SciFi freezes again - Virgin Media TV and Phone

Stephen_A · 09-10-2009, 22:17

SciFi seems to be back to its old tricks of very poor picture quality and complete freezes again (frozen pic and no audio).

Seems to be fine on other channels (Bravo is rock solid).

I suspect its SciFi again (but they hardly ever admit to problems).

Is anyone else suffering?

Stephen_A · 15-10-2009, 19:08

As its showing no error counts and all the other channels seem to be good I suspect its just SciFi providing a duff feed again.

Ryrazzer · 15-10-2009, 20:14

It's fine on Sky here.

Stephen_A · 16-10-2009, 18:53

Thanks, so maybe its Virgin. Every other channel seems to be fine but SciFi is locking up 3 or 4 times an hour and the pixellation is terrible.

Stephen_A · 18-10-2009, 11:35

After several 1203 errors yesterday and lots of freezing I checked Virgin's status pages - no problem reported. So I phoned them and after waiting 15 minutes and getting put through to the broadband department, where I couldn't understand the person on the other end of the phone, and then waiting another 15 minutes I was told that they knew there were problems with picture quality and freezing but there was no estimate on a fix time, and its still bad today .....

mastermind · 18-10-2009, 18:40

Tried to watch Benidorm from the 16th October, and it has frozen at certain parts about 4 times and still not fixed.

Stephen_A · 20-10-2009, 20:14

Its still going on - nothing on their status pages.

If it wasn't for the fact that to get Sky I need a dish right up on the top of the roof I'd walk tomorro.w

stevieg_8707 · 20-10-2009, 21:18

Slightly OT, but watching Movies 24 the other night and that was freezing from time to time too, worth noting that like Sci-Fi it's an NBC Universal channel.

mastermind · 20-10-2009, 23:36

The ticket for Scotland was updated as you will see here.

http://status-cable.virginmedia.com/...ticket=1105950

Still not been informed that it has been fixed, however their 151 TV fault line said they had found the fault, and it would be fixed by 10am.

Looks like we will need to wait much longer.

stupid_cube · 20-10-2009, 23:38

seams ok for glasgow west

mastermind · 21-10-2009, 06:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by stupid_cube

seams ok for glasgow west

Yeah, it's only affecting the North East & East areas of Scotland for that ticket.

Stephen_A · 21-10-2009, 18:01

Well I never sound a ticket covering Gloucestershire. Picture quality is the usual over compressed mush in the adverts, so we'll see if its actually been fixed

Stephen_A · 21-10-2009, 18:49

I knew it was too good to last

Still it recovered after about a second rather than about 10

mastermind · 21-10-2009, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen_A

I knew it was too good to last

Still it recovered after about a second rather than about 10

Can I ask what you were watching if it was on demand?

Let me know and I will check here.

Stephen_A · 21-10-2009, 20:47

I'm not watching anything on demand - someone else brought OD into the topic.

I'm just sick and fed up of Sci-Fi locking up and not getting any help/support from Virgin.

Stephen_A · 25-10-2009, 11:17

Still doing it, VM deny there is anything wrong at all and show no interest at all.

mastermind · 25-10-2009, 14:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen_A

Still doing it, VM deny there is anything wrong at all and show no interest at all.

That's strange, have a look at this ticket here, although it is for Scotland.

http://status-cable.virginmedia.com/...ticket=1105950

Stephen_A · 25-10-2009, 17:32

But I'm only getting freezing on the SciFi channel. Everything else is fine, apart from the usual over compression and image mushyness. So my problem isn't anything to do with VOD

tm009f0737@blue · 26-10-2009, 02:40

Think a lot of sci-fi original programs have H.D. in their e.p.g. ,i just might not transfer over to s.d. virgin quick enough,on standerd v box, if you have V+ forget that.

Have you checked your technical page to make sure your o.oo.o corresponds too o.oo.o,i'm sure you know what i mean (to tyred to go down stairs and put the t.v. on for the correct name's,in a nut shell is your box at peak performance on a regular basis.

And please dont say it's still a pace or I'll have bloody nightmare's for month's and have to start back the counseling,the recovery group,i don't mind that ,it's the bloody side effect's of the injections every month i detest.

If your box is regularly out of sync and needing constant resetting ,stick it on a radiator for a night the phone them for new box (with bell's & whistles) or samsung if their out of stock of the 'special one's'

Faultsman · 26-10-2009, 12:38

Folks, with freezing on any single channel if it is a major problem at a local or regional Headend it would be known about and resolved pronto.

