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FiOS DVR and STB freezes and lockups

Add me to the list of people experiencing constant freezes and lockups on my DVR and other STBs. This often (but not exclusively) involves NBC HD channels (including MSNBC and NBCSN). Sometimes switching channels brings the picture back. More often it requires a reboot. Several times I've lost DVR recordings (I get dumped back to live TV). Rebooting the DVR usually removes the recording in question from the list. I've checked connections - they're fine. This seems to be a software problem and I'm wondering when a fix will be provided. Reliability doesn't seem acceptable given the price I'm paying for the service. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm beginning to think about switching back to Comcast. Please convince me this isn't necessary. Thanks in advance.

Comments

tnpnldy

It appears that this was never answered or fixed. Happens with me all the time - MSNBC is the one that it happens on most. If there is a fix hope it is coming soon.

mencik

It is still happening. As noted, primarily on NBC, MSNBC and NBCSN.
Apparently Verizon doesn't care.

TerryR2

Switched to Fios (from XFINITY) in May 2013. Freezing happens to me multiple times per day. Picture on STB freezes and audio ceases. Not particular to the channels you've noted. Fox news HD, and several music channels as well. Although for me, never CNN. Changing channels becomes extremely slow as well. Can usually correct problem by rebooting STB or sometimes by switching channels and coming back to the frozen channel. When returning to the "frozen" channel it will either be fine or just have a blank screen. Happens on all three boxes, 2 STBs and 1 DVR. All can be on the same channel at once and only one will freeze. Three different TV makes, 2 HD, 1 SD. 2 HDMI connected, 1 composite video. Just doesn't matter.

I have had a revolving door of "Dream Team" technical/repair/installation people come through to no avail and even did an experiment myself, eliminating everything from the equation (splitters, router, other boxes, other cables in house) except the entrance cable which I connected directly to a STB. Picture froze within the hour.

They have checked the internal cables for signal strength and BER (bit error rate) both of which are excellent. Connected the entrance cable to the external grounding block, which it was not originally. Swapped out one of the STBs. (Oh, actually they just took the one from the basement and drop shipped one to me that I had to setup and install.) More time wasted. A new fiber optic line was laid across the front yard and the boxes froze as soon as they pulled out of the driveway and several more times after that. The ONT (optical network terminal) has been replaced twice and inspected each time. The problem persists. Now they've trenched in the fiber optic line that was laid across the yard even though I have told them that this does not fix the problem and despite the last technician having put a red-line on the trenching effort. Wonderful muddy stripes through my yard on top of all the other issues. Ugh.

RANT [Hello VERIZON FIOS! Either your incompetence or unreliable product is on full display. Not sure which, or maybe both.]

Obvious to both the last tecnician and myself that the problem is with the CISCO STBs and DVRs. Tried to get him to give us an old Motorola STB but he wouldn't.

Bottom line, Verizon FIos should not charge so much for such an unreliable product. Makes XFINITY look reliable!

TGunk

Add me to the list of folks experiencing resets and freezes with my Fios set top boxes (STB). I have the Motorola STBs and they freeze and reset too. At least 3-4 times per week the STB will freeze and reset itself while we are watching it or while it is recording a show in DVR mode. The freeze is as others have described it: The picture freezes and the sounds goes away, then seconds later the screen goes blank and the LED display on the front of the STB starts showing dots, zeros and all of the other things the STB does when it goes through a full reboot. Takes 3-5 minutes to fully reboot and come back online. When it does come back, DVR programs will start recording again, leaving two segments of a show with an (approx) 3-5 minute gap in the middle. When watching live TV, it dumps you back at the beginning of whatever you were watching. For a DVR'd show, this just means you need to FFWD to the appropriate point. But for On DEMAND material where FFWD is disabled, it usually means you give up on watching the show because you do not want to have to watch the part you already watched. Not a good TV viewing experience at all.

We have had the service since 2008 or so, and these resets only started happening within the last year. We reset our router, reset our STB (although it resets itself plenty) and no change.

Have been searching online for a solution, but have not found anything that works, If anyone finds a cure, please post for all to see?

Like most people, I get frequent mailings from DirecTV and our local cable company trying to woo me back with offers of lower prices, premium channels included, and free install.

Those offers are starting to look better and better with each reset. I was a cable customer before Fios, and the cable TV service was as good or better. No resets, instant response of setp top box to remote commands, and the picture quality was just as good for TV viewing.

I am a Video Engineer by training, and I am aware that digital cable does not have the same bandwidth (meaning it cannot carry the same amount of data per second) as fiber, but practically speaking, it is sufficient to deliver high quality HD TV programming. To use an example, higher water pressure is generally better, but if the rate of flow through your shower head is the same, you really won't experience much benefit. And if you are paying more for that higher water pressure, and the line gets clogged 3-4 times per week when you are trying to shower, you have to start questioning if it's really better.

TGunk

One more quick thing...I have not noticed a relationship to the channels we are watching when the problem occurs. From a quick look at the segmented programming on my DVR, this has happened on AMC, Fox, CBS and NBC. Probably more channels than that, but those are the ones I can verify since I have not been logging the details of each reset. Mostly I have been saying something like, "(expletive deleted) not again!"

Anyone who was of age in the '70s will probably get the "expletive deleted" reference. Anyone who doesn't, it's worth a Google!

JrTwo

Add us to list. It really is a joke. It appears either channel related but I believe it is a slight power surge on the coax lines. Possible termination or the result of multiple divers or receivers on the same lines. Just to sensitive. I can not believe Cisco can't fix.

JrTwo

Oh yeah, I have 3 or 4 receivers and 2 drv's and only one has this issue. Definitely a cable, thruput, or power issue. Or all three. Usually starts with screen pixelation but sometimes goes quick.

T-Bone25

I have 5 boxes and only one has the freezing issue. Calling Verizon support tomorrow and hope this can be iradicated. Has anyone gotten this issue of freezing up on playback resolved?

paulpjs

I had the same problem..there is a vz tech bullitin out that cisco set top boxes not compatible w actiontec.

This also happened after I switched from Comcast. I had fios switched to comcast for 3 weeks and hadtble when I switched back to FIOS.

(you tried; "Obvious to both the last tecnician and myself that the problem is with the CISCO STBs and DVRs. Tried to get him to give us an old Motorola STB but he wouldn't.")

my tech gave me all new (be sure they are not refurbirshed) motorolas 3 mo ago and fixed problem...except just recently i have one chan on only one tv that locks up everryonce in a while while my other tv on same channel does not. tv is 6yrs old.

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