Re: One Channel Freezing Up
Scooter31
Enthusiast - Level 2

I have changed my box. It does not help. Contact VZ SUpport via phone and twitter DM. The visibility of this long term issue needs to be raised. 

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Re: One Channel Freezing Up
Cloudyplusplus
Enthusiast - Level 3

@clem53 wrote:

@seanpb2 wrote:

Ok so I posted my question originally in this issue back in March I think! And it seems like this is a major issue for WBZ channel only still and thanks to you all for trying and pushing with VZ tech support! I ran out of patience and my wife and had just kept on rebooting the stb each time - swearing about it each time also. Not very effective I know!  
I spent some time in the thread and can confirm I tried everything so far.
- The settings/system info thing showed no errors and what seems low (I have no idea) SNR value of 40.8 DB.  

- Also auto tune didn’t work.

- Also I changed the splitter out with the new one that came in the box of the new super fast router they talked me in to when I called about this.  Not the splitter.  

- I also checked and rechecked every coax connection - unscrewing blowing out any dust that wasn’t there and put back nice and tight. 

I can also confirm I have the newer Fios one system I upgraded to maybe 6+ mos ago - and this has been going on ever since. Though to be fair for a while this channel was only freezing once every few weeks to a month. Now it’s constant. 
- as of 7am this morning on 4/28 - it’s now 8:05am - I woke up to the frozen #504 and have rebooted the stb twice. And it’s currently frozen again and I give up. I need to get the kids ready for remote school now.    


Ok, if the SNR and errror count are good, then odds are the issue is outside your house, and a bad feed from the broadcaster, or the central switching station. I've had boxes go bad on 1 or two channels, but they were all on the same frequency, and replacing the box fixed it. Also nobody else in the area was having the issue, which is a big clue it is the main feed, not anything you can fix in your house. Just keep reporting the issue to Verizon Support by calling, Twitter or DSL reports:https://www.dslreports.com/forum/vzdirect and hopefully they'll figure it out and fix it.


I too believe this is outside our homes, given the number of folks experiencing the problem and we seem to experiencing it with similar frequencies. 

The other problem that hinders diagnosis is metrics like SNR are impossible for the average user to capture at the time the issue occurs. Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR) is a central metric that indicates whether there is enough signal that contains data vs. background noise on the line. A drop in signal certainly can cause this problem. If SNR does indicate a problem, in this case, it would be a very quick reduction of signal which returns to normal just as quickly. The only method to detect it would be to put a scope on the line that captures SNR and records it on a timeline. If we could also capture when the problem occurs, we would compare them. 

I think at this point, we simply need to keep pushing on Verizon to address the issue. I don't know where their engineering development organization is located. They would have the ability to instrument the channel to capture meaningful diagnostics. However, if they are not in this market, then they'd need to have someone from development come to their headend (which I think is out near Gardner, MA) which likely will not happen until the current C19 emergency abates.

I used to work at GTE Labs on digital cable research in Waltham, MA (At the time, they were attempting to move into the TV cable business with operations in FL and CA.) Though GTE merged with Bell Atlantic in 2000 to become Verizon, I don't know whether they are doing FiOS development at the Labs. I suspect not.

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Re: One Channel Freezing Up
Hemlock2020
Newbie

We also have this problem and it occurs VERY regularly. Tech support never acknowledges the issue and does nothing other than reboot the box thinking they fix it. Has been an issue for many many months and Verizon just does nothing whatsoever to address it. If you don’t pay your bill 100% they penalize you but when they don’t resolve a major issue like this we are the ones that suffer. Obviously someone from Verizon needs to see these posts and address THEIR issue with some sense of urgency.

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Re: One Channel Freezing Up
Scooter31
Enthusiast - Level 2

Make sure you tell tech support to look up the channel 504 issue in the Boston area. It is well documentedf

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Re: One Channel Freezing Up
petesza1
Enthusiast - Level 2

It would be nice if someone from VZ monitored their FiOS Customer Forums!  I don't see one Verizon response.....

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Re: One Channel Freezing Up
petesza1
Enthusiast - Level 2

I just hung up with FiOS Support (800) 837-4966 and spoke with Louis.  I had called about this issue last week when I got tired of rebooting our set top box with the My FiOS app.  He looked up my ticket and went to the Master ticket and said that techs are definitely working it.  Lots of comments with timestamps from today (4.28).  He said that they are also working with CBS Boston to be sure they are sending over a clean signal and looking at different hardware components between VZ and CBS.  

When I called in today the Verizon ACD recognized my number and said that the 'new' ETA is today, 4.28, at 6pm.  After hearing that I hit Zero and got in queue for a tech.  Lewis picked up and said that was the ETA he saw too, but noted that this could take as long as 10 days to fix.

So, it sounds like we have some more time watching the SD channel 4 for Boston CBS feed.  Fingers crossed that it will be fixed soon!  Stay well....

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Re: One Channel Freezing Up
seanpb2
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thank you! That sounds like some solid progress! I called yet again also and was told they are aware and working on it. Hopefully fixed soon! 

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Re: One Channel Freezing Up
Eydes
Enthusiast - Level 2

830 pm.  Has frozen twice in 30 minutes.   Not fixed yet.  Have a callback appointment with Verizon tomorrow.   Comcast any better because I am starting to look around?

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Re: One Channel Freezing Up
Scooter31
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thank you everyone for keeping up the visibility. I also wrote a letter today to the general manager and president of WBZ today so he would be aware. 

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Re: One Channel Freezing Up
Scooter31
Enthusiast - Level 2

Ok. Here is a recent finding on this issue. 

Please forward this to the techs working on Boston 504 outage.  Was watching 504. It was working. (NCIS). Moved away from 504 to 505 for a moment. Returned to 504 it was frozen with the previous wheel of Fortune which I had watched an hour before. It's as if it recorded wheel and was stuck. Could go back on wheell but not past the spot it was stuck. Some serious bugs going on here. Hopes this helps trooubleshoot. 

As happens this time and on occasion I was able to fix the freeze by flipping the channels a bit. This workaround only works if no client boxes are on 504 this is a huge mess. Please Verizon spend some time on this and let's get it resolved. 

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