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Cable TV Support
Welcome to Coast Communications
troubleshooting page. Hopefully, questions you may have will
be answered here. If you are unable to solve your problem from
the following suggestions, please call our office at 360-289-2252.
If you have a suggestion for this page, please
email our webmaster.
 All Snow or Fuzzy Picture
Product Help
Channels
& Programming
Equipment - Manuals and Diagrams
Parental Controls
Theft of Service
All Snow or Fuzzy Picture
Common quick fixes:
The following quick fixes resolve most picture problems.
- Make sure the remote control
is in the cable mode.
- Make sure your TV and VCR are
tuned to channel 3.
- Make sure a cable connection
has not come loose.
Wait 15 minutes. Sometimes the
cable operator is fixing a temporary problem. If the problem
is still not fixed in 15 minutes, step through the following
troubleshooting procedure.
If no picture:
- Check to see if the power cord
came unplugged from the cable box, TV, or VCR.
- Press the Power button on the
remote control. If the TV did not come on, go to the front panel
of the TV and press power on. If the TV came on, then the batteries
in the remote may be depleted and should be replaced.
- Press the cable button once
on the remote control.
- Check to see if Parental Controls
were set to block the channels. (To unblock programs, press Settings
on the remote control and follow the prompts. For additional
information, see Parental Controls below.)
If picture is distorted, fuzzy,
or snowy:
- Make sure your TV and VCR are
tuned to the correct channel. In most cases, this is channel
3.
- Check your cable connections.
Make sure the connections on the cable box, TV and VCR are finger-tight.
Make sure that the cable connected at the wall outlet is not
loose or frayed.
- Make sure the video and rf cables
are connected to the correct ports on the set top box, VCR, DVD,
and TV.
- If you have a VCR, push or switch
the TV/VCR button to put the VCR in the TV mode.
If none of these steps fixed
the problem, then perhaps the TV signal or equipment is not working
properly. Please contact us for assistance.
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Product Help
There is a red light showing
on my set-top box. What does it mean?
The red light does not
indicate a problem. It simply indicates that you have a message
from us. You can access the message through the interactive Program
Guide and read and/or delete the message.
Why does the TV Guide flip
bar read, "To Be Announced"?
If this occurs on a single
program time slot, then there may have been no guide data available
from the programmers. If this occurs on multiple channels, then
there may have been a power interruption to the set-top box.
If you leave the receiver connected to power, the guide should
fully update within approximately 45 minutes.
Why am I hearing news, a weather
report, or foreign language on some of my channels instead of
the expected audio?
The Separate Audio Programming
(SAP) may be turned on for the TV or set-top box. Access the
menu on your television or set-top box and make sure SAP is turned
off.
Can I reset the time on the
DCT?
No. The receiver time
is controlled by a central system.
Can I get digital services
on all TV's in my home?
Yes. We can install a
digital receiver on all of your TVs. Additional charges will
apply.
What do I do if my remote
control will not change the channel?
In order to resolve problems
with your remote control, please try the following:
- Make sure the power light on
your receiver is lit.
- Check to see if the remote control
light is flashing repeatedly. If so, please replace your batteries
with two new alkaline batteries.
- Go up to the receiver and try
changing the channels without using the remote control.
- Refer to the remote control
setup instructions, and make sure you have the correct codes
programmed for your equipment.
- Make sure nothing is blocking
the front of the receiver (e.g., furniture)
- Make sure you are operating
the remote control within 20 feet of the receiver
What do I do if I am having
problems receiving channels?
Are you not receiving
channels above 13? Go into your TV's main setup menu and make
sure that it is in the Cable TV (CATV) mode, not TV, Air or Antenna.
Is your TV Skipping channels? You may want to Auto-Program your
TV. Go into the main menu of your TV and look for an option to
"Auto-Tune" or "Auto-Program". If you are
still having programs please call 1-360-289-2252.
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Channels & Programming
What is my channel line-up?
Please click on channel
line-up to view the channels that Coast Communications offers.
How do I request a channel
not currently carried on my channel line-up?
Channel requests help
us make decisions when we add or change a channel line-up. Please
call 1-360-289-2252 to submit your channel request.
How does Coast Communications
choose the networks it carries?
There are many different
factors that contribute to the selection of programming. Some
of the deciding factors are cost, subscriber demand, ratings,
availability of open channels on our cable system, and whether
or not there are similar channels on our line-up.
How do I block channels I
do not wish to receive?
Customers can block channels
from their cable line-up by using the Parental Control feature
available on receivers leased from Coast Communications. It is
also possible that the model of television or VCR you have allows
you to program your own television equipment to block programming
you prefer not to receive. Please review your equipment manual
for instructions.
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Equipment - Manuals and Diagrams
Please click the following links
to download manuals for the type of equipment you may have:
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Parental Controls
Your DCT is equipped with easy-to-use
Parental Controls that put you in charge of what your kids watch,
even when you are not around. Parental Controls let you block
channels and, with some set-top boxes, even block programs by
TV rating. Follow the steps below to block unwanted programming.
- Press the Menu button on your
remote control.
- Using the Up and Down arrow
keys on your remote, highlight Parental Control.
- Now press OK/Select on your
remote and enter your four-digit Personal Identification Number
(PIN). If you have not already created a PIN, you will be asked
to do so. Note: You may need to turn the locking feature on.
- You may choose programs by title,
time, or rating. You may also choose to b lock an entire channel.
Use the Up and Down arrow keys on the remote to choose Lock Ratings,
Lock Channels, Lock Time, or Lock Titles.
- Under Lock Ratings highlight
the lowest rating you would like blocked with the Up and Down
arrow keys. Then press OK/Select. Note: All ratings that are
above your lowest allowable rating will be blocked.
- Under Lock Channels,
scroll through the list of channels using the Up and Down arrow
keys, then press OK/Select on the channels that you would like
blocked.
- Under Lock Time, use
the Up and Down arrow keys to highlight the time that you would
like to begin blocking. Press OK/Select on the remote. Note:
When using this option, all channels will be blocked during the
designated time.
- Under Lock Titles, use
the Up and Down arrow keys to indicate the program title you
would like blocked. Then press OK/Select.
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Theft of Service
What is cable television signal
theft?
Cable television signal
theft is the illegal interception of cable programming services
without the authorization of or payment to a cable system. While
laws vary from state to state, according to the Telecom Act of
1996 (47 USC 553 and 605), cable theft is a crime that is punishable
by both a hefty financial penalty and jail time.
I receive cable but have never
been billed for it. Am I doing something illegal?
You are doing something
illegal. There are two kinds of cable theft: active and passive.
Active theft is when a person knowingly makes an illegal connection
to the cable system or tampers with the equipment in order to
obtain unauthorized services. For example, cutting into your
neighbor's cable to get free service is theft. Passive theft
is when a customer knowingly receives free services due to the
unlawful connection of a previous homeowner. Even though passive
theft is the result of an illegal pat action, if you don't report
it and receive the free service, it's still a crime.
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If your cable TV picture works fine except turns
snowy or blurry for a few minutes a day during the Spring and
Fall equinox, it is most likely due to a sun outage. Sun outages
occur when the sun lines up directly behind the cable satellite
and interferes with the signal for your cable service. Sun outages
are inconvenient, but the good news is they end when the equinox
is over!