Has a Tech visited yet? If so and the problem is still there book another call and ask for the Principle Tech to call.

I'll bet a pint there is a fault with RF input levels on this customers installation.

Stop whining on here and take some proper action eh?

Stephen_A · 26-10-2009, 12:57

I'm whining? Yes I suppose I am, I've phoned VM over 10 times about this problem and get the brush off just about every time.

Tech have been out and said that signal levels are fine and that the picture quality is what I should expect from digital signals but that they "would monitor" it from their end.

One of the previous times it happened it turned out it was a problem with the main feed from SciFi as it was happening to Sky customers too.

I'm not normally seeing and post or pre errors (which I'd expect if it was an RF issue)
SNR on SciFi is 52.5dB
AGC signal level of 50
Return Power of 35dBmV

On the last pages of the Techical Stuff I'm seeing things like:

(163) Failed to Range
(173) Periodic Ranging Fail
(161) Can't get Downstream Lock
(163) Failed to Range
(173) Periodic Ranging Fail
(8893)
(163) Failed to Range
(8892)
(302) Post-RS Error 65536 395000
(8100)

Whats DTV Medic BTW?

The box is a Samsung

goomba · 26-10-2009, 15:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faultsman

Stop whining on here and take some proper action eh?

You have never dealt with the TV fault folks as a customer have you

Last time I rang them, the person put a different fault than I was suffering into the system to get an engineer sent to me. I kept telling her that was not the fault I had, but she said my fault would mean the system only let her ask me to monitor for 24 hours in the hope the fault would resolve itself!

Turned out to be a national issue with the channel that was known about by VM at the time. That was complete sound loss nationally on FX HD - a pretty major problem which unfortunately took days to resolve.

Stephen_A · 27-10-2009, 14:10

Well I phoned yesterday and once I'd got someone who understood me and I understood them they arranged for an engineer visit.

Engineer has just been and has replaced the box and my viewing card and says that signal levels and cabling are fine.

So now its a matter of waiting and seeing!

Picture quality does seem to be better though so maybe it was a duff box.

Stephen_A · 27-10-2009, 14:53

I've just checked the box and the figures are different for the SciFi channel

SNR is 35.7
AGC is 58
Return power is 0dB !!

Edited at 3:17 to add that its not fixed it.

Stephen_A · 30-10-2009, 20:40

Well after a second visit and a lot of signal testing they've now confirmed that they are seeing this up stream but they don't know if its them or their feed, or if its coming out from SciFi itself.

09-10-2009, 22:17	#1
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	SciFi freezes again SciFi seems to be back to its old tricks of very poor picture quality and complete freezes again (frozen pic and no audio). Seems to be fine on other channels (Bravo is rock solid). I suspect its SciFi again (but they hardly ever admit to problems). Is anyone else suffering?

15-10-2009, 19:08	#2
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	As its showing no error counts and all the other channels seem to be good I suspect its just SciFi providing a duff feed again.

15-10-2009, 20:14	#3
Ryrazzer Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Services: Sky HD, VM 20MB , Talk Unlimited Posts: 1,441	It's fine on Sky here.

16-10-2009, 18:53	#4
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	Thanks, so maybe its Virgin. Every other channel seems to be fine but SciFi is locking up 3 or 4 times an hour and the pixellation is terrible.

18-10-2009, 11:35	#5
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	After several 1203 errors yesterday and lots of freezing I checked Virgin's status pages - no problem reported. So I phoned them and after waiting 15 minutes and getting put through to the broadband department, where I couldn't understand the person on the other end of the phone, and then waiting another 15 minutes I was told that they knew there were problems with picture quality and freezing but there was no estimate on a fix time, and its still bad today .....

18-10-2009, 18:40	#6
mastermind Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Edinburgh Services: Virgin Broadband, TV, Phone Posts: 376	Tried to watch Benidorm from the 16th October, and it has frozen at certain parts about 4 times and still not fixed.

20-10-2009, 20:14	#7
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	Its still going on - nothing on their status pages. If it wasn't for the fact that to get Sky I need a dish right up on the top of the roof I'd walk tomorro.w

20-10-2009, 21:18	#8
stevieg_8707 Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Warrington, Cheshire Services: Freeview, Virgin Media: TV & Broadband, Blu-Ray Posts: 19	Slightly OT, but watching Movies 24 the other night and that was freezing from time to time too, worth noting that like Sci-Fi it's an NBC Universal channel.

