How to sort TV channels

You bought a new TV, very happy with it, you ran home to try it out but… argh! Unlike what you saw on your old TV, many broadcasters have changed their position and you can’t figure out which numbers to press on the remote! Well, don’t be alarmed, it’s something that can be remedied easily and without wasting too much time.

To begin with, you can try to deal with the problem by re-tuning the channels and activating the automatic channel ordering specific to Italy – called LCN. If this does not have the desired effect, you can turn to the use of a special function available on most televisions, which allows you to circumvent the default numbering and alphabetical order, in order to prepare the programs based on those that are your own personal tastes.

If, therefore, you are actually interested in understanding how to order TV channels, read the instructions below and you will see that, in no time at all, regardless of your type of TV, you will be able to position your favorite broadcasters on numbers that you they are easier to remember. Enjoy your reading and have fun!

Index

• Preliminary information
• How to sort TV channels
  • How to sort TV channels: Samsung
  • How to order TV channels: Sony Bravia
  • How to sort TV channels: AKAI
  • How to sort TV channels: LG

Preliminary information

Before getting to the heart of this guide and explaining, in practice, how to order TV channels, let me give you some more information about the strategies to be put in place to succeed in this small business.

Generally speaking, if your TV shows the channels in a completely different order than you are used to (proposing, for example, Channel 5 HD on channel 1, Rai 2 on channel 6, NINE on channel 15 and so on) , the simplest way to operate is to re-tune the channels by activating the LCN sorting.

This last word, which stands for Logical Channel Numbering, allows you to assign a precise channel number to a well-defined broadcaster, depending on the operating nation: in Italy, the LCN numbers are defined by the Ministry of Economic Development and generally follow the number of broadcasters; in other words, the Rai 1 broadcaster will be positioned on channel number 1 of the television, Rai 2 broadcaster on number 2, Canale 5 broadcaster on 5, NINE broadcaster on 9 and so on.

If, on the other hand, you want to apply a completely customized sorting to your channels, independent of the LCN numbering, you can take advantage of a precise function present in almost all modern televisions, which allows you to apply a personalized sorting to the stored channels; in the absence of the latter, you can create a list of favorite channels and browse through it, following the order you prefer.

The theme of this guide will be to explain, specifically, how to reorder the TV channels with both systems: re-tuning with LCN active and custom sorting / favorite channels.

How to sort TV channels

As I said earlier, you can first try to sort the TV channels by re-tuning them on your device by enabling the LCN system. What needs to be done? To begin with, take your TV remote control and press the Home, Menu or Settings button (the button to press can change depending on the model), to access the area dedicated to device settings.

Then, enter the section dedicated to channels, choose you want to start the automatic tuning and make sure that the options related to automatic sorting/updating of channels or LCN are enabled, otherwise do it yourself.

Then, check that the remaining settings comply with your situation (e.g. the country must be configured on Italy, the type of search on Antenna / DTV / DVB-T and the frequency on Digital ) and press the button to start the tuning.

In some cases, you may be asked to enter a security PIN: unless you have customized it, the number sequence to enter is generally 0000, 1111, 1234 or 8888. If you can’t find the correct PIN, consult the user manual of the device, try to search Google for phrases such as default PIN [TV brand and model] or use my tutorials on how to find the code of the Samsung TV, how to unlock the TV Philips, how to reset Hisense TV and how to remove LG TV lock, if you own a device manufactured by the companies in question.

The tuning procedure will take a few minutes but, in the end you should find all your channels already sorted according to the national numbering system. Finally, it may happen that the television requests the resolution of or more LCN conflicts, choosing which of the available broadcasters to assign to a given number: some devices are able to perform this operation automatically; on others, however, you will have to specify the preferred channel (usually the one with the best signal, or in the highest definition).

Alternatively, to alter the numbering of one or more stations already stored on the TV, you can use the dedicated function to organize the TV channels as you wish, or to create a list of favorites, which I mentioned in the previous chapter.

All you have to do is press the Menu / Settings button on the remote control and go to the advanced settings of the TV: once you have identified the appropriate panel, select the item relating to the DTV settings present within the latter and go to the section dedicated to channels.

At this point, you should find yourself in front of the complete list of channels tuned on your TV with, at the bottom, the indications relating to the buttons to use to change their order: therefore position yourself on the name of a channel to reorder, press the button to renumber the transmitter on the remote control and enter the new number you want to associate with the channel. If the chosen position is not free, an exchange will be made with the issuer who previously occupied the position.

As you can easily guess, although the steps I have indicated to you are valid in most cases, it is not possible for me to provide you with a precise procedure to apply on all televisions, as each manufacturer – and each model – uses menus, buttons and nomenclature different.

As an example, however, I can explain how to proceed on the most modern televisions produced by some of the most famous companies in the sector: even in this case, however, I must warn you that the menu items may vary slightly from one model to another. even if they come from the same manufacturer.

How to sort TV channels: Samsung

If you intend to sort the Samsung TV channels by re-tuning with Italian LCN sorting, do this: first, press the Menu button or the Home button on the remote control, select the Settings button displayed on the screen (if necessary) and click “OK” , by pressing the OK or Enter button on the remote control.

