Blackscreen on one channel only

[admin201]

Note: Using customer owned PVR boxes: Approx. 5 days ago I stopped seeing channel 545 (CNN) only here in Ottawa. All other channels are fine. When I switch to that channel 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. Plus, I momentarily see the banner at the bottom displaying the channel. I have (3) PVRs. (1) NextBox 3.0, (1) NextBox 2.0 and (1) 8300 Explorer, which is an older box, but still works. All other channels are working fine — it's just 545 that stopped working AND … at the same time. Now, here is the strange thing - only the older box (8300) can still see channel 545, the (2) NextBox devices display a black screen. I did all the trouble-shooting with on-line support and even had a Rogers tech on-site who changed all the co-ax connections, new splitter, checked the signal, etc. - but unable to determine the cause of the problem. He said my (2) NextBox's were probably defective??? I don't buy this. Two boxes at the same time... going defective and only on (1) channel??? It is definitely not the wiring because I can take my 8300 box and move it anywhere in the house and I can see channel 545 no problem. It's only the (2) newer boxes that have the problem.

My theory is that a recent software upgrade from Rogers caused the problem withy my (2) NextBoxes? I believe the NextBox and the 8300 are completely different internally and therefore the 8300 was not affected by the software upgrade? Rogers is telling me to get (2) new NextBox rentals – at my cost. If they can't resolve the problem I am thinking of moving to Bell Fibe?

Has anyone experienced anything like this and if you have any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

[57]

My comments follow:

1. The Nextboxes can sometimes require more signal than the 8300.  

2 Have you moved the NB3 or NB2 to the location of the 8300?

3. Have you tried removing any splitters inside your home temporarily and moving the NB2 or NB3 as close as possible to the demarcation point where the cable comes into your home?

4. These sorts of issues are almost always related to signal, not the box, especially if it affects two boxes as you say.  Have you tried the lower channel (33?) for CNN?

5. Have you checked with neighbours?

6. Have you tried flipping through all the channels, not just channels of interest?

7. Have you checked the signal yourself to see if it's borderline on that channel. Here's my previous post on the topic. There's a link in there on how to check signal?

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

[admin201]

Here are my responses to your comments:

1. The Nextboxes can sometimes require more signal than the 8300.  I did ask the Rogers on-line support if they could boost the signal to the Nextboxes,. They did and no change.

2 Have you moved the NB3 or NB2 to the location of the 8300? Yes - same results

3. Have you tried removing any splitters inside your home temporarily and moving the NB2 or NB3 as close as possible to the demarcation point where the cable comes into your home? Yes - same results

4. These sorts of issues are almost always related to signal, not the box, especially if it affects two boxes as you say.  Have you tried the lower channel (33?) for CNN? Yes - same results Channel 33 has blank screen

5. Have you checked with neighbours? Unfortunately my neigbours use Bell Fibe

6. Have you tried flipping through all the channels, not just channels of interest? Yes - all other channels are fine

7. Have you checked the signal yourself to see if it's borderline on that channel. Here's my previous post on the topic. There's a link in there on how to check signal? Yes, I did check your post (really great by the way) and checked the signal - signal is good. Plus, yesterday the on-site tech went into programming while I stood beside him to check signal strength - it was fine on all 3 boxes.

Before leaving, the tech did mention that he was going to ask his supervisor to come on-site with one of their rental NextBoxes and plug it in. If it works, then that points to my (2) boxes being defective, which is really headscratching. Two boxes that were working fine up until a few days ago and then all of sudden they both go defective at the same time and only missing one channel?

Thanks very much for responding to my post and if you have anymore suggestions, please let me know. These are really helpful

[57]

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@admin201 wrote:

Two boxes that were working fine up until a few days ago and then all of sudden they both go defective at the same time and only missing one channel?

---

I agree with you completely. Highly unlikely (almost impossible). Good luck.

[57]

I once had a channel that I subscribed to come in on one of my boxes but not another.  I can't remember if I had a black screen or "not subscribed" on that channel.  I called and they "hit" my box with the correct subscription.  

