S3 recorded the superbowl ON THE WRONG CHANNEL! [Text View]

jtown

02-04-2007, 09:48 PM

About an hour after I had my cablecards installed, I removed the non-HD versions of duplicate channels from my lineup. ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, HBO, SHO, ESPN, etc. All of the SD versions removed. All of the "non-premium" (below 100) have recently been added back to my channel list. Oddly enough, the SD versions of HBO and SHO are still deselected.

There are a lot of words I'd like to use right now but this is a family forum.

Tivo owes me an HD recording of the Superbowl!!!!!!!!!!

Unbelievable. I've been looking forward to this for a month. Way to go, Tivo. Way to go. I was planning to come home, order a pizza, and start watching the game. Now what? There's no way I'll be able to download a pirated HD version and watch it before work tomorrow. (Not that I'd know how to do that sort of thing.) Way to screw up a beautiful weekend, Tivo.

GoHokies!

02-04-2007, 10:00 PM

If it were really that important to you, you would have verified it in the to do list.

How did you schedule the recording? Did you schedule it on the SD channel and then assume that it would move to the HD channel?

jtown

02-04-2007, 10:17 PM

I don't know why I haven't blocked you yet. As a matter of fact, I do check these things. Last time I looked, it was scheduled to record on 702. When I went to bed last night, the To Do list was still referencing network wish list recordings in the 700 range. That's HD around here. When I got home around 6:15pm tonight, I found that the superbowl had been recorded on channel 2 and every channel between 2 and 97 had been added back into my channel list. Including the foreign language channels which I also took the time to remove. All of my wish list recordings for network shows are now scheduled to record on the lower channels.

ah30k

02-04-2007, 10:25 PM

Aren't wishlists a little awkward for recording things like this? Why not just record the programs you want via one-time recordings or season passes? Maybe I'm out of the loop but I rarely use wishlists.

GoHokies!

02-04-2007, 10:30 PM

I don't know why you haven't either... :rolleyes:

You still didn't answer my question, how did you schedule the recording? From the guide? Did you have a wish list that caught it?

If you specified recording it from the guide on the HD channel, I highly doubt that you Tivo just up and decided to change what channel it was going to record on.

If you counted on an auto recording wish list, then you should have done what ah30k suggested to make sure that the Tivo recorded what you wanted to watch.

Tivo doesn't owe you a thing, and there isn't anything stopping you from watching your SD version of the superbowl so you can talk about the game at work tomorrow.

jtown

02-04-2007, 10:31 PM

This is exactly the situation wish lists are made for. NFL Football is spread across several networks. That would require a season pass for each network. That would require a game scheduled on that network in the next two weeks. Or I can just make a single entry for NFL Football and be done with it. Same with "College Football". Since the SD network channels were removed, everything would be recorded on HD channels. This worked perfectly for a month.

GoHokies!

02-04-2007, 10:42 PM

Yeah, that worked out great for you, didn't it?

If you want to make sure something is recorded on a particular channel (say, the HD channel) then it is appropriate to make schedule the recording for that channel. It isn't like there have been dozens of football games on in the last month.

jtown

02-04-2007, 10:52 PM

If anyone cares, I've duplicated the problem. Tho, since the tivo is plugged into the same 1000VA UPS as one of my computers (which ran fine all night and all day), it doesn't explain what triggered it. If I uncheck every channel from 2 to 97 in the channel list and restart the Tivo, all of the channels are selected again with the exception of 16 and 25 when the tivo comes back up. Channels 98 and up are unchanged as far as I can remember. Maybe my tivo decided to restart after its connection at 4am. It certainly wasn't a power outage.

hookbill

02-04-2007, 10:57 PM

This is just awful. You have every right to be upset. Upset with yourself.

Truly if you would have just scheduled instead of relying on the wish list you would have been ok.

