X1 Technical Issues

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@RickGr4 wrote:
You have signal issues to that particular X1 box.

Nuff said.

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If that is true, then why would my box work perfectly at times?  Wouldn't a signal issue be an issue that would need something fixed in order to work perfectly?  Wouldn't the first tech have said something to the effect "your signal has issues," rather than "your signal looks perfect?"  Wouldn't someone at Comcast looking at my connection be able to tell me that there is a signal issue?

While I do feel that there IS some sort of signal issue, it is rather clear that "nuff" has not been said since I am still without service after having a new cable run.  If this were a simple signal issue, then I do believe this would have been resolved by now.  There is more going on here than a simple signal issue.  It appears more and more likely that it is a BOX issue, but this won't be clarified until I swap in another box on Wednesday.

I will probably call support again this evening to see if I am lucky enough to get a tech who is able (and willing) to get my service up and running for the time being.  I will also exchange my box on Wednesday as I have previously stated.

The ONE piece of advice I have been hoping for has not been provided.  I was hoping for a resident expert to tell me what to look for on the diagnostice screen.  If indeed I do have signal issues, then wouldn't it be reflected on the diagnostic screen of the box?  

I assume that this forum is a place where one can report issues they are having, and expect replies from a number of different sources.  I like having input from those who are more experienced with such issues...a lot can be learned.  While I clearly am the primary contributor to this thread, I welcome any new ideas from anyone who thinks that they can help.  I don't feel that I am abusing this forum by documenting every change in circumstance.  If for some reason someone feels that I am beating a dead horse here, then please move on, but until this is resolved satisfactorily, I intend to continue to solicit advice from this forum.

Thank you for reading, and I will update as the situation warrants.

Thank you Mr geek46 and Andrew!!

First, I don't necessarily expect any responses, but am happy when I get helpful ones.

Second, I am aware that there can be mitigating circumstances with regards to signal integrity.  Quick story:  I have spent many years as a PC support tech and we had a tough one once that was an intermittant signal issue.  Turned out that one of the cables feeding the workstation was laid on top of a coiled electrical cable.  When power was moving through the cable, a magnetic field was produced that affected the workstation.  Took us forever to find it, but we did!!  I only mention this because it illustrates how elusive signal issues can be.

Lastly, Thanks again Andrew for the info RE: the diag screen.  While I find it hard to believe there isn't anything that will help there, I will take your word for it since you are clearly more adept with all of this than myself.  I will however admit that I am still going to take a look later when I get home to see if any of my readings are out of range.  

I do want to Thank everyone, and I do apologize if I come off rude or unappreciative.  I strive for neither, and do appreciate whatever help is thrown my way.

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@B_J_L wrote:

Have had what appeared to be signal issues lately.  Had a tech out who checked everything, and while he had said that my signal wass 'perfect,' he was still unable to get channels to tune in properly.

 

Let me backtrack a tad.  

 

I had noticed that when I wake up, or when I came home from work, the TV was tuned to a different channel (I ALWAYS leave my box on, and it is almost always tuned to ABCHD), or was on the screen saver screen that pops up when paused for a time. I did not really pay this too much attention until it started happening more frequently, and then finally I was unable to tune in channels, or when I was able to tune them in, they were unwatchable.

 

Hence my service visit.  He was going to replace my box, but then decided to run a new line from an outside connector into my Apt. Once he did that, all seemed to work perfectly.  Or so I thought.

 

Next morning I wake to a garbled screen, so I did a system refresh.  All seemed fine after that until I cam home from work the next afternoon. Screen saver was on, but I was able to retune to a channel, and all seemed fine again until this morning.  Screen saver on, did a system refresh, still not able to tune any channel.  

 

I do get a couple of error messages when it fails to tune the channels:  XRE-03056, and then XRE-00021.  While this consistantly LOOKS like a signal problem, I am under the impression that there is more of an issue here.  

 

I know how to get to the system diagnostic screen, but don't know what to look for.  If someone here has any advice as to what I can do short of trading in my box.  My DVR is up near 90 percent, so I would prefer to pare that down before I have to give it up.

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Signal Issues can be intermittent depending on weather, climate, wind etc....  they can also be introduced within the segment that is delivering your feed.

The Support Forums are peer-to-peer support areas made up of users of the services.  There are a few Comcast Official Employees who reply in this forum, but being this is Memorial Day I wouldn't count on an immediate reply.  Comcast always recommends calling into Customer Support for issues instead of waiting in the forums.

When you do have issues, you can look at your DOCSIS numbers ( if it is the box ) and your MOCA numbers ( if you are playing recorded content on a set top box )...  these are basic numbers that may highlight the area of trouble, but there are other signals that only a Tech onsite can see and only if it happens while they are there.  

