Help my parents keep streaming to their TV
October 8, 2022 10:02 AM Subscribe
After about 20 minutes, the TV disconnects from the Rogers stream.
It's Thanksgiving weekend, so of course the TV (and/or cable) decided to go on the fritz. I'm trying to create a substitute workaround until matters get resolved, but I'm stumped. Most of theses details aren't likely relevant. but I'm putting everything here to try to head-off questions.
My parents are traditional Rogers cable customers in that they still have an actual cable subscription not an Ignite Internet (or whatever it is called) account.
On Wednesday the picture on the TV went snowy and fuzzy and the audio was equally bad. I called Rogers for technical support. They suspected it was a problem with the Rogers cable box. After a lot of negotiation, they promised to send a (subcontracted) technician with a new box. He came yesterday.
After a lot of back-and-forth with the office, he concluded that it wasn't a Rogers problem or a Rogers cable box problem (which, given Rogers, is always a conclusion that should be questioned) but that is was a problem with the TV itself -- specifically the cable input connector. According to the guy, this is a common failure point. I'm not entirely convinced. The Samsung TV is only a few months old and it hasn't been jostled around since being connected and the connection has been fine until now. It is either this model or something very similar.
I called the store where it was purchased, they said call Samsung, as they can't do anything as it is still within the manufacturer's warranty period. Samsung did nothing. The took the information and said they'd call back within 48 hours. Yeah. I'm sure that's not happening on a long weekend.
In the meantime, my parents have no TV. Usually, the TV is on as long as they're awake. This is going to be a really long weekend without TV--specifically without the news.
Their Rogers account allows them to log in via the Internet and stream (at least some of) the Canadian channels in their TV package.
They have a Microsoft Surface running Windows 10.
I can pull up a channel in the web browser, log in using their Rogers account credentials, connect to the TV via Wi-Fi and duplicate the Surface screen on the TV (or switch to Second Screen Only, with the TV taking over the display function) and it all works -- for roughly 20 minutes. Then the TV screen disconnects from the Wi-Fi (or the network, or the stream itself, I can't quite tell).
It's not a problem about the tablet going into sleep mode: the channel continues to screen on the tablet screen.
I'm looking for answers to two questions:
1) How do I keep the TV connected to the stream for longer than 20 minutes?
2) How do I verify that it actually is a hardware problem on the TV and not the usual Rogers runaround that is covering up for a Rogers problem? (Note: the Internet account is from a non-Rogers provider, but it runs over Rogers cable. So far, that has remained up.)
It's Thanksgiving weekend, so of course the TV (and/or cable) decided to go on the fritz. I'm trying to create a substitute workaround until matters get resolved, but I'm stumped. Most of theses details aren't likely relevant. but I'm putting everything here to try to head-off questions.
My parents are traditional Rogers cable customers in that they still have an actual cable subscription not an Ignite Internet (or whatever it is called) account.
On Wednesday the picture on the TV went snowy and fuzzy and the audio was equally bad. I called Rogers for technical support. They suspected it was a problem with the Rogers cable box. After a lot of negotiation, they promised to send a (subcontracted) technician with a new box. He came yesterday.
After a lot of back-and-forth with the office, he concluded that it wasn't a Rogers problem or a Rogers cable box problem (which, given Rogers, is always a conclusion that should be questioned) but that is was a problem with the TV itself -- specifically the cable input connector. According to the guy, this is a common failure point. I'm not entirely convinced. The Samsung TV is only a few months old and it hasn't been jostled around since being connected and the connection has been fine until now. It is either this model or something very similar.
I called the store where it was purchased, they said call Samsung, as they can't do anything as it is still within the manufacturer's warranty period. Samsung did nothing. The took the information and said they'd call back within 48 hours. Yeah. I'm sure that's not happening on a long weekend.
In the meantime, my parents have no TV. Usually, the TV is on as long as they're awake. This is going to be a really long weekend without TV--specifically without the news.
Their Rogers account allows them to log in via the Internet and stream (at least some of) the Canadian channels in their TV package.
They have a Microsoft Surface running Windows 10.
