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VACaver's avatar
VACaver
New Contributor

Channel timing out?

My wife likes to leave the TV on for the dog when no one is home. Coming home several hours later, we find that the screen now says "Channel not available...". If I change the channel, then immediately go back to that channel, it is in fact available. So what's going on? Is it timing out or something while we are away from home? And if so, that doesn't help people that leave their TV on while away form home for security purposes.

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  • ChrisL's avatar
    ChrisL
    Former Moderator
    @VACaver

    It sounds like you may be leaving it on a channel delivered via switched digital video. These channels do in fact time out 4 hours after the last person in your neighborhood tunes them so as to make room for other channels to be viewed. Not all channels do this, typically this only works well for channels which have lower viewer demand. If you are needing to leave the TV on for security purposes most major network channels are a good choice as how they are typically not delivered using SDV.

  • VACaver's avatar
    VACaver
    New Contributor

    It's channel 17...The Weather Channel. Seems like that'd be a pretty popular channel to time out.

  • AllenP's avatar
    AllenP
    Valued Contributor

    VACaver said:

    My wife likes to leave the TV on for the dog when no one is home.

    ...................

    It's channel 17...The Weather Channel.

    Does the dog like watching the weather channel   Maybe she should try leaving on Lassie, the dog may find it more interesting & less likely to time out.