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gpalz
join:2018-07-31
Floral Park, NY

gpalz

Member

Cable Box Failed

Hello Forum Members.

Well it seems my box has failed. Seems to be in some type of repair mode where it tries to fix itself for 45 minutes only to start over again. I called Cablevison and they ran a diagnostic tool which recommended that I replace the box. With the stores closed on Sunday, I'll have to do this at least on Monday.

I was thinking of maybe going to Home Depot tomorrow morning to find some good old fashion rabbit ears and connect via coax, so at least I can watch broadcast basic tomorrow. Picture may not be great, but at least I have something. Any ideas who might still carry rabbit ears or any alternate method to get basic? Thanks.

For those interested, below are the box codes.

CUC ---> dAL ---> Clock (actual time) ---> ERR ---> B240 ---> P120

TV Messages:
Please wait we are preparing the service for you.
There was a problem and we are restarting the service to fix it. Thank for your patience. (Occurs right before ERR msg)

George
PX Eliezer0
join:2017-01-15
Ho Ho Kus, NJ

2 recommendations

PX Eliezer0

Member

"Locast" is a nonprofit group that is providing streaming of local broadcast channels in some major cities including NY area.
»www.locast.org/

More background here.
»www.engadget.com/2018/01 ··· or-free/
»www.cordcuttersnews.com/ ··· omecast/

I just tried it on my PC but it also works on Roku, Android, etc.

On my PC the picture was excellent (and no dropouts!)

You do have to register with your e-mail address, and verify geolocation, because by law the NY area stations can only be streamed to NY area people, and so forth.

Donations are optional. There's no nagging.
TheLeak3r
join:2017-06-25
united state

TheLeak3r to gpalz

Member

to gpalz
said by gpalz:

Hello Forum Members.

Well it seems my box has failed. Seems to be in some type of repair mode where it tries to fix itself for 45 minutes only to start over again. I called Cablevison and they ran a diagnostic tool which recommended that I replace the box. With the stores closed on Sunday, I'll have to do this at least on Monday.

I was thinking of maybe going to Home Depot tomorrow morning to find some good old fashion rabbit ears and connect via coax, so at least I can watch broadcast basic tomorrow. Picture may not be great, but at least I have something. Any ideas who might still carry rabbit ears or any alternate method to get basic? Thanks.

For those interested, below are the box codes.

CUC ---> dAL ---> Clock (actual time) ---> ERR ---> B240 ---> P120

TV Messages:
Please wait we are preparing the service for you.
There was a problem and we are restarting the service to fix it. Thank for your patience. (Occurs right before ERR msg)

George

Did you move the box from one location to another? Or is this a new box picked up?
gpalz
join:2018-07-31
Floral Park, NY

gpalz

Member

I've had the box probably for 10 years now. Only have one TV.
gpalz

1 recommendation

gpalz to PX Eliezer0

Member

to PX Eliezer0
Thanks PX! This is great to know. Just signed up to check it out

Anone8904
@67.84.148.x

Anone8904 to gpalz

Anon

to gpalz
why not just get your broadcast basic off the cable? you'll get more channels. just connect your TV to the cable, and go into scan mode..
gpalz
join:2018-07-31
Floral Park, NY

gpalz

Member

Hmm. So right now I have the cable coax going into the cable box with an HDMI running out of the box into the TV.

Should I just run the cable coax straight into the TV coax connector?

Anone8904
@67.84.148.x

Anone8904

Anon

said by gpalz:

Hmm. So right now I have the cable coax going into the cable box with an HDMI running out of the box into the TV.

Should I just run the cable coax straight into the TV coax connector?

YES..
gpalz
join:2018-07-31
Floral Park, NY

gpalz

Member

Feel like a dummy. Thought even basic had to go through the box. Had to figure out how to get into scan mode. Seems to be scanning, but its been stuck at 55% (at 8 HD channels) for a few minutes now. Hopefully its doing what it needs to do or I may need to try to scan it again. Thank you Anone for saving me a few bucks!
PX Eliezer0
join:2017-01-15
Ho Ho Kus, NJ

PX Eliezer0

Member

said by gpalz:

Feel like a dummy. Thought even basic had to go through the box.

