Video Signal Not Available?

[John Slider]

Last Monday and this Monday my 9 and 10 o'clock shows were not recorded because Tivo claimed that there was no video signal available for my NBC HD channel. It's odd, because I get a signal for every other channel, even for the non-HD counterpart... Also when I switch off of the Tivo and to the regular cable box I can see and hear the picture clear as day! I know it works from 8:00-9:00 because Chuck records with no problem, Heroes and Journeyman on the other hand, do not.

I don't understand why! Anyone have any ideas on how to fix?

[mchabura]

I just posted earlier today a similar problem that I am having with my Series 2 TiVo (Toshiba RS-TX20).

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=5580214#post5580214

I've tried replacing the hard drive and switching from the RF In to Composite In. The only thing that seems to work is to reboot the TiVo, but it comes back after a few weeks. Anyone else having this problem? Anyway to fix it?

[John Slider]

It just happened again, NBC HD cut off the same time it did last week. Wednesday from 9-11, and I did reboot... Any more suggestions? :( :( it's killing me!

[bguzik]

It just happened again, NBC HD cut off the same time it did last week. Wednesday from 9-11, and I did reboot... Any more suggestions? :( :( it's killing me!

Hi John,

What kind of TiVo and what kind of CableCARDS? There is a reported issue in two other threads that sounds similar to your issue.

In case of SA cable cards and the new 9.1 release, one of the tuners/cablecard will cease to have video on digital channels. Does your other tuner work when this issue happens? (Hit "Live TV" to switch between tuners).

Check out the other threads. here:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=369057

and here:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=369192

[John Slider]

That can't be it, because there have been numerous other accounts when I have recorded two HD shows at the same time and they worked fine. :(

[Austin_Martin]

That can't be it, because there have been numerous other accounts when I have recorded two HD shows at the same time and they worked fine.

were both of the shows always season passes, and none of them OTA?

Also, 9.1 only came out in the past week or so.

[Dr_Diablo]

I'm having the same issue as you are...

Started two days ago, the 9.1 update was last week for my Tivo

Before the 9.1 update I never had a problem with season pass recordings

[bkdtv]

Based on posts to this forum, that seems to be a bug in the 9.1 software. One or both tuners go out periodically and a reboot is needed to fix it.

Tivo is now telling people over the phone that a software fix will be out very soon.

[John Slider]

None of my shows are season passes, I never do season passes, I need to be sure I set it up myself.


I can't wait for the patch, if that is what my problem turns out to be.

[tzone]

I think this might be my first post...

Anyway, I had this same problem 2 weeks ago on the older 8.x SW while using ATSC and I figured it was a glitch. I decided to sign up for the 9.1 priority list hoping that this would resolve my issue. Tonight the issue repeated itself on the same exact shows. At that point I decided to get out my camera to document the issue as best I could.

TiVo HD with priority 9.1 SW
OTA ATSC only (I don't have cable)
TV is connected via HDMI

TiVoHD reports that it is recording two things:
Survivor China (13-1) ATSC from Sacramento, CA.
This Old House Hour (6-1) ATSC from Sacramento, CA.

Pictures confirm. (More pictures in a followup post because of upload limitations)

/tzone

[tzone]

Diagnostic pictures screen:

[tzone]

Additional diagnostics images:

[tzone]

Last set shows signal strength and img_0813 shows that Survivor is being successfully recorded AFTER a reboot!

Also, notice that img_0807 shows "program lock: NO" where the other channel shows yes.

/tzone

[Dr_Diablo]

Based on posts to this forum, that seems to be a bug in the 9.1 software. One or both tuners go out periodically and a reboot is needed to fix it.

Tivo is now telling people over the phone that a software fix will be out very soon.


Isn't this getting old?

A fix to fix the fix ???

Does anyone have a handle as to why this is happening?

Come on now, Tivo is not some new product on the market...

You'd think after all these years they would have there collective act together ???

Instead of throwing updates out there that make a bad situation worse... :confused:

[posterChild]

First post here, but I wanted to document that I had the same thing happen on the same shows on the HD channels, both as season passes:

Two weeks ago, Journeyman (HD) wasn't recorded due to "Video Signal Not Available".

