# Rogers Digital Cable... Service Interruptions



## staples57 (Nov 19, 2007)

*I need to vent...*

Has anyone experiences (what I'm calling) service interruptions on Rogers Digital Cable HD channels?
First, let me say that I subscribe to the HD channel package & that I normally receive these channels.

Right now channels, 134 (CityTV HD), 150 (NBC HD), 158 (Fox HD), 310 (TMN HD) are BLACK ... no picture or audio.
...the SD channels come in fine (no problems)

*Unfortunately, this is not the first time I've experienced this...*
- In total, Rogers has replaced the SA839HD PVR 5 times now
- Told me that the signal strength is too LOW & added a signal booster to my line
- Told me that the signal strength is too HIGH & added a splitter to reduce the signal
- Told me that it's the station (CityTV, NBC, etc.) that causing the problem
- Told me that there's a service outage in my area
- Told me that my cables are loose or not seated properly
- Told me that there's a problem with my HDMI cable (I'm using COMPONENT cables)
- Told me that it's my TV, not the signal, digital service or the Rogers box
- Told me that there's a problem with the cable coming into my condo
- Actually told me me that I'm not experiencing any problems

*
Is there anyone out there having the same problems?
I can't believe that I'm the only one experiencing this.*


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

It IS probably the cable into the condo being erratic- I don't see you getting a satisfactory solution.

You need to get to a senior Rogers customer service rep - especially about the iPod.

I've had HD issues as well- 350 box resets. - they finally ran a dedicated line and it's tolerable tho its hanging off my neighbour's house


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## staples57 (Nov 19, 2007)

An onsite service call by a "Senior Technician" is scheduled for early next week.

I forgot to mention... I'm on the top floor (penthouse) only 20 feet from the main distribution switch for the building.

If there is a problem with the signal to the Condo, shouldn't other people also be affected?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Depends on the pattern of the wiring.

See how the Senior tech does - some of the guys are really knowledgeable and if you treat them well they get it corrected.


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

Sounds like it's time to go satellite (if you are facing the right direction).


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## staples57 (Nov 19, 2007)

guytoronto said:


> Sounds like it's time to go satellite (if you are facing the right direction).


I've thought of it! ...after my first call to Rogers tech support.
It's a condo (14th floor)... not easily adaptable to a Dish.
...difficult to run the cables to the set top box
Not to mention, the utility fees pay 30% of cable cost


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## Amiga2000HD (Jan 23, 2007)

Unfortunately, I don't think satellite would be an option given that this problem is taking place in a condo building. Most condos typically ban the installation of satellite dishes, which pretty much means that Rogers is almost the only thing going short of tuning in to over the air HD signals from CTV/CBC/City/Global etc, which the original poster can only do if the television being used has an ATSC tuner built in and there's an antenna of some kind connected to it. That'll work, but it shouldn't come to that if Rogers service is being paid for, but not delivered.

This brings up Rogers crappy cable service. They've been pulling the signal strength too high / too low routine for years, since at least the mid 1990s anyways. My answer: Signal to high? Attenuate it, and that's not too hard to do. Signal too low? That's more complicated and expensive, but it usually means that it's time the cable got some maintenance or if it's a distance problem, time for a reclocking distribution amplifier.


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## K_OS (Dec 13, 2002)

Amiga2000HD said:


> Unfortunately, I don't think satellite would be an option given that this problem is taking place in a condo building. Most condos typically ban the installation of satellite dishes....


They ban them from being bolted to there wall there is usually nothing wrong from buying a tripod and mounting your dish on it as long as you have a balcony to put the tripod and dish on.

Laterz


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Does your telephone company offer television service now? Telus out here has television service, in HD too no less. I'd explore that option.


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

I have the same exact problem. Just started a couple weeks ago. Been so busy lately haven't bothered. 

I live near greenwood danforth.

I'm thinking satellite anyway, I read Rogers plans to degrade hd quality in order to add HD channels to match the satellite services. sooo....


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## K_OS (Dec 13, 2002)

if you want the local channels in HD there is no better signal than OTA HD, Rogers and Satellite's HD signal is compressed to the point that it looses quality.

Laterz


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## staples57 (Nov 19, 2007)

Satellite, OTA & telephone cable aren't really options for me.

The issue is Rogers and their lack of Customer & Technical Service.

I'm paying Rogers for a service that they are not providing.
Add to that, they also refuse to accept responsibility.
Add to that, they refuse to compensate me for the loss of service.

To top it off... They don't seem to care!
This is the reason for my rant.


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## staples57 (Nov 19, 2007)

groovetube said:


> I have the same exact problem. Just started a couple weeks ago. Been so busy lately haven't bothered.
> 
> I live near greenwood danforth.
> 
> I'm thinking satellite anyway, I read Rogers plans to degrade hd quality in order to add HD channels to match the satellite services. sooo....



Interesting... Same channels?


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## K_OS (Dec 13, 2002)

see if there are any other people with the same problem and then why don't you get the condo board to complain on your behalf if they see one person complaining they might not get back to you right away but 20 to 30 people than they might actually start listening.

Laterz


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## Amiga2000HD (Jan 23, 2007)

You know, I've never really understood people like Bell and Rogers cranking up compression the HD channels so they can carry more of them. If you're going to lose the high resolution of HDTV to this over compression, doesn't it just defeat the purpose of the whole thing? You might as well watch standard definition at a decent bit rate that actually looks good instead of high definition that's no longer high and looks like garbage.

Over the air ATSC broadcasts in either standard or high definition look very good provided your location's good with respect to multipath interference. The ATSC's known for not being very multipath robust, and that can be a real problem in cities with tall buildings.


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

ATSC is encoded using MPEG-2, a rather old technology. If Rogers and Bell can use newers codecs to compress the signal more, saving bandwidth, it only makes sense.

BTW, compression doesn't automatically mean quality loss.


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## K_OS (Dec 13, 2002)

guytoronto said:


> BTW, compression doesn't automatically mean quality loss.


it shouldn't mean quality loss but it does, I've seen both Rogers and XPress-Vu examples of HD on better tvs than mine along with my cheap OTA indoor antenna and my video quality was allot better than either Rogers and XPress-Vu's.

Laterz


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## groovetube (Jan 2, 2003)

staples57 said:


> Interesting... Same channels?


I think so. I remember cityHD and fox hd being in te ones that don't work anymore.

Interestingly they seem to work on the downstairs tv. Must be a signal strength thing.


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## Amiga2000HD (Jan 23, 2007)

guytoronto said:


> ATSC is encoded using MPEG-2, a rather old technology. If Rogers and Bell can use newers codecs to compress the signal more, saving bandwidth, it only makes sense.
> 
> BTW, compression doesn't automatically mean quality loss.


And MPEG 2 is a lossy compression system which, by definition, means quality loss. How perceptible this may or may not be to you, and where to draw the line regarding quality is more subjective.

Now if Bell / Rogers could use something better like H264 and feed that into a 16 VSB exciter instead to shave bandwidth and dance around quality loss, you're right and it'd work up to a point. However, that's not how the broadcasting standard was defined, and that's the real issue with your proposal, so total lack of equipment's a hold up there even if they were inclined to take the black box approach and use a higher quality codec internally then have the set top boxes convert it to any kind of output that's usable for TV sets etc.


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