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Advice on my issues...dealing with Rogers

9306 Views 39 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  corpfan1
I will try to outline my story as best I can...it is complicated and very frustrating. I am looking for advice or ideas on how to move forward and what I should be asking when speaking to the Office of the President and customer service.

- This issue has been ongoing for about 2 years now...there have been 14 techs out to visit my apartment including 2 senior techs. I live in a 21-story building in Brampton.


About 2 years ago, I started experiencing intermittent pixelation on several channels (mostly HD). It has "seemed" to progessively worsen with time.

I had 7 techs (1 senior) out last year and all "saw" the problem. Most of them replaced all my cabling, splitter, inserted a booster, removed a booster, replaced my PVR 3 times, told me to replace my HDMI cables, etc...

Nothing was solved.

Over that time, I was credited 2 months free...

I got used to the issue and kind of just gave up because I was frustrated and extremely tired of having to move furniture, be home, replace cables, make calls to technical support, etc...

The pixellation seemed to worsen this summer and I decided that I have had enough of it, especially since I bought a $6000 Pioneer Kuro and new set of speakers.

So, I started calling in again to see if the problem could get resolved...

Again, more techs, more redundancy. I got another 1 month credit. Still pixelation...this time the techs finally came to the conclusion that the issue isn't INSIDE MY APARTMENT UNIT.

Another tech came out (claiming to be a senior tech - I was told later he was not) and didn't do anything except tell me that he sees this problem all the time and that nothing could be done as it is a "building issue" and that I should "move" or "switch to Bell". He then told me that what he said is "off the record" and that I shouldn't tell anyone what he said as he was "just being honest with me".

I complained again that I was still having issues...So, they sent a senior tech to come monitor the feed from the main cable box in the building. He came twice and sat in the hallway to monitor the feed on a small monitor. He stayed for 2 hours each time...1st time with a digital box (4250?)...and then with a PVR (8300). He had me on the cell phone watching my tv and told me to tell him when I see pixelation and he would turn to the channel to see if he could see the same. Of course, he saw no issues at all...but then again, I wasn't seeing many occurrences as it was during the late afternoon - when the issue seems to be least prevalent. I explained to him that my issue seemed to be most prevalent during evening hours and weekends and he said that was "nonsense" and "impossible" as time of day can not affect the signal...yet I am 100% sure that it worsens at night and on the weekends.

After asking me if I was "really seeing the issue?", he concluded that the feed is fine and that the issue must be between my apartment and the cable room (cables within the concrete walls). He sent that as his report and said he doubted that anything could be done as they wouldn't be able to replace the 40 year old cables in the concrete walls. He gave me his cell phone number and told me he would contact me over the next week to 10 days with any solutions, etc...

I did not hear back from him. I waited 10 days and called him leaving a message indicating that the problems had continued and that the picture quality seemed to get worse and that also some of my Super Sports Pack channels were no longer working. I was also experiencing blurring/pixelation during fast moving scenes in movies and sports. He did not return my call.

I tried again, 7 days later - no answer, no return call.

I put another call into Rogers tech support, and again they sent a tech to investigate the issues, especially the Sports Pack channels not working (just showing black). I am currently dealing with that as channels 378, 379, 380, 381, 495, 496, 497 (all at 435mHz) have been black during events (and all the time). This tech's boss is now trying to solve the issue. The phone techs said they show them working at their office and that they see a "really weak" signal coming to my digital box. Yet the tech that was here says the signal is fine.

I sent a letter to the office of the president, and they called me back 3 times - all early in the morning when I was sleeping. They left a message each time, but no return number to call. They then sent me a letter indicating that they tried calling, but was unable to reach me and that I should call 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX to get ahold of someone. I tried calling, but it keeps going to a automated message and directory that requires a password. #, 0, * didn't work to get to an operator or anything - it just would hang up.

I have sent another letter to the office of the president and have not heard back at all for 10 days now.

So, to recap...

- I have intermittent pixelation that can get really bad at times (sometimes breaking up the pic and sound every 30 seconds for about 1 second continuously for an hour or more).

- 7 of the Super Sports Pack channels don't work. They are just showing black at all times, even during scheduled football and hockey games.

- I am now getting breakup / pixelation during fast moving scenes in movies and sports (this just started in the last 3 weeks since the last senior tech was monitoring things in the main cable room).


Any suggestions? Unfortunately, I can't get any other service in my building as they are Rogers exclusive and don't allow satellite dishes.

Please help.
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This tech said that temperature, etc... is all nonsense and myths and he said he has over 20 years experience, etc...

Anyways, he told me that the building doesn't really have a say in whether they could replace cables in the walls, etc... he says it is up to Rogers but that they wouldn't bother with it. Again - not sure exactly what the real facts are - just what I am being told.

He also told me that it may be possible to run a cable up from the cable room to my apartment, but that it would "make the neighbours jealous and cause them more headaches" but that he would discuss the issues with maintenance and get back to me within a week...of course it has been 3 weeks and nothing...and he won't return my calls.

Should I contact the owners of the building?

This is just one headache after another....it is costing me a lot of "time". You would think that 14 techs over 2 years could get to the root of the issue and just correct it. That is all that I want.
As for the S/N ratio, it used to jump around a lot during the issue...32 to 38 or so....also there were corrected blocks or something like that.

Now it is stable around 34-35....but the issue still happens.

And of course there are the other issues...
The signal strength is pretty close to 0db i believe...told that there is no problem seen with that except when I call in, they show my signal as low.

The neighbours that I talk to say they see pixelation occasionally (2 of them have seen it) but that they don't really care as they don't watch tv that much.