This week, Heroes (HD) was not recorded due to "Video Signal Not Available".

Now, interestingly, this week I was home and watch Chuck "live" and it was fine and available to the tuner. Somehow, after Chuck it lost signal and failed to recover before the end of Heroes. It did manage to record Journeyman on the same channel, although I can't say that it didn't use the other tuner. Also, for what it's worth, I have *not* rebooted my Tivo recently. I'll double check the SW version I'm running when I get home.

*shrug*

posterChild

[got2golf]

I am having the same problem with my S2. This is not a problem with signal strength or related to HD. Shows that should record are not. I have not been able to find an answer. Has anyone else?

[bkdtv]

Isn't this getting old?

A fix to fix the fix ???

Does anyone have a handle as to why this is happening?Issues with digital tuners were fixed in 9.2.

The 9.x code wasn't a fix. Based on posts to this forum, the 9.x software adds support for TTG and MRV which Tivo intends to enable next month. Tivo added official eSATA support with 9.2.

First post here, but I wanted to document that I had the same thing happen on the same shows on the HD channels, both as season passes:

Two weeks ago, Journeyman (HD) wasn't recorded due to "Video Signal Not Available".

This week, Heroes (HD) was not recorded due to "Video Signal Not Available".This issue is fixed in 9.2.

Sign up to get it @ http://www.tivo.com/priority/.

[Dr_Diablo]

thanks for the info bkd

my esata drive will still be enabled if I allow this 9.2 update?


BTY.. I had setup to record the Nascar race yesterday... Did not record... "Signal not available"

[rmastbro]

I am having the issue with "This program was not recorded because the video signal was unavailable". (Comcast with MT CC)

How do you know this has been fixed in firware 9.2?




[QUOTE=bkdtv]Issues with digital tuners were fixed in 9.2.

The 9.x code wasn't a fix. Based on posts to this forum, the 9.x software adds support for TTG and MRV which Tivo intends to enable next month. Tivo added official eSATA support with 9.2.

This issue is fixed in 9.2.

[Dr_Diablo]

thus far with the last three "updates" have created more problems then were offered to repair...

I serious doubt that 9.2 and beyond will correct these ongoing issues

[bkdtv]

thus far with the last three "updates" have created more problems then were offered to repair...

I serious doubt that 9.2 and beyond will correct these ongoing issuesWhy do you doubt that?

I assume you want TTG and/or MRV. Significant development work was required to make that possible. That's why we have 9.x.

Tivo is continually working to improve their software. From what I understand, almost 40% of your monthly fee goes toward software R&D.

[bkdtv]

I am having the issue with "This program was not recorded because the video signal was unavailable". (Comcast with MT CC)

How do you know this has been fixed in firware 9.2?I had the problem under 9.1 but not 9.2. Others have reported the same on this forum.

Now, 9.2 has only been out a very short time, so I suppose it is possible that we've all been lucky. But I would recommend you give it a try.

my esata drive will still be enabled if I allow this 9.2 update?Yes.

[Dr_Diablo]

I'm really not too concerned with the TTG...

However I am concerned with these ongoing issues that for whatever reasons have not been resolved ...

The main issue now being that of the "Signal not available"

happening at different times of the day, and with all channels ...

I truly do not understand how Tivo can release software updates that have more bugs in them then my house does... "smurk"... or "rolls eyes" applies...

like the thread implies
"What the "blank" were you thinking Tivo...

[bkdtv]

The main issue now being that of the "Signal not available"

happening at different times of the day, and with all channels ...

I truly do not understand how Tivo can release software updates that have more bugs in them then my house does... "smurk"... or "rolls eyes" applies... I assume you have requested 9.2 (http://www.tivo.com/priority/). Hopefully, you should have it by tomorrow. Let us know if it fixes the problem for you.

[Dr_Diablo]

heck no I didn't do that... gawd, what if my poor Tivo goes belly up after the update?

give it a proper burial me thinks

[rmastbro]

I would like to get people's feedback if they think it is a cablecard or Tivo firmware, maybe adding a dB boster on cable line, or all of the above will solve this issue.

This happened last Monday night trying to record 2 shows during the same time...

