Picture cutting in and out

[grouchydruid]

Has anyone had a problem with the program they are watching just going grey for a few moments as if it lost the signal then suddenly coming back on?  Sometimes it is just the pixels messing up, then it comes back. Trouble is you miss bits of the program, sentences etc.  Has happened on regular broadcast channels mainly.  I had been a Direct customer for as long as they were in my area and only had this problem during weather related times.  I have had this service 30 days yesterday and find this little glitch annoying.  Before I knew what was coming if it rained real hard but this is random.  Is this normal or is there something I should do?  Should I be looking for a loose connection or something.  Verizon came out and installed the equipment, adding it into my previously installed internet and phone box.  My call to tech service was disconnected (besides the last one I annoyed the guy cause I knew more about the digital transition, at least in our area, then he did) so maybe someone here knows.  Thank you.

[DzWR]

No, it definitely should not be doing that.  I would probably check/reseat all the coax and splitters in the home.  Else they might need to send someone out to check out your ONT.

[TimSykes]

I agree this sounds like a line signal issue. I would un do all the coax and refasten it. If at that point it still is going on I would have someone from fios come out and run test on the equipment and coax lines.

[pachello1019]

ok, well oddly enough I have a very similiar problem, and I am trying to figure out how to post a question on this website.  So, please let me apologize in advance for using your question to write this! Perhaps you could help me with posting my questions? But back to your problem, see I have the same issue. The only difference is that it only seems to happen when I use the on demand feature.  I will be watching a show or movie or anything on demand and it will just almost like keep skipping, and the picture will cut out and in along with the sound as well.  SO, I was thinking quite possibly it could be b/c I seem to have a High Def Set Top Box but I unfortunately do not have a high def tv set. (the verizon man said he was giving me a stb in high def b/c I was hoping to purchase a new high def tv but I never have yet! What do you or anyone else think? Thank you again for helping me in advance! Jessica

[DzWR]

Well while you are browsing the forum (before you look at the messages inside) you can click on new message to start your own.

As far as the issue you are having, video on demand actually comes through the internet.  It doesn't use up any of the bandwidth that you are paying for, but if there are ever problems and happening with multiple shows you try to watch on demand, the issue probably relates to the router.  I would try to power cycle it (power it down for 15 seconds or so then turn it back on) and try to unscrew the coax cable on the back of it and screw it back in tightly (aka reseating).  It might also be a problem where the other end of that cable, or where the cable plugs into a splitter as well.  You could try reseating the ends of the cable at those locations as well. 

Besides that, I would call tech support if it is a repeated issue.

[CharlesH]

Hi Jessica, I would have to ask a few questions to isolate this.  Does it skip on all of your cable boxes? Is it only certain movies or shows that it skips on?

A couple of things I would if I was at your house: Unplug cable box from power and unscrew the coax, then screw it back in and plug in the power.  See if that fixes it.  If not, reseat coax or near-by cable splitters. Lastly, powercycle your router and reset the router since all VOD comes from your router.

I know I gave you a lot of information but do the best you can do and post again if you have any questions.

[grouchydruidgrr]

 I have a new screen name because it lost me in the system somewhere and though it said I didn't exist would not let me sign with the same screen so now I am grouchier grrr.  Thanks to all who answered and I didn't notice the problem last night.  I had called on an unrelated issue (charged me almost $60 for a connection that wasn't installed--one box 2 connections--ah right---besides the house is already wired with in the wall connectors).  The tech dept. did a remote reset and suggested I double check the connection to make sure they were snug.  So far so good, we shall see.  And the customer service dept and the tech dept seemed to handle the charge issue very well. They could not understand why I was charged for it either.  Now lets see if the credit shows up. 

[MikeT]

Every once in a while I will lose just the picture for a second and it will come back on.  What I have to do is shut off both the tv and cable box and turn them both back on and the problem is solved.  I think that it has something to do with HDMI.

[ken_p]

This is sporadically happening throughout my house and it was really ticking me off.  I finally figured out the other day what is causing it.  Whenever I turn the lights on or off the TV blanks out for a second or two before coming back.  If it was the power the TV would turn off, bt it doesn't, so it has to be some type of interference with the signal.  Verizon, tell us what to do to fix it, or I will go back to DirectTV (for less money too.)

[FIOSGal]

Hello All,

  I believe I'm experiencing a similar issue.  On Friday, March 27th, I had the FIOS triple play installed.  Later that evening, I noticed that the picture on one of my TV's exhibited the following issues, freezing display, vertical lines (4 lines and then two lines, about 4 inches apart); the picture occasionally cutting out, going black, then going to the BSOD and then the Verizon FIOS TV Start-up message appears.  Additionally, the picture will intermittently pixalate and then at times, the sound will disappear, and currently, I have two vertical lines that appear on my screen.  This occurs intermittently and a FIOS technician has already returned to diagnose the issue this past Saturday.  They claimed that they needed to, "reinitialize the box," which they did and then they proclaimed the issue resolved and left.  It has now returned and when I call Verizon, I'm told that this will require another visit from a technician and they can't guarantee that the issue will be resolved.  I've checked the cables, swapped the cables w/my other, known, good, working, television - and the tech did the same on Saturday.  The affected television is not HD nor does it have the full digital box (the one w/the time display), only the smaller digital box. 

   Does anyone have any suggestions?  I'm so incredibly frustrated w/this, especially since I'm paying for this bad service.  TIA.