Toshiba 36" analog TV Tivax converter box RCA Digital Flat Amplified Antenna How do I get signals without cable?

According to the user's manual, the TV can receive and decode analog and digital TV signals, so no, you should not need a digital converter box. During the channel scan it will search for analog channels first, then digital ones.

You will need a digital to analog converter which you can get at Radio Shack, Best Buy and most big box retail outlets or online. Your Coby is most likely analog and will require the digital signal to be converted to an analog signal from the digital converter box to the TV. UNLESS the digital converter box has analog (round connectors on the back) then you just need an analog RCA cable (which you can also get almost anywhere even your local CVS/Walgreens) to make the connection.

You have an analog TV, meaning that the tuner in your TV is analog only. You must buy a digital converter to see broadcast Digital TV via your external antenna and it will be attached to the antenna input jack or other jack depending on how it comes out of the converter.

One bit of advice, there is no such thing as a "digital" antenna, they are all analog. Even a 50 year old, outside antenna aerial that you see out in the countryside will pick up the new Digital Broadcasts to be converted by a Digital Converter and displayed on a 50 year old TV.

Hello drandald,

what you need is a converter box to convert analog signals to digital. I know there is one in Best Buy (not sure if there is one in your location) but they have one called access digital tv converter. They are about $50 (CAN). You would still need your antenna or however you get your analog signals. The antenna needs to be plugged into your converter box and then the box would need to be connected to your tv. Good luck.

-Joe

Hello drandald,

Your tv is a digital tv, so you do NOT need a converter box. The tv has a built in digital tuner. But if you have any other older tv's then what you need is a converter box to convert analog signals to digital. I know there is one in Best Buy (not sure if there is one in your location) but they have one called access digital tv converter. They are about $50 (CAN). You would still need your antenna or however you get your analog signals. The antenna needs to be plugged into your converter box and then the box would need to be connected to your tv.

-Joe

Yes, because the TV tuner is analog and won't decode digital broadcasts. m@nt

Your TV will require a Digital Converter Box to recieve over the air Digital Television Signals. You will need to hook up the antenna to the converter box and then hook your converter box to the TV. Hooking your television directly to a digital antenna will not get you Digital signals...only analog signals.

You'll need a digital cable box for that, I'm afraid. The analog tuner in the set isn't compatible with the digital cable signal. The cable company in my city just dropped their analog service. Now you either need a digital converter box, or a "cable box lite" called a digital transport adapter. For digital off-the-air broadcasting you need a digital tuner and probably an amplified or outdoor antenna. The analog TV is rapidly becoming pretty useless except as a display device as analog channels disappear.

Here is how you should have it connected.
1- Antenna (rabbit ears or whatever)
2- Converter box
3- Television

When you turn on the TV and the converter box, go to channel 3 on the TV. You should see the converter box signal there. If you do not see it try channel 4. Bring up the convert box menu and go through the AUTO SEARCH, not manual search. Now your box will search all the frequencies and add any stations that are in your area. Make sure you change channels with the converter box, not the tv. An antenna on the roof will still provide somewhat better range, but even rabbit ears will likely pick up something. If you still get no channels you could be too far away, digital signals have a shorter range than analog signals. You can check your local TV stations website or call to see if they are broadcasting digital yet.

Ok first I can save you some money. Take your "HDTV" antenna back. There is nothing different about the antennas needed receive analog and digital signals. If you got reception without your converter box, use the same antenna with your converter box.

Next let's see if there is a problem with the box. Hook up a television with the antenna. How many stations do you get? Now hook up the same television & antenna, but this time put the converter box between the antenna & the TV. Do not turn on the box. Now how many stations do you get? If the number is different, the box is not allowing the antenna signal to pass through. That is bad. You want your signal to pass through the box so you can still pick up stations that don't broadcast digitally. Some areas of the country will not be covered by digital stations from all major broadcasters when the changeover happens in Feb.

My suspicion is either you did not have the antenna hooked up to the converter box when you searched for channels OR you are in an area that is not yet broadcasting digitally.

I hope this helps you solve your problem. Thank you for using FixYa and feel free to add more questions here by using comments.