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Fighting with Verizon engineers over Closed Captioning

I've been having trouble with the CC on CBS-HD for over a month. It's the only channel affected. I've called tech support over 40 times, talked to tech support supervisors more than 15 times. It's been sent up to engineering at least 25 times. Not only can they not fix the problem, they won't admit that there IS a problem. I can get NO satisfaction from Verizon at all!!

Most of the Closed Captioning shows up on the screen but anywhere from 4 to 15 times in an hour, parts of the CC is missing. These are on programs that are in the can, not live news or sports. I can tell that parts are missing because when there are 2 black banners at the bottom of the screen and there are no words in the bottom black banner and I can hear the words spoken, then there is a problem. (My wife is extremely hard of hearing.)

We've got 2 HD DVRs and the problem occurs on both of them. AND they sent a replacement DVR and it too, has the same problem. And engineering keep saying that they can't find the problem. BY now, I doubt that they are even looking into the situation.

A couple of days ago, I called the Verizon store in St. Petersburg. They are in the south end of the county and I live in the north end. I asked them to record 2 shows that night on CBS-HD and then I could call them back the next day. I would keep track of where the CC dropped out on my DVRs and they could check theirs. Lo and behold, I told them the first 3 drop outs in the first show and theirs dropped out twice. Same thing for the second show. So I know that this problem is at least county wide, but I'd like to find out if it's state wide and probably country wide.

What can you do? Just record an hour show on BCS-HD in the next few days. Come back here, reply as to which shows you taped and I'll reply with where on the recordings the CC dropped out. You can fast forward to where I find them. Only need to check out 3 drop outs. Here's a sample of what I found recently on a couple of shows.

i.e. 10:22 (*...my friend) *missing words.
23:10 (*The real threat just found us.)

If your CC doesn't drop out, fine. Just say so and give the town and state where you live.
If it does drop out, please tell me that. Again, town and state.

My wife and I really need your help, I'm not getting it from Verizon.

Tonights shows that I'll check are NCIS, NCIS - L.A., & Vegas
Tomorrow night; Criminal Minds

Thank you
IlliniJim1

Comments

xfactor

you should reach out to their dept by email or fax - it may be in the wrong engineer's hands.

I'm having issues with Closed Captioning on my TV

Closed Captioning Concerns or Complaints?
If you have a concern with closed captioning on a program you are currently watching, you may contact Verizon at 1-800-VERIZON, via email at videoclosedcaption@verizon.com, or via facsimile at 1-888-806-7026.

If you have a written closed captioning complaint, you may write to us at:

Verizon
PO Box 33052
St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Att: Valerie DeCastro, Manager

Fax: 1-888-806-7026
Email: videoclosedcaption@verizon.com

PJL

To the OP: I've seen this type of problem on over-the-air CBS feeds -- and other channels where the closed captions simply stop for a few seconds and the pick up again, or are garbled or have missing words. Have you contacted your CBS station? CBS originates the close captioning.

As I've seen your problem on over-the-air channels, I doubt it is Verizon's fault.

IlliniJim1

"To the OP: I've seen this type of problem on over-the-air CBS feeds -- and other channels where the closed captions simply stop for a few seconds and the pick up again, or are garbled or have missing words."

I've seen those problems as well. That is not the problem I'm having. Those were probably on live news or sports programs where the person typing has to keep typing no matter how badly they typed a word or if they missed a word or 2 altogether.

I'm talking about shows that have been in the can (produced and finished) for a week or two. The captioner get the show a couple of weeks early and after the are done, they send the finished product back to the network. They have more time to get the words typed correctly. No garbled or missing words.

"Have you contacted your CBS station? CBS originates the close captioning."

These prime time shows are not coming from the local CBS station. They come straight from the network. I've gone several steps past calling CBS. I called my 2 Grandsons in Illinois. One has Comcast and the other 1 has Direct. I had them record a couple of shows one night that we watch. The next day, I called them and told them where on the recording the CC dropped out. If it was the fault of CBS's signal, they would have had the same drop outs at the same time. Their CC was perfect!

Then as a topper, I called a Verizon store in St. Petersburg which is in the southern part of my county; I live in the north end. I asked them to record a couple of shows and I would call back the next day to have them check the CC on them. On both shows, their CC was missing, just as it was on mine.

It wasn't just the 3 different DVRs that I've had in my house and it's not a problem caused by CBS. So...

"I doubt it is Verizon's fault"

I have no doubt whatsoever that it is Verizon's fault. Now if I could just get their engineers to actually look at what causing their problem. (I'm betting on the software.)

And as far as me calling CBS? I'm paying Verizon a ton of money every month and they are not delivering a quality product, and part of that product in federally mandated. Verizon needs to call CBS, even though they are sending out the CC in working order.

Thanks for the reply, it just doesn't fit with what is going on with this problem.

IlliniJim1

As I've seen your problem on over-the-air channels, I doubt it is Verizon's fault

IlliniJim1

"you should reach out to their dept by email or fax - it may be in the wrong engineer's hands."

I've think that I've dealt with several different engineers so far. They have told me that they checked into the problem and they can't find anything wrong. They actaully believe that there IS NO PROBLEM. If that's what they believe, then they sure as heck aren't going to try to fix a non-existant problem, are they?

I've told them to record some of the programs that we watch and I can tell them the next day where the drop-offs are located. I was told that they don't have any DVRs with which to record the shows. Isn't that like having an automobile mechanic not having any wrenches?

Tonight, I recorded NCIS. There were 17 partial drop-outs and 5 parts that were completely missing. That set a new record. And still, they will say "No problem".

I need to talk to the Manager of all the engineers. Maybe, he can get the ball rolling.

IlliniJim1

PJL

You still haven't ruled out your local CBS station as the problem. You've eliminated CBS as a possible cause since viewers in another state did not experience the problem. So it could still be the local station since Verizon doesn't touch the content of the digital stream the stations provides -- the STB just decodes what it gets from the station.

Have you contacted the local station or checked the over-the-air feed? To say with any certainty that it is Verizon, the local station over-the-air feed would need to not have the problem.

Hubrisnxs

I need to talk to the Manager of all the engineers. Maybe, he can get the ball rolling.

IlliniJim1

You were given that person's name and contact info for their department above. It's a department that specifically handles closed captioning. Next time you call in, ask them if they are the department that handles specifically closed captioning, and if you were to have emailed the closed captioning email address listed above, if they would have received it or have access to that email.

If they say no they would not have access to the closed caption email that customers send comments and concerns to, then why invest any time at all with that person?

Hubrisnxs

@PJL wrote:
You still haven't ruled out your local CBS station as the problem. You've eliminated CBS as a possible cause since viewers in another state did not experience the problem. So it could still be the local station since Verizon doesn't touch the content of the digital stream the stations provides -- the STB just decodes what it gets from the station.
Have you contacted the local station or checked the over-the-air feed? To say with any certainty that it is Verizon, the local station over-the-air feed would need to not have the problem.

That's actually a great idea. Check the over the air feed and see if it does the same thing. If it does then it's the local broadcaster right?

IlliniJim1

You might be right, it might be the local station. But...

If you have a car and the transmission has problems should YOU have to call Borg-Warner and deal with them? Or, should you contact the car maker and THEY should find out about the problem?

Hubrisnxs

well, to be honest, if I knew I could get a faster answer by calling xyz, then I would call xyz, my time's more important than principle.

Just me though.

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