I can pull up a channel in the web browser, log in using their Rogers account credentials, connect to the TV via Wi-Fi and duplicate the Surface screen on the TV (or switch to Second Screen Only, with the TV taking over the display function) and it all works -- for roughly 20 minutes. Then the TV screen disconnects from the Wi-Fi (or the network, or the stream itself, I can't quite tell).
It's not a problem about the tablet going into sleep mode: the channel continues to screen on the tablet screen.
I'm looking for answers to two questions:
1) How do I keep the TV connected to the stream for longer than 20 minutes?
2) How do I verify that it actually is a hardware problem on the TV and not the usual Rogers runaround that is covering up for a Rogers problem? (Note: the Internet account is from a non-Rogers provider, but it runs over Rogers cable. So far, that has remained up.)
Response by poster: If I could easily put my hands on another TV, I would have hooked it up already and skipped this whole streaming situation.
posted by sardonyx at 1:24 PM on October 8, 2022
posted by sardonyx at 1:24 PM on October 8, 2022
Pretty much every Samsung TV is smart these days, can you use the built in apps for CBC, etc (I’m not Canadian) instead of fussing with connecting the surface?
My guess is that the surface is just shutting down the screen because of some screen saver setting, not anything to do with the TV itself.
posted by rockindata at 2:36 PM on October 8, 2022
My guess is that the surface is just shutting down the screen because of some screen saver setting, not anything to do with the TV itself.
posted by rockindata at 2:36 PM on October 8, 2022
Response by poster: Honestly, I have no idea how to do that. This whole world of streaming to a TV is totally new to me, let alone my parents. They also have very little patience when it comes to this type of technology. If it doesn't work instantaneously, frustration ramps up quickly.
I suspected it might be the Surface, but I went through as many settings as I could, disabling sleep functions, etc.
posted by sardonyx at 2:58 PM on October 8, 2022
I suspected it might be the Surface, but I went through as many settings as I could, disabling sleep functions, etc.
posted by sardonyx at 2:58 PM on October 8, 2022
What types of output does the cable box have? If you're currently using HDMI, try using component, or even RF if SD isn't a problem temporarily. Or try a different HDMI cable and HDMI port on the TV. It's highly unlikely that all of the ports on the TV are dead. It's pretty unlikely all the ports on the box are dead, for that matter.
If they're currently using RF for some bizarre reason, try plugging the cable directly into the TV and tell the TV to scan for channels. It seems like Rogers has a few clear QAM channels that don't require a box in most areas. If that works, you know the TV is good.
If Rogers is like US cable companies and has a physical office where you can get boxes (and it's open this weekend) take the old box there and ask for a different one. They'll almost certainly give you one if they have anything to give.
Alternatively, check your local electronics stores for an appropriate HDMI adapter to plug the Surface into the TV. If it doesn't have USB-C it should have a mini DisplayPort port, so get a mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter. If it is new enough to use USB-C, you need a USB-C to HDMI adapter. This Microsoft support page has more information about what you'd need.
posted by wierdo at 4:29 PM on October 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
If they're currently using RF for some bizarre reason, try plugging the cable directly into the TV and tell the TV to scan for channels. It seems like Rogers has a few clear QAM channels that don't require a box in most areas. If that works, you know the TV is good.
If Rogers is like US cable companies and has a physical office where you can get boxes (and it's open this weekend) take the old box there and ask for a different one. They'll almost certainly give you one if they have anything to give.
Alternatively, check your local electronics stores for an appropriate HDMI adapter to plug the Surface into the TV. If it doesn't have USB-C it should have a mini DisplayPort port, so get a mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter. If it is new enough to use USB-C, you need a USB-C to HDMI adapter. This Microsoft support page has more information about what you'd need.
posted by wierdo at 4:29 PM on October 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for your suggestions weirdo. I'll have to check into the input situation and see if I can hook into the tablet directly. What I do know is that they've got the standard definition feed, not the HD one, as the fee for the upgrade was absolutely ridiculous on top of a stupidly high subscription rate for the basic cable package they have, but that's Rogers for you.
posted by sardonyx at 7:50 AM on October 9, 2022
posted by sardonyx at 7:50 AM on October 9, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
You bring a known-to-function TV to their house, plug it in, and see if it behaves the same way.
posted by mumkin at 11:46 AM on October 8, 2022 [2 favorites]