Getting rid of unwanted channels

[mccoady]

My mom has a series 2 SA Tivo that was originally hooked up to just an OTA antenna but about a year ago I hooked it up so she could also record off of her Dish receiver. A few months after that she all of a sudden lost her ESPN channels (don't know why) and Dish had to install a small box (not sure what it was) to get the ESPN channels back. From that point on her Tivo would not record the Dish channels despite them being checked in the channels list and I believe I ran Guided Setup again but it did no good.

Anyway mom says I found out I don't really record off of Sat that much so just have it record off of the OTA locals and not show all of the sat channels on my channel guide.. So yesterday I ran the Guided Setup this time checking "antenna" and when it was all done I not only had her locals 3-8-10-12-24-33-36 but also channels 5-7-9-14-17-57 which she doesn't get. I checked in the menu what channels were checked and only the channels she gets were checked but of course the extra channels were listed but not checked.

Why is the Tivo picking up the extra channels she doesn't get?

I ran the Guided Setup a second time making a point to watch when the Tivo was scanning for channels and it only showed picking up the locals she does get even though the end result had the extra channels listed (not checked). I even changed zip codes although we all get the same locals.

Her Tivo used to get the local channels setup right before I ever messed with setting it up to record off of her Sat. I think I might have forgotten to unhook the cables between her Tivo and Dish receiver from when she was recording off of her Sat but didn't think that was a big deal.

Anyway anyone know what gives?

[pdhenry]

Is there an option somewhere to display "channels I receive" vs. "all channels" in the Guide options? You access the Guide options menu by pressing Info while in the Guide.

[mccoady]

How would that have anything to do with my Tivo since I'm just wanting it to list my local OTA channels I do actually receive in my Tivo channel list?

[DaveLessnau]

I don't know why TiVo is picking up channels she doesn't get. But, outside of sending requests to TiVo or Zap2it.com to update the lineup, the easiest way to get by is by navigating from TiVo Central:

Messages & Settings | Settings | Channels | Channel List.

Uncheck the channels she doesn't get and they should disappear from TiVo's ken.

[rainwater]

How would that have anything to do with my Tivo since I'm just wanting it to list my local OTA channels I do actually receive in my Tivo channel list?

If you change the guide options it can show you all channels, not just channels you receive. If you check the guide options, you may see it isn't set the way you want (to 'channels you receive').

[rainwater]

You also should be aware that just because one person can't receive certain OTA channels doesn't mean other people can't. This is why you will see neighboring markets' OTA channels listed in your lineup. It is very easy to uncheck these channels in the channel list so you never see them again.

[atmuscarella]

For OTA I believe a Series 2 TiVo downloads a list based on your address mine has allot of channels I don't get. Just make sure they are not checked and everything will be fine.

Good Luck,

[scandia101]

How would that have anything to do with my Tivo since I'm just wanting it to list my local OTA channels I do actually receive in my Tivo channel list?
:rolleyes:
pdhenry just told you how to accomplish what you want.

[mccoady]

My apologies but I didn't realize the stand alone Tivos were like my Direct Tivo so you could bring up guide options by pressing info so I will check on that.

Going to Messages & Settings | Settings | Channels | Channel List the only ones that are checked are the ones she does get but the extra channels (not checked) are still there.

I'll try to run back out to my mom's out in the country on Saturday and try what pdhenry suggested.

By the way there are more extra channels than I first mentioned and they are all ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS afiliates.

[rainwater]

My apologies but I didn't realize the stand alone Tivos were like my Direct Tivo so you could bring up guide options by pressing info so I will check on that.

Going to Messages & Settings | Settings | Channels | Channel List the only ones that are checked are the ones she does get but the extra channels (not checked) are still there.

I'll try to run back out to my mom's out in the country on Saturday and try what pdhenry suggested.

By the way there are more extra channels than I first mentioned and they are all ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS afiliates.

The bottom of the guide should say something like "ENTER for Guide Options". Hitting enter will bring up the options. Info will perform the same function.

[atmuscarella]

Going to Messages & Settings | Settings | Channels | Channel List the only ones that are checked are the ones she does get but the extra channels (not checked) are still there.Why does this matter? This is the only place they show up and about the only time you go into this setting is to check or uncheck a station.

