Cable Box - On/Off Status

[JacksTiVo]

From time-to-time our cable provider upgrades software to our digital cable box (Scientific-Atlanta), usually during the very early morning hours. After the upgrade is completed, the cable box goes into the "standby" mode and is unresponsive to TiVo channel changing commands initiated to record "To Do List" programs. Thus we miss recording shows especially if we are away from home on an extended visit or vacation. This also occurs if a power failure and subsequent restoration is experienced at our house. Have other TiVo users had a similar experience and is there a hardware or software solution?

A simple solution that will not work is to send an IR power "on" signal to the cable box. Unless TiVo knows the exact state of the cable box (on or standby), the TiVo initiated signal could result in the cable box going into "standby" mode if it was already in the "on" mode.

My guess is that companies such as Scientific-Atlanta are not interested in working with TiVo to fix the problem since they market their own brand of DVR.

By-the-way, I had had my cable provider install a S-A DVR early last year and then had it removed within one week. TiVo's features are so much better, that I would rather have my four year old first generation TiVo without HDTV then to continue using the S-A DVR with HDTV capability.

I recently purchased a second TiVo and love the networking features of the series 2 model.

[classicsat]

You can program a timer on the CB, or set the cable box to power on with channel changes.

[VinceA]

On the SAs from Cablevision (not sure if that's your cable company but if you're in NJ there's a good chance it is) there's a setting that will power on the box when it receives a channel change. So, if the box is off it'll power up automatically when the TiVo tries to channel change. It's worked well for me after Cablevision sends out a box upgrade that causes the box to power down

[JacksTiVo]

Dear Vince A.

Thank you very much for the solution to my problem. Yes, I have a SA cable box from Cablevision and have been looking at the settings menu for several years and was not aware that the solution was right in front of me. For those who have had a similar problem, do the following:

Using your SA cable box remote control (with TV on):
Press: Settings "Quick Settings" apprears
Press: Settings again "General Settings" appears
Using Up or Down arrows: Scroll to "Set: Power-on Keys"
Press right arrow:
Scroll up or down to: "Power and Numeric"
Press: "A" (to accept setting)
Press: Exit

Thanks again from a Manalapan, NJ TiVo fan.
Jack