Windows Media Center brings together all your favorite entertainment for you to enjoy on your PC, on your TV or on the go.

Connect an HDTV antenna to your Media Center PC

Connect a high-definition TV (HDTV) antenna to your PC running Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 to get a better quality picture with a high definition signal. After you connect the HDTV antenna to your Media Center PC, you can connect it to an HDTV-ready display. You can also watch HDTV through your computer monitor, which will give you a better quality picture than a standard TV.

To connect an HDTV antenna to your Media Center PC, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Connect the antenna to the Media Center PC

Use a coaxial cable to connect the HDTV antenna and a signal amplifier (optional) to the HDTV capable tuner that is on the back of your Media Center PC.

Connect one end of the coaxial cable to the TV output that is on the antenna.
Connect the other end of coaxial cable to the TV input of the HDTV-capable tuner card in the Media Center PC. If the tuner in the Media Center PC has more than one input for a TV signal, make sure that you connect the coaxial cable to the HDTV input, which may be labeled DTV, ATSC, or HDTV.

Step 2: Complete the TV Signal Setup Wizard in Media Center

To complete the TV Signal Setup Wizard:

Press the Green Start Button on your remote to open the Media Center Start menu.
Select Settings.
On the Settings page, select General.
On the General page, select Media Center Setup.
On the Media Center Setup page, select Set Up TV Signal.

Media Center Setup page with Set Up TV Signal selected

Follow the instructions on the screen. On the Automatic TV Signal Setup page, select Configure my TV signal automatically (Recommended), and then select Next.

Automatic TV Signal Setup page with Configure my TV signal automatically selected

Your Media Center PC scans for TV signals and should detect the Digital TV Antenna signal if the HDTV capable tuner is installed. If the results accurately reflect the TV signal that is connected to your Media Center PC, select Yes to continue.

TV Signal Configuration Result page with Yes selected

Follow the instructions on the screen to set up the Program Guide. Enter your ZIP Code and select a provider, as appropriate.

After the Guide is downloaded, you can view the signal strength for each HDTV channel. After you do this, go to Step 3a to reposition the antenna for best reception, and then go to Step 3b to turn off channels that you do not receive.

Step 3a: Position the antenna for better signal reception

On the Adjust Digital TV Antenna and Choose Channels page, you can use the signal strength meter to help adjust the position of the antenna for better reception or to get the largest number of channels possible.

Media Center Start menu with My TV selected, toolbars displayed, and arrow pointing to Close

The channels are continuously scanned, one at a time, so you can physically reposition the antenna angle and then check to see if signal strength improves.

You may also get better signal reception and more over-the-air HDTV channels if the antenna is paired with a signal amplifier.

Step 3b: Turn off channels that you don't receive

On the Adjust Digital TV Antenna and Choose Channels page, you can also turn off channels that you don't receive, which are indicated by red and sometimes yellow bars.

Adjust Digital TV Antenna and Choose Channels page with Next selected and checkboxes cleared

To turn off a channel, clear the check box that is next to the channel.

Tip: Some channels are broadcast only at certain times of the day. Consider checking the signal strength for a channel during different times of the day before you turn off any channels.

To return to the Digital TV Antenna Signal Strength page at any time:

Press the Green Button on the remote.
On the Media Center Start menu, select Settings.
On the Settings page, select TV.
On the TV page, select Digital TV Antenna Signal Strength.

TV page with Digital TV Antenna Signal Strength selected

Note: Media Center supports up to Two (2) Analog, Two (2) DTV/HDTV Tuners for local channels via over-the-air signal, US only. All other supported regions can support up to Two (2) tuners per computer.