Brand new TiVo HD grey screen

[t325]

I just got a brand new TiVo HD and hooked it up. I am NOT using Cable Cards, just analog for now. But all I get is grey! Grey on the channels, and even the background in the menu is grey. I get nothing. The cable works fine if I hook it into the TV. Any ideas? Thanks

[kdmorse]

You've likely run into a known quirk. If you've got a day to kill, you can catch up on it in the following thread: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=365824

Short version, there's an unknown series of events that can confuse the unit, resulting in no video, not even in the menu backgrounds. This series of events seems to be mostly confined to a users first few days. Odds are, when setting a TivoHD up for the first time, you *will* trip over them. Odds are, in the first few days, you will trigger the quirk a couple of times.

A reboot returns video and restores proper operation. Once the unit is set up and stable, the problem in most peoples cases, is never seen again. (Or at least, perhaps once every two months).

I believe buried somewhere in the thread above is a comment from tivo saying they've found the cause, and will fix it.

Edit: If you've repeatedly rebooted, and never get the background menu's even right after a fresh boot, that's different.

-Ken

[t325]

Yep, I rebooted and all seems well.

So any word on when TiVo will fix this?

[kdmorse]

Hey all, this thread was brought to my attention and I wanted to let you all know that we're aware of the issue, have been able to replicate it, and are working on a fix.

Our apologies for the inconvenience, and as always appreciate the detailed reports here on the forum. They're always helpful in tracking down these corner cases.

Pony

Tis all we know.

-Ken

[t325]

Thanks!

[dianebrat]

I'll add my comment,
I was one of the people that had it happen in the first week 3 times, but after updates and guided setup was all set, it's never done it again, that's almost 3 months solid, no additional gray screens.

[t325]

Thanks.

A quick unrelated question. When I rerun guided setup to change my cable company (I'm back and forth between home and college and will probably take my TiVo with me for extended stays at home during the breaks), will it automatically update my season passes to the new channel number?

[mrjosh]

Had the same issue with my new HD. I rebooted last night and everything seems fine now. I don't know if it has to do with using analog (I saw someone else had mentioned that), but Time Warner comes today to set up my card(s). I'm excited to finally use my Tivo HD for its intended purpose.

[daverdfw]

Had the same issue with my new HD. I rebooted last night and everything seems fine now. I don't know if it has to do with using analog (I saw someone else had mentioned that), but Time Warner comes today to set up my card(s). I'm excited to finally use my Tivo HD for its intended purpose.

I am having the same issue, but my analog will go out after like 20-30 min. I am debating calling tivo today.

[jebbbz]

I have experienced this, too, and read up on complaints about it here on TCF. There appears to be some evidence (including my own experience) that the problem arises when you spend a lot of time going through the menu system. This you do when you first set up your Tivo (it happened to me twice the first day I had my unit) and again if you go through cable card installation (happened to me then too). There is a seperate problem that involves Tivo HDs and Scientific Atlanta MCards that can be fixed by going into the CC menus and occasionally I have had the loss-of-video problem when I finished the fix and exited the Tivo menu system.

[TheGreenHornet]

I just had the same problem with Fox 29 via OTA. I was flipping through the menu often between all the fluff and commercials on American Idol. The Tivo box got very annoyed with me and just displayed the gray screen only when I returned to FOX. Everything else worked but FOX. A reboot of the Tivo box the next morning brought back Fox 29.

[Audiodynamics]

I just received a THD about two weeks ago. Comcast came out the Thursday before last to install an M-Card. During the CC install, the THD spontaneously re-booted while the cablecard was downloading data. A little later I realized that while channel surfing, the THD spontaneously and randomly re-boots. I asked the cable installer to try a different CC. He didn't have another CC, so he departed and went back Comcast to get more cable cards from the shop. A few hours later, he came back with two S-Cards. I sent him packing and told him, "I'd try it for a few days and see what happens"

I called TiVo and the CSR said to remove the cablecard and do a cold re-boot. That didn't fix the spontaneous random re-boot issue. The CSR had told me if that didn't work, remove the cable card, re-run the guided setup and see if it the re-booting continues with no cable card installed. The CSR said if the issue persists, they will replace the THD with a new unit and cover the round trip shipping. That's pretty good customer service!

Whether connected to basic cable without any cable card installed or with the M-Card installed, the THD still randomly reboots, it re-boots while channel surfing and it suffers from the GSOD frequently. I let it run a few days with no CC. Even after it received a firmware update the problems persisted.

So, it's currently on its way back to TiVo, to be replaced with a NEW THD.

I still don't know if any undiscovered issues exist with the M-Card from Comcast?

[bmgoodman]

Just saw this yesterday setting up a new Tivo HD for my parents. The reboot brought the video and backgrounds back. Then when I was trying to specify the channels, the unit rebooted. Twice. So back in the box it went. Second Tivo HD exhibited none of these symptoms.

Edit, 6/9
They just called this morning to tell me that the Tivo HD is completely frozen, with "blocks of color" all over the screen. They had to pull the plug and restart it. Now I'm wondering if they should (A) take no action yet, (B) exchange this unit for another, or (C) return it and never look back....