Cablecard firmware upgrading never ends

[slimoli]

Just got the dreadful cablecard firmware upgrading msg and after 2 hours nothing happens and I can't do anything to tune to any channel. I had this problem before with my TV but it's the first time with the S3. I guess I will have the CC replaced..again..

[rodalpho]

Yup. Call your cable company.

[slimoli]

I wonder why I get this CC upgrading that never works. It happened with my TV 4 or 5 times and now with the S3. It's a SA cablecard and according to my cableco head-end they don't send any upgrade to any CC but SA has the ability to do upgrades through the cable network. I already have the latest available firmware version on the cablecard and it makes no sense that something like this can happen totally out of our control.

This is not Tivo's fault but this cablecard technology really sucks!

BTW, have you guys tried to call a cable company on the Memorial day? It's a wonderful experience!

[slimoli]

Guys, I need your help.

Cable guy came today with 4 cablecards. I have the S3 and 2 TVs with CC. All the cards got the same never ending "firmware upgrade" on ALL TVs and the S3. Moving the S3 CC from slot 1 to slot 2 (where the original firmware upgrade came up) DOES work and no upgrade comes up. Moving a CC from a TV to the S3 slot 2 DOES work and no upgrade comes up. Any CC brought by the cableguy DOES NOT work (get the firmware upgrade msg). It's like everything previously on my instalation works and any new CC starts this dreadful firmware upgrade. The cable guy tried cards from 2004 to one dated 05/15/07. The same cards, brought by the cableguy, initiate a firmware upgrade on my Samsung LCD and also on my Mitsubishi DLP. It's not the S3 fault, I know, but the cableguy and the chief engineer don't know what else they can do.

Please, somebody with cablecard upgrade experience help me out. My CCs are SA.

Many thanks

Sergio

[SeanC]

It's not the S3 fault, I know, but the cableguy and the chief engineer don't know what else they can do.

Well, then, they are morons. It's their system, they are their cards, they have to maintain that system so it's their problem. You may want to escalate the issue above their heads to management, let them know that they have workers who can't solve a problem with their own equipment.

[slimoli]

Well, then, they are morons. It's their system, they are their cards, they have to maintain that system so it's their problem. You may want to escalate the issue above their heads to management, let them know that they have workers who can't solve a problem with their own equipment.


That's can be true but doesn't help me. My cableco is very small (Atlantic Broadband) and they don't have a big staff. I need somebody to tell me what is this "firmware upgrade" that comes from time to time and who is sending it. The cable company says they are not sending anything like this and my guess is that this is coming from SA through the cable co network. I would like to know if there is anything I can do to prevent this from hapenning since it is clear that none of my devices (2 TVs and the S3) is capable to finish the upgrade.

Sergio

[SeanC]

That's can be true but doesn't help me. My cableco is very small (Atlantic Broadband) and they don't have a big staff. I need somebody to tell me what is this "firmware upgrade" that comes from time to time and who is sending it. The cable company says they are not sending anything like this and my guess is that this is coming from SA through the cable co network. I would like to know if there is anything I can do to prevent this from hapenning since it is clear that none of my devices (2 TVs and the S3) is capable to finish the upgrade.

Sergio

There is only one party that can send a signal to the CC that would prompt a firmware upgrade, and that is your cable company. That they say they are not sending it either means they are lying (which I don't think) or that they are ignorant (which I do think). That they don't know that they are ignorant and are not going to try and resolve an issue that is clearly their problem makes them morons.

There is nothing you can do to prevent it.

[slimoli]

After 9 new cablecards (yes, 9!) I finally got my S3 to work again. Any cablecard placed on 2nd slot would give the same nover ending "firmware upgrade'. A new card, dated 05/15/07, finally worked with the premium channels. The cable co called SA and noboy could confirm if there is any cablecard firmware upgrade. Unbeliveable!

Just to make things even more strange, the cablecard that finally worked has never been paired. A msg "cablecard not in normal operation" comes up instead of the host id and CC #. All channels are coming up OK, though. I really don't trust it and the cableguy left because nobody knows what else can be done. Yes, my cable co sucks! Cablecards suck as well!

Sergio

[DeathRider]

I agree with SeanC.

There is probably an option in their software that is/was set by default to sent firmware updates to users. I think you cableco might want to contact SA to determine how/why this option has been implemented.

[slimoli]

I agree with SeanC.

There is probably an option in their software that is/was set by default to sent firmware updates to users. I think you cableco might want to contact SA to determine how/why this option has been implemented.

They did but they are totally lost. All my channels are coming fine, including all the premiums. I have no access to the cablecard menu (it says calecard not in normal operation) and when I look at the S3 diagnosis screen it shows "copy protection error". This card has not been paired at all and it's the 2nd time I have a CC which works without being paired.

At this point my guess is that the cable co has a serious problem and most likely lost control on the cablecard customers.

Sergio