CNN stopped working on my tv for a bit. This is what

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Displays like that are typical of a problem in digital packet systems (video streaming), such as microwave transmission

Digital streaming, related to MP4, sends packets. If they don't all get through, the system still has to show a frame. Usually it comes out as chunky with loss of fine detail, a patchwork of squares some of which are right and others are not.

Microwave transmission can be susceptible to some atmospheric conditions. It is the preferred way for long distance transmission of broadcasts, aside from satellites.

The effects of atmospheric stratification cause the radio path to bend downward in a typical situation so a major distance is possible as the earth equivalent curvature increases from 6,370 km (3,960 mi) to about 8,500 km (5,300 mi) (a 4/3 equivalent radius effect). Rare events of temperature, humidity and pressure profile versus height, may produce large deviations and distortion of the propagation and affect transmission quality. High-intensity rain and snow making rain fade must also be considered as an impairment factor, especially at frequencies above 10 GHz. All of the detrimental factors mentioned in this section, collectively known as path loss, make it necessary to compute suitable power margins, in order to maintain the link operative for a high percentage of time, like the standard 99.99% or 99.999% used in 'carrier class' services of most telecommunication operators.