When Comcast some channels not working, it usually indicates that there’s an issue with your channel lineup, caused by a software problem. Let’s learn more and unwrap everything!
When some of your Comcast/Xfinity channels are missing, verify that the problem is not temporal and is with the cable box.
Next, check your subscription with Xfinity, and justify that your cable box is connected to the service and that there are no Xfinity outages!
In case that’s not enough, continue reading!
Why Are Comcast Cable Some Channels Not Working?
- There’s an issue with your subscription
- A temporal fault with your streaming box
- An issue/maintenance on Xfinity’s end.
- A problem with the channel lineup.
- You’ve moved to a different location
- Problem with the streaming box software
- Inappropriate coaxial cable signal
Do This First!
First, ensure that all your fees towards Xfinity are paid and there are no pending dues!
This is important because not renewing your monthly subscription to Xfinity could restrict you from using paid and/or optional channels with your TV package.
8 Ways to Fix When Some Comcast Channels Not Working?
Note: Follow the steps in consecutive order for the best results!
1. Soft-Reset the Cable Box!
We will start with a simple reboot on your cable box, as this problem could be temporary with only this piece of equipment.
If the signal is not recognized properly by your cable TV box, some channels may appear blurry, scabby, or entirely pitch-black (offline).
Follow these simple steps to reboot your Comcast cable box:
- Press and hold the power button on your cable box.
- Wait for the device to power off, when all lights go off.
- Unplug the power adapter out of the cable box.
- Wait for about 60 seconds, while the box is off.
- Reconnect the power cable of the box to power.
Info: Wait patiently until your Comcast cable box discharges completely, after about 1-minute turn on the device and test at least 3 or 4 different channels.
2. Identify Ongoing Outages
If Comcast is undergoing maintenance or there’s an outage to be taken care of, some channels in your TV guide may appear offline or be completely gone.
There’s a designed tool that allows users to check if there’s a problem with their service, called the Xfinity Status Center!
- Navigate to Xfinity.com through a browser.
- Sign in using your login credentials.
- Press the Account icon at the top.
- Choose “Support” and view “Common Solutions”.
- Under “Common Solutions”, press “View Status Center”.
- A banner at the top will display outages in your area:
✅ Red color – There’s an issue with the TV service in your area on Xfinity’s end.
✅ Green color – The “Everything Looks Good” message speaks for itself.
How to Access Comcast Outage Map?
In the “View Status Center” tab, scroll down to “View Outage Map”. There, you will see service information specifically for your location and whether the service is online and functional!
Info: Your Xfinity/Comcast account is tied up to your service’s location!
3. Perform a “System Refresh”
If some channels from your Comcast lineup have gone missing or weren’t scanned properly, they may appear blank or black-screened in your guide.
To settle this problem effectively, you must refresh the system or re-add missing broadcasts to your channel lineup.
- The “System Refresh” channel rescan is only available on Comcast Xfinity X1
How to “System Refresh” Xfinity/Comcast X1 Box:
- Press the “A” button o your remote control.
- Visit the “Help” section in the settings.
- Highlight the “System Refresh” option.
Alert: This method will interrupt all X1 TVs and saved recordings and will proceed for up to 10 minutes until the “welcome screen” appears.
4. Clear Out Channels Filters
If you’ve applied filters to your Comcast channel lineup/guide, some channels may disappear or become unavailable.
You must set the “Filter” setting to display all available broadcasts, movies, and live TV available so there would be no hidden channels.
Here’s how to clear the applied filters to your Comcast TV guide:
- Go to the home page of your Xfinity service.
- Press the Guide button on the remote twice.
- Go to the “Select your Guide View” page.
- Choose “All Channels” from the tab.
- Wait until all filters are erased.
Comcast Filtering Options
In the “Select your Guide View” tab, you will be able to select from many available filters for your Comcast guides, such as All Channels, HD Channels, Favorites, Trending, and more…
Info: If you’ve selected “HD Channels” for example, only broadcasts that support HD quality will appear in your guide.
The same thing applies to all of the filtering options available!
5. Tweak the Parental Controls
When Comcast some channels not working, be aware that restricting access to some of the Comcast channels can be done through the Parental Controls.
When the Xfinity plan is used by multiple family members or friends, the primary user can apply restrictions to all members.
Follow these simple instructions to adjust the parental control settings:
- Press the “Xfinity” button on your remote control.
- Use the right arrow, to navigate to the “Settings” tab.
- Choose “OK” on the prompt that will appear on the screen.
- Keep scrolling down to highlight “Parental Controls”.
- Insert the 4-digit PIN created by the primary Xfinity user.
- Deactivate all viewing restrictions, in the parental controls.
Note: The parental control PIN can either be activated or disabled by the primary user.
When creating a PIN, you must type it twice to confirm your selection of digits!
6. Reconnect the Service Cable!
Perhaps, unplugging and then plugging the service cable from your Comcast/Xfinity streaming box will solve the problem with most of your Xfinity channels.
If your cable box is having issues recognizing and processing the channel information, this is the best fix!
- Unplug the coaxial cable from your box and wait for 60 seconds!
Info: Once at least 60 seconds have passed, plug the coaxial cable back into your Xfinity cable box and keep in mind that when disconnected, no channels will work.
7. View Subscription Changes
Any recent change to your Xfinity subscription may have altered your channel line-up, or added or subtracted some channels available with your service package.
This could happen if you’ve switched to an alternative plan with Xfinity or had been wanting to receive different channels.
- The channel lineup usually remains identical based on the area of residence!
Let’s learn how to view the channel lineup for your address in two ways!
Option 1: View Lineup Anonymously
- Navigate to the Channel Lineup page on Xfinity’s website.
- Insert your street address in the required field.
- Press “Find Address” and wait for the results to appear.
Option 2: View Lineup By Logging In
- Go to the same Channel Lineup page in Xfinity’s site.
- Press the blue “Sign in to view your channels” button.
- Insert your login credentials on the next page.
Info: This way, if you’re not in possession of your Comcast/Xfinity login credentials, you could check the channels available for your address without signing in with your account.
8. Restore Initial Cable Box Settings!
The best final step when some Comcast channels are not working is to perform a factory reset on the device.
It’s a way to completely erase the software of your Comcast player and resolve any functionality or system problems with the device!
Note: The factory reset on Xfinity X1 and older cable boxes is called “System Refresh” (view step 3, earlier in the guide).
Only on Xfinity Flex TV boxes, the option is called “Factory Reset”.
How to Factory Reset Xfinity Flex TV Box:
- Turn off the Xifnity Flex TV box from the power.
- While powering on the device, press the “WPS” button.
- Wait for the LED light to change to an amber color.
- The “Disaster Recovery” image will appear.
- The box will continue to update the firmware next.
Info: The factory reset or “firmware update” may last for about 5 minutes!
Need More Help?
In case nothing helped, the best next step is to contact Xfinity Customer Service and report the channels that are not working.
Perhaps there is an issue with your account, which can be solved by a qualified Comcast representative.
Quick Recap:
We’ve learned that the best fix when Comcast some channels not working is to reboot the cable box first, and second – check for Xfinity/Comcast outages.
In case all Comcast services are up, proceed by performing a TV box “System Refresh” or “Factory Reset”.
Read Next: Xfinity Can’t Make Changes To Plan? – Reasons & Solutions
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites.