Losing non-digital channels daily after update

cambler · 12-11-2008, 11:53 PM

Ever since the 11 update, my S3 box with CableCard has been losing analog channels almost daily.

The analog channels provided by my cable company (BroadStripe, formerly Millennium Digital Media) are 2-99. 100 and up are their digital channels. They can be tuned. Any channel 2-99 will get the banner at the top and then immediately clears to a black screen.

A reboot is necessary to get them back.

Again, this started right after the 11 update. I've called Tivo support, but it tells me the wait is over an hour, so I'm going to have to pick a time this weekend to sit around and wait for them on this.

Anyone else experiencing this? Any clue as to the cause? My S2 boxes (using cable boxes controlled by serial) are just fine. Only my S3 box has this problem.

cambler · 12-12-2008, 11:17 PM

UPDATE: Tivo customer service says that this is a KNOWN ISSUE after the update, they have quite a few reports of it, and they're investigating.

My HD box is bricked as far as analog channels go about 50% of the day until I get home and reboot it every day, so I hope they hurry.

njmnguy · 12-13-2008, 03:47 AM

Oh wow, thanks. I had my own thread on this problem, and I had tried a bunch of things. I thought the problem was someone using Native video mode instead of Hybrid, but it's likely it was actually the reboot that fixed it for me.

Not a fun problem when most of the shows I record are from 2-99.

RoyK · 12-13-2008, 04:37 AM

My two week old TiVoHD is losing ALL channels daily. I get only a gray screen usually until I call the cable co and have them 'hit' it again. Sometimes, however, the channels come back without a call. Reboot doesn't help. I'm on my third cablecard and 4th cable company truck roll now.

Software is at V11. Using Motorola M-Card

BTW this is my second TiVoHD since Thanksgiving - the first one locked in a power up cycle on the second day I had it and was returned to Amazon.

mikestanley · 12-13-2008, 12:18 PM

I am having this problem as well. I only get analog channels from my cable company and get HD OTA. Every day I lose all the analog channels and the only thing that brings them back in a restart, which I have done every day since I got the update last Sunday.

I tried a cold reboot last night hoping it would help, but I'm guessing it won't.

If it is a known issue, I hope it gets fixed quickly, since I've already lost a handful of recordings during times when the channels were lost.

BubbaFett · 12-15-2008, 12:19 AM

I just got a refurbished TiVo HD a couple days ago (software version 11) and might be having the same issue. How does it present itself for you? I don't have cablecards installed yet (Comcast is coming tomorrow to install), so right now I just have the cable from the wall plugged into the TiVo. All the analog channels are just black, but the digital channels provided by Comcast as part of their Basic Cable package come in just fine. I had to do a Channel Scan in order for the TiVo to even know the digital channels exist--I still get no program guide info for them, though.

Before I discovered that I could at least see the few digital channels, I found that rebooting did restore the analog channels for a few minutes. If left alone for a while, I'd later find that the TiVo had the 30-minute buffer filled (on both tuners), but the picture was frozen when at the most-recent end of the buffer. If I rewound backwards to watch video from the buffer, it would work, but neither the picture nor the timeline bar would update until I hit Play again. I'd hear the ba-doop ba-doop, see the two green arrows indicating I was fast-forwarding or rewinding, but the marker in the timeline wouldn't move and the picture wouldn't change. Once I hit Play, though, it would essentially "wake up" and jump to the new position.

I did the hard drive test and it passed with no errors. I'm hoping that cablecard installation makes the whole problem go away, but isn't it just supposed to work without cablecards?

Additional info:
* I'm not using a splitter on my cable
* If I run the cable straight into my TV, the TV can tune all the analog and digital channels flawlessly.

What behavior do y'all see when you lose analog channels? Anything like my clumsy description above?

Thanks.

mikestanley · 12-16-2008, 11:44 AM

An update on my continued problems. After seeing all analog cable channels (the only thing I get from Knology - I do HD via OTA) disappear every 24 hours for several days, I did a cold reboot by pulling the power cable out of the UPS. I left the Tivo off for a few minutes then powered it on again.

After a day passed with no problems I thought I was out of the woods. After 48 hours passed I figured that was definitely the case. However, within the next 24 hours, I'd lost all analog cable channels again. I restarted the Tivo (via the menu) again and again, within 24 hours, I'd lost all channels again.

So something is still broke. Just not sure what else I can do about it.

BubbaFett · 12-16-2008, 11:54 AM

I should update my status too: I got the cablecards installed yesterday (more or less...they're configured wrong due to a different issue with Comcast--they'e only set up for Basic Cable, but I also subscribe to Digital Classic, so I'm currently also missing all the Digital Classic channels), but the same problems remain with the analog channels. I haven't tried a cold reboot yet, but I've done a "warm" reboot which, as others have also seen, fixes the problem temporarily. I consistently lose analog channels within a couple hours.

Guess it's time for a call to TiVo. Great.

vreug · 12-16-2008, 12:35 PM

I Just got a Refurb TivoHD a couple of weeks ago and just within the last week I have been having this same problem. All of my cable channels are a blank grey screen. I have to restart the Tivo each evening when I get home from work. I hope they come up with a fix soon. Thanks for the info above. I was going to call Tivo today but will wait since it is a known issue.

BubbaFett · 12-16-2008, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vreug

I was going to call Tivo today but will wait since it is a known issue.

If you have the time (and patience!), it might be worth calling TiVo anyway. They might still not have a solution, but I would guess the more customers gripe about it, the more likely it is that we'll see a fix soon.

RoyK · 12-16-2008, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BubbaFett

If you have the time (and patience!), it might be worth calling TiVo anyway. They might still not have a solution, but I would guess the more customers gripe about it, the more likely it is that we'll see a fix soon.

Please do call TiVo. Get this problem on their radar. Get a case number too.

BubbaFett · 12-16-2008, 11:11 PM

I called TiVo tonight and the lady with whom I spoke confirmed that losing the analog channels is a known issue. No word as to when they expect to have it fixed (but, in her defense, she's with the CableCARD hotline division, so probably not her expertise...I called the hotline to resolve an unrelated CableCARD issue--I know it's unrelated since I had the problem before the cards were installed), but she did say she'd forward my issue on for whatever that's worth.

neonzebra · 12-22-2008, 01:42 AM

I've been having this issue for about a month now. Can't say for sure if it's only been happening since the last software update, but it sounds about right. I've had Comcast come and replace my cablecards twice. Second time was just this morning and when I came back home, the problem appeared again. Will call TiVo customer service tomorrow morning.

BubbaFett · 12-22-2008, 05:03 PM

I've started a thread in TiVo's forum for this issue:

http://forums.tivo.com/pe/action/for...ostID=10412815

I couldn't find any other posts on their forum about it, so I figured it couldn't hurt to post about it there, too.

Jstkiddn · 12-22-2008, 05:34 PM

I also had this same exact problem this morning with my less than a week old TiVoHD. I had no analog channels but could still get all my digital and high def channels. I had to reboot the TiVo and the problem was fixed.

FWIW, thought I would mention I am using two Motorola S-cards. Cable company couldn't get the M-card to work so they agreed to let me have two S-cards for the price of one M-card.

Jim_Z · 12-24-2008, 01:32 PM

I manage my parents Series three TiVo. They live twenty miles from me but I assured them it was "bullet proof". They have OTA only- no cable. About a week ago they started complaining that the analog channels were black. I had them reboot the TiVo and all was well for a few days. Last night I received another call- the analog channels were again all black. A reboot again fixed the problem. The digital channels were fine.
I saw this thread today. I called TiVo. They first wanted me to remove the cable card. When I told him it was OTA only he put me on hold for 5 minutes to "research" the case. When he returned he told me it was a known problem and was being worked on. So much for bullet proof!
Side question- can any one point me towards an application that would allow me to get into TiVo Central?. I know how to remotely schedule recordings via TiVo and I have loaded on my parents PC desktop TiVo for transferring recordings but I want to have all the functionality of TiVo Central. This is a WiFi enabled TiVo and I have remote access to my parents PC via Remote Desktop.
TIA,
Jim

Rikkster · 12-30-2008, 07:44 PM

I'm losing the analog 1-99 and all the digital except 200-299. A reboot fixes it temporarily.

enkil76 · 01-04-2009, 10:11 AM

A reboot doesn't seem to help my Tivo anymore. Missing a bunch of different channels. I am going to call TWC and Tivo but I am guessing, since it happened after it, that this is all related to v11. Anyone get information on when a fix might be coming? A month without numerous channels seems excessive.

ciper · 01-04-2009, 05:09 PM

How are all of you sure that 2-99 are analogs? Many cable companies have ADS (analog digital simulcast) so your cable card map could be either digital or analog for those low channels.

mikestanley · 01-05-2009, 06:00 PM

I'm sure 2-99 are analog because I only have analog service.

sbourgeo · 01-05-2009, 09:23 PM

This happened to me again today. TiVo HD with analog cable and no cable cards.

elstonhill · 01-05-2009, 10:51 PM

I called TIVO several days ago about my TIVO suddenly not showing any channels, just gray. This may continue and hour or two and then it comes back. Other times I go to my TIVO and when I switch channels I suddenly lose everything. Twice I rebooted which made the problem disappear for several days.

When I called TIVO, they insisted it was the Cable Companies fault. They wanted to blame the cards or the signal from the Cable Company. When I told the TIVO tech that none of us had this problem until the software update, she told me that the software update could not cause the problem. I insisted she write up the fact that many of us thought it was a software issue.

