Residence Life: Cable TV Setup

This page contains steps to setup a cable connection to a TV in the residence halls and some known issues with tuners.

Basic Setup: 

Connect coaxial cable from wall cable jack to TV

    1. Connect one end of the coaxial cable to the circular cable wall jack in the residence hall room. There is normally only one cable wall jack per room.
    2. Connect the other end of the coaxial cable to the circular cable jack on the back of the TV.

Channel Scanning

Before a channel scan, you will only be able to watch channels that you manually type in, such as "4-1" or "13.1" To use the "channel up" and "channel down" features of the TV and TV remote, a channel scan must be completed so the TV can memorize the HD digital TV channels. Consult the TV manual or guide to see how to scan for cable channels. If you do not have the manual, you can usually find it online.
    1. In the Setup menu on the TV, choose the option similar to "Channel Scan," "Channel Search," or "Auto program." 
    2. The scan might take 5-10 minutes to complete.
    3. After the scan completes, now press "Channel Up" or "Channel Down" to change channels and make sure the scan was able to find cable channels. You should see a grand total of 141 channels, but this number could grow in the future.
To view a list of cable TV channels available in the residence halls, navigate to the UW-Stout website, then find the University Housing website. From there, find a link to the University Housing StoutCloud page (Note: only accessible to current students), and click the Hall Services option in the left sidebar. One of the first services listed should be Cable TV Channels; click the link to view the PDF of cable channels.

Troubleshooting:

Some TVs Need an Extra Tuner

Important: In order for your TV to receive all the digital channels that Stout's cable service provides, your TV will need to have a QAM digital tuner. 

Most major brand flat screen TVs manufactured after 2006 support QAM digital tuners and have a QAM tuner built in the TV. However, some lower-brand TVs or less expensive TVs might not include a built-in QAM digital tuner. 

To test if your TV has a built-in QAM digital tuner:

    1. After connecting the coaxial cable between the wall jack and the TV, make sure to perform a channel scan. Once the channel scan is complete you should be able to use the channel up and channel down to navigate through the channel list. If no channels show up, your TV probably does not include a QAM digital tuner.
    2. Check if your TV (manufacturer and model) is in one of the lists below of known Compatible TVs or Incompatible TVs. Stout Technical Services has seen the most issues with "Element" brand TVs, and almost all the "Element" brand models that residents bring will need an extra QAM digital tuner.
    3. Contact the HelpDesk by submitting a help ticket, and state you would like help testing if your TV needs a QAM tuner. Please include the TV manufacturer and model in your ticket submission.

Compatible TV Brands

Compatible TV Brands
 Manufacturer  Comment 
 LG  Most models since 2007
 Samsung   Fifth digit of model must be B or higher
 Sony  Most models since 2007
 Toshiba  Most models since 2007
 Vizio  Recent models
 Westinghouse  Some models support QAM, but must enter an activation code

Incompatible TV Brands

If you own one of the following TV brands, verify that your specific model includes a QAM digital tuner.
  • Apex
  • Dynex
  • Element -- Stout Technical Services has experienced the most issues with Element TVs
  • Emerson
  • Haier
  • Insignia
  • Seiki
  • Sylvania
  • Westinghouse -- Some models support QAM, but must enter an activation code. Many models are not supported

Compatible QAM Tuner

If you decide to purchase a QAM digital tuner, Stout Technical Services recommends the following products, available at Amazon or Walmart (just search for the model numbers online). The title or description must include the words "QAM Tuner." If only the word "ATSC" appears in the description, then it is not the right type of tuner.
  • IVIEW-3200STB
  • IVIEW-3300STB
  • IVIEW-3500STBII
The following is an example of a product that will NOT work as a QAM tuner:
  • ViewTV AT-163

Further Help:

If there are no channels showing up after following the TV cable setup and channel scanning, submit a HelpDesk Ticket if you would like assistance. Student technicians can help residents with TV setup, channel scanning, and determining if a QAM digital tuner is required for the TV.


KeywordsTV, cable, channels, jack,tuner, digital,scan, coaxial, dorm, housing, hall,room, reshallcable   Doc ID94363
OwnerJason J.GroupUW Stout
KnowledgeBase
Created2019-09-09 12:28:43Updated2023-09-01 08:13:12
SitesUW Stout
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