Tivo Tuner Dead

[ringelmann]

I have an older Series 2 (TCD130040) and I get no video. The output (Tivo menu etc) works fine. I have tested to make sure that cable has signal when plugging in directly into TV. All inputs were testes, coax cable, RCA and S-Video - none show a signal. Tiveo was rebooted with video source connected. Nothing.

Does anyonbe know how to go about fixing this.

[WayneCarter]

All inputs were testes, coax cable, RCA and S-Video - none show a signal. Tiveo was rebooted with video source connected. Nothing.Was TiVo configured so that it USED the input you were testing?

[wolflord11]

Reset the Tivo unit and run guided setup.

[jmace57]

I lost my video on my Series 2 140 hour on June 12th. I finally got the chance to do serious testing tonight.

I originally thought the cable box had gone bad, and replaced it. It is a Time Warner (turning into Comcast tomorrow here in Houston) digital cable box.

Here is what it is doing.

When the TiVo is on live TV or recording I get a black screen. The TiVo banner shows up, but just a black screen. All TiVo menus work correctly.

I took the TiVo out of the setup - cable to cable box to TV and get a great picture. Once I hook the TiVo up, back to black screen.

So - I re-ran the video setup - where it used to give me the option of selecting which video setup I am using (coax, RCA, etc) - apparently some new software update detects it. It says I am using the RCA (red, white, yellow) cable...but I am not - it is hooked up thru coax. I have no option to change it to anything else. It just says if it is not working, I must have set something up wrong.

Just in case, I re-ran the full guided setup thinking I might have more options for video setup...but no dice. I am pretty well stumped. It is insisting that I am using the other setup. One last try - I went and found the type of cables it says I am using...hooked up the cable box to the TiVo - still nothing. I re-ran guided setup again with these cable plugged in..no joy.

Help - anyone.

TIA
Jim

[gastrof]

Does your cable box allow you to use RCA cables to feed video and audio into a TV?

If your tuner is bad, it's possible the TiVo can still work using an A/V feed from the box.

Since it insists that's what it's using, give it a shot.

As a side thought, is there ANY option for switching the source manually, without the "auto-sense" thing? Or...could the TiVo somehow be set to channel "00" rather than the channel the box is using to feed into it?

And here's a thought....

Did you try rebooting?

[JimSpence]

Oh where, oh where is the OP?

Another one post wonder. :)

[jmace57]

And here's a thought....

Did you try rebooting?

I was just in the middle of rebooting when I saw your suggestion...nothing...then AFTER the reboot I ran the video setup again...IT WORKED!

I wonder if I got some sort of upgrade that caused the problem....???



Oh well. Thanks.

Jim

[rpm17]

I just had this exact same problem. Screen was black, however, I could see what was "playing" on the black screen, and had full working access to all programs saved pre darkness so it was not a hard drive issue.

My next impression was that I thought my cable box crashed.
However, I ruled that out after testing both the RF out and the RCA outs directly into the TV.

After rechecking and connecting the TIVO and the Cable box (both RCA and RF ) nothing still worked

As a last resort, I tried the old "ctrl alt delete" (i.e. unplug and reboot up) and it is now once again working with no issues...

Hope this helps.

Cheers

RPM

[jmace57]

Thanks RPM - EXACTLY what was happening to mine.

Jim

[gastrof]

It's the penguins. Them and the lollipop zebras. They're plotting against us, and now the TiVos are in on it too!

WHATEVER SHALL WE DO?!?!?!?

[steve614]

This just happened to me this evening! :eek:
I was watching a previously recorded show and when it was over, I went to Live TV. Black Screen. EVERY channel. (WTF?) Went to the TVs tuner, had a signal (OTA, btw).
My next thought, I hope a reboot fixes it...

YES ... VICTORY! :cool:

I just wonder what could have caused this...

[MusicMama]

Wow, I'm part of a pack again. Just added a digital box for hubby to his already-working-perfectly basic no cable box setup. 4 hours later, with both coax and RCA cables hooked up correctly, I was still getting black screen. Time to reboot, hope for the best, and then cry for all that wasted time.

[jonjames]

I have (twice) had the same problem. A "restart" from the menu does not work, but the old "unplug to reboot" has worked both times. Both times this has occurred while I was watching live TV, but I'm afraid it might occur some other time and when I go to watch a recorded show I will just get a black screen. Is anyone aware of an underlying cause of this?

[mstroh]

I'm having the same problem. I am using coax straight into the rf connection, I am not using a cable box.

Yesterday, I unplugged my unit (S2 TCD140060) to move it and when I plugged it back in I now have no video input. Black screen, then blue screen; but output of previously recorded material works fine.

I have attempted several hard (unplug) resets, as well as soft (restart) resets to no avail. I have also attempted to go through the guided setup several times. Also, to no avail.

I changed the video input to the a/v ports and they work fine.

While going through the guided setup I got the following prompt: Please make sure your cable is connected to the splitter before entering the cable box, and that one output of the splitter is connected to the TiVo DVR using the CABLE RF input, as shown.
The picture was accurate, however as I stated I'm not using a cable box.

Then when I told the TiVo that I was not getting a picture I was prompted It is likely that your cable is not properly connected to one of the video imputs on the back of the TiVo DVR. If it is properly connected, there may be a problem with the cable you are using.
I've checked the cable and it works fine when connected to the TV.

Finally, I chose "Skip for now; I'll troubleshoot later", which caused the prompt If you continue, you will only be able to use the TiVo DVR to watch or record one program at a time from your cable.
This prompt leads me to believe that the TiVo believes that I have a dual tuner if I can "only record one program at a time" even though I have a single tuner and can't recieve any video.