having Random 1/2 Second Freeze on some channels on all boxes

[jakthebomb]

for the past 2 weeks i have been having a 1/2 second freeze on the following channels 257, 51, 258, 253, 191.  more channels are on that list.  i would be watching channel 257 viewing Adult Swim, and during one of the shows it would randomly sound mutes and picture freezes for 1/2 of a second.  i had my box replaced by Verizon and still problem remains.  i have had verizon fios for exactly 32 days and started having this problem.  It pisses me off and i don't feel like watching TV when it happens.  I have checked all of my connections on all of the boxes and they are nice and tight.  i have called Verizon and they dont see any problems with it.

It seems as it is getting more and more of a problem, as more channels are affected.  and i am seeing this on all of my boxes.

Jakthebomb

[Sailracer]

I've started seeing a similar problem a week or two ago (after the update to 1.6.2 which was approximately 2 weeks ago)  The video cuts out for a second or so but the audio continues uninterrupted.  The video is dropping out on both the HDMI and the component video outputs and on both live TV and DVR playback.  This happened about 8 times during a two hour movie last night.  What's going on?

[marmelon]

i'm having the same problem too. a verizon technician came to my house, he replaced the ONT box, check the fiber optic connections from outside the house and he even put a ground (green cable wires) he also bypass the splitter by hooking a coax directly from the ONT box going to a STB but the problem was not solved. the tech guy said he doesn't know what to do anymore, so i called cust. service again. all they can do is send another tech guy to come to my house. it's happening more frequently on channel 1756. but other channels are also having the same problem. 

so does anybody know  what the problem is?  

[jakthebomb]

It seems that it is becomming more frequent everyday.  and it is causeing me much stress.  I don't like the whole Update thing, as history prooves, updates cause more problems then they fix.  For example, Microsoft released an update to Windows Vista that caused an endless Reboot cycle.  the update was not to fix any current problem, but ended causeing more issues than before.

on top of the 1/2 second freeze channel 250 now sounds like an old AM radio, again after i started experiancing the Freeze issue.  I hope that verizon figures this out asap, because even though i am in a contract i can break it for poor service / non working service.  Yes i actualy read before i sign.  so Verizon if you read this, i will be forced to break my contract without paying a Fee.  all was fine and dandy for exactly 1 month then all hell.  I realized that i have called Verizon more times about problems in one month then i ever called Cablevision in the 10+ years of service i had with them.  This is unacceptable.

It does not seem like a connection issue as i am not getting pixleation, which would be caused by bad signal.  if you want to see what i mean loosen the coax cable from the splitter to the Box.

It is getting to the point that Fios TV is unwatchable.  i get the freeze about 4 times or more every 30 seconds.  and sometimes i get it once a minute.  it just seems random.  another way is how and when it starts happening.  I turn on the box and tv.  after exactly 1 minute it starts.  but not on all channels, it just seems like all the channels i normaly watch.  for example, i rarely watch channel 192, i turned it on channel 192 and it never happened.  also it seemes like it does it more on the digital adapter then the HD DVR box.

I need this fixed, NOW.  Or don't expect to see another Check!

Jakthebomb

Message Edited by jakthebomb on 04-10-2009 05:48 PM

[dcp]

Same issue.  I have only made one call many months ago to support and they did the normal optimization they do centrally.  Unfortunately, that did not resolve the issue.  I get a black screen freeze for half second three times in a row.  It is completely random, but it always happens three times in a row.  Some channels are worse than others - BBC America for example.  It doesn't seem to happen much on local channels.  I may have to go back to Directv if this doesn't get resolved.

[DCGTLS]

I see this also at times, luckily not as often as some of you have reported. It might be a good idea to let us know what equiptment you are using and how everything is connected, this might show something in common. What I have is:

Verizon Qip6416-2  => 

                                          =>  HDMI in to a Yamaha RX-V643  =>  HDMI out to Samsung LN52A650 

Panasonic BD35     => 

[jakthebomb]

For me, ONT-> 5 way Split -> to 3X Digital Adapters and 1X HD DVR  The thing is it only happens on the digital adapters not the DVR.  Honistly it is driving me mad.

I have recorded the Problem affecting one of the Music channels on my iPhone.  you cant enjoy the song with a 1/2 pause every few seconds.  i want Verizon to Fix it now!

Plus it isn't a problem on our end, it is a problem on Verizon's end. 

Also the last Chat support i did with verizon sucked, the guy told me to contact Support at a latter time Because their Diagnostic software servers were down.

jakthebomb

[Sailracer]

I've got the 7216 box.  I have a Sanyo PLV-Z1 projector connected to the component video output via a Yamaha RX-V2400 receiver with the audio coming from the optical out jack.  I also have a Sanyo 52" LCD connected directly to the HDMI output.  The digital output from the LCD TV is connected to a Yamaha RX-V2092 receiver.

Some of the dropouts today on the HDMI cable lasted up to 10 seconds.  The audio would cut out as well as the picture.  On the component cables, the dropouts seem to be shorter and the audio doesn't drop out at all coming from the optical output.  When a dropout occurred while watching a DVR'd show I tried backing up and playing back the same part again and the dropout did not occur.  I think this should prove this isn't a problem with the feed to the box.

[jakthebomb]

I just checked all of the Coax lines in the house.  The one from the ONT to the Splitter was very loose, as was almost every Line from the Splitter to all of the Boxes and Router.  I took a Wrench and tightened every single connector so it would rule out loose connections.  And guess what, same problem.  so it is either 3 things.

1. Faulty ONT (highly Doubt it)

2. Faulty Boxes (highly Doubt it)

3. Verizon's Latest Updates

So it is most defiantly not on my end.

also here is an updated list of TV channels that are screwed up.