[admin201]

Thanks again for your help 57. It was very much appreciated. I guess I'll wait to see if that technician's supervisor contacts me with a test box, which should point to the cause.

[mebe]

I have digital legacy and a netbox 4k PVR (but only a 1080p hdtv set). I'm in Toronto, but I am Not currently subscribing to Cnn, so I can't see if it's good here.
I've had a CNN black screen in the past, but just for a few hours until it was fixed shortly after I mentioned it in this forum (without a service call, or created ticket necessary ... Others probably complained).
So the fact that you also have a CNN black screen doesn't surprise me. I consider CNN one of the problematic channels that can work fine for months, but then suddenly have various issues that eventually get resolved on their own.
However, unfortunately for you, your CNN black screen has been going on for days (not just minutes or hours), even after a tech arrived to have a look.
Rogers tends to blame the box whenever there's a black screen and after they run a test that must say something like ... Code Red, customer's box is faulty, have them rent a box if the box is their own, before continuing with the call.
If even the rental box doesn't work, tech support would most likely then credit back the cost for the box, so the customer doesn't lose anything but time (that's what my tech support person told me, but I just waited until the black-screen channels I had called about were fixed magically without anything done on my end.
I don't know if you also have a 4k PVR, or a regular Netbox 3 (if there's such a thing), but even if Rogers brings another netbox 3 to your home, and CNN then works, I would still have Rogers hook up your netbox 3 to see if it then also works once that other box was added to your account (especially since your older 8300 box gets CNN properly).
I also don't know if you have CNN as part of a cheaper grandfathered package, or as a new $7 single or $10 theme pack. I wouldn't want you to lose any special deals you have now, if you listen to my hail mary, last-gasp attempt to get CNN back, without a box switch.
The first thing I would do is to make sure the SD version of CNN (different freq, so it should work) is fine (just out of curiosity).
I would then unplug your netbox 2 and leave it unplugged.
Next I would check if you have any old recordings of a CNN program and see if they have a black screen. Then try to make a brief new recording of CNN, then stop it and make sure you also have a black screen. Delete the CNN recordings, and then check to see that they don't show up in your recorded list. Also make sure to stop any other recordings currently going on (or just wait until they finish on their own).
Now pull the plug on the netbox 3 and then back in to reboot it. After the reboot, check to make sure no recording is going on, and then check CNN to see that it's still black (which it will be).
Now I would call Rogers to order another channel, but tell the agent you just need it for a few minutes to see if that fixed your CNN problem. Then the agent can remove that new channel from your account and either not charge you, or just charge you for 1 day. This random channel order is just to see if it somehow kicks your netbox 3 back into gear.
When all this fails to do anything to fix CNN, at least you still have CNNworking on your 8300. Oh, and now you can plug in your netbox 2 and check to see that CNN still is black.
Feel free to ignore anything I mentioned, but it's what my curiosity would encourage me to do before the rental box is delivered by the Rogers tech person.

[admin201]

MeBe, unfortunately I don’t have any old recordings of CNN, but I did try recording CNN ‘only’ on both the NextBox 2.0 and 3.0 devices. At the bottom of the screen it shows channel is recording, but after 10 minutes of recording, I cancel and Save. When I go back into my recordings --- it’s not there? It’s not showing anywhere in my recorded list, as if it was never recorded.

I have a 4k PVR Nextbox 3 and I have the CNN channel as part of a grandfathered package. After reading the information that you provided, it’s going to be very helpful and in fact, I’ve printed off all your comments posted and will go through them one by one. Tomorrow I will certainly take your advice and call Rogers to ask them to add the CNN channel to my package for just a few minutes while I test the boxes. I never thought of doing that and it just ‘may’ reboot my CNN channel?

As for the rest of your suggestions, I’m going through them one by one as I check them off and will provide an update within the next couple of days.

Again mebe, thanks very much for your detailed response to my post and will work through each of your suggestions.