I called my Cable company, WAVE Cable. They were so much more helpful. The tech I talked with said they had had a bunch of people have this problem after the update. He offered to send someone out to check out my signal. Two men from the Cable company came today. Just after they came, my service failed again. It worked on all the other TV's in the house and my cable company DVR. They checked and I have a strong signal. They said that they had come out to other houses after the software update. They said that since the software update the multichannel cards no longer work properly. They put in one single card and said they would come back tomorrow with another single card since they only had one with them. I guess I wil get charged extra for the second card.

I will update you if this resolves the issue.

I've loved TIVO for so many years and love this TIVO except that it is very distressing to not get some shows because of this issue.

ciper · 01-06-2009, 04:31 AM

I'm glad this thread exists. On the day I replied to this thread I lost my analog channels for about an hour. My digital stations still worked during that time. I assumed it was a cable card mapping issue but since some of you are only using analog and it happened count me in as experiencing the same issue.

RoyK · 01-06-2009, 04:59 AM

I too have been losing all my channels to gray screens since the V11 update. I've called TiVo 6 times. I'm on my third TiVo and fourth cable card trying to resolve the problem. Mine hold for 15 min to an hour after the cable company sends a hit then disappear when I change channels. They will come and go after that. Mostly they are gone. The diagnostic screens show pairing is ok, they are authorized, SNR is fine yet changing channels tells me I need a cablecard - even on analog channels!

Boxes #2 & 3 work fine without the cablecards.
Box #2 worked fine with the card for the week or so it had V9.4b software. This started happening immediately after the V11 upgrade.
(Box #1 was returned because it hung in a power-up loop).

I have 2 case numbers at TiVo - #10342260 when I first reported the problem, #10503130 for the same problem on the refurb TiVo that they sent me.

My cable company also tells me that this is happening to other TiVo users since V11 and indeed is also happening on a TiVo HD that they bought to troubleshoot the problem.

wagswvu · 02-20-2009, 01:43 AM

I just got my Tivo a few days ago and all most immediate noticed this issue. So I called Tivo and after two hours on the phone I got somebody who told me about the new patch 11BE2, which after manually connect to the services was downloaded. I thought the 11.BE2 patch was helping, but the last couple of days I still loose my SD channels within a 24 hours period (it's usually when I go to bed and wake up in the morning, SD gone). The sad thing is I finally got my cable company to come out and install 2 cable cards so I can get access to my HD channels and I thought I read in a post that if you used digital cable you could workaround this issue. That seems to only be half true, as you just never lose any digital-only channels, so if I didn’t need to watch any of my SD channels all would be good. I might stick it out till the last part of my 30 day period and if nothing has improved I might take it all back and go back with the cable company DVR. I have a 3 day business trip coming up and I will have to make other arrangements to record my show which is very frustrating!!!!!! This is what I bought it for!!!!!!

enkil76 · 02-21-2009, 09:56 AM

I still have the problem. What is this going on almost 2.5 months? Anyone hear anything on a fix?

wagswvu · 02-21-2009, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enkil76

I still have the problem. What is this going on almost 2.5 months? Anyone hear anything on a fix?

Well Tivo knows it's a problem.. However I don't know why it's taking so long to fix it... The last time I talked to Tivo they told me that version 11.BE2 was supposed to fix it. I was one of the lucky ones who got it , but it doesn't seem to fix the issue totally as, I still loose all non-digital channels it just doesn't happen as quickly... So I am getting very frustrated

bkdtv · 02-21-2009, 02:02 PM

TiVo representatives are telling people over the phone that a fix is in testing now, and that users can sign up to help test it. If what watssvu says above is true, then TiVo still needs help to get the fix working right.

If you want to help TiVo test a fix, sign up at TiVo's Field Trials site. Be sure to use the same screen name that you use here, so TiVo knows that you are experiencing the problem.

Signing up is no guarantee that TiVo will pick you, but it increases your chances from none to potentially much greater than none if they recognize you as having a problem for which they are testing a fix.

I would encourage all that are experiencing this problem to sign up above. Once again, use the same screen name that you use here.

wagswvu · 02-27-2009, 12:01 AM

When I came home today. I noticed my Tivo had the "Pending Restart" so I rebooted it and noticed my software version changed from 11.0b.E2-01-2-652 to 11.0b-01-2-652. So I don't know if this update is any better then what I had in terms of the non-digital channels issue.

E94Allen · 02-27-2009, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wagswvu

When I came home today. I noticed my Tivo had the "Pending Restart" so I rebooted it and noticed my software version changed from 11.0b.E2-01-2-652 to 11.0b-01-2-652. So I don't know if this update is any better then what I had in terms of the non-digital channels issue.

We are waiting long enough (without rebooting) to find out for sure if 11.0b fixed this issue or not.