Intermittent screen pixelation

[moggyman]

My Mum has started to get bad intermittent screen pixelation. It can range from getting a sort of pixelation 'bar' across the bottom of the picture to full-on Lego resolution (as we say in the IT world) and the whole screen is corrupted. The sound also gets momentarily interrupted too.

I've checked the cable connection, replaced the HDMI cable, and rebooted the Tivo box but no joy. It seems to be worse in the evenings for some reason but I've asked Mum to keep a diary of when it happens and on what channel(s), just in case there is some consistency with the issue. 

I checked her Freeview feed and that is tip-top. I also have a Tivo and live in the same postcode area and (touch wood) my TV feed is fine.

Has anyone else experienced similar?

Thanks

[newapollo]

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@moggyman wrote:

My Mum has started to get bad intermittent screen pixelation. It can range from getting a sort of pixelation 'bar' across the bottom of the picture to full-on Lego resolution (as we say in the IT world) and the whole screen is corrupted. The sound also gets momentarily interrupted too.

I've checked the cable connection, replaced the HDMI cable, and rebooted the Tivo box but no joy. It seems to be worse in the evenings for some reason but I've asked Mum to keep a diary of when it happens and on what channel(s), just in case there is some consistency with the issue. 

I checked her Freeview feed and that is tip-top. I also have a Tivo and live in the same postcode area and (touch wood) my TV feed is fine.

Has anyone else experienced similar?

Thanks

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Hi @moggyman 

VM set top boxes don't use freeview/terrestrial cabling so that wouldn't help to trace the fault.

It's possible that the white VM coaxial cabling is causing the issues. I take it that's the cabling you checked and that it's snug and tight  and free from any kinks. It might also be the tivo boxes tuners.

It will probably need a VM tech visit to check the cabling and the tivo box.  

Does your Mum also have broadband with VM?  The reason I'm asking is VM have stopped supplying the older tivo boxes, and if the fault is die to the tivo box then it will be replaced with a V6 box providing she also has broadband with VM.

If the box does need swapping out then she will lose all of her recordings and would need to set up her series links again on the new box, so it might be a good idea for her to make a note of all her series links/planned recordings, and try to watch her all of her current recordings.

She/You should call  150 from a Virgin landline or mobile, or 0345 454 1111, option 2 (Faults) 

When calling Faults ignore all the options and don't press any buttons then she/you should be placed into a queue and an agent should pick up the phone and book the tech visit.

Or wait a day or two and a member of the Forum Team should pick this up for and arrange a tech visit.

[moggyman]

Thanks. I only tried her set on Freeview to prove to her (when it was happening) that it wasn't a fault with the TV.

She's 86 and has no broadband - she doesn't even know what that is, bless her. She just has the cable coming in through the wall and the feed going into the Tivo plus a 'router' VM installed for her to plug her landline phone into.

I'm due to visit tomorrow so I will take another look at the cabling. It's pretty much untouched since VM put it in as she's afraid to go near it. The only recent change was when I popped a brand new HDMI cable in.

I mentioned that it might be a Tivo fault and the box would need replacing, so I expect she'll spend the bank holiday weekend watching the umpteen episodes of 'The Repair Shop' & 'Flog It' she's got recorded - just in case.

As she has no broadband, does that mean VM would foist broadband upon her just for a new V6 box? I haven't seen one of those in the flesh but from what you said it suggests that it requires broadband?

Thanks

[newapollo]

Hi again moggyman 

All current VM boxes, with the exception of the now obsolete tivo, need a broadband connection with VM, also the boxes won't work with any other provider.

If VM don't have any stock of the older Tivo's then Mum would have to either cancel or switch to a V6 box, but it would be dealt with on an individual basis, and it may need the forum team getting involved to see if they can do anthing.

The V6 box has double the recording capacity compared to the older tivo, and works on the same interface so you don't have to learn anything new. It's a lot faster (BBC iPlayer is notoriously slow to load on the tivo box) and also has some additional apps.

As a matter of interest, is your Mum out of contract? (the same applies to your goodself) If so she is probably paying too much and it might be a good  idea to negotiate a new contract, asking for a free box swap to a V6 (not the 360 box which is a new interface and would confuse her) along with an upgrade to broadband.  It might work out to be less expensive than the amount she's currently paying.

Do a channel check with her and see which channels she watches, then compare with those listed in columns 4 and 5 on the following page  /ChannelGuide_August_2023.pdf   The channels shown in column 4 are the basic ones, that tier is also known as the Big bundle. The ones in column 5 are also known as the Bigger bundle...That will help if she doeswnat to/need to negotiate a new deal.

