Intermittent Black Screen

[bobhurter]

I live in Orleans just east of Ottawa.  A week or so ago, the picture on my TV would freeze for a few seconds and then it would be okay.  During the last few days, I get a black screen for a few seconds.  This can happen once or twice an hour or once or twice every 5 minutes.  This happens on both my TVs with HD boxes as well as the one without a box.  Anybody else having this problem?

bobhurter

***Edited labels***

[bobhurter · Accepted solution]

Hi All, Thanks for the many great comments. I finally bit the bullet and stayed on hold until I could talk to a Rogers customer service rep. After a couple of questions, she knew how to fix things. My connection from the box to the TV is an HDMI cable. Apparently, some cables (not all are the same) can result in problems like mine and then the system requires a complete HDMI reboot. She walked me the process for both boxes and they have been working okay for a couple of weeks now. Since I cannot remember the correct sequence for reconnecting things and starting them (box and TV), guess that I will have to call again if it reoccurs (should have written it down). She said that if the problem comes back to take the HDMI cables into a Rogers store for replacement (Rogers has ones specific for their equipment that they know will work) and this should solve the problem completely. bobhurter

[Gdkitty]

That is effecting both the digital boxes as well as one without the box (analog) sounds more like a real signal issue

Is it happening only a certain time of day? Or anytime?

First thing I would do is schedule a tech to come out and check the signal at street, outside and inside house at each TV.

[jays77]

A friend of mine who lives in Blackburn Hamlet mentioned today that had happened to several channels on her TV;s a day or two ago. The difference eing that she had the black scree on those channels for the whole evening.

I have had it happen on occasion in the past, but it would last for an hour or two then the blackedout channels would return good as new.

[Meowmix]

Hello jays77

This is normal with Rogers Cable. Many people post on Facebook and other sites complaining about the Black screens. I for one have record and contact Rogers about it each week. Its getting out of hand and honestly its making Rogers look worse then it already is.

I can understand if the channel is down but every week this happens with every channel. It seems like the developers and techs can not do their jobs as trained and keep the channels running.

[Pauly]

a black screen on analogue channels is most likely either a problem at the head end, the uplink centre, or the problem with the broadcaster. it can not be a signal problem, and if it is happening on analog and digital, then we will rule out digital signal issues or weak upstream because analog is one way and should not have these issues.

[halbo2]

I'm not sure if this is the same problem as the Black Screen problem mentioned here, but last night I was watching a show on my PVR ( Cisco Videoscape Voyager Vantage) when all of a sudden the screen went black, and wouldn't come back on. I tried turning everything on and off many times but nothing happened.  This morning it still wouldn't work until I shut off the power bar and turned everything back on after a minute.  Everything reloaded and the TV came back on, however, It kept going on and off intermittently.  There was a symbol that said Digital over it, that kept going off and on, on the amplifier.  Also when I use our all-in-one remote control, usually everything turns off all right, but the PVR is out of sync and usually needs to be turned on manually. 

[Gdkitty]

What is the exact model number?  how old is the box?

When it was black screen.. you could get NOTHING on the box? no guide, no display, etc. (IE, not just channels not showing).

First thought.. is the box just locked up, pulling the plug and re starting usualy would fix if only that, but if its having off and on issues after that.. MIGHT be a box failing..

[bobhurter · Accepted solution]

Hi All, Thanks for the many great comments. I finally bit the bullet and stayed on hold until I could talk to a Rogers customer service rep. After a couple of questions, she knew how to fix things. My connection from the box to the TV is an HDMI cable. Apparently, some cables (not all are the same) can result in problems like mine and then the system requires a complete HDMI reboot. She walked me the process for both boxes and they have been working okay for a couple of weeks now. Since I cannot remember the correct sequence for reconnecting things and starting them (box and TV), guess that I will have to call again if it reoccurs (should have written it down). She said that if the problem comes back to take the HDMI cables into a Rogers store for replacement (Rogers has ones specific for their equipment that they know will work) and this should solve the problem completely. bobhurter

[LaurieD]

I am having this issue right now. What was the solution? I called and they appear to be having transmission issues however my friend 20kms away also has Rogers and she has no problems.

[Gdkitty]

Would need a little more info.. which box are you using.. is it a specific channel or all of them, etc.