I saw a disclaimer the other day saying that on my digital cable network, the Game Show channel is being affected by solar activity. WTF? Why and how? Can someone please explain?
I’d say it’s interference with a satellite feed.
Cable companies often receive their programming from communications satellites parked in geosynchronous orbit, 23,000 miles up. Increased solar activity sends streams of charged particles racing toward the earth; this can interfere with radio communications, and in extreme cases, even cause a satellite to short out.
Thanks, KeithT. It still pisses me off, though. You ever tried to play Wheel of Fortune with no picture, only sound? Can’t do it!
I’ve checked solar activity at http://www.sec.noaa.gov/today2.html . There doesn’t seem to be to much going on.
Here’s what I think the explanation is. For a few days around the first day of spring and autumn, the sun appears to move directly behind all of the geosynchronous comm satellites. If your cable system gets a feed from only one of them, it also picks up radio interference from the sun when it’s behind that satellite (probably around local solar noon, when the sun is highest). I think some cable systems have more than one feed, so they can switch when necessary.
It’ll improve in a few days. Amazing how the dance of the spheres can now immediately affect our lives.
Actually, it’s been messing up since we’ve had it (January), when we upgraded our system to digital. They only recently started with the disclaimer banner. That’s the only station that does it as far as I can tell.
Our house is getting it with DirectTV and only with certain channels. Their disclaimer says it is sun spots or something of the like and that it only happens in early spring/late fall, and it usually only lasts a couple minutes.