[moggyman]

Thanks again newapollo

Mum's package is about as basic as it can be and I think I haggled for it last time but I can't remember when that was. I tried logging in as her in 'My Virgin Media' and I can't find any contract info. I thought it may be in Billing but when I select that it goes into Help and gets stuck in a loop i.e. Select Billing then Broadband/TV/Phone and it returns to Billing, so I can't get at any of her bills or find her contract expiry date. All I know is that she has the very basic TV package (probably identical-ish to Freeview these days) and her home phone - which she no longer uses for outgoing calls because it became far cheaper for her to use a Virgin Mobile SIM I added to my own account. Her monthly DD to VM for her TV/phone is £10. 

I know progress is progress but I would be annoyed if she had to fork out for broadband just for her TV and recording service. Hopefully, VM has some provision for elderly people on a State pension who don't want to be on the Internet as such. Not everyone her age wants to be a silver surfer!

As for myself, my contract doesn't expire until March next year although one of two discounts I have is due to end in December. I confess that I've been keeping an eye on Sky's offerings as VM has left me a little disappointed recently. Customer service has been bad and the WhatsApp facility is useless. Waiting 24+ hours for a reply has been the norm when I've used it. The broadband service has been pretty rocky this year too. Then we come to price and VM isn't always cost-effective. Some Sky packages include Netflix for starters so that would save me my monthly subscription from the outset. When haggling, they try and foist higher broadband speeds on me as an incentive to stay but as I live alone, I just don't need it - I need to save money just like everyone else! I've been with VM since my cable TV service was supplied by a local firm back in the late 1990s and they were then bought by VM, so I've been loyal for over 25 years. However, I've found that this counts for little when haggling with someone reading from a script in a foreign VM call centre.I digress...

I'll cross that tiresome bridge later - I need to take care of Mum first.

[moggyman]

PS. I just found the contract VM emailed to her (I look after an email address for her) and her contract expires 13th December this year, with the price due to rise from £10 pm to £24 pm!

[newapollo]

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@moggyman wrote:

Thanks again newapollo

Mum's package is about as basic as it can be and I think I haggled for it last time but I can't remember when that was. I tried logging in as her in 'My Virgin Media' and I can't find any contract info. I thought it may be in Billing but when I select that it goes into Help and gets stuck in a loop i.e. Select Billing then Broadband/TV/Phone and it returns to Billing, so I can't get at any of her bills or find her contract expiry date.

It sounds like you might be using the app.  Use a browser and sign into

 https://www.virginmedia.com/my-virgin-media/home

Once the page open you'll see the image shown below.  In the top left section (Latest bill) is a link to view the contract.

All I know is that she has the very basic TV package (probably identical-ish to Freeview these days) and her home phone - which she no longer uses for outgoing calls because it became far cheaper for her to use a Virgin Mobile SIM I added to my own account. Her monthly DD to VM for her TV/phone is £10. 

That's a brilliant price and I can't see her getting it for any less than that.  Hopefully it's just the wiring, internal or external and won't involve a box swap.

EDIT -our posts crossed - £24 is still a good price but you'll possibly be able to get it down lower if you play hardball and insist on a free broadband and V6 upgrade.

As for myself, my contract doesn't expire until March next year although one of two discounts I have is due to end in December..... Some Sky packages include Netflix for starters so that would save me my monthly subscription from the outset..... The broadband service has been pretty rocky this year too.

With one for the discounts expiring in December I would be considering contacting VM towards the end of November and see about negotiating a new suitable price, If nothing is forthcoming then do the same in February, armed with Sky's pricing. Some of VM's packages now inclde netflix standard (Ultimate Volt, Biggest TV: and Biggest TV Volt:)  Your Virgin mobile sims will be in the process of being transferred over to O2 which means  you will be on a Volt package and probably due a broadband speed upgrade, plus acees to /wifi-max which would help with flakey wifi connections as it gives you up to 3 free wifi pods.

the contract.

[moggyman]

Cheers for that newapollo.

Yes, I've set reminders to call VM for both Mum and myself mid-November and I will arm myself with appropriate Sky offers.

No, I'm not using the app. I'm using the website on Chrome using Windows 10 and all I see is this - 

Maybe VM (like a lot of suppliers these days) just can't understand or deal with oldies who don't have broadband or any form of online presence. That's why I practically run her life for her these days 😁

[japitts]

Any new pay-TV service from either Sky or VM now, needs a broadband connection for the internet-based services - OnDemand, streaming, EPG updates etc.

So the replacement of an old TiVo is a good time to decide which direction you/your mother wants to go. Freeview-TV and forego the pay-channels, or take a pay-plus-broadband line.

There are photos of the VM boxes at https://www.virginmedia.com/care/tv-fault/which-tv-box - the V6 is a much quicker and faster box than the TiVo, whilst running the exact same software. Be fully prepared for VM to try a sales pitch on the newer TV360 service, which runs the same hardware as a V6 but runs totally different software, much akin to Apple vs Android.

[moggyman]

Thanks for the tip.