Picture and audio dropout
swampscottDan3
Enthusiast - Level 2

Hello, I just installed Fios about 3 months ago.  Before I had Comcast.  I have a Panasonic TH-42PZ80U.  It ran brilliantly on Comcast.  Never did I have a problem.  During the first 2 months of my Fios service I was getting random picture and audio dropouts a few seconds at a time.  Sometimes it would be only a couple.  Other times it would happen repeatedly every few minutes. Seemed mostly to happen when watching live HD broadcasts of sports on NESN or ESPN.  A technician came out and told me it was because of the way my lines were split.  He came in and rewired everything.  It didn't happen again for another week.  But then it began to occur again and even more so.  I tried looking on the forums about this issue and it seemed others had the same problem.  Lots of others.  The remedy I found that was most common was switching out the HDMI to component cables.  I have since done that for about 5 days now.  It has improved since then but, it is still happening on a less frequent basis.  As far as I'm concerned this shouldn't happen at all.  It seems to be a problem with the software or set top box.  I'm writing this to let verizon know that if this is not corrected before my one year contract is up I will be going back to comcast.  It's a shame because I really like my service and the additional HD channels that I do not get with comcast such as the Big Ten Network, NFL Network and NatGeo as well as the guide and DVR interface.  But at least I will get the channels I really want with comcast and will be uninterrupted.  Sure, Verizon may not care as I am only one small person, but this is my little way to hopefully improve on what I consider a potentially great service.

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Re: Picture and audio dropout
swampscottDan3
Enthusiast - Level 2

Hello, I'm the orginal poster of this thread.  I just wanted to say that I received the 1.7 update a week ago.  I gave it a full week before updating this thread and I'm very pleased to say that I think this corrected the problem I was having.  I haven't had any dropouts since the update was released.  I'm going to mark this problem solved.  Thanks

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Re: Picture and audio dropout
CM61
Newbie

Hello, I also have this same problem and have reported it to Verizon several times. Each time they tried to lead me to believe it was either a problem within the particular station I was watching, my TV or audio set incorrectly. They even did a reset of my box from the office. They advised me to call back when or if I had the problem again. I told them when I lose sound it only last a few seconds to a minute, if I don't channel up or down and come back to the station. They said there was really nothing more they could do unless it was happening when I called them. I therefore, did my own troubleshooting to make certain, it was not the station (called a friend watching the same station to check if they were having problems at the same time I was); I placed 2 TV's on in my home with someone watching each, on the same channel, to make certain it was not the TV (both TV's loss sound at the same time); If it was the audio setting, I would not have any sound at all.

I contacted Verizon again, after locating this forum and reading other peoples problems with audio under tech support - going al the way back to 2008. I asked them if Verizon is aware of this widespread problem, and what's being done about it. I was told there are bigger problems and they can't take care of all problems at once, but they're sure they'll get to it. I was advised I would be transferred to  someone higher up for further information..Instead I was disconnected.

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Re: Picture and audio dropout
troubledwatcher
Enthusiast - Level 2

Hi folks,

Same problem here too, picture cuts out often (mostly at night) and sound cuts as well...not sure what the box number is but it's the silver DVR box. Standard channels come in o.k. but who wants to watch that when you have HD. spoke with Verizon and they reset the box...they spoke about interference so I moved the modem, and cordless phone away and cleared the wires best I could. Also cut the twisty ties bestbuy used to wrap every wire they could find leading to the t.v. in case that might have contributed...still no luck!

Again, this happens mostly at night and rarely during the day...next they mentioned connections (even though things seemed fine during the day and then act up at night...without any change in connections???) nonetheless, I double checked connections and tried moving HDMI's to different input jacks on t.v....no luck.

Third call they suggested the coax connections so I'm tepted to get gold tipted conectectors for the splitter and two coaxs before the signal gets to the box....WHICH RAISES ANOTHER QUESTION how can it regularly display HD from the box when it looks like basic coax from the wall to the box (weak as the weakest link right??).

Pretty sure the fancy connectors are a waste of money but I might try anyway...last call (all during the day) they had me press menu..select..select kinda quickly which brought up "IN BAND STATUS"...this threw out numbers like 30.5 db or 32.4 at night which were described as "Fair" on the same page.

No resolution yet (9/19)...they've asked me to call at night when it happens, so we'll try again tonight and try and catch the ghost...I'm guessing they've known this answer for a while but can't say...we'll see, and COMCAST IS LOOKING A LOT BETTER next time were up for renewel...free hbo & max helps for a little while, but when youre watching standard t.v. when your paying for HD...is it really free {please keep your posts courteous}

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Re: Picture and audio dropout
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

@troubledwatcher wrote:

Pretty sure the fancy connectors are a waste of money but I might try anyway...last call (all during the day) they had me press menu..select..select kinda quickly which brought up "IN BAND STATUS"...this threw out numbers like 30.5 db or 32.4 at night which were described as "Fair" on the same page.


Yeah the fancy connectors are probably a waste of money.

