Intermittent DTT reception drop-out on xxEX723

copicke45 — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 23:55:14 GMT

We have been suffering with an intermittent reception problem affecting Digital TV reception on our EX723 since we got it. Initially I thought it might be down to low signal strength, but as our transmitter is now full power and I have managed to rule out several other causes, I am running out of ideas.

The problem: There is an intermittent problem causing picture break-up / loss on Digital TV channels. Frequency of occurence can vary to between every five minutes or so, or not at all for days. When the picture fails it severely blocks / sound glitches, and eventually goes black screen on HD channels. After a few tens of seconds it usually resolves itself. When the fault is on reception on SD and HD channels on all muxes are affected.

Also on the Serice Information screen the Pre-FEC figure stays normal during the fault, but the Post-FEC figure (normally 0) goes off the scale.

My signal strength is 95-97% on all DTT Muxes and Quality is 100% - except when the fault is on when quality drops right down to near zero.

I have other devices fed off the same aerial via passive splitters:

An xxEX703 upstairs which never exhibits this fault
An old Humax PVR which is connected to the xxEX723 via SCART.

When the fault is on, switching the TV to the Humax on the AV input showing the same channel shows a perfect picture without any blocking.

So it is clearly a problem local to the TV itself, and nothing to do with my incoming TV signal.

What could it be? I have a few theories - are any likely?

EX723 TV tuner has a fault (anyone else have similar symptoms?)
RF interference from HDMI cable to Blu-Ray player (if so, why the intermittent nature of the problem?)
Interference from my Netgear Homeplugs (if so, the EX723 must be much more susceptible than my other two TV receiving devices around the house - the Humax is on exactly the same power strip).
TV has had a firmware update, and needs to be reset somehow to operate correctly.

NB: The TV is connected to the net via a switch and the homeplugs, so always updates itself to the latest firmware.

Any ideas? We are hoping to get a new HD PVR later this year so this should become less of an issue if we run through that, but if it is a fault I guess I should be getting the TV replaced somehow (xxEX723 was bought just over a year ago but has 5 year guarantee).

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Intermittent DTT reception drop-out on xxEX723