[mebe]

Since you have access to the info button for CNN, your boxes appear to know that you are subscribed to CNN.
When you try to record a channel that you previously set, before let's say you later cancelled it, the PVR will initially try to record it, but that recording will quickly disappear, or briefly give you a black screen. Plus, if you are still subscribed to a channel that is giving you a black screen, your PVR will often stop the recording and it will also disappear from your recorded list. Thus, the fact that your CNN recordings don't appear in your recorded list, doesn't mean that you're not still subscribed to CNN, but rather perhaps that your pvr never detects a signal with video or audio info that it can record, so it basically just gives up looking.
Since you don't see a "you are not subscribed to this channel" message when you tune to CNN, I still think that your area has a problem with CNN. However, even if Rogers gives you CNN as part of that US News $10 theme package, you still might have a black screen, and then you would probably lose your grandfathered CNN deal. That's why I was thinking of adding a channel other than CNN to your service, as long as Rogers puts it in writing that you won't lose any of your current grandfathered deals/packages.
Again, adding a new channel to your package just to get CNN working is a hail mary move that will most likely do nothing but eliminate one thing that the supervisor doesn't have to try later on, if all else has failed.

[admin201]

mebe, not sure I understand, you say adding a channel other than CNN to your service, as long as Rogers puts it in writing that you won't lose any of your current grandfathered deals/packages. I have all the channels in my grandfathered package --- except CNN? For example, I can still see channel 543 (sister station HLN) no problem. Could I not ask them to add (1) channel only like CNN to my existing package - at no cost? As you know, Rogers online support read off a script in problem solving and basically have very little techical experience, so I thought I would just ask them to add (1) channel (CNN) at no cost and confirm in writing not affect my grandfathered package because I'm sure they would love to get people off these grandfathered packages in order to upsell them.  

[mebe]

My thought was that Rogers probably can't add CNN to your account, if your box and the Rogers comp system can see that you are already subscribing to it. Sure, Rogers can see what happens if they try to add it, or if you don't already have the US news theme package with MSNBC, CNBC and Fox News, and they add it briefly, perhaps that addition would kickstart your nextboxes into CNN gear, but it's also possible that adding an entirely different channel to your package for a few minutes might somehow also fix CNN, or at least alert Rogers to a different problem it is having reaching your nextboxes.
Regardless, at some point your problem will be fixed, but if it is fixed with a new rental box, just have Rogers check your 4k pvr again to see if that somehow is working again.
I also would hate to see you run into problems with your grandfathered package, just because somebody at Rogers pressed the wrong key and then the system has trouble reversing the error.
Your black screen is most likely a signal issue in your area, but since CNN is a popular channel, it is odd that the problem hasn't been fixed yet (and one of your boxes gets it, though perhaps signal strength is less important for that box).
It might be easier to get Anderson Cooper to figure this out, but he's still not returning my calls.

[admin201]

mebe, that Rogers supervisor called me today to schedule an on-site visit. This Thursday at 5pm. I asked him if he was bringing a Nextbox for testing and he said that he would. I also asked him it was possible to add only CNN to my account for testing purposes --- without changing my grandfathered package? He said that maybe as a supervisor, he might be able to ask the office to push only CNN for testing purposes. Bottom line, if he plugs in his box and it doesn't work --- it's a Rogers problem. If it works - it points to my (2) boxes, which is still a mystery to me. Interestingly, he did mention possibly upgrading to Ignite if it doesn't work, or renting the Nextboxes from Rogers. I was waiting for that sales pitch. I told him my preference is to stay status quo, with my current boxes, BUT, I was thinking that if my boxes are defective (which I don't see how) I may have to upgrade to Ignite? If that's my only choice, I would definitely ask for some compensation in terms of free or reduced service costs. I am certainly not going to rent (2) new Nextboxes from Rogers for $23 each, or buy (2) used one's. I will give you an update after Thursday mebe and thanks again for all your help and guidance with this problem.

