How I overcame my single bad channel problem...

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... without spending any money.

So, there was a couple of people in the Atlanta area (me included) getting Comcast basic analog cable service with our dual tuner S2s and having a problem getting channel four clearly (had the same problem with my S1, too, though). This is a major issue, as 4 is our Fox affiliate, and therefore accounted for half the programming I was recording (House, 24, Simpsons.... and I admit it, American Idol).

The VCR tuned channel four just fine, as did the TV. This is clearly a Tivo problem (mediocre tuner) that they refuse to fix (I have another Tivo that tunes it just fine, but it's an 80 hour S2 as opposed to my new 180 hour DT).

So, since we never use the VCR anymore, I tuned it to channel four and connected the line outs to the line in on the Tivo. Then I lied to my Tivo telling it I had Dish Network with the local channels option. After going through all the setup, and lying about how Tivo was tuning the satellite box just fine, I deleted every single satellite channel from my channel listing except for the local Fox affiliate (WAGA).

That didn't quite do it - all the season passes wouldn't change to the new channel. So I had to delete the "real" channel four from the channel list, which (very nicely) automatically changed all my channel four season passes to the "satellite" channel (what it thinks is 5737).

The end result is that, soley for channel four (the single problem channel), the Tivo switches to my VCR which is left on channel four. I can even still watch a video tape (I haven't in years, but I could), I just couldn't do it while the Tivo wanted to record from channel 4 (5737 now, actually, according to Tivo).

After a little experimenting, this is working great as it automatically selects line in/cable depending on the channel.

I'm sad I had to go through this, and Tivo won't own up to and fix a mediocre turner (I guess it depends on where they were getting their parts from at the time), but it's definately a workable solution and I'm happy to see clearly after watching the first four hours of 24 all mangled.

 

I can prove I'm gfxguy! Just not to you, perhaps.

Anyway, all I have to do is link to this other thread to prove it.

I'm really dissatisfied with the Tivo's phone monkey's reaction to my problem. He didn't even deny that it was a problem with the tuner, but he refused to RMA it or pass me on to someone else because he was "100% sure" that a new Tivo would have the same problem, even though my older S2 got that channel just fine.

I guess it's a matter of who Tivo is buying parts from at the time the unit is constructed. The argument is that, since it was working, that it was comcast's fault.

Comcast says that since every other tuner in my house is tuning that channel just fine, it's Tivo's fault (which I happen to agree with).

Since no one would help, I pondered going digital or retrying satellite (I had Dish a while back). But why should I spend $35 or more (over $50 for digital cable) because one stinking channel didn't work? So I came up with this work around.

I'm happy because it's the first time I'm seeing this channel clearly in months, and it works integrated with the Tivo fairly well.

BUT I am sad because it shouldn't have to be this way. I probably spent over $100 trying new cables and connectors and amplifiers before realizing it simply wasn't going to work. I could go hook up this Tivo at the pole and it'd still not tune channel 4 well.

Tivo's got me under contract for a while, but I will be exploring other options in the future. MythTV is already quite good and offers some things Tivo doesn't. The hardware for a good Myth box is less and less expensive as time goes on (my personal computer is more than good enough - and someday I'll upgrade to a new box, so there you go). Tivo was just easier, though, but after all the time and money I spent getting one channel to work, I don't care anymore.