Digital strength low...what does that mean?
I’ve had a very basic cable package for several years now. We pay about $20 a month, get about 10 channels. We bought a flat screen TV, and suddenly, with no change to the cable package we had channels in the upper end. Most of them are the same channels as at the lower end, but with a better picture.
Well, came home from work, turned on the TV, and I’m getting no signal, just a message floating around that says “Digital strength low.” I went down to the lower end, that says it’s analog…but that’s just fuzz.
I’m current on my cable bill.
What is up with that?
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10 Answers
Probably a break in the cable to your house. Coincidence that it coincided with getting a new TV. Call your cable company.
But personally, I’d save myself $20 a month and get an amplified antenna from Radio Shack.
Well, we’ve had the TV for several months. I called the cable company. Was on hold for about 30 minutes. Since we have no cable box they have to send someone out. Monday at the earliest.
What would the amplified antenna do? We’re 50 miles from all the TV stations.
50 miles from the nearest TV station?!?! Then I guess you need cable after all. An amplified antenna won’t do diddly for you…
Yeah…when we moved here, 50 miles from the city, we had no reception at all, unless we had cable. Which we didn’t. I didn’t have TV for 5 years. The TV set was just a monitor for the VHS player. Fine by me! However, I broke down and got cable on 9 12 01 for $12 a month. See.
Sure as hell, there’s a cable end in the back yard. It’s dark and I can’t figure out where it’s supposed to got back to. Damn it. I’m missing NOVA.
Aha! If you can figure that out in the morning, you can probably repair it yourself, at least temporarily. Just find the other broken end, connect the signal wires together without touching the ground, and the ground shielding together without touching the signal wire. It’ll probably be a degraded signal, but you’ll be able to watch TV until the technician comes out on Monday.
Of course, if you’re really comfortable and confident at doing electrical repairs, and have the right tools, you can attach an RF connector to each broken end and then screw them together with a “nipple.” That’s probably what the technician will do.
Silly question… If your cable is out, how are you online????
Your cable needs pushups and protein.
@HungryGuy Yeah…the end I found had already been jury rigged with electrical tape by my husband. The cable and phone lines used to be lying on the ground by the side of the house because the anchors had deteriorated long ago, and the dogs were forever ripping everything up…every month or so. I finally got exasperated, went to the hardware store, found something to use as an anchor, and anchored everything to the side of the house. Haven’t had any problems for a year, till now. Guess the dogs have good memories.
Cox was good enough to give us a month of free service so I told Rick that when the guy comes out on Monday (while I’m at work) he needs to find out what it will cost to run a whole new line and make sure the SOB gets anchored.
Really? It’s a wonder you got decent TV reception these years. Analog TVs will just give you static with a poor signal, but a a digital TV requires a near perfect signal to avoid your picture “breaking up” constantly. Running new cable without any splices is a good idea. Your TV signal will be noticeably clearer and your internet a little faster.
I’d say go for satellite, ro stream everything online if you have a fast enough connection.
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