ursa99
@qwest.net
| reply to deblin
Re: [TIVO] Signal Quality problems
I had the same problems with my S3. Signal strength bouncing from 100 to 63 to 88 to 0 and so on. Checked all connections and cables and even did a direct run from the ONT to the TIVO to no avail. Verizon put a low pass filter at my ONT and it had no effect. They then moved it to the input of my TIVO with no effect. They then changed my 5 way splitter to an 8 way splitter with no effect. He then told me to call his supervisor and left. The supervisor worked it upstream with some engineering types but nothing changed. I then pulled out an old Radio Shack variable attenuator and got to where there was no signal then increased it until I just got one. The pixelization and signal bounce was still there. I viewed the same signal on my TIVO and a VZ box at the same time. The TIVO was pixelated and the VZ box was not....so here is my conclusion. The VZ signal causing all the RS Uncorrected errors is at times 'dirty'...when it is the TIVO will pixelate because the error correction hardware isn't as good as that of the Verizon boxes. Someone who has gotten into the diagnostic screen of a VZ box has seen the same RS errors that the TIVO sees due to a 'dirty' signal but the VZ box can correct them and the TIVO cannot. Since the VZ boxes don't display this problem VZ has no incentive to fix their signal. Better error correction H/W on the TIVO would also fix the problem. I don't think TIVO has even acknowledged that their H/W isn't up to snuff so I wouldn't look for a fix from them anytime soon. Since the new HD channels were added some of my most watched problem channels can be viewed in HD and the issue doesn't exist for me on those channels. It still exists on the old channels. For me it is channel 118 that is pixelated and the HD FOX 618 is not. The frustrating thing was that the pixelization was not constant. Might last for a few hours then go away for a few hours then come back. It is probably something VZ could fix and from some reading I understand has fixed in other parts of the country...but getting the right people's attention has always been the real challenge.... |
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deblin
Dark Side of the Moon
Premium,MVM
join:2001-09-01
Middletown, DE
| reply to JeepMatt
Ugh. Every HD broadcast channel is fubar tonight. I just cancelled the recordings for The Office and Grey's Anatomy and set the SD channels to record.
JeepMatt  do you know of any local vendors that would sell the attenuators? I REALLY want this fixed by the Eagles game Sunday...
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He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have. -Socrates |
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keyboards
join:2001-02-14
Doylestown, PA
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Comcast
| said by deblin :... do you know of any local vendors that would sell the attenuators? I REALLY want this fixed by the Eagles game Sunday... If you can't find them locally, you can always use some cascaded splitters as a temporary fix. They are marked for their loss (attenuation) to each port - the more ports the more attenuation. Not meant to be a permanent fix, but it might help for the game and be simple if you have any "spare" splitters around - GO EAGLES.
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REMEMBER: Stupidity should be painful !! |
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HenryFarpolo
Premium
join:2003-08-31
Andover, MA
| reply to deblin
said by deblin :Ugh. Every HD broadcast channel is fubar tonight. I just cancelled the recordings for The Office and Grey's Anatomy and set the SD channels to record. JeepMatt do you know of any local vendors that would sell the attenuators? I REALLY want this fixed by the Eagles game Sunday... If you know where the Verizon garage is located go there around noon or close to 5PM and find a tech or supervisor and ask them for some.
The other alternative is to drive around until you find a Verizon truck. That is hit or miss, because you need to find someone from the TV crew. |
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toups
join:2001-11-02
Boxborough, MA
| reply to keyboards
said by keyboards :said by deblin :... do you know of any local vendors that would sell the attenuators? I REALLY want this fixed by the Eagles game Sunday... If you can't find them locally, you can always use some cascaded splitters as a temporary fix. They are marked for their loss (attenuation) to each port - the more ports the more attenuation. Not meant to be a permanent fix, but it might help for the game and be simple if you have any "spare" splitters around - GO EAGLES. But you need a terminator on the "unused" port. Basically a terminator is a 75 ohm resistor that shorts the center the shield. |
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deblin
Dark Side of the Moon
Premium,MVM
join:2001-09-01
Middletown, DE
| reply to JeepMatt
Does night vs. day matter? Because I'm tuning a few HD channels that would normally have this problem (fox, cbs, etc) this morning and they're fine. 
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He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have. -Socrates |
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JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
·Verizon FIOS
| Deb-
You should try and get a tech out. DE usually has a quick turnaround. I'd just say you're losing reception (and the eagles are playing this week) and see how fast someone could be out.
You may be able to get someone there by tomorrow.
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"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" |
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deblin
Dark Side of the Moon
Premium,MVM
join:2001-09-01
Middletown, DE
1 edit | They do Saturday tech calls? Sweet!
As I was writing this, I saw some pixelation on Fox, and I'm seeing it now on channel 514 now. So the issue IS still there, so disregard
Guess I know what I'm doing with my lunch break today! Need to find me some attenuator pads! |
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deblin
Dark Side of the Moon
Premium,MVM
join:2001-09-01
Middletown, DE
| reply to JeepMatt
I took a quick ride over to Middletown Electronics (says Radioshack, but I think it's its own entity now).
