Child Item

Site Totals

61363 Questions Answered 267 Categories

Problems with local channels - sound cuts out?

I'm in the Pittsburgh area and I was wondering if anyone else is experiencing a problem where the sound cuts out from time to time. Somtimes it will happen 2 or 3 times in a half hour program....other times less frequent.

I can't isolate when but it seems to be mainly on the local channels (NBC the most often) on the standard def channel. I have noticed it on other local channels but not nearly as much.

I'm curious if anyone else has this problem and what solutions, if any, you may have.

Comments

chalewa4bambu

yes i am in the pittsburgh area as well, this happens constantly.

dskrzycki

Thanks. I wonder if anyone at Verizon is aware and what actions are being done to fix it.

BlackNGoldRules

Yes, I'm having this problem as well! I called Verizon today, before I was aware that it was just the local channels, and he basically just reset my boxes and told me to call back if it continues. Well, tonight I was flipping through local channels and noticed it happening. Before tonight, I really have only watched the locals to watch the football games so it didn't dawn on me that it was just the locals. Now I see that it is just the locals since I really haven't noticed it on any of the other channels. Anyway, I'm going to call them back tomorrow and I suggest you guys do the same so they are aware of this problem. I'm at least glad to see that it isn't just me. Does this picture freeze a little along with the sound cutting out for you guys? I thought I nocticed that too but not sure since it happens so fast.

BlackNGoldRules

Just to add one more thing, this problem has been going on with me for a few weeks now. Like I said before, I didn't realize that it was just a local channel problem until tonight and you guys confirmed it with your posts. This is why it's important that we all call them and tell them about this and be specific so they realize that this is a Pittsburgh area problem and not just a bad wire at somebody's house or something like that. If only one of us calls, then we'll just get some rep who just wants to do a reset of the box and blow it off after that. I've seen a lot of horror stories on here concerning Verizon's tech and customer support so that's why I bring this up again. Hopefully we can get them to take care of this because it's annoying to watch a Steeler game with sound cutting out here and there!

dskrzycki

Yes, the picture skips slightly along with the sound cutting out. I'm going to call and see what they say. I agree, the more that call, the more Verizon will view this as not an isolated incident.

Judya123

I am a Pittsburgh customer. I have been experiencing sound cut outs intermittently. Mostly noticing on local channels-Notice alot on WTAE. When this sound cut out happens it sometimes is accompanied by a brief picture freeze with pixelation (or mapping or tiling) on the screen. Very annoying to say the least. When I called in for tech support all they wanted to do was reset my set top box-THIS IS NOT A FIX people! When I said I wanted someone to come out to resolve this, the tech asked me to disconnect my box and carry it to another room and hook it up to another tv to see if this would happen again. I was not about to do this- Why can't Verizon come up with a fix on this. I am very unhappy with Verizon's customer service and tech support. I hope this gets fixed asap.

Message Edited by Judya123 on 10-28-2008 06:54 PM

nonnieweg

YES and I have been contacting verizon and they were finally going to send someone out. But they were a no show.Suppose to come out angain today will let you know how it gos.

Judya123

Funny you should say that they were to send someone out but they were a no show. the same happened to me yesterday- no show. I was on the phone for 2 hrs. with customer service asking why my ticket was cancelled? They said that they discovered it was a "group" problem and they would have to fix the problem at "the hub" -Nice customer service- 2 hours on the phone and this was after I had cancelled an important appointment last evening to stay home and wait for the service tech. I am so upset with Verizon and their service or lack thereof.

dskrzycki

I called and they wanted to do a box reset as well. I explained to them that other people on the VERIZON forums in the Pittsburgh area are experiencing the same thing. They said "ok" and that they would look in to it. I'm going to call again tomorrow........then maybe every other day until it gets fixed. Coming out to the house isn't going to solve it so I won't even attempt to schedule something. Its obviously something more global. It is starting to get on my nerves and each and every day I'm starting to regret making the switch to FIOS (and that says a lot because I hated Comcast).

