Brookfield-TWC:Intermittent Loss of Picture on Some Channels-Early Mornings

[Jack 1000]

Dear TWC,

Please investigate and set up signal monitoring for the following channels, in the City of Brookfield, within the Greenfield Heights sub-division:  Every other morning, to every third day or so, we are experiencing a blank picture, or heavily pixiated picture on the following channels:

2
7
19
1005
1012
1015

The issue occurs most often between 12am-6am.  The next day, by about 8am or so, the channels are back, but we lose them every other day.  Rebooting the box, only resolves the issue for a day or so, than it comes back.  Thank you!

Jack

[Jack 1000]

Another updated list of the affected channels in the wee hours of the morning in the city of Brookfield-Greenfield Heights subdivision.  

Please note TWC that a asterisk (*) next to the channel, indicates the channel that is most problematic.  Channels without an asterisk may still have issues, but the asterisked channels seem to be the worse with that loss of picture, that can occur in the late evening to early morning hours.  12 am-5 am seems to be a good estimated range:  The channels are

*2/*359
*3/*202/*1202
4/1004
*5/*1005
*7*982
*1010
*1012
*1015
*1016
*1018

Hope this helps. Went through and created this list at about 3 am on January 3, 2012.  I will post updates accordingly.  One again, a cold box reboot, just brings the issue back between 48-72 hours later.

Jack

[Jack 1000]

Another updated list of the affected channels in the wee hours of the morning in the city of Brookfield-Greenfield Heights subdivision.  

Please note TWC that a asterisk (*) next to the channel, indicates the channel that is most problematic.  Channels without an asterisk may still have issues, but the asterisked channels seem to be the worse with that loss of picture, that can occur in the late evening to early morning hours.  12 am-5 am seems to be a good estimated range:  The channels are

*2/*359
*3/*202/*1202
4/1004
*5/*1005
*7*982
*1010
*1012
*1015
*1016
*1018

Hope this helps. Went through and created this list at about 3 am on January 3, 2012.  I will post updates accordingly.  One again, a cold box reboot, just brings the issue back between 48-72 hours later.

Jack

For any TWC Techs reading this board, I spoke to other techs regarding this issue and its possible causes.  Somewhere in my node, they believe that the following is happening:

"No, it is not SDV but more along the lines of the AGC circuits in the amps feeding your home are ramping up the levels too much. They work along the lines of temperature swings and raise/lower levels with a pilot carrier in an analog channel."

"I always see signal swings between the winter and summer months as the temps here change drastically. I believe it has to do with the expansion and contraction of the main runs along the poles. It you pay attention to them they will change in "sag" from season to season depending where you live. Atmospheric and weather conditions can and do effect signal."

"Coax cable loss varies with temperature... as temperature goes down, cable loss also goes down so, if left uncompensated, signal levels will go up. Generally, signal levels tend to rise in cold weather and drop in hot weather."

"The AGC, is one of two methods utilized to compensate for these thermal variations... the AGC circuits read actual signal levels near the top and bottom of the spectrum and actively adjust gain and tilt to compensate, keeping a stable output at that amplifier. The other method uses passive devices called thermal equalizers... the characteristics of the thermal equalizer are the opposite of the cable's characteristics and they tend to cancel each other out."

"Most systems use a combination of the two methods, and both have their strengths and weaknesses. Active AGC requires proper setup and, being an active device, can fail. The passive thermal equalizers can often end up in places where they don't belong: underground cable plant with amplifiers placed above ground. In that case the passive eq's feel ambient above-ground temperature changes while the cable is underground in a more stable environment... resulting in over-compensation. In my experience, this can happen when a tech changes out a failed amplifier in an underground area with a spare module set up for aerial plant. Shouldn't happen, but it does."

