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Do "Tuning Adapters" need to be "Authorized" or "Activated"?

Discussion in 'TiVo Help Center' started by commander, Jan 15, 2021.

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  1. Jan 15, 2021 #1 of 5
    commander

    commander New Member

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    May 18, 2015

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    I have a Roamio pro and a Series 3 both with cablecards and tuning adapters from Optimum On long island.

    Both tuning adapters were installed within the past year and both have the same software version and both worked ok.

    But on 12/27/20, both of the tuning adapters stopped working to unblock the SDV channels.

    I rebooted both, but only the Series 3 tuning adapter started to work OK with unlocking the SDV channels.

    When I try to tune a SDV channel on the Roamio, it says "This channel is temporarily unavailable...".

    Here is the reason for the question in the title of this thread...

    When I originally obtained the first TA for the roamio (about a year ago), optimum mysteriously added a "Cable Box" to my bill for $11/mo even though the tuning adapter was free. Six months later and a dozen phone calls I was able to get the phantom cable box removed from my account.

    Six months later I got another tuning adapter for the Series 3 Tivo and the same thing happened and I had to spend time to get the second phantom cable box removed.

    Now, when I look at my current cable bill, it shows the two cablecards that I am being charged for, but it only shows that I have one tuning adapter (no charge).

    So, I'm thinking that due to all the changes made to my account to remove the two phantom cable boxes, I'm thinking that the first tuning adapter (for the Roamio) was maybe accidently removed from my account, so only the one for the series 3 is registered on my cable account and I'm hoping that the reason why the first tuning adapter is NOT working is because it was removed from my account sometime during all those account changes to my account and the first tuning adapter kept working past those changes until some system cleanup was done on 12/27 and then it stopped working because the system de-authorized the first tuning adapter because it was not on my account.

    So, does anyone know if tuning adapters need to be "authorized" or "registered" on an account for them to work, and if so, is it a simple process of just getting optimum to register the STB s/n of the (first) non-working TA to get it working?
     
  2. Jan 16, 2021 #2 of 5
    ej42137

    ej42137 Well-Known Member

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    Los Angeles
    It may depend upon your cable system, but at least where I am, the tuning adapters do need to be activated. In fact, they will deactivate themselves if they are not connected for some period of time, and to get reactivated requires an outside intervention. I've been through the process several times, and to do it successfully requires whoever is helping you knowing what to do. Quite often they do not, and I'll have to call again to get another tech. It seems to be important to call during regular business hours, because senior tech don't work off shift.
     
  3. Jan 16, 2021 #3 of 5
    mdavej

    mdavej Well-Known Member

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    Yes they do. My cable company would inexplicably disable or remove mine from my account every few years. Always took several phone calls to get them working again. I thank God every day I no longer have cable.

    Good luck
     
  4. Jan 16, 2021 #4 of 5
    dlfl

    dlfl Cranky old novice

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    Jul 6, 2006
    Dayton OH
    Which kind of TA? (Motorola [small] or Cisco [large]). I had a Cisco TA for ten years. Several things to know about the Cisco TA’s:

    1. Don’t bother rebooting using button on the front — power cycle it.
    2. A flashing green light means trouble but even a steady green light doesn’t mean all is well.
    3. After you power-cycle the TA, cycle the USB connection and look for “Channel list received = yes” in diagnostics. You will not get proper functioning if this isn’t ‘yes’
    4. TA’s absolutely need to be authorized and re-authorized every 30 days or less. This is a separate process from other authorizations on your account and frequently is messed up. A blink pattern of 8-blinks-pause means it isn’t authorized.
    5. You can see the time/date to the second when your TA’s authorization will lapse (unless refreshed) in diagnostics. It’s in the PowerKey section and is labeled Auth Expires (I think, haven’t had a TA for 14 months now — thank God).
    6. Even properly authorized TA’s can just stop working randomly, and must be power-cycled. Some people have set theirs up with lamp timers to automatically power-cycle them as frequently as once a day. Mine used to need this roughly every 3 to 6 weeks.
     
  5. Jan 16, 2021 #5 of 5
    ej42137

    ej42137 Well-Known Member

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    Feb 15, 2014
    Los Angeles

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    What dlfl said; I automatically cycle mine every day a 4PM to get the best chance of recording prime time (and not annoy my wife who might start watching TV at 5.)
     

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