LG Smart TV 2019: 2 TV's: one is OK, the other one doesn't locate channels (1-999) on Telenet wifi networks

[mvrvma2]

Hi,

I bought a LG Smart Tv about 2 years ago. Working fine (TV channels Telenet/Proximus, streaming Netflix, Walt Disney+, etc.  <i took over a 2nd LG Smart TV from my father-in-law (similar TV). I started using the 2nd TV as well.     Strange issue: streaming was OK but WebOS couldn’t find/locate channel stations (region: Flanders part of Belgium).     Whatever parameters I use to search channels (frequency, Flanders region, extensions, etc.) the results were always 0 stations.  I could only look at the streaming parts (Netflix, Walt Disney +, Flemish stations and so on, including lots of standard apps.

I reinitialized WebOS by using factory default standards but was still impossible to find at least one station of the theoretical 999 available. on Telenet, Proximus frequencies.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 Both TV have a Telnet PCMCIA card available replacing partly the Telenet digicorder.  Those cards must not be used when searching for channels.

I still don't understand why both TVs are behaving so differently at setup and channel search functions. They are using the same Wi-Fi and are still connected to a coaxial cable.  Is it a malfunction, a different setup, some background parameters not cleared?                                                                                                                                                                                    

Any idea, solution very welcome.

Kind regards.

[td47]

@mvrvma2 I have never used a Telnet PCMCIA card, so cannot comment on the capabilities of those, and the ability to detect channels. Were BOTH TV's sourced from Belgium, and set up for use in Belgium?  Are BOTH PMCIA cards the same type and part number/revision, and purchased to support your country channels?

I have seen on here, a few posts where channel detection was different between TV's in the same house, and at least one of those posts the user was trying to use one of those internal "amplified room antennas" that NEVER perform how they say they will perform, and others had old and weak roof antennas (that either had old and oxidised  elements and connections, or were not a "wide range" frequency design, to pick up newer channel frequency assignments).

Owners often forget that the antenna is the most  important "signal receiving element" in the whole "setup", and they spend thousands on a new TV, forgetting about that thing on the roof that goes on forever... ☺️ TIP: the antenna will need to have a good GAIN figure, and a low-loss cable feeding you room antenna sockets, to share between 2 TV's.

It is worth checking that your antenna coax wall sockets have good connections/wiring inside the back of BOTH of them, and coax cables to the TV's have good terminations at both ends. It is VERY IMPORTANT to ensure that if the coax plugs have been "user installed", that the outer braid copper wires are NOT shorting to the centre conductor (a very common issue), and that the solid copper centre conductor has a proper connection inside the hollow centre contact. I usually solder them carefully, running a little solder into the tube, to ensure there is no contact oxidation and contact resistance. Of course, if they are pre-moulded ends, then forget that as an issue (unless they are low quality cables).

Edited March 21, 2021 by td47
clarification

[mvrvma2]

By rereading my note, I noticed some words, sentences which could be misunderstood by technical oriented people.

Telenet is an internet (streaming) provider. The coaxial connection is still available on older TVs? The signal is analog and is out of the question here.  LG Smart TV's can use internet (Wi-Fi or cable) to support the digital (internet) signal.

WebOS is OS running on Smart TV's and supports all kind of apps, including TV channel simulation. There are about 30 analog channels, 31-700 (670) digital and 701-999  (299) audio only stations (radio).

This apps must be parameterized with a base frequency,  frequency step, region code, provider depending on region code (20 is Telenet or Proximus) and so on. Depending on the region code you can set up UK TV channel config,  Scandinavian TV sets, etc. Running this apps the first time will generate those 999 stations.

The remote unit  (channel function) manually switch from one channel to another. The LG screen will change to an old-fashioned TV screen. This works fine on TV 1 but will only find one screen (#1) on the 2nd TV and immediately asks for a regeneration of the channels. (Just done). Whatever I do with the 2nd LG Smart TV (reset, upgrade, power off, etc.) ==> it doesn't help to repair the tuning of apps. It starts from a base frequency and add up a frequency step but couldn't find an analogue or digital channel; Results ==> 0 analog stations found; 0 digital stations found.

So, I have two LG Smart TV's, bought the same year (2020), from the same provider, only connected to Wi-Fi (internet) but one is OK and the other one doesn't generate those channels. I don't use antennas, coaxial cable, internet network cable. Thru Wi-Fi the apps searches from a starting frequency and add up a frequency step. Each channel is assigned a number from 1 to 999.. The other TV doesn't do anything accept searching for a signal. and jumping to the next one without assigning a channel. Only channel 1 is assigned even without out a signal. 

Both TVs contains lots of other apps including Netflix, Wald Disney +, Amazon, TV VLAANDEREN streaming,  configuration schemes, etc.

This is not a very detailed and technical description of the way LG smart TV simulates a normal TV station, but I believe it is good enough to understand what is going wrong and to find hopefully a solution. Unless the TV is broken. I use it now for Netflix and Walt Disney + straming only. 

 Any advice welcome. LG Smart TV are digital only TV's. Analogue signals are detected with software./some hardware.     

!!! When I bought the 2nd TV the apps was working fine as well. Suddenly , after an update of the apps the apps couldn't find stations anymore. I used other region codes such as UK, Dannish TV, back to regioncode 20,  but it always ends up with 0 stations.

Kind Regards.

Marc Verbeke

 

[td47]

@mvrvma2 Please review this Telenet user notice, it may be very relevant to your issue:

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