CableCard woes in Phoenix with Cox

GMcDowellJr · 12-13-2008, 06:07 PM

Recently I've been having various channels drop with a message from my TiVo S3 saying something about the CableCard (sorry I can't remember what it said exactly but maybe it won't matter so much in a bit). The problems where with both HD and SD channels.

The channel loss that caused us the most grief, unsurprisingly, was TNT on both 26 and 726 (SD and HD).

Losing just the HD channels I could start to understand but losing the SD doesn't make much sense. Aren't the CableCards only there to decode the HD channels?

I called Cox and the operator sounded like he knew what he was talking about and told me that they were working on new CableCards (due in a few months he says) and that, in the meantime, I would need a decoding or cable box. Not interested in the cable box of course so I had them come out the next day (shocking) to install this decoding box (what that was I had no idea but I assumed it was something that would sit between the wall and the TiVo).

When the technician came out he had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned the decoding box so he started a typical examination of the system and concluded rather quickly that the CableCards needed to be replaced. Something about the SDV that I hadn't paid any attention to. In retrospect I think we jumped the gun on this decision.

He was negative about CableCards from word one claiming that they just don't work well and that it's basically a crap shoot getting them hooked up. (This still surprises the hell out of me.) We were able to get the first MCard working but the second wouldn't take (and that was after I convinced him that I did, in fact, need two cards regardless of the multi-stream) and he only brought out a couple.

Another guy came out to help and he was more negative about CableCards than the first but at least he seemed to know more about them than the original guy did. Still nothing on the second card and having exhausted their supply of cards the only option they had for me was to schedule another technician. This time I don't get an appointment until Thursday (seems suspicious that the first one was so immediate but this second one is nearly a week later).

I went online and started reading up about the CableCards so I'd know what was going on next time. I found the CableCard hotline TiVo has and plan on calling them for help.

I just got a call from the original cable guy about the issues we were having (again surprised) and he said that his manager told him that putting two cards in wouldn't work and implied that it was the TiVo's fault. When I tried to explain how the unit works and how it had been working on other channels just fine before he came out he again said that there was nothing they could do and did I want to cancel the Thursday appointment.

I didn't cancel it of course but now I need to know what's going on so that I can lead the conversation instead of letting them tell me it just won't work.

Any advice or information you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Rolow · 12-14-2008, 09:27 AM

I'm bumping this in hopes some one can give you good advice. Where the techs that came out cox employees or a contractor?

As for your conversation with the CSR I'm not aware of the new cable cards they spoke off. As for the decoder box its commonly referred to as a tuning resolver. They will be provided for free from cox when they become available. You should have received snail mail from cox about the tuning resolver an the implementation of SDV (switched digital video). There is a lot of info on this board about both. In its simplest sdv allows cox to add more channels. SDV went live here in Phoenix a few months ago and you might have noticed quite a few channels disappear with the tuning resolver you will get those channels back.
here is a thread about sdv in phoenix.
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb...hlight=phoenix

GMcDowellJr · 12-14-2008, 09:46 AM

The tech was a Cox employee, or at least he drove in on a Cox truck so I assume he's not a contractor.

I think you're right about the CSR referring to the SDV box. I'm pretty sure that this is not what was causing my issue unless they put TNT on that list! The tech forwarded me an email attachment (attached if it helps) about which stations are affected by the SDV.

I've been reading more on the forum and around the web but I can't figure out why there's such a problem with the CableCards. The failure rate of these things seems to be extremely high and I have a hard time believing it's the cards fault (can't imagine SA or Motorola would put out a product this defective). It's got to be user error doesn't it? Or are the cards as bad as the cable techs say they are?

He left out the card that wouldn't take and it looks like it's used. It has a date on it from July of 07 so I doubt it's new. I can see how if the unit were used it might have issues (not properly configured, damaged, etc.) so I think I'm going to call Cox and see if I can get a tech who's dealt with TiVo's before and knows what's going on and see if they'll bring out a new CC (still in the box preferably).

I never realized how much we used the second tuner until now. I guess the only thing I can do is keep pestering them until we get it working.

Rolow · 12-14-2008, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMcDowellJr

I've been reading more on the forum and around the web but I can't figure out why there's such a problem with the CableCards. The failure rate of these things seems to be extremely high and I have a hard time believing it's the cards fault (can't imagine SA or Motorola would put out a product this defective). It's got to be user error doesn't it? Or are the cards as bad as the cable techs say they are?