Anyway, do you know of any stores to try calling in the Newark area? Or I guess even Wilmington.
Thanks man!
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He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have. -Socrates |
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deblin
Dark Side of the Moon
Premium,MVM
join:2001-09-01
Middletown, DE | reply to toups
Do they sell these terminators at somewhere like radio shack? |
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toups
join:2001-11-02
Boxborough, MA
| Couldn't find them in their catalog. Here is an example of what you are looking for »www.prosatellitesupply.com/f_terminator.htm
Some web reports state that you might be able to find them in some Radio Shack stores. |
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deblin
Dark Side of the Moon
Premium,MVM
join:2001-09-01
Middletown, DE
| So a splitter as a temporary solution to drop the signal will only work if all the unused (be it 1 for a 2:1, 3 for a 4:1 etc) connectors are terminated? 
I'm in the same boat then...can't get these terminators locally, have to order online. Same with the attenuators. Sigh.
Guess I'll watch the Eagles game in SD. 
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He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have. -Socrates |
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toups
join:2001-11-02
Boxborough, MA
| Well, this is worth a try. Buy these 68 ohm resistors (75 ohms would be better but not available. Close enough to be an improvement.) »www.radioshack.com/product/index···=2062314
and insert one end of the wire from the resistor into the center hole for the (shorten as necessary). Wrap the other end of the resitor around the threaded portion. |
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deblin
Dark Side of the Moon
Premium,MVM
join:2001-09-01
Middletown, DE
| Ok, luckily they are able to send a FiOS tech today between now and 8pm!
So what do I tell the tech to make sure he does the right thing? If he sees the signal quality and SNR dropping (fluctuating), won't he be tempted to amplify the signal, which would just make things worse? How do I get across to this guy (if he hasn't any experience with the S3 Tivo or TivoHD) that it's an attenuation problem?
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He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have. -Socrates |
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deblin
Dark Side of the Moon
Premium,MVM
join:2001-09-01
Middletown, DE
1 edit | Well, she ran a full diagnostic and it comes up clean, but she's going out to get some attenuators... :/
She also said that the signal is NOT too hot... |
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JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
1 edit | Wait,
Are you telling me the tech was at your house within an hour of your call??
Damn - the DE staff rocks!
Wait, it's not Amy is it? |
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joe01880
join:2007-10-26
Wakefield, MA
·Verizon FIOS
2 edits | reply to deblin
said by deblin :Well, she ran a full diagnostic and it comes up clean, but she's going out to get some attenuators... :/ She also said that the signal is NOT too hot... Im sure she is a good FiOS tech, but maybe not a so good Tivo tech.
Your FiOS signal may not be to hot for FiOS and or a FiOS STB but from what i have read Tivo's have a built in signal amplifier which could make the finale signal processed by the Tivo to hot and causing your problems..but i dont know nothing about this stuff.
Edit:
Something i am confused about is the talk about Tivo signal changing, as one person said going from 100 to 63 to 0, bouncing all over the place.
With FiOS signal being a constant (or pretty close) what signal is bouncing around? |
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deblin
Dark Side of the Moon
Premium,MVM
join:2001-09-01
Middletown, DE
| reply to JeepMatt
said by JeepMatt :Wait, Are you telling me the tech was at your house within an hour of your call?? Damn - the DE staff rocks! Wait, it's not Amy is it? Nope...withing 30 minutes!. I ran out to grab a coffee, and she called and I had to turn around to come back to meet her here! lol!
Ok, so she just left. She said my signal was "+3" when she got there, well within their spec (-5 to +5). She tried a 8 dB attenuator and her test "failed" at that point. It passed with a 6 dB attenuator, so I'm keeping that on there for now. The RS uncorrected number seems to have stabilized a bit.
She left me with two each of 3 dB and 6 dB attenuators and said to give her cellphone a ring if the problem's still occurring tonight in the cold weather.
I'll keep the 6dB on there for tonight and see if all the channels are ok tonight when it gets really cold.
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He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have. -Socrates |
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deblin
Dark Side of the Moon
Premium,MVM
join:2001-09-01
Middletown, DE
| reply to JeepMatt
said by JeepMatt :Wait, it's not Amy is it? I think her name was Kelly? Really nice and helpful, and listened to what I had to say about the Tivo problems. She said (understandably) that they HATE trouble tickets for tivos :P And said she was glad I knew what I was doing with it, because she gets people who blame the cable cards and want THEM to navigate/etc the tivo. 
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He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have. -Socrates |
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joe01880
join:2007-10-26
Wakefield, MA
·Verizon FIOS
1 edit | reply to deblin
said by deblin I'll keep the 6dB on there for tonight and see if all the channels are ok tonight when it gets really cold. |
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