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Mpresc's avatar
Mpresc
Joining in
15 days ago

Intermittent sound + flickering picture

For sometime now, I have an issue where the TV picture and sound will begin to flicker very quickly. The sound will cut in and out. On other occasions the picture is fine but the sound cuts in and out very quickly, almost sounds as if it's crackling. This does seem to be a poor HDMI connection into the back of the box because when fiddling with the leads, you can sometimes correct the problem just by fiddling with the lead where it enters the TiVo box. I suspect it's a loose connection or poor socket in the box – but before asking simply for a new Tivo box, I wonder whether anyone has had this issue and has any other ideas?

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  • japitts's avatar
    japitts
    Very Insightful Person
    15 days ago

    Sounds like you're halfway to a good fault diagnosis. The bits that I would want to rule out are...

    Does the picture/sound problems occur across all sources? By this I mean - a) Live TV? b) Recorded programmes/paused TV? c) OnDemand/streaming apps? Your V6 handles each source slightly differently, so if it only affects one or two sources, the issue could be elsewhere. If all 3 are affected, then the common factor is the HDMI output.

    Have you tried another HDMI port on your TV, and another HDMI lead? Prove it off the VM box if either resolves.

    If these steps prove a faulty HDMI port on your V6, then you don't so much "ask for a new TiVo box" as "report a fault with your current equipment". You refer to TiVo (which is both the legacy box, and also the software platform) but post in the V6 section... https://www.virginmedia.com/care/tv-fault/which-tv-box

    TiVo & V6 are both fully supported for fault replacements, but TiVo's are swapped for V6 as a matter of course. Some VM agents may suggest you change to the newer TV360 platform, just be very aware this is fundamentally a different platform that is fundamentally not TiVo. If you are happy with your TiVo/V6, there is no need to change. Of course, they may not go down this sales route - but be prepared if they do.

    • Mpresc's avatar
      Mpresc
      Joining in
      7 days ago

      Thanks for coming back to me.
      The problem is with live TV or recorded programs. Never any problem watching TV or streaming from sky now stick. I have a splitter – a lead comes out of the TV into the splitter. Three leads – V6 box, sky stick, DVD - plug into the other side of that splitter. if I switch the leads around so that those devices are going into different portals on the splitter, I will get temporary relief from the v6 problem; the other two sources always remain problem free. So i deduce the problem is the v6 box . And where the hdmi plugs into the v6 has always seemed a bit loose to me - you can wobble the hdmi plug: doing so used to relieve the v6 problem but no more.

      • Steven_L's avatar
        Steven_L
        Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
        5 days ago

        Hey Mpresc,

        I can see that you're currently being helped by one of my colleagues, please could you respond to their private message and they'd be able to help you further. 

        Kind Regards,

        Steven_L

  • Sabrina_B's avatar
    Sabrina_B
    Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
    12 days ago

    Hi Mpresc 👋.

    Thanks for reaching out to us and welcome to the Community Forums, sorry to hear of the issues that you are facing with your picture and sound issues. It could be a number of things, If you have a spare HDMI perhaps 2.1 to try out, this will eliminate the lead should the socket be an issue. I will also drop you a private message that you can respond to should the box be an issue.

    Please look out for the envelope on the top right of your web browser or if you are using a mobile device, it will be located under your profile icon.
     

    Thanks.
     

    Sabrina

  • Mpresc's avatar
    Mpresc
    Joining in
    7 days ago

    Thx Sabrina - just seen this, apologies for the delay, will get the details and come back…