And as far as Go Hokies! goes I couldn't agree more. He's a truthful individual who dishes out sarcasam at th appropriate times. I'd like to put him on my ignore list but I learn so much about how to be a smart a@@ from him I can't stop looking. He's like a train wreck. :p

aaronwt

02-04-2007, 11:02 PM

Yes I would be upset also. I scheduled the Superbowl on all 3 of my S3 boxes. Two from the OTA HD channel and one from the cable HD channel. Fortunately for me they all recorded properly. Also fortunately this is a very rare occurance for a TiVo. It happens all the time with my brothers cable DVR which you couldn't pay me to use.

dbenrosen

02-04-2007, 11:03 PM

There is an issue/bug with removed channels coming back into the "channels I receive" list, usually after a reboot. I know this info doesn't help you now.

I understand your reasoning for using a wishlist for NFL games, but how much padding do you build into these recordings? The Super Bowl, rather surprisingly, ended within the 3:35 that it was scheduled, but that would have to be the exception for playoff games and NCAA Bowl games (since you mentioned you have a wishlist for those as well).

jtown

02-04-2007, 11:15 PM

I put an hour padding on sporting events. 1:30 on the superbowl.

Tho it's all moot now since mom called and said "The XXXXXXXXs won!" I don't think mom's ever mentioned a superbowl game in her life. She doesn't even have a TV. I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

NJChris

02-04-2007, 11:16 PM

There's 2 problems here.

1- if you REALLY want a specific show on a specific channel, set a recording for that specific show.

2- the channels keep coming back. Not the user's fault. It keeps happening to me and I keep having to remove them - otherwise suggestions might try to record, I assume even channels that are blank.

While #1 is user decision made... his setup SHOULD HAVE worked. It's the hardware's fault (is it the cablecards or tivo?) that brought back the channels he removed. This really should not be happening.

smak

02-05-2007, 04:20 AM

How excactly is the wishlist setup? Something like Sports/NFL/Live?

I would never do that to guarantee a game. Something on ESPN or something could cause you to miss it because it has NFL and live in the description.

NFL football is on 4 channels. 4 season passes is not that much more than 1 wishlist, and you'll never get any SD no matter what happens.

-smak-

appleye1

02-05-2007, 05:06 AM

DCIFRTHS

02-05-2007, 05:24 AM

There's 2 problems here.

1- if you REALLY want a specific show on a specific channel, set a recording for that specific show.

I totally agree.

2- the channels keep coming back. Not the user's fault. It keeps happening to me and I keep having to remove them - otherwise suggestions might try to record, I assume even channels that are blank.

While #1 is user decision made... his setup SHOULD HAVE worked. It's the hardware's fault (is it the cablecards or tivo?) that brought back the channels he removed. This really should not be happening.

Just a theory, and I'm sure I'll be politely ;) corrected if I am wrong :) ...

When a user selects/deselects a channel, it's the Tivo software that is responsible for keeping track of this setting. When the channel guide is displayed, or used for a recording, the Tivo software should "hide" all deselected channel(s) even though the CableCARD is reporting the full list of available channels to the TiVo software.

It would appear that upon a reboot, the TiVo is querying for, or being told, by the CableCARD what channels are available, and this is information overwriting the stored settings. Maybe the reboot causes "display_settings" database corruption, it's just a simple bug, or the channel preferences are just not getting saved correctly. Throw a dart at any of the choices I listed, and one of them may be right. Regardless of where the dart lands, the result is the same, and not exactly a good one.

james.92

02-05-2007, 07:58 AM

Well, at least he didn't threaten a class action lawsuit.... :rolleyes:

aaronwt

02-05-2007, 08:42 AM

I totally agree.

Just a theory, and I'm sure I'll be politely ;) corrected if I am wrong :) ...

When a user selects/deselects a channel, it's the Tivo software that is responsible for keeping track of this setting. When the channel guide is displayed, or used for a recording, the Tivo software should "hide" all deselected channel(s) even though the CableCARD is reporting the full list of available channels to the TiVo software.