But I'm surprised to see that they didn't dispatch out a technician when you see those "IN BAND STATUS" numbers of under 33. I know from my buddy that works at Verizon that if the inband status number is under 33, they consider the signal to be insufficient for their systems. The numbers are supposed to be 33-37 and under 33 will cause picture and audio issues. Maybe one of the Verizon guys that help out here on the board will notice this and help. Otherwise I'd call tech support back and see if you can't get a tech that realizes what that number means.

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Re: Picture and audio dropout
patrick78
Enthusiast - Level 1

It's Sunday, 9/20/09, and we're having this issue seemingly all of the time now in the evening.  Not sure about daytime...Only waych tv at night.

Tonight we're watching TBSHD, You, Me, and Dupree, and it's dropping all of the time.  This is getting really bad!  Haven't talked to verizon yet, kind of figure it will be a waste of time...but maybe I'll waste some time with them later this week.

Thanks,

Pat

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Re: Picture and audio dropout
richtrini
Newbie

Not sure when any of you had FiOS installed but I had it before the OS upgrade and it did not happen at all.  It was not until the OS upgrade that this started happening.  Also, it does not happen on my non-DVR HD STBs.  It just happens on my HD-DVR STB (QIP 7216).

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Re: Picture and audio dropout
Jim99
Newbie

I've had FIos for about 1.5 months now. This problem just started for me about a week or two ago. How does one know whether a update was made to the DVR and is there anyway of undoing it. Why doesn't fios give us an answer?

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Re: Picture and audio dropout
numaris
Enthusiast - Level 2

Same problem here.  Annoying audio/video dropouts of only a second or two in duration.  It happens only on my DVR box.  I have been through the usual phone conversations with Verizon service.  I only have so much time to spend with a Tier 1 support person that walks me through the same canned solutions, i.e., cell phone interference, STB resets, etc.   I have had Verizon send a reset signal to my box, and I have reset it myself through the Home Adviser software.  Nothing seems to help.  Also, I am often unable to rewind a live program to catch something I missed.  The picture just goes to garbage until I go back to "live".  It's very disappointing to pay $20 for the DVR STB and to get so little service from it.  Comcast was never like this, and if this continues, I will be their customer again at the end of this contract.

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Re: Picture and audio dropout
troubledwatcher
Enthusiast - Level 2

Problem Solved On this end, and then some...

Previous owner had cable feed coming from the attic, going to a six way splitter (listed as 11 db loss for each) in the basement. There's a two-way between the only HD and the modem in the living room going under wall to wall to the basement (and the six way)..

My original problem was HD channels (only) freezing, with some audio cut out,more so at night.

First, I put the feed from the attic to a two-way (900mhz at that). First leg goes to the livingroom two way (between the TV and modem). Second leg went to an old 4-way which went to 4 basic (no dvr) boxes. In-band status jumped from 30-32 db to a steady 36.0 (on the HD NESN), skipping and freezing on HD now solved!

But then...(since both splitters I used to replace the original six-way were old and probably junk) the three bedrooms (and probably the one downstairs) were cutting out..I'm feeling good after solving the HD freezing issue so I'm on it. Shopping for a new two-way and four way and heard HD needs atleast 1000mhz. Thought bigger was better and got 2300mhz which pixelated the basic TV's like crazy/ wrong frequency (didn't effect the HD). Switched to 1000mhz two-way and four-way and second problem solved (for the most part).

The solution actually had the two-way (and only) a threeway, which left out the TV down stairs (they were the PDI 1000mhz from Verizon), so I needed a four-way to wrap the whole thing up.  4-ways were limited (and a TV still might have cut-out slightly) so I found an RCA 4-way/amplifier to see how things go.

Before the amp (and after cutting that six-way to a 2-way and then a 4-way)  I was already at 36.0 db in the living room for HD NESN and the same for the basic nesn's. After, the basics went to 37dB and the HD hasn't really changed but still in the steady 36.0's (can someone say for sure that 37.0 is about tops?). Picture now looks excellent all over, and wondering if Verizon is hiring. Bottom line was that my cable coming in was getting hacked by that six-way and dropping my signal to 32.0 dB!  I'd suggest finding out what your signal reads and following your cable (each split cuts the signal by 3.5 db at least)!Getting the HD feed from the main two-way fixed the HD, and making sure the splitters were 1000mhz took care of the basic sets. Who knows how much better the amp makes things (only a listed gain of 4dB per and a return of 7dB), but either way I've got 5 sets and a modem so it shouldn't hurt..Good luck to all and thanks to the tech that came out to get the ball rolling (after helpful but limited support over the phone)...

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Re: Picture and audio dropout
cr724
Newbie

Well, I am glad to think that you have found the problem, but I don't think so.  I have had service since 2/09 and this problem started within the past couple months, and I don't believe it is a signal strength issue due to the fact that it occurs during DVR playback.  I jumped from DirectTV to Verizon purely based on the bundle price.    I am reconsidering that and may jump back when my contract is up, or even before it there is not a fix soon.  Going from HDMI to component is not a solution!

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