You are interested in downstream power, downstream snr and upstream power.  I can direct you to this link in th forums for signal levels here:  http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/X1/Constant-error-code-XRE03061-Program-Freezes/m-p/2610213/highlight/true#M84017

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@CCAndrew wrote:
There isn't anything in the diagnostic screen that will help. The specs are fine. It sounds more and more like your DVR's having channel mapping issues. You'll know for sure after its swapped.

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Thank you Andrew!  

I understand some of the finer points being made here, however, one thing that I think is also being missed is that I had a tech who seemed to know what he was doing out last weekend.  The problem WAS occurring while he was here, and he said my signal was fine, and he was ready to do a box swap until his last action (replacing a portion of my cable; the piece between the first connection on the house, and the inside splitter that splits the signal between the X1 box and the Cable Modem) appeared to resolve the issue immediately and completely.

That being said, I am only completing what the tech was originally going to do; swap out the box.  I am hopeful that this will resolve everything but in the meantime I am trying to restore any service I can.

I doubt this has anything to do with this, but I have also been getting a prompt on the screen that the batteries in my remote need to be replaced.  I will typically run batteries down as low as I can before replacing them, but seeing as everything in X1-land is interconnected and interdependant, is it possible this has any bearing on my issue?

Another piece of info.

throughout this ordeal, when rebooting the box, a screen pops up, then goes away rather quickly.  It says something to the effect we are having problems, try back in a few minutes.  This is during the reboot (s1st is usually on the digital display on the box at this point).  It typically flashes quickly, then continues on to the connecting message.

I came home tonight, and did a restart, and this screen stayed up long enough for me to grab the error code...RDK-03031.  Looked around briefly on here, and it seems associated with outages?

the reboot got me to my SD channels...better than I have gotten over the last 2 days...Wednesday can't come soon enough.

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@B_J_L wrote:

I understand some of the finer points being made here, however, one thing that I think is also being missed is that I had a tech who seemed to know what he was doing out last weekend.  The problem WAS occurring while he was here, and he said my signal was fine, and he was ready to do a box swap until his last action (replacing a portion of my cable; the piece between the first connection on the house, and the inside splitter that splits the signal between the X1 box and the Cable Modem) appeared to resolve the issue immediately and completely.

 

That being said, I am only completing what the tech was originally going to do; swap out the box.  I am hopeful that this will resolve everything but in the meantime I am trying to restore any service I can.

 

I doubt this has anything to do with this, but I have also been getting a prompt on the screen that the batteries in my remote need to be replaced.  I will typically run batteries down as low as I can before replacing them, but seeing as everything in X1-land is interconnected and interdependant, is it possible this has any bearing on my issue?

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re: the batteries, no they aren't the problem. I do however find the voice remote never shows over 90% with alkaline duracell batteries and with 3 in the home when they get low enough to say replace, I put them in here to run until 'dead'. My 'load testing' battery checker (made by fluke a major meter maker) shows the batteries still green on the meter when the remote rejects them. I put them in flashlights etc to get the rest of the use out of them. 

the remote will suddenly not operate the DVR but will operate the TV (RF linked) functions. I suspect the measuring by the remote is 'off' a good deal and fails perfectly good batteries.

RE the remote and batteries:  without any hard evidence, I have always felt the same way...when the battery is too low to power something more demanding, I swap it to a remote since they seem to need the least amount of juice.  

RE 03031:  Thank you for clarifying the error.  I guess it is safe to say any error at this point leads to the same course...swap the box out, which I am doing Wednesday.  

I do believe I have come across another clue where the problem may be.  Just checked my DVR, and it was able to flawlessly record ABC World news this evening in HD.  Does this mean the main tuner I use is bad, but the ones used by the DVR are working?  Is there a way to swap tuners like you could on the legacy boxes?  I miss that feature...it was very handy when trying to follow 2 things simultaneously.

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@B_J_L wrote:

RE the remote and batteries:  without any hard evidence, I have always felt the same way...when the battery is too low to power something more demanding, I swap it to a remote since they seem to need the least amount of juice.  

 

 

RE 03031:  Thank you for clarifying the error.  I guess it is safe to say any error at this point leads to the same course...swap the box out, which I am doing Wednesday.  

 

I do believe I have come across another clue where the problem may be.  Just checked my DVR, and it was able to flawlessly record ABC World news this evening in HD.  Does this mean the main tuner I use is bad, but the ones used by the DVR are working?  Is there a way to swap tuners like you could on the legacy boxes?  I miss that feature...it was very handy when trying to follow 2 things simultaneously.

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the live TV swap feature is a now-enforced patent by TiVo/ROVI and not allowed without paying royalties (until patent expires end of 2016 to end of 2018-lots of patents).

to do the same thing just start recording on both channels. then pick one and play until you want to swap and then select the other recording. after you have started playing both, you can do the 'last/enter' keys to alternate.

I have had the X1 service for a few weeks, now. 

