Possible to Utilize a Second XGV2 STB with XG1v4 in place of XD-1 STB?

[Art11Trighton]

Hi All- 

I have an existing XG1v4 DVR Primary STB which currently serves two satellite boxes. One of those Satellite Boxes is a newly installed XGv2 working beautifully!   My second STB is a lower end XD-1 STB which the Tech hooked to my 50” Panasonic Plasma via COAX because I was told that the SNR and countless Upstream Errors the Tech Pointed out were on my buried , ancient Comcast Drop , created too little Signal with too much SNR for the XD-1 STB, not to mention no HD on my Plasma TV. Apparently the low end Pace X1 STB Model XD-1  requires PERFECT Signal as well as no SNR on the line before it will load up the Wecome Screen. 

Can I switch out my Pace XD-1 STB for the XGv2 STB @ my local Xfinity Store at no additional charge?   This worked perectly last time thanks to 

@Rustyben   @CCAndrew   !   I want to be able to watch HD TV on what is still the Television Set in my house with a picture circa 2007 which reigns supreme over  both my New LG TV and Samsung TV combined!    

Thank you as always for suggestions and guidance from the countless folks who run this Forum. 

Regards- 

[CCAndrew]

The reasons given by the tech don’t make any sense. Or you’re not explaining it right. What happens when you hook it up to the tv via HDMI? It’s the same signal to the box no matter how it’s hooked up to the tv. And it’s called an XiD

[Art11Trighton]

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@CCAndrew wrote:
The reasons given by the tech don’t make any sense. Or you’re not explaining it right. What happens when you hook it up to the tv via HDMI? It’s the same signal to the box no matter how it’s hooked up to the tv. And it’s called an XiD

Hi CCAndrew- 

Thank you for correcting  the XiD I mangled! LOL! To answer your question, roughly 3 separates Techs have been out to Swap out the various XiD boxes which, when the Tech attempts to hook up another one  to one of the Guest Rooms  TVs via the HDMI cables, it’s a roll of the dice - meaning, it may do nothing causing the TV to report no signal.  It will sometimes get as far as a Welcome Screen and even more rarely, the odd  on screen Channel Guide wii appear momentarily and ultimately  the Tech was forced to hook these XiD boxes to the COAX input on mt various TVs which results in a SD  picture without all the bells and whistles one would expect  had we been able to hook these units up via HDMI, but as they’re Guest Rooms, I was generally  just fine with the COAX.

I can appreciate why you’re confused  though.  I have had this problem roughly for about 2 years.  Boxes of ALL types have been repeatedly swapped out  with other XiD boxes with little to no difference.  I wont bore you with stories of loose, outdated cables, outdated COAX , incorrect  HDMI Inputs, bad televisions, et al.  We’ve had two years to carefully narrow down the only possible problem which remains: The Comcast Underground 35+ year old  originally installed  COAX with poorly maintained drops have resulted in a Signal which is poor quality, throughout my neighborhood . 

More than a half dozen Techs have been out  and of those, 4 have told me in one way or another some iteration of:  Your Drop out in your side of your house looks shot! They normally write me a Maintenance Ticket as they’re leaving but normally make it clear that there’s a better chance of me hitting than Lottery before Comcast  maintenance comes out. LOL! Dead on. 

Several have told me that there exists a astounding number  of upstream errors, SNR issues, poor signal strength, and after yet another Maintenance Tickets, the last young man had an great iPad like device which he showed me a satellite/ terrain map of the neighborhood I live which, according to his live map, was listed as “Poor Signal” Sector. IDK why, just is. 

So, the good folks on here were kind enough to tell me that often the inexpensive XiD  STBs I keep going through without success are more sensitive to poor signal strength in my location, and suggested I try a larger STB with Tuners , the XGv2 STB. When I did,  I tried it first in the Guest Room which had never been able to connect to my X1 Master Box via HDMI and in 2 minutes it worked perfectly! I then took it to the other Guest Room where another XiD was hooked up to another TV via COAX .  Again , I hooked up this  TV with an existing HDMI amd again - Within 2 minutes, picture fired up, looking great. It was able to communicate with my existing X1G v 4 , run Netflix, Use and operate the DVR. 

So hence, I will be returning my last XiD box this week for a second  XG2 v2 STB which I’m  certain will work exceptionally!  Sorry- Not my intent to confuse you.  It was explained to me as follows : You live in a Rural Area where all the Utility/ Power/ Cable was buried underground 30+  years old and until Comcast comes in with a backhoe to dig up the whole neoghborhood and lay new coax, your Signal will remain weak and noisy.

Thank you again for all your assistance!  Once I get the new STB, hook it up and confirm it works, I post a follow up here .

Be Well Mr CCAndrew~  

Art

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[CCAndrew]

Since it’s just a guest room, you could just use a Roku and access the stream app. It’ll save you $10 a month if it’s a room that is not often used.

[Art11Trighton]

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@CCAndrew wrote:
Since it’s just a guest room, you could just use a Roku and access the stream app. It’ll save you $10 a month if it’s a room that is not often used.

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I would, but I actually have 3 Guest Rooms and the one I’m referring to is largely occupied by my Mother when she visits me. And she must have her Fox News Channel on 24/7 or she’ll accuse me of being a Communist Sympathizer!  

In truth, the other two Guest Rooms have Smart TVs which is more than sufficient for rarely used Guest Rooms.  Thanks for the suggestion though! 

Art