TV/Computer Freeze-Ups

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 11 Feb 2009 9:30 pm

I have Comcast cable TV. I have a 3-year old Magnavox.

I've never got such crummy reception as far back as I can remember as I'm getting lately. I don't know if this is the right section to post this topic, but the TV is basically just another computer. Things aren't much better than they were with the old rabbit-ear antennas.

So who's to blame?

Is it Comcast, or the actual TV station? Or my TV?

The picture freezes or hiccups; the sound goes out or hiccups and gets staticky; you get that blocky/brick-like computer freak-out picture.

This goes on constantly.

TV is so bad, not only on this here dilemma, but the constant re-running of everything I've seen a million times.

I just recently went from expanded cable to basic cable, saving myself about $38/mnth. Very few channels, now, but saving money and knowing I'm not missing much.

Subscribing to Netflix with their $9.00+/mnth, one-at-a-time unlimited DVDs, works real well for me.

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 11 Feb 2009 11:05 pm

Chip;
This could be caused by a faulty (or bitten) cable, coupler, junction or the main connection itself. I would recommend that you go outside and check all the cables, couplers, if any, and junction boxes, all the way to the gray service inlet box, if it's on the ground (on a post).

Also, sometimes the cable jack on the back of the TV becomes loose at the nut and can turn freely when you apply the cable connector. This can cause the input signal wire to become intermittent. A loosely connected cable, either on the cable box (if any) or the TV will cause dropouts.

If there is something wrong with your TV it can cause signal loss. If Comcast has a wiring problem at the nearest terminal they can ping your location and try to identify signal lossin their equipment.

Finally, when you downgraded your account to limited cable a technician would be sent out to install a limiting coupler between the service box and the cable going to your house. If that coupler is not securely connected, or if moisture has gotten inside it, you will suffer bad signals, such as you described.

Bottom line: Check all the inside and outside wires yourself, all the way to the service inlet, if possible. Check the TV connections and jack for tightness. If there is nothing wrong on your end it is either on their end or in the TV itself. Try to borrow a small TV and see it it works better.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 13 Feb 2009 5:12 am

Thanks Wiz,

Checking my connections isn't gonna be an easy task. Many are hidden behind tons of stuff. Some lines run under an inaccessable trailer crawl space.

A comcast tech was just out here to install a digital box, or some kind of box. It's all confusing to me.

Cass Broadview · Post by **Cass Broadview** » 14 Feb 2009 5:07 pm

Chip, i can't speak for myself as i watch little television. I have it on in the morning to watch the local news before work, and thats about it.

But i know George {Redmon} had a problem with his big Sony HDTV 52" LCD television. It turned out to be his power strip. He had his Satellite cables, and phone jacks through one of those spike protector strips. It turned out it was bad. He replaced it with a "Monster" brand and it fixed it. You might check your power strip first if you use one. Cass

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 14 Feb 2009 7:58 pm

Thanks Cass, I appreciate your input, here.

When those Comcast dudes came out to install this "box" I told them about all the things I've mentioned here. But they quickly tried to blame it on my TV.

It's the same run-around I get with Sound Blaster software vs my PC.

You can't win. It just isn't worth the effort and frustration to go through beaucoup steps to figure out what the hell is wrong. And you may never figure it out.

And so you might ask, why did I even bother posting this question. By now, I should have known better. But I haven't; and will continue to ask the same stupid questions, again and again.

$:\$

John Cipriano · Post by **John Cipriano** » 15 Feb 2009 7:11 pm

The cable company knows their network better than anyone, or at least they should. If you're having bad reception, the most likely cause is a weak signal. (With digital cable, a weak signal does not look noisy or snowy, it drops out intermittently like you described).

We had similar issues at my parents' house, it was solved by insisting that a tech come out and check the signal strength. They can also do this over the phone but the feeling I got was that there are certain tests that must be done on-site.

You didn't mention it but in my experience cable amplifiers are a bad idea (unless the cable company puts one in themself). The problem with a weak signal is the signal-to-noise ratio, and the amplifier doesn't improve that. Obviously splitters should be used sparingly.

Blaming it on the TV is pure bull and I'm surprised they'd stoop that low. Yeah, analog TV looks pretty noisy on newer TVs, but a frozen or missing picture has nothing to do with the set at all.

Anyway, cable costs a lot of money and the cable company will do everything that they can to milk you without giving you much in return. Call them up and complain. If you threaten to switch to satellite, they might give you a decent-sized discount for the next six months or so.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 16 Feb 2009 4:39 am

John,

I don't know if they put in a cable amplifier. The Magnavox has "HD" stamped on the front, but the tech said it was 'early HD technology' and therefore I still needed one of the their conversion boxes (don't know if this is the cable amplifier).

I would have gone with satellite years ago, just to spite cable, but they came out and said I have way too many tall trees in the Southern exposure; so that's out.

Comcast also tried to put the blame on the channels themselves, saying it may be from their transmission to them (Comcast).
But it can't be all the channels, can it? Every channel I get or had gotten at one time would invarably cr@p-out.

Cass Broadview · Post by **Cass Broadview** » 16 Feb 2009 7:33 am

Sure sounds like a cable problem to me to. Chip, have you tried other TV's hooked up where your Magnavox is hooked up? Does it do the samething to that television? Just a thought.

Anyway, cable costs a lot of money and the cable company will do everything that they can to milk you without giving you much in return.

George pays around $100 dollars a month for DirecTV, with all the added packages. When i go over there, he still complains he can't find anything to watch.

John Cipriano · Post by **John Cipriano** » 16 Feb 2009 12:47 pm

I don't know the ins and outs of the Comcast service (I have Charter) but my TV is also an early HDTV, so it has a DVI input but no HDMI, which is a newer standard. DVI took off in the computer world but not so much for TVs.

The cable box (Scientific Atlanta Explorer) has HDMI, which I can't use, but it also has what's called component output. The rings are marked as red green and blue but I believe it's Y-Cr-Cb component. Anyway that's what we use.

Maybe now that everyone has HDMI they've started to shut those off, I dunno. I would guess that if you have a converter box in addition to the cable box it has something to do with HDMI, but I could be wrong.

Your cable box should still have a regular coaxial output on it as well. You should try it without this converter box, by using component cables, or coax cable if you think it's that second box that's causing the issue. But honestly it's still their problem and they should be fixing it. Cable companies are local monopolies and they feel like they don't have to do anything to get your money.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 16 Feb 2009 2:18 pm

Well,

First off, Cass, I don't blame George one bit and he's absolutely right. Many more channels do not equate into quality viewing. Far from it. They all re-run stuff over and over and over and over. I had enuff. I got BASIC Comcast $9.99/mth + $1.99 for their stupid "box". Just so I can keep up with the world, now and then.

John - there is only 1 box. I didn't have a box until I downgraded to BASIC cable. They came out, hooked it up in an instant, and gave me THEIR remote; which at the push of the main 'red' button turns on and off both my TV and the 'BOX'.(But sometimes, they warned me, if i don't aim the remote strategically, either the TV will turn off, and not the 'box', and viceaversa.
I still need my old remote for the Magnavox, for this very reason, and also to transition somehow to channel 4, which will then put me in the Magnavox remote world and I will then be able to access either the DVD or VCR player.

WWWHHHHEEEWWWWW. I need some medication.