Virgin Media Community

[allchemist]

I see from my seach something like this has happend before.

I have a V6 box and each time, twice recently (because the good lady uses the box, not me) the output for TV channels and recorrded programs will not display.

The box's software will display on the TV as if nothing is wrong but selecting a channel or a recorded program will not display. To get the box to work it has to be rebooted.

I noted that there was no proper explanation as to why this happened in 2018/2019. It was suggested the box may have been overheating.

Does anyone know the real reason?

[nodrogd]

This is a classic symptom of a failed HDCP handshake with the TV. This is why you get menus but the picture will not display. The picture is there but remains scrambled, so most TVs simply will show it as blank content.

Try switching to another source & switching back. Try another HDMI lead etc. I would also try forcing the box to the resolution of the TV, as this has worked in some cases. If this does not work then suspect a faulty box.

[allchemist]

Thanks nodrogd, for the possible reason and suggestions to try. I will test them out.

Additional background: This V6 is a very recent (5 weeks) replacement for a failed bedroom Tivo box.

The living room Tivo box is now in the bedroom with V6 box now in the living room.

I never had a cable/communication problem with the ex living room Tivo box but I assume the V6 box’s internal electronics will be completely different.

[allchemist]

Nodrogd, Investigating your suggestions to check out the blank screen problem.
It looks like it is the HDCP handshake problem described.
I barely remember this type of problem. When HDMI first started computers connected to monitors via HDMI cable had this kind of problem however I have never heard of such since.
1) Changing to an other TV source and back again does not help.
2) Ensuring the V6 box was set on the TV’s correct display resolution did not help (TV is a 4K LG) (V6 box went crazy when a resolution other than 4K was selected. Flashing grey and white sparkles even though the TV supports may other input values. When checking comparability it said all but the lowest were compatible.)
3) I have not tried another HDMI cable yet but this cable was working successfully when used with the TIVO box. I will try another cable shortly, I have another three I can try.
4) Only pulling out the V6 HDMI, cable while the V6 box is on, from the TV and reinserting it sorts the problem.
If a different cable does not sort out this problem can I then assume the V6 box is faulty either in hardware or software?

[allchemist]

Tried other HDMI cables to resolve the no picture problem.

None fixed the no TV channel or recorded programme.
(Strange I did not not have this problem for the first three weeks after the V6 box was was installed.)

I dropped the resolution output from the V6 box to 1920 x1080 to my 4K TV (another fix suggested for the problem. Ironic I would even need to).
For the moment this appears to give a picture without having to reboot the V6 box or pull it's HDMI lead from the TV then reinsert it.

Now noticed another problem: The control of the TV and the V6 from the Virginmedia remote is "different". I think it is the TV code selected that has affected the function of the V6 box. The Virgin remote TV button was turning off the V6 box and not turning off the TV. The TV does not turn off at all now with any of the LG TV codes ( I have tried them all) however I had to change the remote code to 0303 to stop the Virgin remote doing strange things to the V6 box. Also the (bluetooth?) pairing of the remote to the V6 box appears to register on the remote with the flashing green light but the remote does not work when not using direct line of site InfraRed.

This change to the V6 box has not been a pleasure. It has seriously hacked off my partner. She is not pleased and when she is not pleased my life is hell.

[Lisa_CC]

Hi Allchemist,

I'm just looking at your V6 issue in the background and everything looks fine. When you dropped the resolution to 1920 x1080, do you still have problems viewing the channels?  Regarding the remote control, what codes have you tried? Can you check this list to see if any works? 

Thanks,

Lisa

[allchemist]

Lisa, I have had no further problems with a missing picture from the V6 box ,when it is first turned on, once I dropped the V6 box resolution down to Full HD instead of 4K.

The remote control problem was brought to my attention by Janice, my partner. She said that she used to use the TV button to switch back to regular TV (actually Freesat).

Personally in the past, when I used to use the Virginmedia Tivo box, I used the TV button to shut the TV down with a long press. I hardly ever use the Virginmedia boxes now because the LG TV performs all the apps faster than the TIVO or the V6 box can.

When I tested the control for her, trying to turn the TV off with the TV button (or back onto TV as she said it used to do, .. maybe on the Tivo box it did) it generally shut the V6 box down although when the V6 box came back on it would not behave it’s self, i.e. not responding to the buttons correctly.

I decided to test out ALL the LG TV codes. The ones you directed me to and another set I got for LG TV’s. Out of all the codes there were only three that worked to Up and Down the volume, 0011 which was the one the remote control looked to be set to. In trying the others offered via the V6 box procedure I found 0119 also changed the volume. I finally found the last code 0303 worked the TV volume and the V6 box had stopped shutting down even when the TV button was pressed. At no time did the TV button shut the TV down. That is strange because the Virginmedia remote can shut the TV down when determining a working TV code by one of the programming methods offered.

As also mentioned, I appeared to be able to pair the remote to the V6 box, the remote eventually shows the flashing green light after following the pairing procedure and there was some little box appeared with information on the TV screen, but not typically what you would see when you have just paired up two bluetooth or Wi-Fi items. There was no apparent benefit after pairing, the remote does not operate the V6 box except through line of site InfraRed.

[allchemist]

Lisa_CC, I wrote too soon.
When I tried the V6 box for myself, to view a program not on my TV's Freesat, there was no picture. I had to turn off the TV then back on again for the V6’s picture to show.

I am now not sure if I have a faulty V6 box or a box that is just not up the job.
With the remote not pairing properly to the V6 box I think it could be a faulty box although how I get it replaced I am unsure because it’s not “fully” broken.

Where to go from here?
One Tivo box has been replaced with the V6, the second Tivo box I have is the same age as the failed Tivo.
The V6 box does not operate as flawlessly as the original Tivo.

I heard from the Virginmedia Tech (repair person) that a new different box is on the way but it is possible I may have already moved to an independently sourced IPTV system before that is out, assuming that system satisfies my partner, Janice!

Have a fault free day!

[Roger_Gooner]

Replace the V6 with the TiVo. If the TiVo continues to work well I suspect that the V6 is faulty.

[allchemist]

Roger_Gooner,

                         I do not think there is an option to go back to a Tivo box, at least I was not given an option. I was told by the repair/installation engineer that I was getting a new V6 box. I did not complain at the time because I assumed the V6 was a better receiver. I was not aware of the HDCP problem on the V6 receiver. ( I was offered a V6 sometime ago as long as a took a SuperHub 3. I declined because of the problems there was with the SuperHub 3.)

The V6 is certainly much faster than the Tivo but as I have mentioned before it is still not as fast as my LG TV for the apps like BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Youtube etc. so I use the TV's capability.

It is the good lady that almost exclusively uses the Virginmedia boxes. She uses them to record programs and then watch them back, fast forwarding through the adverts. 

..................

I am having a look at IPTV that is not Sky or Virginmedia but I've not been impressed with the specs of the receivers although the Nvidia Shield is supposed to be good. I have a number of Intel powered micro PC's but I am thinking of a AMD Ryzen 5 3400G powered mini PC, with the right software that could do the trick.