Pixelation on HD Channels and VOD

[MickeyS]

I am experiencing a lot of pixelation on the HD channels and VOD particularly in the FX HD channel. I've worked with tech support on numerous occassions doing a variety of things to correct it like resetting the HD DVR box, the ONT, the splitter, reset the router, replace the coaxial from the box to the wall, etc...with no luck. The technician checked the lines with the Sunrise meter and they show a good signal, so basically I don't know what else to do besides replace the box, the router or the ONT. What are your suggestions. I will call Verizon tonight to have the box replaced to see if that's the cause. Have anyone experienced this and was able to correct it? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[Provider7]

Even though the test passed with the sunrise...It could have been a fluke.  Many a time if the cabling is rg59 it is a hit or miss if it passes.  If you discover the wire is rg59, replace it with rg6.  I would also check and see if there are any splitters on the cable to the bad stb.  Usually it's a poor connection causing this issue.

[MickeyS]

The cable from the box to the wall is RG6(white), the cable in the wall is black, I can't tell what kind it is, however, the house is only seven years old so I am assuming that the builder used RG6.

[Provider7]

Never assume,  If you can't access the wire behind the wall plate, see if you can trace it out to it's origin.  Disconnect it from the splitter and inspect it.

[Justin46]

My guess would be that the cabling is RG 6 in a 7 year old house, but you certainly should check all connections to make sure they are tight.

Pixelation is usually (or at least frequently) a sign that the signal strength is too low at the STB.

Is this a new install, or has it been working ok for a while and suddenly the pixelation showed up? If it is new and has never worked right, I would go look to see if you can find an attenuator somewhere in the cabling. Actually, even with an old install that could be the problem. I recently experienced severe pixelation on a number of HD channels, have had FiOS TV for over 3 years, never had the problem before. Everything checked out remotely from the FSC, but when the tech came to the house, he found a 6db attenuator attached to the back of my DVR; it had apparently been there from the initial install, never gave me problems until this past week, and suddenly it did. All he had to do was remove the attenuator and all was fine again. He had no idea why the attenuator was even there, or why it suddenly started causing problems.

An attenuator could be anywhere in your cabling, at the ONT, at the splitter, behind the wall outlet, or at the STB, you may have to do some searching to see if that might be the problem.

Of course, since the pixelation is bad, Verizon should be willing to send a tech out to the house to fix it, at no charge.

__________________________________
Justin
Verizon FiOS TV, Internet, and phone
IMG 1.6.0, Build 06.89
Keller, TX 

[MickeyS]

I checked the cable from the STB to the splitter and indeed it was RG6. I installed a new RG6 from the splitter to the STB just to make sure that the cable was not the culprit but it was pixelating on th FX HD channel. I feel this may just be one channel only. Could that be possible? I watched the signal using the diagnostic menu on the HD DVR and it fluctuated fron 37.6db to 38.3db, with no errors and in general a good signal. Could it be another splitter somewhere in another line that is causing this pixelation? Originally there was an atenuator and I removed it, there isn't any visible attenuator near the splitter and the ONT. I don't know if there should be anything inside the ONT. This pixelation really began as a result of the new upgraded IMG (1.6) Build 06.89. I don't recall having pixelation at all before the upgrade. I replaced a short Monster coaxial cable with gold plated ends that I had between the wall and the box, now I think I should get rid of the other Monster calble I have between the router and the wall in my study room, I don't think these kind of cables go well with FIOS.