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Mini VOX stutters on local HD channels and regularly won't play recorded shows

Discussion in 'TiVo Mini' started by davedNconfused, Jul 21, 2019.

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  1. Jul 21, 2019 #1 of 6
    davedNconfused

    davedNconfused New Member

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    Jul 21, 2019

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    I purchased a refurbed Bolt in late 2016. Almost a year later, I purchased two new Mini VOXs but only connected one of them. Everything is hard wired via ethernet and has been working great up until some point in May where I started having two problems with the Mini. (The Bolt continues to operate without any problems at all.)

    First problem - local HD channels stutter
    Local channels play as if you're watching a damaged DVD. It'll play fine for about 2-3 seconds, then the audio cuts out and it continues to play video as if it were a slide show, showing a new frame every few seconds or so. Audio may cut in and out but only brief sounds. All other HD channels work fine and these same local channels in SD work fine as well.

    Second prolem - Can't Play Now, Please try again later
    Playing back recorded shows usually results in "Can't Play Now, Please try again later." although sometimes it will actually work for a bit but you can tell that rewinding or fast-forwarding feels a bit laggy compared to usual performance. Even when it is working, if you stop playing the show and try another, I can encounter the error.

    I haven't introduced anything new to my network. I've simplified my network arrangement to isolate any issues as well as performed a hard reset of all network gear, and have spent hours with TiVo support reps explaining the problem each time and going through restarts and connecting to the TiVo service. They had me open my unused mini and set that up in a different room but it also has the same problems. The last thing they advised was to introduce signal attenuators to drop my signal to noise (snr) ratio which it did but it made no impact.

    They are now advising that I buy a new mini as a troubleshooting step but I'm not convinced that's going to solve the problem. I mean what are the odds that Mini #1 was working fine for over a year then developed a problem that Mini #2 had right out of the box? This leads me to what is common among them, a software upgrade, the bolt, the network, the cable feed, or something else?

    Streaming tv is becoming more attractive. With Xfinity On Demand and HBO streaming not supported, I was already warming up to the idea of making a change once this hardware became obsolete. I'd like to continue my 9+ year relationship with TiVo so I'm hoping someone here can give me some ideas to try out.
     
  2. Jul 21, 2019 #2 of 6
    krkaufman

    krkaufman TDL shepherd

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    re: “can’t play now.” You might search the forum for others with similar symptoms; using any listed error codes can help in the searching.


    See also:
     
  3. Jul 21, 2019 #3 of 6
    Sneezy58

    Sneezy58 New Member

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    Feb 14, 2018
    I had the same identical problems you are having now. Everything worked perfect until Tivo did a software upgrade in May. I complained and Tivo sent me 3 mini voxes to no avail. All had the same problems. I then replaced the hdmi cable and ethernet cables. Didn't work, so i then spent $400 on a new and better Arris modem and Orbi router from Best Buy and returned the one i had to Spectrum. I also unplugged my surge protectoe and plugged it into a different outlet and also moved my powerline to another outlet. I need the powerline for Ethernet connections to my mini vox. After all that my mini vox works like perfectly. No assistance from tivo customer support who don't do anything except read off instructions on a computer sceen. I suspect that my old Spectrum modem/router didn't have enough bandwidth to push whatever the tivo software update did. I also may have had an intermittant power issue through my wall outlet, which is why i switched outlets on everything. I hate that all this cost me a fortune and when my Tivo eventually dies, I will be looking for other Dvr solutions. People shouldn't have to waste all their time and money for a plug and play tivo mini vox. Start with switching outlets and cables first before upgrading your router and modem. If those don't work buy a new router and modem. I pd to have Best Buy connent both through Spectrum because I was tired of having to figure things out. My call also had to escalated at Spectrum because Spectrum's tech support couldn't figure out how to connect a nonSpectrum medem. So I was glad the Best Buy guy was here to talk Spectrum.
     
  4. Jul 21, 2019 #4 of 6
    krkaufman

    krkaufman TDL shepherd

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    As was highlighted in the other thread to which you’ve posted, there’s a decent probability that using Powerline was your issue; and it remains possible that you could be using a much more reliable and higher throughput MoCA connection for your boxes. It’s surprising that TiVo Support offered to exchange any equipment so long as Powerline was involved. (It can work, but it’s not officially supported.)

    edit: p.s. ... none of which should diminish the premise that a software update may ultimately be at fault.
     
  5. Jul 21, 2019 #5 of 6
    Sneezy58

    Sneezy58 New Member

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    MoCA requires coax cable connections in all rooms. I do not have Cable. I'm on the antenna. I'm not convinced it was or is rhe powerline. I still believe it is the software push. It's too coincidental that the problems began right after the software push.
     
  6. Jul 21, 2019 #6 of 6
    krkaufman

    krkaufman TDL shepherd

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    To have all the boxes networked via MoCA, yes, they’d all have to have connections to the shared coax plant; however, a mix of MoCA and Ethernet works, and even if all the boxes can’t get wired via Ethernet or MoCA, it’s best to get as many wired as possible.

    Also, TiVo’s MoCA works with OTA or cable signals, and an OTA TiVo setup can be networked via a cable Internet connection; just need coax lines.

    (Of course, I can’t speak to what’s possible with your setup, having zero knowledge outside some of the devices involved.)
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2019

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