It would appear that upon a reboot, the TiVo is querying for, or being told, by the CableCARD what channels are available, and this is information overwriting the stored settings. Maybe the reboot causes "display_settings" database corruption, it's just a simple bug, or the channel preferences are just not getting saved correctly. Throw a dart at any of the choices I listed, and one of them may be right. Regardless of where the dart lands, the result is the same, and not exactly a good one.
I just replaced the 500GB drive in one of my S3 boxes this weekend with another 500GB drive. When I rebooted the S3 everything was the same as before. Nothing changed with the channels I have selected for my list or any of my favorite channels. It was the same way for my other S3 boxes.

dig_duggler

02-05-2007, 09:12 AM

:rolleyes: Good grief. Wishlists are for when you don't know when a show will be on. If you know when the show will be on, i.e. the Super Bowl for crissakes, then you set up a scheduled recording.

You've been here since 2002, you ought to know that.

This doesn't change the fact that the users setup should have worked. The reason it did not work is buggy Tivo software. Tivo's fault.

That being said, if you were really that jazzed about the game you should have set a manual recording. If you check this board with any kind of frequency you should know that the thing can be buggy (and seemingly more and more all the time). Just be glad you had a version of the game you could watch.

mcukier

02-05-2007, 09:39 AM

This doesn't change the fact that the users setup should have worked. The reason it did not work is buggy Tivo software. Tivo's fault.

That being said, if you were really that jazzed about the game you should have set a manual recording. If you check this board with any kind of frequency you should know that the thing can be buggy (and seemingly more and more all the time). Just be glad you had a version of the game you could watch.

I agree, and I agree.

I think the OP has the right to be ticked off... this was a failure of the TiVo software and it SHOULD have worked. However, I've had TiVo since inception, so I know better. ;-)

If something is REALLY important to me, I will add it manually-- I know better than to FULLY rely on TiVo (or any electronic "gadget" for that matter).

FlippedBit

02-05-2007, 10:54 AM

jtown,

I feel for ya man. I had the same thing happen to me once. I had "removed" the SD version of all of the HD channels but the lower channel numbers got added back and I sufferred through an analog version of what should have been HD (in my case , up-resed SD so no big loss really). So now I have season passes for every show I know is on HD and don't rely on Wishlists as much. You really paid a price though.

Don't let GoHokies or HookBill bother you. They're always telling us how superior they are. These guys prey on threads that involve somebody being upset with TiVo because of a problem, either correctly or incorrectly attributed to TiVo. They will step in to defend TiVo and point out how it isn't a problem for them. I don't have an ignore list but I really wish they would add me to theirs.

CrispyCritter

02-05-2007, 11:00 AM

I agree, and I agree.

I think the OP has the right to be ticked off... this was a failure of the TiVo software and it SHOULD have worked. However, I've had TiVo since inception, so I know better. ;-)

If something is REALLY important to me, I will add it manually-- I know better than to FULLY rely on TiVo (or any electronic "gadget" for that matter).I'll add my +1. The OP has every right to be upset; it was a TiVo bug. And I would never use a wishlist to record any show that I know channel and time on. With a wishlist you always have to worry about guide data from possibly hundreds of channels interfering with what you think you'll get. I haven't had a wishlist yet that I haven't gotten at least one extra or one fewer show than I would have ideally wanted when I set the wishlist up.

TexasAg

02-05-2007, 11:01 AM

Don't let GoHokies or HookBill bother you. They're always telling us how superior they are.

So how about you step up and show us an example post where either of these folks tells us "how superior they are." Or are you just full of it? I've found them both to be quite helpful in numerous threads.

I agree that the S3 has a bug in the channel list. It's been discussed here several times. I also agree that part of the blame lies with the OP. It's been discussed here several times how the wishlists dafult to the lowest channel number. Anyone who relies on a wishlist to record a particular (and highly desired) program that is on at a known time on a known station is just asking for trouble.

drowe

02-05-2007, 11:16 AM

I've found them both to be quite helpful in numerous threads.
Baahahahahaha! Oh, man. I just fell out of my chair.

dig_duggler

02-05-2007, 11:19 AM

So how about you step up and show us an example post where either of these folks tells us "how superior they are." Or are you just full of it? I've found them both to be quite helpful in numerous threads.