1.       51 (Freeze issue)

2.       52 (Freeze issue)

3.       53 (sound like AM radio Issue + Freeze issue)

4.       54 (freeze issue)

5.       190 (sound like AM radio issue)

6.       250 (sound like AM radio issue)

7.       257 (freeze issue)

8.       258 (freeze issue)

9.       1912 (freeze issue)

[AshTR]

---

jakthebomb wrote: also here is an updated list of TV channels that are screwed up.

1.       51 (Freeze issue)

2.       52 (Freeze issue)

3.       53 (sound like AM radio Issue + Freeze issue)

4.       54 (freeze issue)

5.       190 (sound like AM radio issue)

6.       250 (sound like AM radio issue)

7.       257 (freeze issue)

8.       258 (freeze issue)

9.       1912 (freeze issue)

---

I am having this exact same issue on Cartoon Network (257). I didn't have it at all until around last week. First noticed it when I recorded a Clone Wars rerun and Pokemon.

I got some screenshots of the 2 glitches, there are also audio messups as well. See here: http://i40.tinypic.com/vhb76c.png and http://i39.tinypic.com/dcg3zm.png

Has anyone figured out what the problem is?

[BlackNGoldRules]

I'm having the same problem with FSN channel 76. I started a thread about it a while back that nobody answered but maybe it's the same problem you all are having. Maybe I have other channels doing this that I just don't watch. FSN Pittsburgh does it a ton on both of my TVs. I have a tech coming tomorrow, so we'll see what happens. I hope he doesn't just try to replace a box and think that's going to solve this. If it's happening on both TVs simulaneously then it has to be something outside. All the usual resets, tightening of wires, etc hasn't done any good.

Message Edited by BlackNGoldRules on 04-19-2009 11:15 PM

[BlackNGoldRules]

Well, just to update, the tech showed up at my house today and couldn't find anything wrong. He tested everything and said everything looked good and I had a strong signal coming in. Unfortunately, it didn't freeze up once while he was here, so he didn't see it for himself. He said, he'd let his managers know about it, and they'd look into this further and get back to me. I don't know. FSN just happens to be the channel I watch the most, and it's also the channel it seems to happen on the most.

[AshTR]

---

@BlackNGoldRules wrote:
Well, just to update, the tech showed up at my house today and couldn't find anything wrong. He tested everything and said everything looked good and I had a strong signal coming in. Unfortunately, it didn't freeze up once while he was here, so he didn't see it for himself. He said, he'd let his managers know about it, and they'd look into this further and get back to me. I don't know. FSN just happens to be the channel I watch the most, and it's also the channel it seems to happen on the most.

---

You probably could've recorded some of the freezing and then let him see it.

[blegs38552]

Had same problem last night on 505 watching 24 from 9:00 to 10:00 PM. My wife said she had the same problem 1 hour before on the same channel.

[mrcolon]

I have had the same problem. Items I have noted:

1) Pauses do not seem to be channel oriented.

2) Pauses are such that they will be recorded.

3) I have done testing on the internet and find pauses that were not appearing a month ago when I last tested this.

    (not that the download and upload speeds are within limits and not pertinent to the issue) 

4) I have have this problem in the past but on the order of around once a day.

    (when called in multiple times, the tech stated that this was normal with the DVR so I gave up)

Based on past experience with the company, I believe we will be waiting until  the problem goes hard down before fixing.

[AshTR]

---

@mrcolon wrote:

4) I have have this problem in the past but on the order of around once a day.

    (when called in multiple times, the tech stated that this was normal with the DVR so I gave up)

---

What DVR is it that you have? I've got one of the QIP6416. If the majority of the problems seem to be with the 6416, I'll just see if I can get a 7xxx replacement.

[TimSykes]

I dont watch any live TV, everything I watch is recorded on my DVR. But this seems to only happen on the MR-DVR, but not my HD STB that I access my DVR shows from. I have sent a message to the verizon staff members so I hope we can find out whats going on soon.

[DavidHoon]

I had the same issue with 1080i for a few weeks.  I switched to 720p and these random freezes seem to go away ...

What video mode are you using? 

[mrcolon]

I have the HD DVR and I always run in 1080I

I have noted that the problems have been greater since the last software update. 

[papercutninja]

I've had FiOS since the beginning of this month (April '09) and it seems like my HD DVR (QIP7216  via 1080i HDMI to Panasonic TH42PZ80U plasma) has been having this problem since the beginning. Some days it will do it all the time (like last night), some days it won't happen at all. It has happened on live tv, as well as when watching recorded programs. It also occurred during a PPV fight this past weekend, though thankfully it didn't happen at any critical moments.

I have NOT noticed it on my QIP2500 standard box that is hooked up via coax to a 13" CRT in the other room. Then again, i have not watched tha particular STB for an extended period of time, the HD DVR in the living room is the primary  TV.

When this occurs (i believe it is only on HD channels, i may be wrong), my TV displays "HDMI 1 - CABLE" in the top right corner, as though the tv is on, but not connected to anything. I HAVE concluded that the signal to the box is not an issue, as i can rewind right after the "freeze" and be able to see what i missed. It isn't the HDMI cable itself (most likely), because this is a HDMI version 1.3 that worked fine with my previous Comcast HD-DVR. I'll swap it with a new one if i can find one laying around the apt, but i doubt it will make a difference.

It COULD be the HDMI output on the STB; has anyone tried using component cables? I'd try it, but again i don't know if i have any component cables laying around.

[DavidHoon]

Looks like someone has already tried the component cable and still have the problem.  For those who have the problem with 1080i, can you try to switch to 720p and see what happens?