Comcast XFINITY TV → Re: Weekly Testing on Cablebox is everyday

What about weekly test twice a day?
Neighbors and I have been watching dead air. We see the boxes state that their has been a disconnection. The we see EAS testing twice a day.
It seems as if comcast is doing testing during peak hours.
What gives?

I am guessing that you are seeing this disconnection notice on the smaller DTA cable boxes (about 8 inches square)

If yes, that is not testing but you should get a tech out to look at the signal levels as that could be the issue.

Comcast is most likely installing new equipment or are replacing failing equipment in your area. It's probably a temporary yet annoying issue until its finished.

You mean the dta box has to have a higher gain to operate?
That would answer the disconnect issue. An answer that I don't really like.
Now you combine low signal problems with these EAS test being run many times a day and It appears comcast is just trying to upset their subscribers.
What really make one upset is it seems that they never, lose a home shopping network!
Then I get one of those messages that they are removing the preview for Showtime their current free period. Now, am I going to subscribe? It they cannot keep the regular programs up then what are my chances for premium?
Poor service does not make happy subscribers.

We it seems now the big box is giving me 0x000 messages and promises that my service will restore shortly.
The dta boxes are ok on the same channels.
Now I tend to believe that comacast is doing some work if all my neighbors are having the same issues.

Now it Comcast is doing work why don't they put out a message? The put messages out to try and sell me some program ect. If they can do that then why not put a message out maintenance? It seems like its time to call the PUC.

yeah they never actually use the messaging system for something useful like service interruptions.

The messages on the boxes are sent from the headend which only does maintenance between midnight and 5am. Service interruptions during the day are attributed to emergency field maintenances or outages.

correct, but people have said they are awake during the 12am-5am timeframe and complain about the maintenance interruptions so a notice ahead of time would be appreciated.

Just because one doesn't have service between those hours doesn't mean its always due to maintenance. Unplanned outages can occur at any part of the day.

oh yeah i totally understand that, and im not even sure where this discussion is going, I was simply suggesting a good use for the message system would be to notify customemrs of planned outages due to maintenance

Oh I agree with the ability of using the message system to notify customers of planned service interruptions. However the box drivers aren't programmed to send messages to customers on individual nodes. It's all or nothing and the majority of planned maintenances are restricted to an individual or a small group of nodes not the entire system.

thats how they are currently programmed but theres nothing saying that cant change in the future.