While I would not go as far as to say they tell us "how superior they are", they do often post in an authoritative and definitive tone on matters. Sometimes helpful, sometimes not (but isn't that all of us).

Let's just say they are highly opinionated members than can rub some the wrong way and not get all derailed here...

hookbill

02-05-2007, 11:21 AM

jtown,

Don't let GoHokies or HookBill bother you. They're always telling us how superior they are. These guys prey on threads that involve somebody being upset with TiVo because of a problem, either correctly or incorrectly attributed to TiVo. They will step in to defend TiVo and point out how it isn't a problem for them. I don't have an ignore list but I really wish they would add me to theirs.

Why flippedbit, I'm surprised you would want to be on an ignore list. Quite honestly I don't know of any reason I would put you on mine. As a matter of fact I only have one person on my ignore list.

And I can't help it if my S3 is working just fine. If somebody has a problem I don't have that problem I should say nothing? That would leave others to believe that everyone has the problem and the fact is that most of these problems people call bugs. But the truth it should affect everyone if it's a bug.

As far as your dislike for GoHokies! I'm not sure what he's said to you but I can guarantee if you say something stupid he will comment. Check his signature, it says "I'll stop being mean when you stop being stupid." I wish I would have thought of that. :)

And since I am interested in everything you say I will not put you on my ignore list no matter how many times you ask. :p

FlippedBit

02-05-2007, 11:59 AM

As far as your dislike for GoHokies! I'm not sure what he's said to you but I can guarantee if you say something stupid he will comment. Check his signature, it says "I'll stop being mean when you stop being stupid." I wish I would have thought of that.

This is the attitude that I find offensive. Some clearly agree that being mean is appropriate and join right in. That said, I have written what could be interpreted as mean posts so I really shouldn't be talking.

hookbill

02-05-2007, 12:08 PM

That said, I have written what could be interpreted as mean posts so I really shouldn't be talking.

:D :D :D

Nothing better then the pot calling the kettle black, is there. :)

ah30k

02-05-2007, 12:21 PM

:D :D :D

Nothing better then the pot calling the kettle black, is there. :)No, this is the pot admitting it's black.

jtown

02-05-2007, 01:20 PM

A couple more notes (and getting back on topic).

When I called Tivo to explain the channel list reversion on a restart, the first level tech tried to tell me that this is done by design and is desirable behavior. He wanted me to believe that it is necessary for the tivo to reset the channel list in order to avoid missing any shows. Totally absurd as it directly contradicts my complaint. Resetting the channel list screwed up my recordings. Leaving it alone would have ensured proper recording. And he had no explanation for why only 2-99 (most of them, anyway) were altered.

A supervisor agreed that it doesn't make sense for the tivo to reset the channel list like that after a user has customized it. And only altering part of the list makes it difficult to believe that this behavior is intentional. He also said that he could find no other report of this behavior on file. So anyone who has experienced this, CALL TIVO AND REPORT IT. I'm supposed to get a callback today or tomorrow.

If the entire channel lineup was reverting to the channels I receive as indicated by the cablecards, I could understand how this could happen. However, that's not the case. If it was, 200 and 240 would also be added to my lineup as those are premium channels I'm authorized to view. If this does have anything to do with the cablecards, I think it's the digital remapping of the basic channels that's screwing up the channel list. Perhaps it goes something like this

Channel 2 unchecked at startup.
Cablecard data accessed.
90.3 remapped to 2.
2 = new channel.
New channel added to channel list.

I wonder if channels 16 and 25 are still analog. If my assumption that digital channel remapping overrides the modified channel list is correct and 16 and 25 are still analog, it would explain why they weren't altered during the restart.

Of course, that doesn't explain why the other digital channels aren't affected since they also get remapped. And, according to my list, both 16 and 25 have digital equivalents (tho they may not be remapped by the cablecards).

I'll have to wait and see what I kind of response I get from Tivo.