Jack

[Jack 1000]

*2/*359
*3/*202/*1202
4/1004
*5/*1005
*7*982
*1010
*1012
*1015
*1016
*1018

Last night, ALL the channels stayed ON!  (about 4am when I checked.)  However, will continue to monitor (if up at that time) and post when possible, so that the techs and the community have a consistent log of these stations.  I saw about 6 viewers of this thread, around 4am last night. so I just want to say 'Thank You" for any of the techs who are regularly able to monitor these channels for my node!  Let's keep watching that range of approximately 12am-5am when the intermittent loss of picture occurs.  Last night was a great night with no problems.  However, as the issue described often happens on alternate second and third days, we still should monitor for quite a while.  Thanks again!

Jack

[brewtownska]

Any chance the techs mentioned if the temp changes can also cause the same problems to the Roadrunner signal?  I've had frequent disconnects on Roadrunner over the past 7 years, but anytime I get a tech to come out and look at it, they don't find any problems.  In my case, seems to happen less in the Winter and much more in the Summer.

[Jack 1000]

Any chance the techs mentioned if the temp changes can also cause the same problems to the Roadrunner signal?  I've had frequent disconnects on Roadrunner over the past 7 years, but anytime I get a tech to come out and look at it, they don't find any problems.  In my case, seems to happen less in the Winter and much more in the Summer.

I will ask.  Does this happen at a specific time interval?  Like in my case with losing channels on alternate days, for a period of several hours in the evening to early morning only to return to normal by around 7am?

How does your disconnect cycle go for Road Runner?  Post what you can find out about this, and than I will ask my tech form if a similar pattern can happen with Road Runner.

I will attempt to at least look at those channels in question in my case at the times indicated to try to keep an on-going dialog.  I am interested in your Road Runner situation too!

Jack

[Jack 1000]

Last night, ALL the channels stayed ON!  (about 4am when I checked.)  However, will continue to monitor (if up at that time) and post when possible, so that the techs and the community have a consistent log of these stations.  I saw about 6 viewers of this thread, around 4am last night. so I just want to say 'Thank You" for any of the techs who are regularly able to monitor these channels for my node!  Let's keep watching that range of approximately 12am-5am when the intermittent loss of picture occurs.  Last night was a great night with no problems.  However, as the issue described often happens on alternate second and third days, we still should monitor for quite a while.  Thanks again!

Jack

All was good last night!

Jack

[Jack 1000]

I will ask.  Does this happen at a specific time interval?  Like in my case with losing channels on alternate days, for a period of several hours in the evening to early morning only to return to normal by around 7am?

How does your disconnect cycle go for Road Runner?  Post what you can find out about this, and than I will ask my tech form if a similar pattern can happen with Road Runner.

I will attempt to at least look at those channels in question in my case at the times indicated to try to keep an on-going dialog.  I am interested in your Road Runner situation too!

Jack

All was good last night as well!

Jack

[Jack 1000]

Dear TWC,

Please investigate and set up signal monitoring for the following channels, in the City of Brookfield, within the Greenfield Heights sub-division:  Every other morning, to every third day or so, we are experiencing a blank picture, or heavily pixiated picture on the following channels:

2
7
19
1005
1012
1015

The issue occurs most often between 12am-6am.  The next day, by about 8am or so, the channels are back, but we lose them every other day.  Rebooting the box, only resolves the issue for a day or so, than it comes back.  Thank you!

Jack

All was good last night into the morning!

Jack

[Jack 1000]

Another updated list of the affected channels in the wee hours of the morning in the city of Brookfield-Greenfield Heights subdivision.  

Please note TWC that a asterisk (*) next to the channel, indicates the channel that is most problematic.  Channels without an asterisk may still have issues, but the asterisked channels seem to be the worse with that loss of picture, that can occur in the late evening to early morning hours.  12 am-5 am seems to be a good estimated range:  The channels are

*2/*359
*3/*202/*1202
4/1004
*5/*1005
*7*982
*1010
*1012
*1015
*1016
*1018

Hope this helps. Went through and created this list at about 3 am on January 3, 2012.  I will post updates accordingly.  One again, a cold box reboot, just brings the issue back between 48-72 hours later.

