PHOnos's profile

Scholar

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95 Messages

Thursday, December 8th, 2011 3:08 AM

Closed Captions freezing and then disappearing

Howdy all-- I am at wits end with my problem. I sent the following to ATT Closed Captioning e-mail and got an autobot reply to use the online tech service. I did so, and they walked me through a "disaster recovery" reset (not using the reset button, but dowloading and flashing the operating system software for the box) with them finally referring me to ATT ICU (what the heck is ICU, Intensive Care Unit?) Any Ideas from forum people appreciated greatly.

 

Hello: I am profoundly deaf and must use closed captioning on my televisions. I have had and currently have a serious and annoying problem with one of the set top boxes (Motorola HD DVR). The closed captioning begins and runs for any where from 1-10 minutes, then freezes (sometimes in mid-sentence) and does not pick up again. The Philips HD TV is connected to the set-top box by means of a HDMI cable. The only way to regain the closed captions are to either switch channels and then switch back to the channel I was watching; or do a quick (7-second) backspace of the program, then captions will be there for the part that was not captioned. It will then run captions for a while, then freeze again. I can record a few minutes of a program and then replay it. However, the recorded closed captions will eventually freeze and disappear even in recorded programs. As I said, I know the captions are being sent by the programmers and by the U-verse system because they are being recorded. I also checked some local channels using my antenna when the U-Verse captions disappear and they are being sent and read by the over-the-air television HDTV tuner.

 

The following have not solved the problem -- - turning on both digital (high definition) and analog (standard definition). - turning captioning to digital off and analog on and vice versa. - re-setting the set-top box. - restarting the set-top top box by disconnecting and reconnecting power. - resenting/restarting U-verse 3800HGV-8 modem. - calling ATT help line and re-performing the above steps several times. - having a service call by ATT U-verse technician, xxxxxx xxxx who again performed the above steps.

 

He then did the following -- - determined that there could be a low signal problem with the Time Warner Cable installation which was used when the system was installed over a year ago. - replaced the RG television cable connected the set top box that was having problems with a direct connection to the modem by means of an Ethernet CAT-5 cable ($55 service installation charge) and replaced the second set top box (Motorola) (which was not having problems) with a Cisco, wireless set top box (which works well) with the Cisco transmitter connected directly to the modem. - returned the next day, when notified that all his work on the system was for naught, and personally saw the problems for himself. He then obtained a new work order from his supervisor and replaced the Motorola HD DVR. We then watched and waited until the same freezing and drop out again. We check the over-the-air signal and found that the captions were being transmitted by the station and could be seen on the U-verse system if the program was re-wound 7-seconds. We both then agreed there was nothing more he could do to solve the problem and that he would report it to ATT. I said I would also report it, which I am doing in this e-mail.

 

I really know little about how the system works, but offer the follow information and suggestions -- - the problem appears to only occur on the one set top box (Motorola VIP1225/297; (Current Serial No. Mxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, bootstrap ROM 1.1027, TV2 Client Version 2.1.2295.10), not on the second SDTV installation using the Cisco box. - because the captioning signal is present on the U-Verse feed, the problem appears to be in the hardware software/firmware in the set top box that uses the signal and is probably present in all boxes of the same Motorola model available to ATT service in this area. With my very limited knowledge of digital electronics, hardware, software/firmware, programming, etc., I suggest it could be a glitch not allowing the used captioning to be dumped and thus loads up the buffer until it can store no more captioning data. I am very anxious to have this problem solved ASAP.

 

Please forward this e-mail to the appropriated department for resolution.

 

Thank you very much, in advance, for your prompt attention to this problem.

 

-PHOnos

 

Edited for easier reading

Master

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5.7K Messages

12 years ago

Good deal PHOnos and glad you have the CC's working correctly. You also have a lot more hard drive space with the 2250 and I'd be interested to know how the closed captions work on the recordings?

 

Good luck and keep us posted. Smiley Happy

 

Expert

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24.3K Messages

12 years ago

That's great news! 

 

Did they ask you to test for a certain length of time? 

 

If one is not hearing-impared, but uses CC all the time, wonder what the chances are that they'll upgrade us?

Scholar

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95 Messages

12 years ago

Will update as soon as we start recording. Of course we lost everything recorded with the change out (but knew that). No testing required, as the folks in AT&T Labs had a work-around that they knew would fix the problem. Maybe you are hearing impared. 😉 or,maybe they will push the work-around if you ask "the" David nicely.

Expert

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24.3K Messages

12 years ago

How's it going?


@PHOnos wrote:
Will update as soon as we start recording. Of course we lost everything recorded with the change out (but knew that). No testing required, as the folks in AT&T Labs had a work-around that they knew would fix the problem. Maybe you are hearing impared. 😉 or,maybe they will push the work-around if you ask "the" David nicely.

 

Scholar

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95 Messages

12 years ago

Well, it appears the "work around" works.  Do not lose captioning on "live" nor on recorded programming.  If you have problems, contact "the" David and he may be able to put you in contact with the right folks at ATT Executive Support in Texas who can schedule replacement of STB's without the "work around" with equipment that has it.

 

As far as I am concerned the problem is solved !!!!!!!!

Master

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5.7K Messages

12 years ago

Good for you PHOnos and glad you have the CC's working. Smiley Happy

 

Maybe you could offer some clarification on what solved your problems? Did the Motorola VIP 2250 DVR, with the existing software, which replaced your older Moto 1225 DVR solve the problem with the CC's cutting out? Or maybe you're saying the "work around" in the 2250 DVR software was removed? I know you said before you weren't seeing these CC problems with your newer Cisco 7500 STB which has the newer software.

 

It would be nice to know if the stock 2250 DVR alone solved the problems so we can let others know w/o going through AT&T Executive Support. Thanks!

 

Scholar

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95 Messages

12 years ago

The 2250 DVR that was installed by David (not "the David") fixed the problem. 

 

But, I have no idea where it came from exactly; he didn't want to talk too much about it.. 

 

As the service installation call was arranged in Texas and his local supervisor called us asking what he was doing exactly, it could have been a unit reprogramed in the ATT Labs. 

 

 I say this because even ATT Engineering didn't know there was a "work around" for a known problem that was scheduled to be fixed in "first quarter of next year".

Master

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5.7K Messages

12 years ago

Thanks for the information, appreciate it!

 

Guess we'll just have to wait to see how things pan out. Typical for them to wait until next year to fix this CC problem for all users.

 

Scholar

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95 Messages

11 years ago

Any updates from anyone? Did AT&T fix this in the first quarter of 2013 for all customers? Still all joy here in Orange, CA.

Tutor

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7 Messages

7 years ago

why when i hit pause closed captions disappears thanks

 

Michael

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