Shack for $30.)

If you have a TV with a composite video input and can't get the game console to view, then there is a different problem. First try new cables. Switch your input as needed for both the TV and the game system. This will depend on the TV and if you have the original remote/unlocked front panel buttons on the TV or a substitute remote that maintains all of the features of the original remote. On some TVs you can cycle through to the A/V inputs by increasing (or decreasing) the channels until you are between channel 2 and the highest available channel. (This doesn't always work if the TV has been programmed to skip channels that previously had no signal.) Otherwise look for a Source or Input button on the remote or TV (or an OSD menu (sub menu) that lets you change the source).

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

If you have tried autoprogramming and have found nothing it may be a bad tuner. Is your VCR is hooked up via coax or into a video input? If it is hooked up via video and is working but the coax connection direct isnt it will be a bad TV tuner. Easiest cheapest fix is to use you VCR to change channels or get a Digital Cable Terminal from you cable provider and hook it into video or compnent.

If there is no button on the TV to go to the video channel or channel 3/4, you'll have to buy a universal remote.

ok tell me whats the setups of your cables ANTENNA from TV to VCR?

tell if the setup are same below..

antenna cable to RF input of VCR and
RF out of VCR to
TV RF input



peace!

There are probably a couple of different ways to hook things up. One is you hook the VCR "in between" the indoor antenna & the set. Hook antenna to VCR RF/Ant In, then VCR RF/Ant out to the Antenna input on TV. Your VCR will then be able to record one channel, while you watch another on TV. To play back the VCR, or do any VCR setup, TV channel must be set to either channel 3 or 4. The other way is to use the Video & audio input/outputs on the VCR & TV. You will need the appropriate cable(s). Match the VCR video/audio outs with the set of inputs on TV. Video and audio out on the TV go back to the video/audio inputs on VCR. In order to view VCR playback, menu setup, you will need to select that input (line, aux, video 1 etc.) on the TV. This hookup probably won't allow the recording of a second channel while watching one. As regards the hft channels, I assume you live in an area where such is being broadcast. The TV can probably be put into a programming mode where it will scan for all available channels, and put them into memory, or they can be programmed manually.