20-10-2009, 23:36	#9
mastermind Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Edinburgh Services: Virgin Broadband, TV, Phone Posts: 376	The ticket for Scotland was updated as you will see here. http://status-cable.virginmedia.com/...ticket=1105950 Still not been informed that it has been fixed, however their 151 TV fault line said they had found the fault, and it would be fixed by 10am. Looks like we will need to wait much longer.

20-10-2009, 23:38	#10
stupid_cube Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Bonnie Scotland Services: virgin media 10meg broadband.virgin m X box / ps2 Posts: 769	seams ok for glasgow west

21-10-2009, 18:01	#12
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	Well I never sound a ticket covering Gloucestershire. Picture quality is the usual over compressed mush in the adverts, so we'll see if its actually been fixed

21-10-2009, 18:49	#13
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	I knew it was too good to last Still it recovered after about a second rather than about 10

21-10-2009, 20:47	#15
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	I'm not watching anything on demand - someone else brought OD into the topic. I'm just sick and fed up of Sci-Fi locking up and not getting any help/support from Virgin.

25-10-2009, 11:17	#16
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	Still doing it, VM deny there is anything wrong at all and show no interest at all.

25-10-2009, 17:32	#18
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	But I'm only getting freezing on the SciFi channel. Everything else is fine, apart from the usual over compression and image mushyness. So my problem isn't anything to do with VOD

26-10-2009, 02:40	#19
tm009f0737@blue Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: up north Services: virgin 3 xl's,v+ ,v box & 20mb Posts: 750	Think a lot of sci-fi original programs have H.D. in their e.p.g. ,i just might not transfer over to s.d. virgin quick enough,on standerd v box, if you have V+ forget that. Have you checked your technical page to make sure your o.oo.o corresponds too o.oo.o,i'm sure you know what i mean (to tyred to go down stairs and put the t.v. on for the correct name's,in a nut shell is your box at peak performance on a regular basis. And please dont say it's still a pace or I'll have bloody nightmare's for month's and have to start back the counseling,the recovery group,i don't mind that ,it's the bloody side effect's of the injections every month i detest. If your box is regularly out of sync and needing constant resetting ,stick it on a radiator for a night the phone them for new box (with bell's & whistles) or samsung if their out of stock of the 'special one's'

26-10-2009, 12:38	#20
Faultsman Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 232	Folks, with freezing on any single channel if it is a major problem at a local or regional Headend it would be known about and resolved pronto. Has a Tech visited yet? If so and the problem is still there book another call and ask for the Principle Tech to call. I'll bet a pint there is a fault with RF input levels on this customers installation. Stop whining on here and take some proper action eh?

26-10-2009, 12:57	#21
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	I'm whining? Yes I suppose I am, I've phoned VM over 10 times about this problem and get the brush off just about every time. Tech have been out and said that signal levels are fine and that the picture quality is what I should expect from digital signals but that they "would monitor" it from their end. One of the previous times it happened it turned out it was a problem with the main feed from SciFi as it was happening to Sky customers too. I'm not normally seeing and post or pre errors (which I'd expect if it was an RF issue) SNR on SciFi is 52.5dB AGC signal level of 50 Return Power of 35dBmV On the last pages of the Techical Stuff I'm seeing things like: (163) Failed to Range (173) Periodic Ranging Fail (161) Can't get Downstream Lock (163) Failed to Range (173) Periodic Ranging Fail (8893) (163) Failed to Range (8892) (302) Post-RS Error 65536 395000 (8100) Whats DTV Medic BTW? The box is a Samsung

27-10-2009, 14:10	#23
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	Well I phoned yesterday and once I'd got someone who understood me and I understood them they arranged for an engineer visit. Engineer has just been and has replaced the box and my viewing card and says that signal levels and cabling are fine. So now its a matter of waiting and seeing! Picture quality does seem to be better though so maybe it was a duff box.

27-10-2009, 14:53	#24
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	I've just checked the box and the figures are different for the SciFi channel SNR is 35.7 AGC is 58 Return power is 0dB !! Edited at 3:17 to add that its not fixed it.

30-10-2009, 20:40	#25
Stephen_A Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Cheltenham Services: Virgin TV, Plusnet ADSL Posts: 132	Well after a second visit and a lot of signal testing they've now confirmed that they are seeing this up stream but they don't know if its them or their feed, or if its coming out from SciFi itself.