Following the same procedure, choose the Transmission option from the next screen, press the Automatic tuning option twice consecutively and press the Start button that appears on the screen, in order to access the area dedicated to specific adjustments.

At this point, use the Antenna menu to specify the type of antenna you are using (presumably digital ), set the Digital option from the Channel type menu and set the next one, called Channel sorting, to the Automatic sorting option: this operation is essential to archive the channels following the LCN order.

The game is practically done: to start the channel search, press the Search button and wait a few moments for the automatic tuning to be completed; if necessary, resolve any LCN numbering conflicts by selecting the channel you wish to save from those available and, when the operation is complete, press the Close button and press the physical Back / Exit button on the remote control several times to close the menu.

To change the order of the channels already in the list, however, you can take advantage of the convenient manual sorting feature available in most Samsung TVs: therefore, access the device menu as I showed you previously, reach the Transmission> sections. Change channel number, press the OK / Enter button on the remote control and repeat the same operation, after choosing the Enable option from the menu that appears.

Back to the previous menu, this time choose the Edit channel option, select the channel on which to intervene from the proposed list, select the Edit number button that appears on the screen and click OK again; Finally, enter the number to which you intend to move the channel in question and press the Enter key on the remote control twice consecutively, in order to confirm the move.

How to order TV channels: Sony Bravia

To sort the channels on a Sony Bravia TV, starting a new tuning according to the LCN order, proceed as follows: first, press the Home or Options button on the remote control, use the directional arrows to reach the Settings item and press the central button on the remote control, to access it.

Now, in the same way, go to the sections Channel settings> Digital setup> Digital tuning> Automatic digital preset, in order to access the area dedicated to re-tuning with LCN sorting.

If everything went well, you should be prompted to confirm the start of the automatic preselection: select the OK button that appears on the screen, press the central button on the remote control, indicate that you want to start tuning using the Antenna, by selecting the ‘appropriate item and then pressing the central button on the remote control.

At this point, wait patiently for the channel search to be completed; if conflicts are found, you will be asked to choose the channel to keep in memory and the one to delete.

If, on the other hand, you want to reorganize the list of channels already present, open the Smart TV Settings again and go, this time, to the sections Digital settings> Digital tuning> Edit program list, to access the list of channels in the TV memory. 

Now, find the channel you want to reorder in the list, press the right arrow on the remote to activate the move mode, then use the up and down arrows to define the new position of the channel and, when ready, press the left arrow on the remote control, to confirm it.

In case of doubts or problems, you can refer to the guide on how to order channels on Sony Bravia TVs, in which I have treated the subject in great detail.

How to sort TV channels: AKAI

To retune the channels on AKAI TV and sort them according to the LCN system, first press the Menu button on the remote control, use the directional arrows to access the General menu, select the item First setting and confirm by pressing the Enter button on the remote control.

Now, set the OSD Language menu located on the next screen to Italian (if necessary), adjust the Configuration Mode menu to the Home Mode option, use the Country menu to select Italy and then set the Tuner Type menu to Antenna and choose the DTV item in the Auto Scan menu.

Finally, set the LCN menu to On (to enable logical sorting), select the Start button and press the Enter key on the remote to start the automatic channel scan, which should finish within a few seconds. Should you see a warning indicating an LCN conflict, press the Yes button, so that the TV will automatically enter the channel with the best signal.

To assign an arbitrary order instead, you need to create a list of favorite channels and enable it as the main one: to do this, press the Menu button on the remote control, access the Channels> Favorite channels sections, select the first of the channels to add to the list (the one that will respond to number 1 , so to speak) and press the Enter key to add it to the list. Repeat the same operation for all the programs to be added, taking care to insert them in the same order to be assigned to them.

To activate the navigation within the list of favorites, press the Fav / CH button on the remote control and use the numbers and the directional arrows on the remote control to reach the programs entered.

How to sort TV channels: LG

To sort the channels on LG TVs according to the Italian LCN order, proceed as follows: first, press the remote control button depicting a remote control gear, select the button (⋮) from the menu that appears overlay and click OK, to view All TV Settings.

Now, navigate in the Channels and Tuning and channel settings sections, give OK and make sure that the lever corresponding to the Channel list update item, located on the next screen, is set to ON (otherwise you do it).

Once this is done, set the Program mode drop-down menu on Antenna, select the item Automatic tuning and click OK; now, put the checkmark next to the Antenna option, press the Next button, put the check mark next to the Automatic sorting item, press Next again for two consecutive times and wait patiently for the tuning to be completed.

If you are asked to resolve any LCN conflicts, put the check mark next to the channel you prefer and press the Next button to save it.

If, on the other hand, you are interested in changing the sorting of the channels to your liking, open the menu All settings> Channels> Manage channels of the TV and select the item Edit all channels, to view the list of all available channels.

Now, highlight the channel to move, press the OK button on the remote control and, if you want to position it higher or lower, press the yellow button on the remote control and choose the new position from the destination channel list; when you have found it, press the OK button on the remote control, in order to place the chosen channel in the most appropriate position.

If, on the other hand, you want to manually type the program number to assign to the new channel, select the latter as I have shown you previously, press the blue button on the remote control, enter the new number to assign to the channel and press the OK button or on the Enter button, to confirm it.

Clearly, any programs already present in the chosen position/channel will take the position of the one with which they were exchanged.