Why Does Digital TV Keep Losing Signal?

If you’re confused about why does digital TV keep losing signal, you may want to keep reading throughout this guide.

We’ll learn all about digital TV, how it adds up with your TV and what are the most often causes for unexplained signal loss/no reception.

When Digital TV is constantly being interrupted, one of the things to check on the most forward step is the antenna’s connection to the TV and the weather conditions.

If nothing looks bad on your antenna’s end, then probably the TV’s tuning settings are incorrect!

Let’s keep learning about the causes of digital signal loss!

Why Does Digital TV Keep Losing Signal at the Same Time?

Digital TV signal is transmitted OTA (over the air) and is recognized by your TV either via a digital TV box or through a digital antenna.

Once the digital signal is converted into readable data, it is then processed by your TV or cable box’s tuner and displayed with channels!

Here are the most common causes of lost digital TV signal:

1. The antenna is not properly plugged into your TV
2. The channel scan hasn’t been undergone properly
3. There’s an ongoing issue with the TV amplifier
4. Signal obstructions or bad weather conditions
5. Improper TV or digital cable box channel settings
6. An issue with your TV’s in-built program guide
7. The signal is weak or cannot reach your antenna

Try This First!

Wait out heavy weather conditions (thunderstorms potentially) if there are any ongoing outside.

Digital TV signals can sometimes become a victim of bad weather conditions as the signal will be constantly interrupted or stopped in its tracks.

No Signal On TV – 8 Proven Solutions!

1. Reconnect your Antenna!

It is possible that the connection between your antenna and TV is not secure.

This could result in all sorts of issues with the signal, including lost channels, constant “no signal” messages, and total blackout of the digital streaming line that your TV should otherwise have.

Here are the steps to reconnect your digital antenna:

1. Locate the “Antenna/Cable” plug on the back of your TV.
2. Unplug the coaxial cable of the antenna from the TV’s port.
3. Wait for about 60 seconds while the antenna’s cable is unplugged.
4. Reconnect the coax cable of the antenna back into the TV’s port.
5. Wait for your TV to recognize the antenna and start broadcasting.

Notice: Don’t forget to check for digital content on your TV in the “Cable” input. 

This is where digital content by an antenna is added once the broadcasts are being decoded.

2. Adjust the Tuning Settings

Perhaps, your TV says “no signal” because you’ve properly tweaked the tuning settings incorrectly.

When telling your TV to search only for digital broadcasts, these requirements have to be reflected on the tuning menu or your TV may start searching for other types of OTA.

• Scanning only for analog channels will not add any digital broadcasts!

Note: The tuning settings of a TV are usually found at Settings > “Broadcasting” > “Tuning”

Here is the proper way to adjust the tuning settings when adding digital content!

1. Navigate into the Tuning Menu of your TV.
2. Press on “Begin Channel Tune” or something similar.
3. Now set the following tuning settings:

Tuning Setting Name:	Correct Value for Digital TV:
Connection Type	Set to “Aerial” for DTV scanning
Frequency	Set to “310 kHz” (0.31 MHz)
Network ID	Set to “22” for DTV scanning

Note: If you have a provider, selecting the provider’s name in the “TV connection type” menu will automatically fill up the frequency and network ID with the correct values!

3. Power Cycle your Equipment!

If there’s a temporal fault with the functionality of your antenna or digital box, then the best way to intercept the problem this early is the power cycle!

This is a method that allows for a complete discharge of the problematic device, by only unplugging it from power!

Follow these complete steps to perform a power cycle process:

1. Unplug the power cable of your antenna and television.
2. Disconnect the coax cable of the antenna from the television.
3. Wait for up to 5 minutes, while both devices are unplugged.
4. Reconnect the TV’s power cord and then plug in the antenna coax.
5. Turn on the TV and then reconnect the antenna’s power cable.
6. The final step is to test whether the TV tuning will now work well.

Note: You may have to retune for channels after power cycling your TV!

4. Relocate your Antenna!

It is possible that your antenna’s improper placement disallows for proper digital TV tuning search.

When positioned under a large object or something that reflects the signal off, your antenna may lose the state of the signal completely and there is no signal on TV.

Quick Fact: You can have an indoor or an outdoor antenna connected to your TV!

Where to Place an Indoor Antenna?

It is preferable to have an indoor antenna placed somewhere in the attic of your residence or a second-story location. If not possible, place it near a window.

Where to Place an Outdoor Antenna?

The best location for an outdoor antenna is definitely the roof of your household. The higher your outdoor antenna is, the better signal quality you will receive.

Note: Outdoor antennas are usually more sensitive and also tend to be larger than indoor antennas. 

The larger the surface of the outdoor antenna, the better will be the signal you get.

5. Test on a Different TV!

To determine if the problem is with your TV, hooking up the antenna to another device will let us know where the fault is exactly.

If you’re able to receive digital broadcasts using the same antenna, but on a different TV, it is possible that the tuner of your current TV has gone faulty!

• Connect the antenna to another used TV or an old one you no longer use!

Note: After the antenna is connected to the testing TV, check how the tune settings work and view the correct scanning values back in step #2!

6. Install a Signal Amplifier

It is possible that the signal that reaches your location is constantly weak.

If you’re just getting into digital TV streaming and such equipment is installed in your area for the first time, using a signal amplifier may help improve the quality of the reception.

Tip: Find a signal amplifier in your closest technical store or order it online!

How to Install a Signal Amplifier:

1. Unscrew the antenna coax from the back of the television.
2. Connect the television cable to the port on the amplifier.
3. Screw the other coax cable into the amplifier and into your TV.

Note: Lay the amplifier to rest upon cables so the coaxial wires of the TV and antenna are not under pressure.

7. Check DTV Signal Availability

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) allows all residents within the Districts of Columbia as well as all of the U.S. to check the DTV (Digital TV) availability in their area.

It’s a federal organization that always keeps track of any DTV outages on an international scale!

Here’s how to check the DTV availability in your area:

1. Open a web browser on your phone or computer.
2. Navigate to fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps.
3. Tap the “Enter Location:” field and type your address.
4. Press on the “Go To My Location!” button and wait.
5. Check if the digital TV is available in your area at the moment.

Note: DTV outages usually are rare and last for a short amount of time!

8. Upgrade the Antenna!

It is possible that your antenna’s service time is coming to an end and it could no longer decode the OTA digital signal properly.

If you’re getting only some of the digital channels you want, it could also be a fault of the antenna so it’s best to acquire a new and more effective one.

Choosing an Antenna?

We recommend getting the Gesobyte Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna, to permanently stop the signal loss. With the miles of range, you will certainly have a good TV signal all of the time.

Info: Each antenna is set to work on a particular circle of frequencies and the antenna could be struggling to render broadcasts on an incompatible frequency.

Quick Recap:

The answer to “why does digital TV keep losing signal”, is either that your antenna is not properly connected to the TV or the weather conditions outside are unforgiving.

In a case where the signal in your location is just weak, using an amplifier will definitely help!

Read Next: Why Does My TV Says No Signal But Everything Is Plugged In?