BlackNGoldRules

@Judya123 wrote:
Funny you should say that they were to send someone out but they were a no show. the same happened to me yesterday- no show. I was on the phone for 2 hrs. with customer service asking why my ticket was cancelled? They said that they discovered it was a "group" problem and they would have to fix the problem at "the hub" -Nice customer service- 2 hours on the phone and this was after I had cancelled an important appointment last evening to stay home and wait for the service tech. I am so upset with Verizon and their service or lack thereof.

Well, at least them telling you that they realize it's a group problem at the hub is somewhat encouraging anyway. Just having us all individually reset our boxes or having techs come out to our houses individually isn't going to fix an area wide problem that has nothing to do with our individual hookups! You're right about their customer service. It's very bad. Anyway, let's see how long it takes them to fix this problem now since they're saying they realize it's an area wide problem. At least that's some progress anyway.

dskrzycki

I watched HD local channels all night and did not experience the cut out at all. I'm recording the Office and 30 Rock tonight so I'll report back.

PghSteelers

Just got FIOS TV and I am seeing the experiencing the same problem. There are intermittent 3 second or so sound outages.

Mark_S

I have experienced similar problems intermittently. I am in the Wash. DC area.

dskrzycki

I'm wondering when/if Verizon will acknowledge this. Next up, writing my local newspaper TV columnist.

BobTheTechGuy1

I'm in Howard County, Maryland, and we have that problem with the local channels also (ABC, NBC, CBS). Very intermittent, never know when it's going to happen. Very frustrating when it does happen -- "Murphy" says that it'll happen in the middle of a sentence that you really want to hear.

dskrzycki

"Murphy" has a way of doing that.

I sent an email to my local paper TV columnist. We'll see what happens.

Jedi

I am in Pittsburgh, and have never experienced the problems you speak of.........yet!

Geek84

I am also getting the sound to drop and I noticed a lot of pixelation on the movie cahnnels this weekend. I saw this morning that we got the new IMG update to 1.6 maybe that is what was causing the problems??

dskrzycki

I think I spoke too soon. It hasn't happened on anything I watched for the past week or so, now its starting up again. This time its on Fox Sports Pittsburgh - HD!!!

This is the first time its happened on an HD channel. I'm getting a lot of pixalation too.

I really wish Verizon will acknowledge that there is a problem. I'm getting disgusted.

BlackNGoldRules

@dskrzycki wrote:
I think I spoke too soon. It hasn't happened on anything I watched for the past week or so, now its starting up again. This time its on Fox Sports Pittsburgh - HD!!!
This is the first time its happened on an HD channel. I'm getting a lot of pixalation too.
I really wish Verizon will acknowledge that there is a problem. I'm getting disgusted.

Maybe it's just an HD problem now? I was watching the Pens game from the 2nd period on and it never happened to me but I don't have HD. It's never really happened to me on FSN like it has on the lower local channels though (ABC, NBC, etc.). I don't think it happened to me this past Sunday watching the Steeler game either, which is the first time since I've had FIOS that it hasn't happened during a Steeler game on one of the major networks. If it wasn't for the NFL Network, I'd probably go back to Comcast, as much as I hate to say that. FIOS really hasn't impressed me all that much since I've had it. Maybe that will change, but that's how I feel as of now.

OTA_TIM

I use a roof antenna and my sound is cutting out on my Hi-Def Tv during FOX NFL football games....there may be a correlation...

BizSAR

Same issues here in Oregon. Seems to be mostly local channels, but occasionally seeing it on MTV as well.

Odd that when I wandered through the confusing maze that is the FiOS support/repair area, I eventually came upon a page that said that based on my (Verizon FiOS land-line) phone number, I am part of an "outage" that is expected to be fixed by 9PM tomorrow. Of course, this is while I'm sitting here watching TV...

Could this be the same "hub fix" mentioned?

TimSykes

Have you all tried to change to Component cables? Or changing audio to optical, or digital coaxial?

BizSAR

Yup, using component. How would the cable choice cause audio (and occasionally picture) drop-outs on certain channels?

TimSykes

@BizSAR wrote:
Yup, using component. How would the cable choice cause audio (and occasionally picture) drop-outs on certain channels?

It was more for the people having pixalation issues as well. What audio connection do you use ie optical or coaxial? Have you tried to swap out for the other?

Child Item