[mebe]

I'm glad that a new box will soon be tested at your home, but since like me, you are in no hurry to switch to ignite, I'd like to mention a few important things, so you are less likely to be pressured into switching to ignite, before it's actually mandatory in your area.
1) If you have 3 boxes on your account, and that's all you can have, I assume that when your new box arrives (I also assume it will be a nextbox 3 4k Pvr version, since that's probably the only kind they still have available), the supervisor will call in to add the new box to your account. I don't know if one box has to be removed from your account, before the new rental box can be added, but if you have to choose a box to be removed, remove the nextbox 2 (since your other old box still gets a good enough CNN HD).
When I cancelled Rogers for a few weeks, and then came back, my same PVR still had retained all of its pvr-recorded content. I don't know what will happen to your nextbox 2 PVR content if it's removed from your account, but it's at least something to keep in mind.
2) Once the new rental box is added to your account, all of your subscriptions should also be activated, so if there was a problem with your CNN subscription, it might be cleared up just for that new box, so that might make it look like something was wrong with your other boxes. Thus, if the new box gets CNN HD, check if your old 4k PVR now gets CNN HD as well. If not, it might just need a subscription change to a channel you don't already get, or to a theme pack with CNN, like the US News $10 theme pack. If you still don't have CNN working, also check CNN SD (on ch.183 in Toronto), because if you don't get the SD version, that would be weird).
3) In Toronto, the nextbox 3 4k PVR costs $18 month (plus tax) to rent, so if you already have CNN HD working on one of your boxes, and your other boxes can still be accessed by Rogers (2-way access), you can always just keep what you have now, and wait to see if there are any other channels that go black in the future, before jumping over to ignite (which might have even more initial problems, or flaws that you can't solve).
4) As far as compensation goes, the office of the president people tend to think outside of the box (sorry, but I couldn't resist) more often than other staff because they have easier access to people in higher places, and perhaps more authority than lower-level staff. Thus, if Rogers can only get that new rental box to work (even after following the stuff I mentioned, or the supervisor suggests), it's possible to get the new 4k rental PVR (that works) switched over to an owned box, with no cost to you, or future rental fee. Your situation may not warrant that freebie, but it's a possibility anyway.
5) There's a bug with my 4k PVR that hasn't occurred for many months, but occasionally, if I try to automatically record 4 (8 is the max) or more shows at the same time (or seconds apart), one channel might record a black screen, and all the other channels that I'm not recording, will also be black. To fix it, I simply stop the recordings, and reboot the box once (or twice, if unlucky the first time. That's why I had you try to record CNN.
6) Finally, on Thursday, before the supervisor arrives with the new box, reboot your Two nextboxes just in case something has changed in your area, so that CNN magically appears.
Happy viewing. 📺

[H-Mac]

Eagerly awaiting the results of your test, OP. I am in Toronto, have a similar setup as you (1 8300 and 1 NB2), and also can only get CNN SD on the NB2 for the last couple of days. It's happened before but typically resolves itself. I tried unplugging for a couple of minutes, no change. I don't have the tools/skillsets for anything else. 

[mebe]

Hmm. So both Toronto And Ottawa CNN HDs are black. And both of you have the 8300 and NB2, but each of you only get CNN HD on a different box.
To rule out the multibox situation, somebody with only one box might have no problem getting CNN HD ... Which might explain why the problem hasn't been fixed or noticed by enough subscribers.
I suppose at some point, since I only have one box, and am not grandfathered in anyway that I'm aware of, I might first add CNN separately, and then also as a theme pack, to see if it makes a difference on my end. I don't have CNN, but since I am getting even more curious, I might soon have to add it, if nobody else with one box, or only a 4k PVR also chimes in.

[admin201]

Mebe, if you do happen to add CNN as a standalone channel or as part of a package – even on a temp basis, please let us know the results? As mentioned, I have a Rogers supervisor scheduled to come over this Thursday at 5PM to try and resolve this problem by bringing a NB2 test box with him. So, it should be interesting what happens when he plugs in his box – does CNN come up – or does he get black screen like my two boxes? Regardless, I will certainly provide everyone with an update following the test on Thursday, so stay tuned.

[H-Mac]

Update from Toronto: CNN HD is struggling to revive itself on my NB2. No longer black but the signal is severely degraded, with extreme pixelation and sound that, when it's there at all, is choppy and robotic. How is it in Ottawa now?

