Black screen on one channel?

[Darcie44]

Here's our issue: For the past two weeks (and periodically over the past several months), the feed from CBC Ottawa (channels 514 and 008 here in Ottawa) is simply not there: the screen is blank and there is no sound, but when I click on "info", the screen displays the usual information about what program is playing, etc. All other channels are working fine—it's just CBC Ottawa. It is the same for all three boxes in our house. I have re-booted them all, several times—the problem persists. There is no predicting when CBC Ottawa feed will appear. It can be blank for several hours, and then, the next time we try it, there it is. For what it's worth, we can stream CBC Ottawa, but of course, we cannot record any streaming shows or rewind/fast forward. This is very frustrating, and Rogers says it can't find any problem.

***Edited Labels***

[57]

This sort of issue is almost always related to a marginal signal to your home. Since it affects all boxes, it may be outside the home, or at your demarcation point in the home.  I assume you're on Legacy Digital Cable and not on IgniteTV.  Here's a post on the topic. You can check the signal yourself or call Rogers to have them check it and make sure the problem is happening when you check your signal or call.

https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Archived-Posts/Nextbox-3-0-PVR-Skips-Recorded-Playback-Only/m-...

A problem signal can affect certain channels - usually the ones higher up in the QAM spectrum, which I believe CBC is.

[Darcie44]

Thanks, 57 -- that seems like the most likely explanation. I will call Rogers and see if I can get someone to guide me through the diagnostics.

[Darcie44]

Seems I spoke too soon. After yet another lengthy wait on hold and another lengthy chat with tech support - during which I was assured the issue would be addressed - I have been advised again by email that Rogers cannot find a problem. The problem persists: for two weeks, a channel we watch more than almost any other is increasingly just a black screen. As 57 has suggested, this may well be weather related. So, I guess I am to do without this channel until spring? Seems Rogers is not making much effort to keep me as a customer, which I have been for some 30 years. Great.

[57]

@Darcie44 : Did you check the signal strength yourself, per the following link?

https://www.digitalhome.ca/threads/57-faq-tips-for-sa-cisco-stbs-also-pace.17719/#post-134376

You can do this yourself to ensure signal is between -10dB and +10dB and S/N is over say 33.

If you decide to call in after confirming that the signal is low, ask for second level.  A lot of the first level people are just working off a scrip and don't really know how to help.

[Darcie44]

Thanks 57. I have not gone through the diagnostic process--been occupied with work. The missing channel was missing for most of today, but re-appeared late this afternoon and continues to function this evening. I am going to see if I can convince Rogers to send a tech to have a look. If the signal strength is so low that it is sitting on the border between working/not working, I'd think the tech would see that there is a problem, whether I'm receiving the channel at the time of diagnosis or not.  I suspect the signal from this particular channel is chronically low, since there have been fairly regular occasions when there is some, and sometimes a lot of pixelation.

Thanks for your advice. I'll see what happens next time I speak with Rogers...although I have better things to do with my time than wait on hold for an opportunity to try to impress on tech support that this is an issue that may require an actual site visit. Cheers