This same exact recording issue occurred last week recording Samantha Who? and Hero's.

Was running verion 8.3 at the time of issue (last night firmware was updated to 9.2J)

Had my season pass setup to record ABC Samantha Who? (started at 9:30) and NBC Hero's (started at 9:00). Station was on ABC just before Samantha was just about to start meanwhile Hero's was already started recorded on NBC.

At 9:30, the picture on TV went froze and went blank/ (black image) but on front on my Tivo box it indicated that I was recording both programs. I let the program continue to record (actually nothing) just to see what would happen after is finished at 10:00.

At 10:00 both show had finished recording, the picture was still blank/blank (did not change the channel yet).

I went the Conditional access screen on both cablecards and noticed that the Auth was NOT_SUBSCRIBED. I went back to LiveTV to again a blank/black screen on ABC. I changed the channel to the next station up which worked and returned to ABC and starting to work again. Went back into the Conditional access screen and Auth was SUBSCRIBED.

I would also like to point out that I have never seen anything other and Unknown 00 in the Host Validation field. Has anyone reading this have VALID (followed by a number) ?

Hero's recored fine but I then went into the Now Playing list on Tivo and could not find any recorded of Samantha Who? on the list. I did find it under the Not Recorded list in a Tivo menu and basically told me that "This program was not recorded because the video signal was unavailable".


My gut feeling here is that both cablecards are still not paired correctly according to what I have read on these forums, maybe a Tivo firmware issue, or both.

From what I understand is, Comcast needs to do a 'validate hit' type function to the cards. They have tried the 'Init Hit' but this hasn't fixed this issue.


I am having these cablecards changed out this week when they get them in stock.


Anyone have any comments on this issue ?




Hopefully, you should have it by tomorrow. Let us know if it fixes the problem for you.

[HDRyder9]

I'd like to report that my second SA cable card failure, requiring a reboot, is absolutely, positively NOT fixed with the 9.2J release on a Tivo HD The cable cards were swapped so that the card in slot 2 was replaced by the card in slot 1 and slot 2 still fails to tune. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

[bkdtv]

I'd like to report that my second SA cable card failure, requiring a reboot, is absolutely, positively NOT fixed with the 9.2J release on a Tivo HD The cable cards were swapped so that the card in slot 2 was replaced by the card in slot 1 and slot 2 still fails to tune. GrrrrrrrrrrrrrDoes the "failure" occur on both analog and digital channels? Or just analog channels?

[HDRyder9]

Does the "failure" occur on both analog and digital channels? Or just analog channels?

The failure usually occurs when both tuners are tuned to digital channels. I haven't seen it happen if one tuner or two tuners are tuned to analog channels. It's almost like TIVO doesn't have enough horsepower to handle two digital channels at once. First, pixelation occurs, then the video freezes, then the tuner goes blank.

A reboot usually fixes the problem but in an hour or two it starts again.

[Phantom Gremlin]

I also had this problem with:

1) software 8.3
2) no signal booster on the cable RF input
3) no cablecards

Since adding #1 and #2 I haven't had any problems. I added #3 much later and still no problems. YMMV.

[MrJinxo]

Thank God this isn't just happening to me!

I have had one or both of my tuners fail. They only fail on the digital channels. The analog channels work fine but the digital ones go out. The weird thing is checking the cable card stats and the tuner stats everything looks like it's working fine. Just the signal is getting lost between them somehow. Someone above said they thought it might have something to do with both tuners being tuned to digital channels. I don't notice that that was a condition in mine failing. Actually happy to know it's likely a software issue and not hardware. The idea of having to send my HD Tivo back, get a replacement, get the cable guy back out with the cards... the horror, the horror...

And I don't know about anybody else but I got the latest software upgrade and I still have the problem.

[Dr_Diablo]

This issue appeared shortly after the last update hit the Tivo's, therefor I suspect it is software related and not an internal problem with the Tivo...

I thought it was related to the cable signal at first... Had the cable company show up for no reason...

They can't fix what ain't broke, on their end anyhow

[jon01]

it didnt record heroes last night cause one tuner was unavailable, i thought it was cablevisions fault, but apparently its tivo?