[mebe]

It's good that the supervisor is bringing a NB2 to Ottawa, while at the same time the Toronto NB2 is struggling to be seen and heard.
What is clear is that CNN/Rogers is most likely the problem and not the boxes.
I wonder what happens if all the boxes are unplugged, and then only the one previously non-working CNN box is plugged in, making sure that only one box per household is plugged in. If CNN still doesn't come in clearly or at all, while only one box is plugged in, perhaps it's necessary to order a channel, or remove the box from the account and then add it back again ... But that removal could ruin grandfathered deals, or perhaps even remove previously PVR recordings.
Anyway, even though I suspect that this problem is being looked at, and might even be fixed before Thursday rolls around, I should have the time on Wednesday to add CNN and hold onto it if it's working.
I'll be back. 💻

[mebe]

I just added CNN (HD and SD), and they look just as clear as the last time I had them.
If both of you still have a faulty picture or black screen on some of your boxes, I still find it hard to believe that something is wrong with your boxes, just because my one 4k pvr box gets CNN clearly.
I'm hoping you both get CNN on all your boxes like before, or perhaps Rogers is just having problems reaching your 2 or 3 box households.
CNN still looks perfect on my end at 7:42 am.
I'll let you know if something goes wrong with it, as I intend to keep CNN for at least several days. 🎃

[H-Mac]

@mebe I tried your suggestion of unplugging both boxes and only plugging in the NB2. No success. In fact, sometime since last night we regressed to blackscreen again. 8300 is still fine. 

I decided to flip through some other channels and discovered a few more I don't usually watch that are in the same state (HD is blackscreen but available SD works). 

- Global Toronto (Global BC is working)

- A&E 

- E! (no SD available)

[mebe]

So I don't mix up usernames, I'm going to distinguish between the posters with problems, as Ottawa or Toronto.
Ottawa only had problems with CNN HD, and had a tech check the signals. So my first thought was that CNN had gone black in his neighborhood.
But with Ottawa, more channels are dark, and CNN goes from black screen to digital breakup.
My Global Toronto HD is also good (I don't have E! Or A&E).
When I checked my S/N (signal to noise ratio), most of my HD channels are about 39, so as 57 mentioned in one of his linked posts on digital home, 35 or higher is a good HD signal, whereas 30-32 may indicate a problem.
If Ottawa tries to watch a VOD show (ch 100 or whatever), I wonder if that might also be problematic. Even if the VOD works fine, removing all the splitters and just trying the NB2, might improve things. If not, something outside the room or home could be the culprit.
As 57 mentioned, the 8300 box probably works for both of you because it's not as picky with a weaker signal, (or perhaps it's got a better splitter, hdmi cable or coax setup.
Regardless, all the boxes in both Ottawa and Toronto could be perfectly fine, but finding the exact source(s) of the problems might take awhile, assuming that few people are experiencing these problems with the NB2 or NB3.
Using that diagnostic trick that helps find the signal to noise ratio number (as linked by 57), can seem intimidating at first (I don't see a signal strength number using the Qam Status and there's no page 5, only a page 1 or 5). I also can't toggle from the black background of the diag. Screen to the 2 other opaque options that overlay the values over the actual channel picture, by pressing the 'B' button. However, if I press the Guide button (on my newest Rogers remote that came with the 4k PVR, or my older Rogersb1056B01 big fat remote that came with a previous much older HD box) that works like the 'B' button should, so I can watch any channel I'm tuned to, while I play around with the diagnostic pages, rather than just listening to the channel audio.
Not sure if that helps, but it will be interesting to see if Ottawa can get all 3 boxes to work (even without a box swap), and if Toronto can fix the signal issues of the NB2.
Fingers crossed that the frustration soon turns to joy for all involved. 🔧
In the past, before I accessed 57s links, I would just use the diagnostic pages to see the last time that Rogers rebooted by box, or what the internal temp of it was (it's only 57 degrees now, but does get higher in the summer (so I sometimes turn on a fan behind it, just to see that the diagnostic temp value goes down(and it always does). Moving the box to a vinyl footstool that doesn't offer good ventilation for the box, increases the temp much higher, so that it actually begins to cause black screens, or digital breakup.