Earlier today, after browsing the forums here, and reading a post from someone who mentioned Apps, I realized I had forgotten all about the Apps feature, so I went to it to check it out. Seeing that Pandora was an option, I tried to log in. It told me to log in on my computer, and it would sync, which I did right then. I have NO idea if this is at all relevant to what happened next, but the timing is awfully suspicious. Within about 5 seconds of submitting my Pandora log-in info onto my account via my computer, as directed, my Companion set top box stopped working. 

I don't recall all the things that happened, and in what order, but as I recall: The sound went off for awhile, then I think it might have restarted. It basically acted like it does every night around 2:30a when it does its mandatory update while I'm in the middle of watching TV.   

After that, it refused to play the channel I had been playing previously, saying it wasn't available. I tried another channel, and it wasn't available either. I went to my DVR, and I was able to browse, select, and watch some shows I had DVRed, but not all functions were available. For instance. I got to a good stopping place, and hit "exit," and it brought me back out to the DVR list, but kept playing the show. Another time, I would hit "exit" and literally nothing would happen. I powered off with "All Power," but ironically "All Power" actually means "everything except the set top box," so when I powered back on, my show was still playing. I pushed the "Help" button on my remote, and then selected to Restart, which it did, but at first it acted like it didn't want to. 

It restarted and went back to the blank screen. I checked, and the DVRed programs were still there. I selected another, and it started playing, but from about 10 minutes earlier than I had stopped it at the last time I was watching it (from this unit, even). 

I unplugged the Companion set top box and left it for probably an hour while I did other things. I came back, plugged it back in, and still a blank screen. If I select a channel to watch, this is the message I get, no matter which channel:

Sorry - my Companion box is: XiD-P

Also... nothing recorded today! I just checked my main unit, and there was nothing recorded all day!  I restarted the box, and it seemed to actually restart and cycle twice before it "took." Then Live TV came back on. Nothing recorded since last night. So I guess the timing of the Pandora sync was coincidental after all, because I did have things set to record last night and this morning, and I didn't try to sync to Pandora until midday today. 

This is so disappointing. 

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@Kaniac wrote:

I have had the X1 service for a few weeks, now. 

 

 

"Let's try this again.

We're having some trouble tuning to channel _____. Please try again or select another program. If the problem persists, unplug for at least ten seconds, then plug it back in to restart." 

XRE-03041

 

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I called Comcast Xfinity and spoke with a technician. I told her everything that I had done, and she tried to open a troubleshooting ticket to send a signal to the box, or something like that. She said "Whoa! It won't even let me do that! It's out of spec with the mocaphy rate." (I had to ask her to spell mocaphy for me, because I have no idea what that means!) Basically she said since it's out of sync, my only options are getting a technician out to my house to fix it, or bringing the box back to the Service Center and replacing it. 

 

I am grateful it's the Companion and not the main until, but still very frustrated. This is practically still brand new. Is this a common problem? Does anyone have any experience with this? 

 

Lastly, as I sit on my bed typing this, I can hear the music playing from the Live TV on my main X1 box in my living room. I haven't seemed to have issues with that one at all. I should go check and see if my stuff today recorded. Nothing that should have recorded today is showing up on my Companion. Which I guess is to be expected if it's out of sync...  

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MOCA is how a companion box communicates with the DVR... and in your case, you would not be able to see any recordings from the DVR if your MOCA rates were not up to spec's....  additionally, you did not state which companion box you have as some boxes borrow a tuner from the DVR and in doing so also communicate using MOCA.

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@adammusic22 wrote:
Did your box swap fix your issues?

My last option to fix my issues is to swap out my main box.

Having a tough time scheduled a maintenance tech to check street lines. Last tech said he would schedule it but never did.

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I wasn't going to report back until I had a few more cycles of good days,  but I did do the swap yesterday, and after a lengthy setup process, everything came up working perfectly, and was perfect this morning.

There were a couple minor DVR issues with the swap, however.  First, everything did not transfer...I appear to have lost about half of what I had saved.  Interestingly, some of these appear available remotely.  Is there a way to redownload these to my current box?  Syncing appeared to do nothing.

I was watching a show that had recorded over the last few days, and I noticed a little 'cloud' icon on the bottom when the show was paused.  I interpret this to mean that this was recorded in the cloud, and/or I am watching it from the cloud (I also notice fast forwarding appears different while watching these recordings).  Anyway, after watching one of the shows, I get error messages when I say to delete it.  There are codes, and it says try again, or something, however, it appears to delete fine.  I also attribute this to it being a 'cloud' version.

One las thing that has absolutely nothing to do with any of this:  Series recordings:  How does one prevent reruns on some of the cable networks from being recorded?  I believe I know how to set series recordings properly..."new only"...etc, however, for some reason some repeats of Modern Family for example continue to record from USA.  They do not appear to be marked as repeats, which may be the problem, but I was just curious if this is a known issue, and is there a workaround?