Problems with CTV Calgary

[dionysis]

For the third day in a row, when I am on CTV Calgary, my picture will start to loop i.e. it stops, rewinds a second or two, plays for a second, rewinds, and so on. This will go on for a while until I intervene and no, I am NOT sitting on the remote  😉

Other times I will switch to this channel (#104 here in Calgary) but just see a blank screen. I can switch to other channels no problem but when I go back to 104, I just get the blank screen.

I have two Xi6-A bluecurve receiver boxes and these issues occur on both.

Sometimes cold booting the receiver box will solve the issue but not always.

I have had the Bluecurve setup for a number of years and these issues just started happening recently.

Anyone else experiencing these same issues?

[mdk]

@dionysis -- what do you see if you physically go into the local Shaw retail store-front, with your BlueCurve remote-control, and tune one (or all?) of their display TVs to that channel?  Will they escort you out of the store ?  🙂

[coker7]

Since Thursday I have watched CTV TV live in Calgary (antenna not cable) and station has been going off the air frequently and there is a chirpy garbling  sound  along with the normal audio last Friday night. There has been a fair bit of technical issues with their transmitter for over a month…whether or not they will admit it. 

[mdk]

@coker7 -- there is a chirpy garbling sound

Can that be attributed to today's provincial election in Alberta?   🙂  

[BJM]

I have the exact same issue. I called Shaw and requested a replacement Xi6 and they sent out a refrurbished until which did the very same thing. I returned the refurbished player and did a full system reset with the original player and this worked for a few days until the "loopng" began again or selectring channel 104 returns a blank screen. It seems odd that this only happens on CTV Calgary which coker7 attributes to their transmission. Frustrating as hell - anyone know any magical solution?

[mdk]

@BJM -- please read the earlier post on this thread by @coker7  -- it is not the Shaw TV box, nor the Shaw TV infrastructure. Contact the offices of CTV Calgary for the "magic solution".

[Wbriggs1]

Yes we are experiencing the same problem in BC.

[bordoodle]

I, within the last 4 weeks, have started connecting my XiOne (3 of them) boxes along with upgrading from a XB6 to XB7 modem.  All 3 boxes are hardwired to a switch then through a firewall / router to the modem.  My WiFi is reserved for other things. I started having freeze / repeat with one the streaming boxes.  Tech came out and confirmed good signal on the ONLY box on the incoming coax.  Replaced the one XiOne box.  Things worked for a while.  Since then the other 2 streaming boxes have started showing the same freeze repeat issue.  In one case the TV was off and when turned on the freeze repeat was ongoing.  I started an XLS to track issues.  Ch 101 has shown the odd dropout.  However Ch 104, as mentioned below, has had multiple instances of freeze repeat.  Not all streaming boxes freeze repeat at the same time.  Sometimes I don't feel like going basement, main floor, second floor to check all 3.

Now here's the kicker.  Called Shaw.  The first CSR kept blaming my switch, router and everything else telling me that it was my fault.  Read the riot act to her to get her off the "script" that they seem to follow.  The CSR didn't understand that the XB7 has only 4 ports on the back so with 2 computers, AP (WiFi), file server, aircraft tracking system, 3 streaming boxes there is a port shortage.  She can't do math.  When the tech came out it seems he has exactly the same switch in his home network so I'm vindicated.  I have 30 years as a network engineer while she has a script and kept telling me to connect the XiOne to coax.  The XiOne has 3 ports, power, HDMI and a RJ45 (Ethernet).  Not sure where the coax port is located.  LOL

A subsequent supervisor has decided that she has to send me 3 XG1V4s (go back to coax) to solve the problem.  With going to the XiOnes I have started removing coax around the house to get rid of some of the excess wiring.  So not likely to accept the XG1V4 now.  Also in the past I have had signal level issues with a modem, separate digital phone box and 3 TV boxes.  Tooo many splitters to support 5 coax drops..

Any way THANK YOU to everyone who has commented here.  This is the most concrete support that I have received in the last 4 weeks.  SHAW TAKE NOTE HERE.

[rstra]

@bordoodle  Try going wireless to the XB7 to rule out your equipment,

[mdk]

@bordoodle -- in the past I have had signal level issues with a modem, separate digital phone box and 3 TV boxes. 

When I talked to a Shaw Installer, he said that the best solution for 4 devices:

1. cable-modem
2. TV #1
3. TV #2
4. Shaw phone box

was a 4-way splitter, connecting the phone-box onto the port with the largest "DB" level, because it can tolerate the most "drop" (as measured in Decibels) of the above 4 devices.

Note that the newest BlueCurve boxes can do "both": 4 Ethernet ports and 1 telephone-port, which means that you can connect your telephone directly to the BlueCurve, and completely disconnect the older Shaw phone box, to give you the arrangement:

1. TV #1
2. TV #2
3. TV #3
4. cable-modem with 4 Ethernet ports and one telephone port

for your 5 "hard-wired" devices, using a 4-way splitter.