Rucker

02-05-2007, 01:40 PM

I don't use wishlists for things I really want, and I certainly wouldn't ever say a wishlist recorded the "wrong" channel. (There are no right or wrong channels for a wishlist.) HOWEVER, I can certainly understand being upset about the result. A quirk in the Tivo's operation caused unexpected behavior.

I had a problem with my S3 removing an HD channel repeatedly. Annoying, but fortunately I never tried to record anything on that channel.

Tivo should have an HD preference in wishlists, imo.

astrohip

02-05-2007, 03:26 PM

jtown, I understand your pain, but you gotta admit, you are prolly the *only* person in the TiVoverse who uses a wishlist to record the Super Bowl. I mean, it's the frickin' Super Bowl!

CraigHB

02-05-2007, 03:56 PM

I only use wishlists to find stuff to record. Even then, I rarely use the auto-record wishlist feature. In the case of the Super Bowl, I verified it in the To Do list as I do any show I want to be sure the TiVo doesn't miss. My wife and I often verify our Season Passes from the "show upcoming" option. TiVo is good, but it isn't perfect. Every now and then it doesn't figure things out correctly. In the OP's case, it was a biggie.

bidger

02-05-2007, 04:22 PM

I can understand a Wishlist for your fave MLB, NHL, or NBA team so you can catch all the games, but I would never use that approach for the NFL because 17 weeks plus 4 weeks postseason flies bye. If I miss a MLB game in May or a NBA game in Nov., I don't feel that bad. With only one game a week, I can't afford to miss a NFL game, especially the playoff games.

GoHokies!

02-05-2007, 04:31 PM

Don't let GoHokies or HookBill bother you. They're always telling us how superior they are. These guys prey on threads that involve somebody being upset with TiVo because of a problem, either correctly or incorrectly attributed to TiVo. They will step in to defend TiVo and point out how it isn't a problem for them. I don't have an ignore list but I really wish they would add me to theirs.

Right. That's exactly what I do. Do me a favor and find a post where I say that I'm better than everybody else.

If there is a problem with the Tivo, I have no problem saying that there is a problem. The problem that the OP had certainly bears looking at, and Tivo should fix it. We won't know if the fix will be in 8.1 or not, but I'll bet we'll know in 2-3 weeks! ;)

If you come in here with unreasonable demands ("Tivo owes me an HD recording of the Superbowl!!!!!!!!!!"), an overinflated sense of entitlement and act like a fool, then expect to be treated like one. If you don't, then put me on your ignore list, I don't really care. Jtown could have posted about the same problem in a much more polite format and this thread would have passed by without any notice. If you expect to be treated civilly, then act that way.

dig_duggler hit the nail on the head - I do try to be helpful (heck, even in my first post in this thread I asked the OP for some details so that we could figure out what was going on). I don't always agree with his opinion on things, but that doesn't mean that we have to run around flaming each other in every thread that we cross swords in...

jtown

02-12-2007, 05:51 PM

To follow up:

I didn't get a callback by Tuesday and I was pretty busy last week so I didn't call to nag them. Friday afternoon/evening, a Tivo rep left me a voicemail stating that several other people had reported the same issue with their S3s. (Thanks for calling, people!) The Engineering department is working on the problem and it should be resolved in a software update.

hookbill

02-12-2007, 07:24 PM

btwyx

02-13-2007, 01:45 AM

This seems to be another bug that's passed me by, I've never had channels added back like that on my S3.

I'll also chime in and say, if its that important, you should make a specific recording for it. You said you'd checked it was still in the ToDo list several times. With wish lists you have to do that, they can always change right up to the last minute. If you make a specific recording, it doesn't change. I've never missed anything I speciifcally requested.

Also this is a case where they really need the HDTV keyword for wishlists, like DirecTiVo do. As I've said before, the omission of the HDTV keyword is the single most inexplicable thing about the S3. When I was using a DirecTiVo, my football wishlists recorded fine, with the S3 I was always checking on them and making specific recordings just in case the Wishlists screwed up like this.