Joined Nov 2005
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Forum Thread
Issue with Xfinity TV box
April 27, 2021 at
12:27 PM
No this isn't really the right spot for this, but anyone that's dealt with commercial support knows most of the people you speak with are dummies that read a script, not thinking people.
I've had the same Xfinity box for a number of years. From what I gather it's an XG1V4, a 4k capable box. We only have the one TV in the house (previously up to 2 other "satellite" boxes but I have since gotten rid of them and gone to (free) X1 streaming to save $$). I get internet through Xfinity too and supply my own modem and router (if it matters)
Let's assume the box has been unplugged from AC for some time, say overnight at least. Plug it in, it will boot, etc, give me the main screen - everything functions just fine. Over the course of time.... say 2-3 days, the image (on the TV) will blip out for a sec (to black screen, along with no audio) occasionally, then this gets progressively worse - the blackouts last longer, sometimes there is a spinny circle of dots that shows up (like a loading or buffering screen). Eventually the video/audio goes kaput altogether and the box seems to be stuck in a boot loop of sorts. At times I'll see the "Welcome" screen (first screen that shows up on boot), sometimes it's black, and it'll flash blue occasionally. As for the TV, I can see the input signal changing as the TV senses it and changes accordingly.
If I unplug the unit from AC power and let it sit overnight (say several hours), then plug back in, the cycle repeats like above - first it's fine for many hours, then it degrades.
The first time this happened (and it was repeatable), I took the box back into an Xfinity store and swapped it out. Really no hassle at all - except I am not sure if the boxes they hand out in store are refurbs, as their packaging is extremely bare bones, unlike what they ship to you when you sign up for service.
Cue the new box - has the exact same problem. I swapped the PS brick (in case it was a faulty inverter) and also the ethernet cable (actually because one of the retention tabs was broken), no difference. I've also swapped HDMI cables temporarily (not sure why that would be the issue but.... whatever).
Checking signal strength via the settings menu it's at the highest number of bars and says "Good" so we'll assume the signal is fine (although bad signal shouldn't cause the box to reboot). I've also tried taking the box AC power off the UPS I have it on right now, no difference.
I know if I ask Xfinity again they'll just want to swap the box again..... the dude at the store was nice but I don't want to be seeing him a few times a week to swap a box.
I thought the issue might be heat (would explain why letting it sit unplug fixes the issue and also why the problem gets worse over time) - the box sits by itself but does get warm, so I put a couple fans on top, but it didn't do anything.
Ideas on other things I can try?
I've had the same Xfinity box for a number of years. From what I gather it's an XG1V4, a 4k capable box. We only have the one TV in the house (previously up to 2 other "satellite" boxes but I have since gotten rid of them and gone to (free) X1 streaming to save $$). I get internet through Xfinity too and supply my own modem and router (if it matters)
Let's assume the box has been unplugged from AC for some time, say overnight at least. Plug it in, it will boot, etc, give me the main screen - everything functions just fine. Over the course of time.... say 2-3 days, the image (on the TV) will blip out for a sec (to black screen, along with no audio) occasionally, then this gets progressively worse - the blackouts last longer, sometimes there is a spinny circle of dots that shows up (like a loading or buffering screen). Eventually the video/audio goes kaput altogether and the box seems to be stuck in a boot loop of sorts. At times I'll see the "Welcome" screen (first screen that shows up on boot), sometimes it's black, and it'll flash blue occasionally. As for the TV, I can see the input signal changing as the TV senses it and changes accordingly.
If I unplug the unit from AC power and let it sit overnight (say several hours), then plug back in, the cycle repeats like above - first it's fine for many hours, then it degrades.
The first time this happened (and it was repeatable), I took the box back into an Xfinity store and swapped it out. Really no hassle at all - except I am not sure if the boxes they hand out in store are refurbs, as their packaging is extremely bare bones, unlike what they ship to you when you sign up for service.
Cue the new box - has the exact same problem. I swapped the PS brick (in case it was a faulty inverter) and also the ethernet cable (actually because one of the retention tabs was broken), no difference. I've also swapped HDMI cables temporarily (not sure why that would be the issue but.... whatever).
Checking signal strength via the settings menu it's at the highest number of bars and says "Good" so we'll assume the signal is fine (although bad signal shouldn't cause the box to reboot). I've also tried taking the box AC power off the UPS I have it on right now, no difference.
I know if I ask Xfinity again they'll just want to swap the box again..... the dude at the store was nice but I don't want to be seeing him a few times a week to swap a box.
I thought the issue might be heat (would explain why letting it sit unplug fixes the issue and also why the problem gets worse over time) - the box sits by itself but does get warm, so I put a couple fans on top, but it didn't do anything.
Ideas on other things I can try?
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You also might want to have them come out and check the strength/quality of the cable and internet signal going into the house.
While improbable, it is possible that the Xfinity X1 box reliability is very low and both boxes happened to have the same issue. I would say to swap it out again and see if a third box works. If it does the same thing, I think there is something else going on. Can you get a different model box?