There are no ORANGE numbers or issues except on the channels that the Super Sports Pack are not working...they are showing UNLOCKED and 0 as the S/N ratio....but again, that is not really the main issue - the ongoing pixelation is.
I don't have a phone...just use my cell phone - BlackBerry Bold 9700.

The 0 S/N is only on the sports channels that are showing black...only a select few (all at 435mHz QAM frequency). I have 1 splitter that goes to my digital box and to my computer for internet. It has been checked and changed twice. All inside cables have been changed multiple times as the keep thinking it would solve the issues.
So, a Rogers tech just called me (the same Senior Tech) that I have been waiting on for weeks now...and informed me that...

As for the 6 channels that are black of the Super Sports Pack (435mHZ QAM Frequency)...I will never get them...because the lobby camera downstairs is on the same frequency and as he quoted..."Rogers will do nothing about this for people in buildings".

I guess my big issue is when these channels were on other channels (others high 400s...) I was getting them. Since they moved the channels around several weeks ago, now they are on this frequency and I am not getting them...and they won't do anything about it.

I guess another issue I have to discuss with the Office of the President...

He also told me that they should have never sent a tech out for this issue not told me on the phone that I have a weak signal...that this issue is a well-known issue that should be common knowledge.
Well, now I am really upset.

The senior tech who was the last to look into my issue just called and left a voice mail stating that:

- there is nothing more Rogers technical support can do for me

- this is the digital world and nothing is perfect - everyone is going to experience signal issues "from time to time" is how he put it, yet I am experiencing it every evening and all weekends especially

- that I should take this up with the office of the president further


You have got to be kidding me?

I have been told to move, switch to bell, and now that the digital world isn't perfect all by Rogers senior techs.
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Talked to the office of the president today.

I have been credited 1 month of my cable bill and 35% off for 1 year going forward.

He suggested some other things to try to narrow down the cause of the issue and I will be pursuing them in the meantime.

He also asked me to keep in touch so that I can inform him of the progress and possibly help me to diagnose the issue going forward.

I guess it is reasonable. Still wished I could just get the issues fixed.
Thank you for the reply mrvanwinkles.

They told me that due to "safety issues" they could not run a cable direct to my apartment, that it would be "in the way" of other people in the building and that it would also make "other tenants jealous" that I am getting special treatment. I have suggested this to test it many times.

Interesting idea that the lobby cam might be causing other issues...I guess that is possible.

I am communicating with the "AREA REPRESENTATIVE" who handles all the apartments in the area in terms of "selling the product"...and he has indicated that he will do all he can to help...so we will see where that goes.

The superintendent also suggested I put up fliers on the bulletin board of the laundry room for people to "TELL THE SUPER" if they have any cable issues, as there may be strength in numbers here in terms of getting some things changed.

Anyways, I won't give up with this, because it has already come too far....who knows maybe it will even be solved by the time I move out into a house of my own?!
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Guys,

Can you explain in "simple terms" what you mean by the solutions?

The building has a cable room on the 6th and 17th floors that is the "hub" for the building.

The 6th floor serves floors 1-11 and the 17th serves floors 12-21 from what I know. The rooms look like a closet filled with tangled webs of wires all coming out of about 6-8 boxes that are attached to the wall with labels.

The wire coming out into my apartment comes out of a foundation wall between the kitchen and the living area. It is a concrete wall.

Hope some of that info helps.
Does anyone have any more ideas before we test some more things out?

I am in discussion with the superintendent and the building management as well as the Office of the President of Rogers and the area rep. The only one who doesn't seem on board at the moment is the senior Rogers tech. Not sure how that works, or who makes the decisions, but here is an update:

- Building has 2 main cable rooms - 1 on 6th floor (controls my feed) and one on 17th floor (controls floors 12-21).

- Signal to my digital box appears to be fine according to techs.

- I am experiencing pixellation and sound dropouts that repeat often. When this happens, it does it for about 1-2 seconds, then repeats again usually a set time later (5 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, etc... usually in a pattern). It is most prominent during evenings and weekends, however it has happened occasionally during daytime hours.

- The cable comes out of the wall in my unit, wraps around to my dining/living area and reaches a 3-way splitter. Out of the splitter, 1 cable goes to my internet connection/Rogers modem, 1 goes to my PVR (8300HD), the 3rd goes to my bedroom.

- I only experience the issue on the TV/Stereo connected to the PVR (digital). I have experienced it for about 2 years now. We have replaced all cabling in my apartment, as well as the splitter. We have tried 4 PVRs. We have also added a signal booster and removed it later as it seemed to "worsen" the effects of the pixelation/sound dropout.

- Again, when it happens, it usually is about a 1-2 second stutter of sound and feed with some pixelation that repeats every 30 seconds or so (sometimes quicker, sometimes more spread out). It does not happen all the time on every show, but most of the time on most channels. There is no channel pattern.



After talking to the superintendent, she is okay with running a direct cable from the 6th floor to my apartment to test things out. She is seeking permission and further ideas from the building management.

The guy at the Office of the President, suggested getting a connector to try a direct line to my PVR without the splitter for a couple days (of course that would mean no internet or bedroom tv for that time, but I am willing to see if that would help).


Any other ideas? Just want to isolate the problem and the source so it can get fixed.
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They want to send another "standard" tech to "check my connections...lol.

When will Rogers figure out how to connect the arm to the body to the foot?
I only mentioned that I bought the TV as part of my rant (being that I now have an amazing tv and it sucks that the signal is bad)...I had the stuttering/pixellation before that equipment.

I will try disconnecting the modem and see what happens...

I have kind of taken a bit of a break from the whole ordeal because it was making me very very tired...as Rogers response was to "start from scratch" and send a "run-of-the-mill" tech over to "check the cables inside my apartment again - something that has been done over a dozen times.

When does the circle of pain end?
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