For customers of digital cable television services that have been going through temporary problems with their cable service such as a blank screen, static or snow-white screen, there is sound but no picture or vice versa, there are a few things you can test first previous to calling your local cable television source. You don’t need to be an experienced techie to do simple troubleshooting and hopefully resolve your own dilemma.

For starters the very first thing you ought try if you are enduring difficulties with your cable service is to check your cable television box. You will want to ensure that it is definitely plugged in to the outlet securely. I can attest that many people never glimpse behind the television to check if the box is plugged in. In most cases the reason why this is the case is because there is a cramped space behind the tv and the average person cannot reach nor see behind the tv to see if the cable box is plugged in. This is just a simple fact. Isn’t it very awkward when you call up your local cable provider and converse with their customer service department and they offer you the same instructions and to find out the plug is not in the outlet? Do yourself a favor and check before making the call.

Another simple fix to cable problems is possibly the tv is on the wrong channel. Most tv’s which utilize cable television boxes are placed on channel 3 or 4 but if someone else takes the wireless remote or by accident sits on it and the channel gets changed then that will cause some problems like a blank screen, sound with no movie, and more. Please be sure to check that the channel has not changed but is set on the right channel which is either 3 or 4 in order for the cable to work.

Check to make certain all the cables stretching from the cable box to the tv, the vcr to the cable box, the video game unit to the tv, and other like scenarios are firmly connected to their locations. If you can squeeze behind your tv look to see if any of the connections are loose. If they are then simply tighten them. After ensuring they are firm you next want to ensure they are fixed in the correct places. Many times in a family there is maybe one person that is fully knowledgeable about where each cable connection goes. If you are not that individual then get with the person that is convinced.

After you have assessed all of your connections and you are positive they are tight and correct the following step you can try is turning off your cable box which does include unplugging it and then doing a restart. From experience cable technicians will instruct you to leave the box off for around 10 seconds or so. Plug the cable box back in the outlet and turn it on. More times than not these basic steps will fix common problems but if they don’t at the moment it’s a good idea to start over and redo them. These simple methods are worth the attempt and will save you a lengthy wait time on the phone as you’re needing to talk to customer service.

For more in-depth details visit Comcast cable box or to talk to a CSR visit Comcast customer service. Unique version for reprint here: Simple Cable Box Troubleshooting Steps.