Thanks,

[scandia101]

Why does this matter? This is the only place they show up and about the only time you go into this setting is to check or uncheck a station.

Thanks,
Incorrect. The program guide can display information for all channels listed on the channels I receive list not just the ones that are checked or it can display only the channels that have been checked. I believe that the all channels option is the default making it necessary to change the setting as pdhenry described earlier if you only want to see guide info for the channels you actually receive or if you want to see only info for the channels you have marked as favorites.

[atmuscarella]

Incorrect. The program guide can display information for all channels listed on the channels I receive list not just the ones that are checked or it can display only the channels that have been checked.Ok went into the guide settings and I see what you mean, all three of my TiVos only show the channels I have check, I don't know if I changed that setting sometime for the Series 2 TiVos but the TiVo HD defaulted that way.

Thanks,

[mccoady]

I never got to my mom's to try what you guys suggested but it makes sense so I'm sure that it will work.

I mentioned her Tivo was hooked up to record off of her sat but I was changing it so it just recorded off of her OTA antenna. Since starting in 2009 she will need to use a digital converter box and will to use the Tivo IR blaster cable for it to change the channels on the box, would we ever be able to record off the sat again (should we change our mind) since it also requires the IR blaster cable?

[atmuscarella]

Since starting in 2009 she will need to use a digital converter box and will to use the Tivo IR blaster cable for it to change the channels on the box, would we ever be able to record off the sat again (should we change our mind) since it also requires the IR blaster cable?Some of this is still up in the air until we see how TiVo implements using a digital converter box with Series 2 TiVos. How ever they do it I am sure you will not be able to control 2 boxes at the same time, but you should be able to control one and manually record from the other without having to move cables around. The other thing you could consider is just paying dish for locals ($5/mo I believe) and recording everything off the dish STB.

Good Luck,

[mccoady]

Thanks Atmuscarella that's what I thought that I couldn't control both boxes at the same time. I thought about just getting the locals through Dish but I think it's up to $6 monthly and my mom's a little tight (lol) so don't know if that's a real option.

I've even thought about talking mom into upgrading her older model Dish receiver to something like the Dish 625 DVR (dual tuner) but I'm not sure how hard it would be for her to record with it since she's used to her Tivo and it's so easy to use.

Can you feed a Dish receiver with a OTA antenna so it could record both locals and Sat channels or do you have to get the locals through Dish to accomplish this?

[atmuscarella]

Can you feed a Dish receiver with a OTA antenna so it could record both locals and Sat channels or do you have to get the locals through Dish to accomplish this?The VIP 722/622 HD DVRs can - they can record up to 3 programs at a time - 2 SAT & 1 OTA. The VIP 612 and the SD 625 can not they can only record 2 SAT programs no OTA.

Good Luck,

[snedecor]

Some of this is still up in the air until we see how TiVo implements using a digital converter box with Series 2 TiVos. How ever they do it I am sure you will not be able to control 2 boxes at the same time, but you should be able to control one and manually record from the other without having to move cables around. The other thing you could consider is just paying dish for locals ($5/mo I believe) and recording everything off the dish STB.

Good Luck,

The new system (series 2 only) will be able to control both (a cable or satellite box) and a digital converter box.

You will need an IR cable that has two heads. One goes to the satellite or cable box and one head goes to the converter box. One ignores the signal of the other. The satellite or cable box video output goes to the composite video input (yellow, red, white) and the converter box video output goes to the antenna input (channel 3 or 4).



Snedecor

[mccoady]

Whoa now I am confused! Are you saying with my mom's series 2 once Tivo updates their software to control a digital converter box that you can use a 2-headed IR cable to control both the converter box and sat receiver?

[scandia101]

Whoa now I am confused! Are you saying with my mom's series 2 once Tivo updates their software to control a digital converter box that you can use a 2-headed IR cable to control both the converter box and sat receiver?

That's what snedecor is saying.
I'm not sure that I'd believe it. Tivo has said very little about using converter boxes and the software update to allow for there use is yet to be released. So there is no experience for anyone to speak of having.