Missing Channels all of a sudden

[phantomii]

So, I have a SageTV setup with “Spectrum” as my service provider at my vacation home in Wilmington NC. Spectrum encrypts (Copy Protects) very few channels at this location. My system is a Ubuntu Linux 14.04 box (not the Docker Image) with a Ceton eth6 and HDHR with Cable Cards as my tuners. This leaves me nine tuners. I use OpenDCT and am on the latest builds of both this and the SageTV Server software. The system was built over a year ago and has generally been running very well and without issues. I accept the Linux updates including Kernels when they become available. I am accessing the server using two types of android boxes for watching TV.

Two weekends ago everything was working fine. When I went down to the house this past weekend I found that several (most) of my channels were missing. Symptoms are the same with the Ceton and HDHR Tuners. I rebooted the server and this did not correct the situation. From SageTV when I select a missing channel I get a "No Signal" note on a black screen. However if I go into the SageTV Tuner Setup the signal bar say 100% for the same channel. I still get no picture in the SageTV setup screens for the missing channels.

So from a different Windows 10 PC I ran the HDHR viewing application and the channels were missing there as well. I believe I just got a blank screen. So it appears that the channels are missing from the provider which seemed a little odd. So I called Spectrum and after a lengthy discussion they do not know what to do other than send a tech out which is scheduled in two weeks. I am almost suspecting they truned some off but can't figure out how to confirm that. BTW, my internet is also with Spectrum and they stated that the signal to the cable modem was very good.

So the questions…..

- Is it possible or likely that the signal level from the street would degrade in a manner and cause the behavior with the symptoms I have mentioned above where some channels are perfect and others channels are gone and my internet is just fine?

- Any ideas on why I get a no signal message on the missing channels when attempting to watch TV but when I go into the tuner setup is says I have 100% on the signal bar? Is this an OpenDCT function?

- Any other thoughts other than waiting for Spectrum to come out? I am not confident they will know how to troubleshoot this and will just try to blame it on my setup.

Thanks in advance!

John

[JustFred]

Originally Posted by phantomii

- Is it possible or likely that the signal level from the street would degrade in a manner and cause the behavior with the symptoms I have mentioned above where some channels are perfect and others channels are gone and my internet is just fine?

Possible, but the modem for your Internet connection tends to be FAR pickier about signal quality & level from the street than does your TV & Cablecard. On the other hand, if the modem & cablecard tuners aren't within a few feet of each other (e.g. each being fed from distinctly different coax runs from the demarc box on the side of your house), then you could have a problem with "inside wiring" that might produce your failures.

- Any ideas on why I get a no signal message on the missing channels when attempting to watch TV but when I go into the tuner setup is says I have 100% on the signal bar? Is this an OpenDCT function?

I don't find Sage's signal quality bar trustworthy when it comes to networked tuners.

Any other thoughts other than waiting for Spectrum to come out? I am not confident they will know how to troubleshoot this and will just try to blame it on my setup.

Other suggestions:
1. Use the Ceton tuner's diagnostics webpage and have a look at some of the stats there. Compare a working vs. non-working channel. Might provide some insight.

2. You can do some simple troubleshooting via the Spectrum My Account webpage. Log into your Spectrum account. Under Activate and Troubleshoot Services, select Equipment. Locate one of your 2 cablecards in the list and click Troubleshoot. Then select Missing Channels. Click on Activate/Reset My Box. That causes the CC to get downloaded with your channel lineup again. Can take up to 10 minutes. From Sage's Setup Video Sources (not the channel guide), try a preview of some of the missing channels.

3. It's possible that Spectrum has recently changed some of your channels to Copy Once. But if that were the case, I'd expect OpenDCT to display video that the channel was no longer Copy Freely. The Ceton diags webpage also contains info about the state of the copy flags for each channel.

4. If none of the above is successful, contact Spectrum again, but NOT their normal technical support (who rarely has any understanding of cablecard issues). Instead, contact the cablecard activation/support team and explain your issue. I've had cases where the cable company has mysteriously de-activated some on the channels on my lineup.

[phantomii]

Originally Posted by JustFred

Possible, but the modem for your Internet connection tends to be FAR pickier about signal quality & level from the street than does your TV & Cablecard. On the other hand, if the modem & cablecard tuners aren't within a few feet of each other (e.g. each being fed from distinctly different coax runs from the demarc box on the side of your house), then you could have a problem with "inside wiring" that might produce your failures.

The cable modem and both TV tuners are in the same closet on the same shelf so unless it is one specific cable or a splitter I doubt it is internal wiring



Other suggestions:

Originally Posted by JustFred

1. Use the Ceton tuner's diagnostics webpage and have a look at some of the stats there. Compare a working vs. non-working channel. Might provide some insight.

Will do this when I get home if I can get into the server remotely

Originally Posted by JustFred

2. You can do some simple troubleshooting via the Spectrum My Account webpage. Log into your Spectrum account. Under Activate and Troubleshoot Services, select Equipment. Locate one of your 2 cablecards in the list and click Troubleshoot. Then select Missing Channels. Click on Activate/Reset My Box. That causes the CC to get downloaded with your channel lineup again. Can take up to 10 minutes. From Sage's Setup Video Sources (not the channel guide), try a preview of some of the missing channels.

Tried this and it was not very helpful.

Originally Posted by JustFred

3. It's possible that Spectrum has recently changed some of your channels to Copy Once. But if that were the case, I'd expect OpenDCT to display video that the channel was no longer Copy Freely. The Ceton diags webpage also contains info about the state of the copy flags for each channel.

Don't think this is the case as I did see some channels with the Copy Once text when I was scoping out the issue and again, the missing channels say No Signal.

Originally Posted by JustFred

4. If none of the above is successful, contact Spectrum again, but NOT their normal technical support (who rarely has any understanding of cablecard issues). Instead, contact the cablecard activation/support team and explain your issue. I've had cases where the cable company has mysteriously de-activated some on the channels on my lineup.

Yes, my experience is that support if very bad with CableCards. Had not thought of calling the Cablecard Support number. Thanks!

[phantomii]

Well, I received an un-prompted automated call from Spectrum saying they discovered an issue in the area and the issue should be fixed. Logged in remotely and checked a few channels and things appear to be functioning again. Guess I will never really know what the issue was.