Can not play a music channel 24/7, why?

MrMark

I like to play channel 942, Soundscapes 24/ 7. Use to do this all the time ever since I signed up with Spectrum. Approximately 8 months ago, this convenience/ service stopped. Now I can only play the channel for approximately 4 to 5 hours before the channel turns off. I then have to turn my cable box off and then on in order for the channel to come back playing. I have gone through numerous trouble call phone conversations, several technician visits with cable box change outs, nothing has worked. No one with spectrum has come up with any answers, explanations, or resolutions. It is very frustrating to pay for a service that appears to be defective. Personally I feel someone made an equipment upgrade at the transmitting center my service comes from which now prohibits 24/7 playing, but no one knows of it or at least won't admit it. But someone has done something, because it did not use to be this way. Any suggestions, ideas, or information?

Satch

Hi Mark,

Only Spectrum employees have the ability to open tickets and escalate them. Awesome that you got a $100 credit!. Love your story about using the Soundscapes channel as therapeutic help for your family and cat! That is a great story!

Since you got that big account credit, I am sure that Spectrum has begun an inquest into this matter from their end. I don't know whether or not you will be notified when this gets resolved. It probably deprends on the cause of the problem, and who finds the cause, or what gets fixed as the chain of command investigates. and gets to the solution. It will probably involve a deep-routed inquiry between Spectrum in your market, the results of the investigation, and Spectrum working with Music Choice, if needed to find a solution to this issue.

Satch

Randy_S

Good morning, @MrMark ! Welcome to the Spectrum Community.

I do apologize for the frustration and what appears to be mixed messages/lack of information on our part. I will be glad to help. When you say it "turns off" after 4-5 hours... does the screen go black? Visuals but no audio? The box turns off altogether?

Thanks for bring this to our attention,

Randy

Satch

Hello,

I can help with this. There is a setting called "Power Saver Mode" that functions as an energy saver. It is often turned on by default. If turned on, the cable box shuts off after 4 hours of inactivity. (staying on the same channel.)

This You Tube video shows how to turn on/off Power Save mode on the ODN guide, which is typically associated with a clock box:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-23gLX7rAtg

If you have the New Spectrum Guide, you will need to go to Settings/Support options to turn off power save mode.This video will show you how to do that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5sD3rGWPIc Spectrum Guide can be found on a World Box, (box without a clock) or most newly installed boxes with clocks.

I would suggest watching the videos in full screen because the menus and steps are different depending on the guide installed on your cable box. The first link is for the ODN Guide, and the second is for the new Spectrum Guide.

Satch

MrMark

The power saving mode was already turned off. But thank you for responding.

MrMark

Randy,

The screen goes blank. Seems there was a code showing, but I don't seem to have a notation of it. The box is still on when this occurs. I simply turn the box off and then back on and with in a few seconds the channel is displayed, playing. I know when this issued began, I shared that code with everyone else who has been involved in this issue.

Satch

Some follow up on @Randy_S 's question:

1.) Have you cleared and turned off all possible box times and TV timers?

2.) On Randy's question, when the box turns off after 4-5 hours of inactivity, does the TV turn off as well, or just the box?

3.) What model box do you have?

4.) What is your zip code? (Needed so that our mods can check your location and see if there are tickets opened on this issue.)

5.) Has your box been updated from an older Guide to the new Spectrum Guide within the start of this issue? If not, please Google Search, Spectrum, "What guide do I have?" and one of the first results should be a place to enter the address for your location. Enter your address in that location and tell us the guide that is on your box please.

My answer is that, if you have said "Yes" to #1 and. "Only the box turns off on #2, and "Yes" to #5 and cable box swaps have made no difference in the resolution to this problem, than Spectrum would need to open a ticket in your location and test playing Music Choice for at least four hours in their labs with your model of box to see what is happening here.

6..) Not critical but do you remember the make and model of the first box you had about eight months ago, when you could listen to Music Choice non-stop?

Please provide your answers to questions 1-5, as they are needed in order to investigate further. Question 6, is less important, but could still be helpful. But the answers to questions 1-5 are needed to proceed.

Satch

MrMark

1) Yes. Even the technical support and visiting technicians assured that all settings were set accordingly.

2) Just the box ( the box is still powered on when incident occurs. I have to turn box off and then back on in order to get the channel back up on the tv screen.)

3) Model: Sprectrum110-A

4) 30736

5) Yes. ( I have the I-Guide). Technicians have swapped my box twice.

6) the remote was a silver remote originally. But the problem showed up and remotes & boxes were changed out, twice. Unfortunately the problem is still there.

Randy_S

Hey @MrMark

Thanks for following up. Seeing that this is happening regardless of the box it is either an issue with the Music Choice service or could it possibly be with your TV settings? Have you ever noticed this happening on other channels that aren't Music Choice?

