topic TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound in TV

TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

NickScott44 — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 10:59:18 GMT

EE TV was installed on 2rd October. The picture keeps pixelating / dropping out and loosing sound.

The sound volume is also poor.

Disappointed with this situation. What can be done to stop this happening.

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

Chris_B — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 11:03:26 GMT

@NickScott44 Are you using Arial mode or IP mode ? Is this pixelisation when watching TV channels or Netflix,Now TV etc etc

The volume can be fixed by turning the volume up directly on the TV.

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

NickScott44 — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 15:46:41 GMT

Thank you, Chris. EE box uses network connection.

I have to set TV volume to three time the levels that we had with Sky.

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

NickScott44 — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 15:48:43 GMT

Pixelation is when watching TV, I Player, recordings etc.

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

Christopher_G — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 10:09:59 GMT

Hi @NickScott44

Are you connected by WiFi or ethernet cable? The wired connection would give you a better experience.

What speeds do you typically get from your router?

Chris

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

NickScott44 — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 18:45:24 GMT

Hi Presently getting 135 - 137 mbps

Thanks nick

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

NickScott44 — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 18:48:44 GMT

Connected by Wifi.. Would powerline ethernet connectors be useful?

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

DarrenDev — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 12:02:57 GMT

Launch the Netflix app on the TV Box and select the "Get Help" option. From there, you'll find a speed test - what speed does that show the box is receiving?

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

NickScott44 — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 12:49:24 GMT

Hi, and thanks. The speed is 137.25 mbps.

Thanks, nick.

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

Alex93_ — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 06:11:46 GMT

Good Morning

I found your email address on a EE community forum regarding issues with EE internet and issues with the EE tv box. I have EE full fibre package 150 along with full works tv with a main box and mini box. I have noticed a lot of pixelation issues when watching through the tv box and signal drop off it seems, which is causing my viewing experience to be rather awful.

I have checked my speeds via the tv box app for Netflix and I'm pulling 130-140mb, I have the same speeds via the mini box in the other room. The router is not far away from either tvs, however I find that when I run the same speed test through the smart tv Netflix app I get a massive drop off, my speeds are showing 30-40mb. This is almost 100mb drop.

So I don't know whether I'm getting this drop off throughout the whole property for my devices or whether it's just my tvs that are unable to pull the speeds that the tv boxes are pulling, which is giving me pixelated pictures and sound out of sync issues. I have brand new tvs so I'm guessing the newest technology is installed inside them. I had an EE engineer come round and changed my settings from WiFi 6 to WiFi 5. Everything is connected wirelessly. I have no issues with speeds anywhere in the property as I’ve checked this multiple times it just seems to be through the Samsung Tv and the EE tv boxes

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

Alex93_ — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 06:13:07 GMT

The issues are with channels via the EE tv box mainly sport and movies even worse issues in 4k, however noticed issues now with Netflix and Amazon prime via the smart tv app instead of the box

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

Midnight_Voice — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 07:49:04 GMT

@Alex93_

Have you got any third party network equipment there - router, mesh, and so on - as this would be the first thing to suspect of pulling your speeds down?

Next time you get pixelation on something on an app on the TV itself, try switching the EETV boxes off at the mains, as a test, and see if things improve.

My logic here is that the EETV boxes use Multicast, which will flood a network in which not all the routing equipment understands Multicast, but if you turn the boxes off, the Multicast will stop; and you can see if this makes things go back to normal; speed, pixelation, etc.

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

Alex93_ — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 08:04:20 GMT

Hi thanks for your reply

there is no other third party equipment in the property, just the EE internet and the EE tv boxes. The thing is if I turn off the ee boxes I can’t view the football or the movies via the box which is where I find the issue mainly occurring. The issues I’m having is through the box channels and then I’m finding streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon prime then have similar issues. I’m getting the right speeds to every room just that Samsung tv is not pulling the signal nor the speeds. As mentioned before Netflix via the smart tv app is getting 30mb and the EE TV BOX is pulling 140mb and the WiFi signal to the tv is showing one bar and then my other TV which is LG pulls full WiFi signal and gets 145mb when testing network through Netflix on the EE tv box, when testing Netflix network speed through the smart tv app on the LG TV I get 50-60mb speeds still a substantial drop. I can see that the EE internet in other properties are showing full signal when the option to connect to these as opposed to mine which shows one bar signal.

it’s a tough one 😞

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

Alex93_ — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 08:05:39 GMT

@DarrenDev please assist if possible

many thanks

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

Alex93_ — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 08:06:44 GMT

@DarrenDev @Christopher_G

please assist if possible

many thanks

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

NickScott44 — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 19:12:20 GMT

Hi Alex. No I have no other routers or mesh.

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

David-TVTech — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 12:13:11 GMT

Hi @NickScott44 one of the main issues you're having is WiFi congestion, there are approx 21 other Wi-Fi networks on 5GHz detected nearby, at least 10 of which are using the same channel (36) - in essence it's a bit like the M25 at rush hour where everyone is jumping between lanes. The congestion will impact multicast most as it's very time and continuity dependant but even streaming services could begin to ratchet down the bit rate profiles to try and promote connection over quality.

You mentioned PLAs - whilst these have fallen out of favour, if direct wiring is not an option, they remain a good idea in principle provided they're recent models using HPAV2 standards and using the wired connection will remove the Wifi congestion and reduce the interference (assuming the home electrics are clean) . It also looks like you're using a Smart Hub 2 as your router - getting the latest SH3 would allow a greater range of Wi-Fi access channels to be used, which will mitigate if not eradicate the issue. Worth looking at.

Drop me a line here if there's anything we can do to help,

Cheers

David

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

David-TVTech — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 12:14:39 GMT

Hi @Alex93_ I dropped you message on another thread but if you can PM me your serial number we can take a look at what the box and hub are telling us and advise accordingly.

Cheers

David

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

Midnight_Voice — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 14:00:10 GMT

@David-TVTech

What happened to smart channel-hopping on these routers?

They should be able to detect a less congested channel than 36, and switch to it, shouldn’t they?

Or have we got to buy third-party routers than can do this, and hope we don’t then get issues EETV won’t support us with?

Re: TV keeps pixelating / dropping out / loosing sound

David-TVTech — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 15:21:50 GMT

Hi @Midnight_Voice

Great question. Channel hopping works best when the box is not in active use as scanning the additional channels requires the box to drop the active IGMP connection in order to channel scan for a less busy alternative, resulting in an IPC6023 dialog and loss of viewing (or any scheduled recording). It's been a challenge to find the best time do that as the in-home Wi-Fi environment can vary so the most common scan and change times tend to be waking from deep standby or other "inactive" periods.

In Nick's case the CCA and STA info telemetry from the TV box is indicating other channels are as (or more) congested and I can see gateway ping and packet loss counts increasing most days between 4pm and 10pm likely due to other device demands.

Newer EE branded hubs will support 802.11k (as will some 3rd party boxes) and implement beaconing to permit seamless Basic Service Set (BSS) transitions by allowing the Access Points to share and shift the load, allowing much better utilisation overall although with IoT management being a bit like roads, the more you build the greater the traffic!