After Mcard install comcast box error

teachastro · 08-08-2011, 11:35 AM

Ok,I ordered a tivo Premiere and wanted to keep my old comcast box purely so I could still access On Demand. People on this forum told me I could split the cable coming from the wall and send one end through the tivo into one input and the other cable going to the comcast box into another input. After the comcast tech came to install the MCard for the Tivo, it works perfectly fine. However, after he left I hooked up the comcast box to the other split cable and attached it to another input. That isn't working, however; and it says "One Moment Pleaes" and "ref code S0a00". The tech made a comment about low signal strength but he gave the presumption he fixed the issue. I know this isn't a comcast forum, but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this or knows what I can do to solve the problem.

Thanks for your time!

lpwcomp · 08-08-2011, 01:09 PM

What kind of cable box is it?

Check all of the connections. Check the signal strength on the TiVo. If you swap the TiVo and box connections, does it change anything?

teachastro · 08-08-2011, 01:43 PM

The cable box is relatively old, a "General Instrument". We first had a Standard def rear projection tv for the last 8-10 years. We also had a tivo series two strung together with this cable box so we could still record channels. We upgraded to the new tivo premiere so we could watch/record hd channels. I didn't think I had to upgrade the box, since it's not a big deal if On Demand is in standard def.

The signal strength on the tivo is good, not great, ranging from 75-88 on different channels. I swapped the cables between the two and the tivo still worked fine... cable box still doesn't.

lpwcomp · 08-08-2011, 01:57 PM

Don't take this question the wrong way, but are you sure you have the cable attached to the input of the cable box rather than the output?

lpwcomp · 08-08-2011, 02:12 PM

Looking at the layout for the General Dynamics DCT1000, which is the only one I found, there is a CableCARD sized slot identified as "reserved for future options". Does this box have or did it have a CableCARD installed?

teachastro · 08-08-2011, 03:35 PM

I'm too confused to take any suggestion the wrong way! Just to be sure I plugged in the cable (the one coming from the wall that's been split) into the four different rf connections. The first connection was "Cable In"... this didn't have any channels appear or On Demand... just that screen I discussed earlier. The next connection was "To RF in"... which was the same screen as above. Similarly, the connection labeled "To Tv/Vcr" didn't result in anything different.

However, on the connection "RF In" I did get a picture via the cable box on all my channels, however the On Demand (channel 1) still didn't come thru (but maybe that takes time to load?). The problem though, is when I had it on that connection the tivo input no longer go any channels... it's like they switched places.

As far as the box goes, it says "General Instrument Interactive Digital Communications". I honestly can't find any model or anything but it looks like the model DCT2242. It looks like there is a slot and it says "Video Card"... but we've never had any kind of cable card plugged into it.

Thank you so much for the help thus far!

lpwcomp · 08-08-2011, 04:25 PM

On the cable box, there needs to be a short piece of coax connecting "RF In" to "RF Out".

lpwcomp · 08-10-2011, 09:42 AM

BTW, I didn't make up the requirement for the connection between "RF In" and "RF Out". I found it here.