Even though the box says the signal is okay, do you have the opportunity to test it in a different room/TV combo? You could also try bypassing all splitters that might be throughout the house and run your own RG6 directly to the box (temporarily to test it - obviously I don't know your cabling layout and what is/isn't possible). If the issue persists with bypassed splitters and a different TV, then I think if you want the box, an Xfinity tech will need to come to your residence to troubleshoot. If this is the case, I would make sure the box is currently having problems when they are on-site.
Other options:
Do you know if the Cable TV signal is encrypted? If it isn't encrypted, you can plug the RG6 directly into the TV and let the built in TV tuner take care of everything.
If the Cable signal is encrypted (which is likely) there are still options. Does your current TV have a CableCARD slot [lifewire.com]? If so, you should be able to get a card from Xfinity [xfinity.com] and get rid of the box completely.
If your TV doesn't have CableCARD, you could look into a third party decoder like the HDHomerun with cablecard [silicondust.com] support and use it with Plex [plex.tv] or something similar. There are some Tivo boxes with CableCARD [tivo.com] support as well.
Your description makes me ponder two possibilities:
- software / logical issue, memory leak, out of storage, corrupt cache, etc. I'd expect a briefer reboot to resolve this category.
- a hardware / overheating problem. This seems like the more likely scenario. Could be bad caps, power issues, bad ram, worn out eMMC, bad solder joints / over heated BGA chips that have partially disordered themselves. I don't think you're going to fix it or should risk trying to. It's likely a common issue, you could always roll the dice and hope you get a replacement or newer model that works better.
Kind of a sad solution, but the easiest thing to do it probably plug it into a smart plug that's on a timer to turn it off overnight every couple days or even a basic 24 hr timer.
HD Home Run + CableCARD would be the other path you could go.
You also might want to have them come out and check the strength/quality of the cable and internet signal going into the house.
I should have mentioned that the TV has all typical apps and they all work fine. If it were the TV I should see the Samsung boot text (really "Samsung QLED" or whatever it says)
While improbable, it is possible that the Xfinity X1 box reliability is very low and both boxes happened to have the same issue. I would say to swap it out again and see if a third box works. If it does the same thing, I think there is something else going on. Can you get a different model box?
Even though the box says the signal is okay, do you have the opportunity to test it in a different room/TV combo? You could also try bypassing all splitters that might be throughout the house and run your own RG6 directly to the box (temporarily to test it - obviously I don't know your cabling layout and what is/isn't possible). If the issue persists with bypassed splitters and a different TV, then I think if you want the box, an Xfinity tech will need to come to your residence to troubleshoot. If this is the case, I would make sure the box is currently having problems when they are on-site.
Other options:
Do you know if the Cable TV signal is encrypted? If it isn't encrypted, you can plug the RG6 directly into the TV and let the built in TV tuner take care of everything.
If the Cable signal is encrypted (which is likely) there are still options. Does your current TV have a CableCARD slot [lifewire.com]? If so, you should be able to get a card from Xfinity [xfinity.com] and get rid of the box completely.
If your TV doesn't have CableCARD, you could look into a third party decoder like the HDHomerun with cablecard [silicondust.com] support and use it with Plex [plex.tv] or something similar. There are some Tivo boxes with CableCARD [tivo.com] support as well.
I'll mention absolutely nothing has changed from a wiring perspective inside the house; the only splitter the signal goes through is the one that isolates the modem from the TV (really a filter) and that's also why I mentioned that the box says the signal is "Good" (doesn't give you a % or anything, more like a cell signal icon). No problems with internet whatsoever.
Your description makes me ponder two possibilities:
- software / logical issue, memory leak, out of storage, corrupt cache, etc. I'd expect a briefer reboot to resolve this category.
- a hardware / overheating problem. This seems like the more likely scenario. Could be bad caps, power issues, bad ram, worn out eMMC, bad solder joints / over heated BGA chips that have partially disordered themselves. I don't think you're going to fix it or should risk trying to. It's likely a common issue, you could always roll the dice and hope you get a replacement or newer model that works better.
Kind of a sad solution, but the easiest thing to do it probably plug it into a smart plug that's on a timer to turn it off overnight every couple days or even a basic 24 hr timer.
HD Home Run + CableCARD would be the other path you could go.
- if it's been off for many hours it will behave like normal
- the issue gets progressively worse with time. The box does feel warm but not crazy hot
- once the issue is "terminal", that is no TV video at all just the black/blue or boot screens, if I unplug it for a couple minutes (e.g. let caps discharge) then replug, it just goes right back into the black/blue/boot screen
So there are certainly implications of time here - it takes time to act up, and time to resolve as well.
I can entertain swapping the box again..... again it's not a huge hassle to swap - but 3rd time the charm?
I can alternatively look into a timer - I wonder how the system will like being abruptly shut off all the time?
I'll mention absolutely nothing has changed from a wiring perspective inside the house; the only splitter the signal goes through is the one that isolates the modem from the TV . . . . I can alternatively look into a timer - I wonder how the system will like being abruptly shut off all the time?