I should have thought of that too.

Anone8904
@67.84.148.x

Anone8904 to gpalz

Anon

to gpalz
said by gpalz:

Feel like a dummy. Thought even basic had to go through the box. Had to figure out how to get into scan mode. Seems to be scanning, but its been stuck at 55% (at 8 HD channels) for a few minutes now. Hopefully its doing what it needs to do or I may need to try to scan it again. Thank you Anone for saving me a few bucks!

don't worry, it'll take some time, but eventually it will finish. it has to remove the scrambled channels, which takes time..

EliteData
EliteData
Premium Member
join:2003-07-06
Philippines

EliteData to gpalz

Premium Member

to gpalz
what is the make and model number of the box ?
gpalz
join:2018-07-31
Floral Park, NY

gpalz

Member

All I know its a Samsung box
gpalz

gpalz

Member

Well I picked up a "new" (new = refurbished) Samsung box on Monday from the local Optimum store. Everything was fine Monday night and Tuesday. Today, I put the TV on and I noticed some channels are pixelated and others are not. Same symptom as the other day and of course, soon after, it goes into repair mode. I'm dealing with the same nonsense all over again.

Called Cablevsion said they would send a technician, but will be charged 80 bucks if the problem is not related to the box or cable line. I'm thinking I'll just bring the box back today and hope third time is the charm. If the issue arises again , I'll opt for the technician.

Fun.
TheLeak3r
join:2017-06-25
united state

2 recommendations

TheLeak3r

Member

Good chance its not the box. Its probably a bad wire or splitter or bad connections outside.

Tursiops_G
Technoid
MVM
join:2002-02-06
Brooksville, FL
ARRIS TM1602

2 recommendations

Tursiops_G to gpalz

MVM

to gpalz
Can you give some more details about your cable setup?
Is this an Apartment or Single family House?
How long is the cable run from the demarc (ground block) to the TV?
How many Splitters, and are they rated 5-1000MHz (1GHz)?
Any Unused splitter ports/unused coax runs?

As TheLeak3r See Profile mentioned, Check that All connections are clean and tight, and that there is no damaged (cut/kinked/crushed) cables.
gpalz
join:2018-07-31
Floral Park, NY

2 edits

1 recommendation

gpalz

Member

This is an Apartment. I have 1 splitter (spits to tv and modem). Distance from Splitter to TV is 3-4 feet.

There is a cable box attached to the outside of the building. From there the cable runs to the basement and up into each floor landing enclosed in a plastic encasing running above each of the apartment doors. Inner apartment coax connect to plastic encasing Hope this makes sense.

Connections look solid inside the apartment.

Tursiops_G
Technoid
MVM
join:2002-02-06
Brooksville, FL

Tursiops_G

MVM

I'd recommend having Optimum send out a Tech to check your signals.

If the problem is NOT with the cable/splitter inside Your apartment, there should be NO service charge, as You are Not responsible for any wiring that You don't own.
gpalz
join:2018-07-31
Floral Park, NY

gpalz

Member


Decided to call Optimum one last time. Ran diagnostic and it seems to be back in order. Hopefully I'm in the clear unless its something outside. Its been pretty windy of late.
gpalz

gpalz

Member

Well the pixelation is back. Time to schedule a tech visit for tomorrow and figure this out for good.
TheLeak3r
join:2017-06-25
united state

1 recommendation

TheLeak3r to Tursiops_G

Member

to Tursiops_G
said by Tursiops_G:

I'd recommend having Optimum send out a Tech to check your signals.

If the problem is NOT with the cable/splitter inside Your apartment, there should be NO service charge, as You are Not responsible for any wiring that You don't own.

Personally what I tell my friends if they get charged for Inside Wiring/Splitters to just pay it and bring bill to Apartment Association and tell them to take off rent or pay you for the call as its THEIR wiring.
gpalz
join:2018-07-31
Floral Park, NY

gpalz

Member

Seems like I'm not the only one. Turns out there's an outage at least on my block. So the issue is external. Was told may take 24-48 hours to get straightened out.