"Currently Unavailable" message on many channels

[tommck_90]

I just had FIOS TV service installed a couple weeks ago and I have noticed a constant problem on my HD TV and HD DVR box.  I'll begin watching either an HD or a regular channel and suddenly the screen goes black and a message saying "Currently Unavailable" pops up. 

Also, sometimes I will flip to a channel, and no picture appears or only the audio can be heard for that channel.  Has anyone else had a similar experience and if so, how did you resolve it?

Thank you for any feedback.

- Tom

[snshevey]

We just got the FIOS installed also and have the same problem, along with the pizelization of the picture.  We have been told to pull the power plug on the DVR, let it sit for about a minute or two, then plug it back in.  This only seems to help for 12 to 18 hours though...

[secretjade]

I Have this problem all the time.  It has gotten so bad that im about to switch service.  Very sad to pay all this money and not be able to watch the tv.  If anyone find a solution please post.

Message Edited by secretjade on 02-22-2009 01:04 PM

[Oz]

I have the same problem for 2 months now.  "Currently Unavailable" with HD DVR TV.  

2 other standard receiver TVs, no problem whatsoever.

1st they thought it might be a bad HD DVR, so HD DVR was replaced, problems remained.  

Replaced FIOS internet router, still same old "Currently Unavailable".

Last I talked to tech support, they suggest I replace my coax cable myself since that might be the problem.   They can send someone over to do this but it will be very expensive since these are union guys, whatever that means.  So I did what the tech support recommended, I replaced the coax cable with new coax cable from ONT splitter to my HD DVR.

problem remains.

I'm about to give up on FIOS TV.

Will call them one last time to get someone to fix this once and for all.  If not, I'll have to switch back to Cable.

[RedsoxFan]

I've been having the same problem. I got FiOS TV last wednesday. I talked to Kazeem with Verizon via the live chat option. He said this is a known problem with these stb and there will be a fix in march. Untill then he advised to just unplug your box for 10-15 seconds to reset it untill the problem is fixed. Hope this helps

[Teasip]

Great service but problematic DVR's.....went with the TiVo and expect to break even on DVR cost within the year (got each of mine for $150 at Costco a couple of weeks ago).  Pixelation issues occasionally which I resolved with my OTA antenna being hooked into the DVR.  Most of my viewing/recording is DVR except for what forces me to go with the TV service to begin with which is sporting events on ESPN/FSSW.

[cjacobs001]

If pixelization is happening, the cause of pixelization is almost always a poor coax connection (or bad cable) somewhere in the line to the set top box.  

Re-seat all coax cable connections.  Not just, 'make sure they are snug'.  -Unscrew every coax cable end connection where it screws onto something, then immediately screw them back on snuggly.  If your coax connection is not the screw-on type, you must change it to be the screw-on type.  It can be necessary to do this all the way back to the splitter and to the ONT.  And the coax cable to your router.  Also, if any of your cables have recently been 'bent', twisted, kinked, yanked, tripped-over, or stretched so that it MAY be possible that a continuous coax cable may have been compromised, change it to a new cable.  If you\someone else in your house have recently moved the furniture around, dusted behind the furniture, or done any remodeling in \ around your house, check all of your cables.  If Verizon could not reset your set top box when you called them, or if it took a very long time to do it, something is wrong in the communications line.  -This could include the screw-on connection for the coax at the back of the set top box, however, it is more likely to be something in the cables.         The technology works.  The obvious point of failure is the communications through the connections.

[retiredme]

This is perhaps one of the more frequently reported issues and is a software glitch attributable to the HDMI handshake problem with plagues the industry, not just FIOS. Two quick fixes until the software is corrected: do a hard reboot periodically (unplug the DVR from the wall socket for about 30 seconds, replug and wait for the boot cycle to complete - I personally do this every Mon/wed/Fri and mostly OK); secondly, switch to component cables (red/green/blue RCA jacks). HDMI is an evolving protocol, which means anything can happen. Please do a subject search of this forum (or even Google) for more detailed information, as this has been discussed here extensively. Thank you.

[fiosles]

Yes. I have similar problems. Tired of calling Fios support. I unplug the STB for 39 seconds, plub back in and its back to normal. Verizon spent billions to bring Fios to the home, why cant they improve their STB. We are paying too much to constantly having these issues.

[mdr227]

If you switch to component cables what is the image quality like for both HD and SD?  We just got a new LCD TV and switched to FIOS last week.  SD Channles from Dish using component cables were very poor, but the SD quality from FIOS using the HDMI connection is much, much better.