Motorola set top box shuts down randomly

[mscoulter]

I reported this and was sent the same box as a replacement, but before I could send the old one back, the new one is doing the same thing and I get the message "Press Menu to wach Fios TV, otherwise turn off your TV". **bleep**???

[tns2]

Assuming you were not unlucky and got a second bad box, the most likely cases are

1. You left your TV on the same channel more than the auto turnoff setting (i believe it defaults to 4 hours)
2. flaky power.  Consider at least a surge protector or a UPS
3. Your box lost contact with the network,  Check the connections
4. Bad ONT
5. Box just received a download of new software (should be obvious if you were watching)
6. Some new bug in software.  Don't know of a current such bug, but there have been such in the past.

[CRobGauth · Accepted solution]

With #1 by far the most likely scenario.

Check your auto power off settings.

[mscoulter]

I am a new convert from Optimum and never had this problem with their STB. So, when I called VerizonTS to report the problem, why would they not tell me what you are saying? Why would they just ship me another box? Please tell me how to disable the auto turnoff setting, because my mom does watch the same channel for more than 4 hours. I checked the sleep timer and it was not turned on. What is ONT? Thank you!

[mscoulter]

I must have checked the old box, this one was set to 4 hours and I changed it. What a dumb thing for 4 hours to be the default setting.

[CRobGauth]

Given the short attention span of people these days, how many people will go 4 hours without touching the remote. New TVs have a similar feature and I think are shorter.

[_dot]

about that default being 4 hours......if verizon wants to make more money, which they obviously do, you might think it would benefit them more to have the set-top boxes ship with the sleep timer set to off , so as to maximize the chance to advertise to us.....but that extra money would probably pale when compared to their  loss of customers after their television got images etched onto their screens permanently from perhaps being left on for days while viewing a channel with a bright banner across bottom or while viewing onscreen menu.....that seems more likely to me as the reason for the default being 4 hours than any concern for our power consumtion or attention spans....any other possible reasons? maybe to maximize settop box lifespan?