Randy

Satch

Hey @MrMark,

To test @Randy_S 's question,

Try to tune to a video channel and have it set at that channel for four hours. If there is no box turn off issue, it has to be something with the Music Choice service.

Randy-I think even getting tickets on this issue is going to be rare even if it is an issue, because there aren't enough people out there who have a Music Choice channel on 24x7.

However, it does seem strange that Mark's Music Choice channels are shutting off after four hours of inactivity.

Mark, on those box swaps, did they give you a World Box "Box without a clock" each time? If they did, I wonder if a clock box would do the same thing?

This is a frustrating situation for sure. If the playing of a video channel leaves the box on after 4-5 hours, than I think it would be best for a Spectrum Moderator to open a ticket request for Mark's division to test the playing of a Music Choice channel for at least four hours on a Spectrum 110-A box in the division labs for his market (zip 30736)

Satch

MrMark

I don't really understand what you mean by "clock box". I know there is no visible time indicator on my box to view.

As for the idea of setting on another tv channel and see if it cuts off, I've not done that. I will try that and let you know what happens. On our other box, we have played a news channel all day and into the evening and haven't seen it go off or any indicator asking us if we want to continue watching as on Netflix.

Netflix has been the only channel that we have watch and it wanted to confirm if we were still watching after a long period of watching.

Back in touch in a couple of days.

Satch

Thank you Mark,

Let us know what happens. with a 4-5 stretch on a video channel. If there is no auto turn off after that time, we have isolated the problem to the Music Choice channels in your market, and a ticket bug should be opened for your area and model of box by a moderator as a request for Spectrum to test your model of box (Spectrum 110-A) on Music Choice (channel 942) for 4-5 hours non-stop, in your local division 30736.

Clock boxes have built-in clocks showing the time display on the front panel. All legacy boxes have this. You have the new modern Spectrum World Box, which has no internal time display or clock associated with its hardware. With the new boxes, the only clock is a part of the software's program guide when showing the Time Grid.

Satch

MrMark

Well I have some interesting results to present.

1) I switched to a regular station watching a series ( North Woods Law). Started at 11am and left on that channel until 9pm ( same day). Transmission did not go off, stayed on the entire time.

2) On the next day I switched to a different Music Choice channel ( 941/ Songs of the season). I started playing this station at 2pm. I turned off this station at 9pm. Transmission did not turn off, it stayed playing during this time period.

So it seems the problem lies with channel Music Choice channel 942 Soundscapes specifically.

I await to hear your thoughts and/or next steps.

Randy_S

Thanks so much for testing it! One last question :)....when you start the stream over it starts right away but does it start with the same song each time? I am wondering if that channel has only five hours of content and for some reason it isn't looping.

Randy

MrMark

I have not recognize the same song when it starts back up. I do recognize that I have heard some of the same songs many times over. I have found favor with some more than others.

Satch

Greetings @Randy_S and @MrMark ,

Great information that Mark tested and found that it is Soundscapes channel 942, exclusively causing the problem. @Randy_S I think Spectrum should open a ticket to test Soundscapes in Mark's division with its own 5 hour test on Mark's model of box

Now this raises some a further question. Why Soundscapes and only Soundscapes is losing transmission after four hours+ of constant play? And another question is, who (or what) is responsible for the lack of looping on Soundscapes? This sounds like a lopping problem. I think on the guides, time intervals for Music Choice Channels are in four hour increments.

If Spectrum can't find the cause of this issue in their labs or for some reason, other customers try Mark's test in other divisions and the same thing happens, than Spectrum I would think should reach out to Music Choice to test and see if they can reproduce this bug on the Soundscapes channel.

Mark, in my view, you have done all you can, now I would suspect Spectrum has to begin their own tests to find out why this is happening.

Satch

MrMark

Well I'm glad that a little more research has seem to narrow down the possible problem. Will you be notifying Spectrum of this issue and get the ticket started? Will someone contact me once a final determination of the problem is discovered and if it can be addressed?

1) FYI- we actually utilize this music in a more therapeutic manner for my wife & I and one pet we have. My wife & I play this music at night to help us sleep. During the day, we have a cat that has a mental illness similar to being bi-polar. When we started playing this music 24/7, she would go sleep in the same room. We strongly believe since she has been sleeping to this music also, it has helped her tremendously in how reactive she has become compared to before. I know that sounds weird, but you would have to know this cat!

2) I also noticed a $100 credit applied to my account. I assume you had something to do with that & I just wanted to say, thank you, that was very nice. You both have been very understanding in addressing this issue & it would be nice through our efforts, this was/ could be fixed. I guest at this point, only time will tell. Again, thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Kerriw

Just a suggestion, but have you tried the spectrum app with Roku or Apple TV or a smart phone to see if that music channel will keep playing after 4 hours?