How do I Connect a Cable Box to a TV?

Step 1

Inspect the back of the cable box. Locate the "Cable In" or "From Wall" jack on the back of the box. Connect one end of a coaxial cable to this jack. Connect the other end to your cable wall jack. If you are using the standard cable jack on the back of the TV, proceed to Step 2, if you are using a digital or AV connection skip to Step 3.

Step 2

Connect the other coaxial cable to the jack on the back of the cable box labeled "Cable Out" or "To TV." Connect the other end to the "Cable In" or "Antenna In" jack on the back of the TV. Proceed to Step 5.

Step 3

Connect the digital HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) cable to the "HDMI out" jack on the cable box. If you are using AV (Audio out, Video Out) cables, connect the associated colors of the cables to the matching jacks on the back of the cable box.

Step 4

Connect the other end of the HDMI cable to the "HDMI signal in" jack on the back of the TV. If you are using AV cables, connect the matching colors on the cable ends to the matching jacks on the back of the TV. These jacks are often labeled "Audio R," Audio L" and "Video In."

Step 5

Plug in the cable box to a surge protector or power supply. Turn on the TV, and use the "Source" button on the TV or remote to switch to the appropriate channel or input. For example, if you plugged the cable into the standard cable jack, tune the TV to channel 3 or 4. If you used another jack, such as HDMI or AV, cycle through the source input until you see a cable signal or screen with your cable provider's name on it.

Step 6

Allow the cable box to download necessary updates and scan the channels. This is done automatically, and the box may display various numbers, lines and blinking lights on the box display during the process.