TV flickering slightly only when computer has ethernet connection.

[jjreason]

Hello & thanks. Really enjoying the new rogers box we just received - working very well & everything coming in crystal clear.... until I tried to hook up my desktop computer to the internet via an ethernet cable. 

Creating the physical connection has caused the tv to intermittently flicker white in spots with some frequency. Again this is only happening when the computer is connected to the modem via ethernet cable. 

I've tried the different ethernet ports - the all work but the flickering persists no matter which one I choose. All wired connections (HDMI) have been checked & and are secure. 

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[Hwaiting]

What you describe sounds like an HDMI issue but it's odd that it is happening only when you connect your PC to the modem. I know you checked the secureness of the HDMI cables but do you happen to have different HDMI cable that you can swap and/or use a different input on your TV to rule those factors out? 

[-G-]

@jjreason  Are you running in a standard configuration?  (i.e. Running in "gateway" mode, not bridge mode... set-top boxes connected to the gateway via Wi-Fi)

I would suggest trying a different Ethernet cable.  If you have a bad cable, the Ethernet link might "flap".  This still should not affect the set-top boxes' network connectivity but it is possible.

If connecting a computer was causing network issues, I could see the audio or video freezing... or perhaps the screen going black momentarily.  I don't know why you would see flickers of white spots.

Not that this should make any different either but, if you happen to have a spare network switch, have you tried connecting the switch to the Ignite gateway (using a different Ethernet cable) and connecting your computer to the switch?

[jjreason]

I appreciate the thoughts. I currently have the gateway casting wifi to the tv box, not hooked up through ethernet. I've tried the following solutions & have formed the opinion it might be the standard round cable going into the gateway that's causing the issue: 

1. Unplugged ethernet connection to computer - white flickering still happening. 

2. Changed rogers boxes - we received 2 as part of our package but haven't hooked up the second tv yet - the new rogers box shows the exact same flickering as the first

3. changed position of the gateway within the room to try & get the best wifi signal to the rogers box - no change, flickering still happening. 

I am currently working on disconnecting & checking the cable going into the gateway at both ends to see if there is anything that seems loose or crimped. 

[-G-]

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@jjreason wrote:

I appreciate the thoughts. I currently have the gateway casting wifi to the tv box, not hooked up through ethernet. I've tried the following solutions & have formed the opinion it might be the standard round cable going into the gateway that's causing the issue: 

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Are you referring to the modem/gateway's coax connection to the Rogers network?  That's entirely possible.

Could you please go to http://10.0.0.1 , log in as "admin", go to "Gateway > Connection > Rogers Network", scroll down to the bottom of the page, and check the "CM Error Codewords" stats?  There should be few "Uncorrectable Codewords" errors, particularly on your downstream OFDM channel (usually the rightmost column in the stats).  If you are seeing a ton of uncorrectable errors, that is packet loss, and is probably what would be causing your TV glitches.

The Ignite gateway is basically just a glorified Wi-Fi router/cable modem combination.  It does not receive TV channels.  It is just a connection to the Rogers network... and Ignite TV channels are received by the set-top boxes as a network stream, similar to how you would receive Netflix, or content on any other streaming service.  The only impact that connecting a computer should have is that it generates more network traffic... but it normally should not impact the TV service to any significant degree.

[jjreason]

Yes, I did mean the coaxial cable - sorry, the name escaped me. I was not able to get logged into the gateway on my first try, so I did a factory reset & am working my way through getting the wifi back up & running. After that I'll try to log in again. 

[jjreason]

Looks to be about 30 unerrored codewords but no uncorrectable ones.

Would you suggest I schedule a tech to come? 

[-G- · Accepted solution]

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@jjreason wrote:

Looks to be about 30 unerrored codewords but no uncorrectable ones.

Would you suggest I schedule a tech to come? 

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I'm honestly not sure.  If your Internet connection is working well and your Wi-Fi and in-home network is working well, then Ignite TV will work well.

An HD stream will consume 10 Mb/s of network bandwidth and a 4K stream required 25 Mb/s of bandwidth.  If the network (from the servers in the back-end to the set-top box in your home) cannot deliver that traffic, then the set-top box will run out of data to process and the picture will glitch.  The Ignite TV channels are streamed, so you won't get pixellation or macroblocking like you do with Digital TV when the network glitches.  If your Internet service and in-home networks are working well, Ignite TV can recover from little network glitches and you would not even notice.  If you are seeing picture glitches, it is usually due to network issues.  It could also be due to issues in the back-end or a problem with the source signal.

Before you try getting a tech,

You confirmed that the problem reproduces with another set-top box.  Do you see the problem on all channels or just a few?  Do you also see the same problem on another set-top box that is connected to a different TV in a different area of your home?  Also, which channels are glitchy?

On the set-top box, in Settings / Device Settings / Network, does it say that your WiFi signal strength is excellent?  How many devices do you have connected to WiFi?  Do you have any devices with marginal connections that are very active on the network and degrading your WiFi performance?

Try recording a program, and watch it live.  When you replay the recording, does it glitch at EXACTLY the same point as when the live stream glitched?

It is also still the case that your picture only glitches when you have your computer connected to the network or did the issue turn out to be unrelated?

Before you reach out to a tech, you should first try to get the @CommunityHelps  team engaged by sending them a private message.  They can also run a quick test and poll stats from your set-top boxes.

Also, one more thing:  Have you checked your TV's settings and turned OFF picture processing as much as possible?  Things like motion smoothing, edge enhancement, noise reduction, and other picture processing functions can also result in really weird issues.  In all the years that I have had Ignite TV, I have never seen flickers of white in the picture.

[jjreason]

EDITED: Turns out this is a DISPLAY issue, not a rogers issue. It took me too long to try, but I got the idea to use another input & tried the bluray player & wouldn't you know it, the flicker persists. Turns out Rogers has nothing to do with it. Sorry for the wasted time & thank you for all the suggestions.

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The flicker started when I plugged in the computer the first time. Until then the picture had been perfect. When I unplugged the computer, we thought the flicker had gone away (hence the title of my post), but shortly after creating the post it started up again. I have reconnected, disconnected & reconnected (in different ports, with different ethernet cables) repeatedly but it doesn't go away.

I have changed the position of the wifi hub in the room a couple of times, no change.

All channels & all apps (Netflix, D plus, etc) show the flickering in the same space.

The flicker remains constant regardless of whether we're playing recordings, watching an app, or watching something broadcast live. 

The flicker stays the same with no other devices connected as it does with both our phones connected & being used. 

I wondered if the set top box might be interfering with the tv somehow as the flicker was directly above where it was sitting, but upon moving the box the flicker stayed in the same place. 

I am going to try & capture a video of what we are seeing so that someone might recognize the cause - flicker might be making folks think it's something different than it is.