In July 2015 I switched from AT&T DSL and Uverse - to Comcast Internet Service and Xfinity TV. I got higher speeds - but poor Quality of Service.
Xfinity TV has been Macroblocking and Video tiling - intermittently since it was installed.
I have yet to have a Reliable Video Picture. The intermittent MacroBlock and Tiling appears on local channels - and many of the digital and Xfinity HD channels.
When I first reported this, and other issues with the TV side of the installation - Comcast asked me to swap out to a new CableCard, which I did.
No Change.
Comcast / Xfinity has reset the RG / modem from their end about a dozen times.
No change.
Comcast has come and done service calls 5 times now.
A 6th is scheduled for this week. And the MacroBlocking problems continue unabated.
I had Macroblocking of the video during the Final Four and NBA Playoffs and NBA Championships last year
- and World Series this year - for a few examples
- and during the PBS NewsHour 1 or 2 or 3 nights out of every week last month.
See photos.
Comcast field techs have come and assumed that this issue is the condo's demarcation point or inside the house. They have removed and re-installed this condo's Demarcation wiring and it's ground - 2 or 3 times.
Then Comcast techs have gone to work inside this condo - installing a succession of new cables and splitters and then more amplifiers and attenuators, and two different RG's (Residential Gateways).
The MacroBlocking has continued unabated.
And of course, Comcast techs periodically blame the in-house structured wiring - which was designed and installed by Silicon Valley's top professionals: The all new Structured Wiring was professionally installed in 2011 and the wiring that was not a problem from 2011 - 2015 with AT&T.
In point of fact, Comcast has never been able to show any issues with the structured wiring. Comcast's Field Technican's iPad metering and Signal to Noise Apps demonstrated that the Continuity and SNR of the coax cables and their connections are perfect - on every line, every time. Tested by 3 different Comcast Field Technicans.
At the same time, I have been able to use Comcast's own CableCard Diagnostics menu and to show widely ranging signal strengths - from 90 to 70% to 33% - up and down. NOT good. Comcast's Cable Card Diagnostics also show Signal to Noise Ratios = SNR's of 35% - 38% and then cycling up and down - 10% and 20% etc. Also NOT good.
I have sent photos of this screen to the current Comcast Technical Support person on this case - when I was able to catch MacroBlocking in real time and jump to the CableCard Diagnostics menu.
The MacroBlocking and Signal Strength and fluctuating SNRs happens only periodically. It does not appear constantly. There does there seem to be any pattern that I can discern as to time of day or channel.
On the other hand, OUTSIDE this apartment during this time, Comcast Field Technicans discovered and corrected at least one "intermittent short"and then another "suck" on Comcast's Cable Taps which connect their coax network in this complex.
Comcast's service records show that this was at least the second mutli-tap that went bad and had to be replaced in this complex alone. These coax taps reside in a variety of the old Pacific Telephone underground vaults distributed all over these neighborhood. These vaults connect as the "Last Mile" to Comcast's Fiber somewhere.
A Comcast Field Troubleshooting Specialist informed me that one intermittent Tap can effect the wider network - while he was replacing the Tap just outside this apartment. I can upload photos of that repair.
Comcast also recently found and corrected an unrelated power supply problem that was periodically causing Internet Outages, in a more distant location.
But all to no avail - at least as far as MacroBlocking is concerned: Nothing Comcast has done since July of 2015 has resolved the intermittent MacroBlocking issue or overall Internet Up Time.
In sharp contrast, we were able to IMPROVE service QUALITY with one change: We replaced the Comcast Comcast provided Cisco RG / Modem with the Comcast authorized ARRIS TM822G modem.
Upon swapping Modems we suddenly saw Bufferbloat / Minimum Latency scores of D and F improve to scores of A and B. The internet instantly became Quick and Responsive again.
This is all documented in over 300 DSLReports Speed Tests Results and posted online, in real time over 30 months time.
BUT the MacroBlocking and Video tiling still remain - no matter what I or Comcast has tried so far.
Enough!
After 20 months of reporting this, I stopped paying my Comcast Bill - to see if I could get Comcast's Executive Escalation Team to wake up and get this diagnosed and finally fixed.
Documentation has included the Graphic chart of months of DSLReports Speedtests results -
- and several Photographs of the MacroBlocking on the HDTV on CBS, PBS, CNN, ESPN and CNS.
Is anyone else experiencing similar issues and "Quality of Service" from Comcast?
How have you gotten this fixed or your money returned?
Mod Note: See other topic (closed by request of OP) as well. https://www.dslreports.com/forum/r31731818-Video-Comcast-Xfinity-TV-Macroblocking-video-tiling-16-months uid://455626
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