Where To Watch
Tips for Antenna Viewers
You May Need to Rescan Your TV to Watch MeTV
At times, over-the-air viewers need to rescan to update channel reception. This can happen when new channels are launched, when television station transmission equipment changes, or at other times when television sets need revised information to receive local channels.
What is a rescan?
A rescan is an update to the television set by using the “menu” button to have the television re-tune all available signals. In many instances, if a station changes frequency, the television set needs to be instructed to “rescan” the frequencies to find any new ones now available. Specific rescan steps vary by manufacturer. https://www.fcc.gov/rescan is a resource for more information, including manufacturer details.
Do I need to rescan if I watch by cable or satellite?
No. This applies to over-the-air viewers only.
Does it matter what kind of television or antenna I use?
In most cases, no. Refer to the television set instructions. If MeTV is available in your area, most broadcast antennas should be able to get the signal, although performance varies depending on many factors including distance from the actual television station transmitter site, and the configuration of your home.
What if these steps did not work?
Some television sets require a more complete reset to rescan properly. Here are additional instructions in that scenario.
- First, disconnect your antenna from the TV completely. Make sure that there are no connections to the TV other than the power cable.
- Perform a “rescan” on your television. The TV should come back with a message indicating that no channels have been found. This is expected since there is no antenna connected to the TV. If your TV found stations, your antenna is still connected. You should check your connections and try again.
- Once the rescan has completed and no channels have been found, unplug the TV from the power outlet and wait approximately 30 seconds. After 30 seconds or more, plug the TV power plug back into the power outlet.
- Finally, connect the antenna back to the TV and perform a rescan again. Your television will now think that it is in a new area and will register all channels that it finds.
What if these steps still do not work even after an additional rescan?
Reception of any channel can depend on the viewer’s exact location, terrain, distance from transmitter site and the type of antenna and television set used. While rare, there are cases where a viewer’s set is simply unable to properly tune some channels. https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps is a resource for additional details by address or zip code.