Does your online Xfinity account show that it can 'see' your cable box when it is in it's deteriorated state?
I have seen others speak about issues with CEC (needing to turn off), HDCP 2.2 issues as it doesn't revert to 1.4 (maybe setting in TV?), etc. but none of them see quite like yours. I still think trying a third box might be good, but I wonder if scheduling a tech visit would be better?
Another thought, there could be a cmos battery or super cap in the box that complicates resetting / rebooting the box.
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Does your online Xfinity account show that it can 'see' your cable box when it is in it's deteriorated state?
I have seen others speak about issues with CEC (needing to turn off), HDCP 2.2 issues as it doesn't revert to 1.4 (maybe setting in TV?), etc. but none of them see quite like yours. I still think trying a third box might be good, but I wonder if scheduling a tech visit would be better?
Cable is this one, I bought specifically for the new TV when I got it Dec 2019: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product...UTF8&
Yes Xfinity.com sees the box and I've done their steps of reset/reboot before - doesn't do anything for the issue
Ultimately I don't have much issue asking for a tech *if I reasonably expect that they can repair it*; I assume I'd be paying for that visit (Comcast has *never* been to my house for anything at all) - I don't want some guy that's just going to check off stuff in a manual and say "I don't know try replacing the box"
Another thought, there could be a cmos battery or super cap in the box that complicates resetting / rebooting the box.
I actually thought that the signal might be too low. the signal comes from the road (500ft away although I think they have some sort of intermediary signal processing about halfway.... there's a small green box at the edge of my lawn I think it's theirs) to the opposite side of my garage (exterior wall), then up over the garage and down through my signal cabinet, splits to the modem, then continues on to the outlet in question. I'd say after the trip from the road there's probably another 125 feet of cabling to the outlet.
Regarding the resetting issue - the last time I had this problem a few days ago, it happened to be on its "spinning circle of dots" loading-type screen when I unplugged it and even after the AC was disconnected, I still saw that screen for a few seconds. So there are some caps/discharge concerns at least on an acute sense - I don't think that would account for the unit needing to be off for several hours to "fix" it though.
The fact that at least 2 boxes had this exact same behaviour makes me think it's not a flaw (unless I'm just unlucky) but rather some fundamental issue with design (but then why aren't others seeing it) or the specific situation.
What about turning off CEC control on your TV (just for testing purposes)?
As for charges from a tech, that I don't know, but it's certainly possible - it would be probable if there is an actual issue that is not Xfinity's fault. I think if it's an issue with the box they wouldn't charge, but I can't verify that. It's been a long while since I had a tech come out, but every time I have over the years the techs were very knowledgeable (much different from overseas support).
Regarding signal loss - overall signal loss depends on cable type (I'm assuming RG6), cable length (inherent cable loss), signal frequency (Xfinity in your area determines this), and signal splitter loss (if any are inline). Outside your home, all these are out of your control. Once it gets to your home, that's where you have more control. You can somewhat control cable length (depending on how the wiring is run) and you can determine how many splitters will be used - you have no control whatsoever of the signal frequency.
As cable length and signal splitters are somewhat under your control... Every passive signal splitter I've seen reduces the signal by 3dB or more (powered splitter is different). Note that a 3dB loss of signal is a halving of signal strength - see here for an explanation [cablinginstall.com]. I have no idea what the wiring is like in your home (you may not either), but in the many remodels I've done over the years I've seen cable wiring with 4-5 splitters through a single length of cable quite a few times (each splitter further reducing the signal). Note that an inline splicer is different from a splitter. A single splicer will probably lose about 1dB.
Because length and splitters are about all you can control, that's why I was recommending to run your own temporary RG6 cable straight to the box to see if that helps any.
I tend to think this is likely common issue with this model / revision of the box and not an issue with the cable to your house, but it doesn't hurt to investigate both possibilities. If you have a technician come, they'll likely check the signal and replace the box.
Anyway, swapped out the box, power cable and RG6 just for the hell of it - the items that have been the same since the issue started are the TV, HDMI cable and LAN cable.
Sure enough within a couple hours it started the black screen/spinning circles. I realized in the interim that the "spinning circles" are actually from the TV when it gets an HDMI signal loss and is searching for signal. (found that out when I returned the old box and was waiting for them to ship me another one).
I tried reducing the resolution on the Xfinity box to 1080p from 4k and it still does it.
One time it started to do the black screen thing, I swapped HDMI ports - HDMI3 is ARC for a soundbar, so I've been alternating HDMI1 and HDMI2 - if it's blackscreening and I swap ports, it works right away. However, I can't just unplug and replug into the same port, that does NOT work, only swapping ports (physically moving the plug between them, good thing it's accessible).
What would that mean? I don't have an issue getting another HDMI cable - in fact I had thought to try the one that was included with the Xfinity box, but it's shorter so I'd have to figure out where to park the box so it would reach the TV.