As you probably know by now, the world of antenna TV is changing. In order to make room for more cell service, many TV stations are moving frequencies. We call this the “repack” and it will eventually affect every city in the country.
One phase down, 9 to go
In order to keep things going as smoothly as possible, the transition has been broken down into ten phases. Each affects a small number of markets. The first phase started with smaller markets, so that some of the kinks could be worked out before progressing to the top ten. Most of those really top-end markets are in phases two and three.
The first phase ends on November 30. If you’re in one of the markets listed below and you have an antenna, you’ll want to rescan for channels sometime after November 30 to make sure that you’re not missing anything.
To help you, we’ve reworked our cord-cutting guides to show you what channels are available. As part of the process, some channels may have gone off the air so don’t be surprised if the list is a little shorter than you expected. Most channels will be moving “down spectrum.” This may mean you need a different antenna. Try scanning for channels with the one you have, and if you’re not getting the stations you expect, it might be time to call the experts at Solid Signal at 888-233-7563.
The channel numbers on your TV won’t change
If you get your CBS from channel 2, you’ll still get it from channel 2 after you rescan. That’s the whole point of scanning. Your TV has a system in it called PSIP which makes sure you can find the channels you’re looking for. It doesn’t matter what frequency they’re actually on, only that the TV knows where you want to find them.
If you live in one of these cities…
you must “rescan for channels” if you get your locals from an antenna. While every TV is different, rescanning usually starts by pressing the MENU button on your TV’s remote and searching for “System” or “Setup” then “Off-Air Setup” or something like that. There’s usually a setting to scan for channels there. It generally takes about 10 minutes.
If you get your local channels from cable or satellite, you don’t need to worry about this transition at all.
The links below will take you to our listings of what you should expect to get.