Before I got my tivo I think I was paying $28 a month for my cox hd dvr now I pay them $2 for 1 cable card so I don't think they want them to work. I have good and bad installers 2 that had no clue and 2 that seamed to be experts. I would definitely call cox and get them to send some one with experience. Usually they will walk in with a had full of cable cards because they know not all of them work.

Supermurph · 12-14-2008, 12:50 PM

Just double checking .... Do you have the Tivo HD (Series 3) that is black or do you have the silver Tivo S3? If you have the Tivo HD, the tech was correct that you only need one M-card. You only need two cards if they are S-cards AND you have the original S3. The original S3 was designed to use single stream cards, but they should work with M-cards (and then ... I'm not sure if you actually need two M cards or not, but I would guess no).

I can't tell for sure from your description, but you may be having an issue that was very prevalent until a few months back where most channels will black out and you will get partial recordings unless you restart. That issue was fixed with a firmware upgrade. You can check your card firmware by doing the following:

Go to Messages & Settings, Account & System Info, Cable Card Decoders, Configure Cable Card 1, Cable Card Menu, SA Cable Card Diag Screen.
Look for the item names "OS Ver". This should be "PKEY1.1.12_F.P.0401"
If you have 2 cards, you should then check the same for the 2nd card.

If you don't have that firmware, I suggest calling Cox and asking them to push the firmware to you card(s). This might be frustrating as the first people may not know what you're talking about. So, enter the call with some patience. I've found that with Cox, I get more help being nice and rational, but I'm sure others could give you reasons for the opposite. ;-)

GMcDowellJr · 12-14-2008, 01:19 PM

I got the silver S3 from (weaKnees.com) so, unless I'm missing something, I need two cards (S or M). Right? From what I've read either 2 S-cards, 2 M-cards or a combination (though the M-card is supposed to be in the first slot). All Cox seems to be using are M-cards so one more, that works, should get things back to normal again.

I checked the card like you suggested and it does have the firmware you listed.

My problems don't sound like anything I've read about. The channels that dropped out were all over the place, SD and HD alike. At first I thought the cable was just out as had happened in the recent past (I was only checking my more frequently watched channels) but then I realized that some of the channels (both SD and HD) were just fine.

I'm now wondering if the cards where working (after-all, how would they become defective sitting in the unit) and that the problem was something on the other end. I doubt that both cards would go bad at the same time.

I tried restarting before I called Cox of course but that didn't make a difference. I guess the unit could be bad but it's not very old (about a year and a half at the outside).

Supermurph · 12-17-2008, 08:50 PM

I'm not an expert. So, I can't offer too many other thoughts. One thing I have though is a signal booster that Cox installed. I wonder if you just have a weak signal on some channels. If you've had Cox out to your house, I'd expect that they would find that though. Whenever they come to my house, they seem somewhat obsessed with checking the signal and calibrating the booster.

crazi4tv · 12-17-2008, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMcDowellJr

I got the silver S3 from (weaKnees.com) so, unless I'm missing something, I need two cards (S or M). Right? From what I've read either 2 S-cards, 2 M-cards or a combination (though the M-card is supposed to be in the first slot). All Cox seems to be using are M-cards so one more, that works, should get things back to normal again.

I checked the card like you suggested and it does have the firmware you listed.

My problems don't sound like anything I've read about. The channels that dropped out were all over the place, SD and HD alike. At first I thought the cable was just out as had happened in the recent past (I was only checking my more frequently watched channels) but then I realized that some of the channels (both SD and HD) were just fine.

I'm now wondering if the cards where working (after-all, how would they become defective sitting in the unit) and that the problem was something on the other end. I doubt that both cards would go bad at the same time.

I tried restarting before I called Cox of course but that didn't make a difference. I guess the unit could be bad but it's not very old (about a year and a half at the outside).

One issue that can cause a loss of various channels is a signal problem, which can be confined only to an outlet, a splitter or is coming into your home from outside. "In digital television systems, several variable bit-rate data streams are multiplexed (aka mux) together to a fixed bitrate transport stream by means of statistical multiplexing. This makes it possible to transfer several video channels simultaneously over the same frequency channel, together with various services". The channels you are missing may be transmitted in the same data stream, channels which you are receiving are transmitted in different data streams.

As for one of your earlier posts asking if Cablecards are for decrypting only HD channels; no. The primary purpose of Cablecards is to decrypt any encrypted channel that you subscribe to without the need of a cable company issued set-top box. You also mentioned if Cablecards have a high failure rate. My opinion is that the problem is not with defective Cablecards, but instead the problem is with how the card is installed. Occasionally a Host device will not recognize the Cablecard, but when that same Cablecard is inserted into another Host device, that Host will recognize the card immediately.