Jack

UGGHHH!!!

After two days of no problems, on the third day, the above channels are out again.  I checked about 2:15am (January 9, 2012)  The issue as originally predicted still shows up between midnight-6am or so on alliterating 1-3 day durations.

Recommending to TWC that monitoring of those channels in my node should be on-going during the midnight to 6am hours when issues occur.  I would like to be able to get to at least a month without this issue happening an alternating days like this.  This is in the City of Brookfield, Greenfield Heights Sub Division area.

Jack

[Jack 1000]

Another updated list of the affected channels in the wee hours of the morning in the city of Brookfield-Greenfield Heights subdivision.  

Please note TWC that a asterisk (*) next to the channel, indicates the channel that is most problematic.  Channels without an asterisk may still have issues, but the asterisked channels seem to be the worse with that loss of picture, that can occur in the late evening to early morning hours.  12 am-5 am seems to be a good estimated range:  The channels are

*2/*359
*3/*202/*1202
4/1004
*5/*1005
*7*982
*1010
*1012
*1015
*1016
*1018

Hope this helps. Went through and created this list at about 3 am on January 3, 2012.  I will post updates accordingly.  One again, a cold box reboot, just brings the issue back between 48-72 hours later.

Jack

Above channels are STILL out today at 12 noon. (January 9, 2012) so something different here.  Looks like TWC may have to dig deeper to investigate the source of this issues.  In the past, I had other boxes that did this same above 1-3 loss of picture on the channels above, and we just had the new drop line put in, so this could be something further down on our street, or block.

Jack

[grenier]

Have you called in about the problem? When I had problems they could see if it was a neighborhood issue or if it was just my house.

[Jack 1000]

Have you called in about the problem? When I had problems they could see if it was a neighborhood issue or if it was just my house.

Doing everything that I can to NOT call in.  The CSR's don't know anything, and my box works fine and I don't want someone just coming out and giving me a new box.  I know it is not a box issue.  I am just going to ride this out, see what happens.

Jack

[grenier]

Doing everything that I can to NOT call in.  The CSR's don't know anything, and my box works fine and I don't want someone just coming out and giving me a new box.  I know it is not a box issue.  I am just going to ride this out, see what happens.

Jack

I've had hit or miss experiences with the CSR's. Some are really good and would check the signal remotely, others just wanted to set up an appointment. I found the more I called in, the more helpful they became.

I've had hit or miss experiences with techs too, mostly miss.

[Jack 1000]

Another updated list of the affected channels in the wee hours of the morning in the city of Brookfield-Greenfield Heights subdivision.  

Please note TWC that a asterisk (*) next to the channel, indicates the channel that is most problematic.  Channels without an asterisk may still have issues, but the asterisked channels seem to be the worse with that loss of picture, that can occur in the late evening to early morning hours.  12 am-5 am seems to be a good estimated range:  The channels are

*2/*359
*3/*202/*1202
4/1004
*5/*1005
*7*982
*1010
*1012
*1015
*1016
*1018

Hope this helps. Went through and created this list at about 3 am on January 3, 2012.  I will post updates accordingly.  One again, a cold box reboot, just brings the issue back between 48-72 hours later.

Jack

Well I did a cold reboot, which brought back some channels.  However, some are still out on the basic/standard tier.

2
3
7
10
17/112
18
19
39
40/1131 (Only HD that seems to be out)
41
42
44

* Special note-Just got an on-screen message that TWC is updating PPV and VOD services between 12-6am.  Fine.  Maybe they could do a little maintenance out here with these intermittent channel issues as well!

I suspect within no more than a week, the others will go out too.

Jack

PS. I don't care so much about the SD channels, but I would like to see at least channel 7 and 19 fixed.  Especially channel 19, because I watch a lot of shows on that channel and there is no HD equivlant.  However, when the HD versions of the stations go out, like for instance,  1005 and 1012, that is frustrating for our family, because we like ABC-HD and CBS-HD's shows a lot!