S3 won't accept remote commands

I have the exact same problem. My son reported the channels were changing slowly. Then suddenly during Last Comic standing last night, the guide info wouldn't come off the screen and the unit wouldn't respond to the remote.

I rebooted a couple times, and looked ok through dancing TiVo, but then each time it went to a blue or red TiVo menu screen that was blank (just graphics, no text) and the remote wouldn't respond.

 

Contacted TiVo support - they didn't have a clue and are going to switch my unit.

Of course, that means two to four weeks of no TV, let alone TiVo.

For something I paid $1000 for less than six months ago, I'm very disappointed. It took me over a month and a half to deal with Comcast to get cable cards, then another month of the SA cable card problem until TiVo silently sorted the problem out (and didn't bother telling anyone they'd fixed it, at least work-around wise).

So, only two months of seamless usage on the box and it's gone to crap again.

It seems to freeze the most, once I get it running with some semblence, on high-def channels. But it runs slowly through menus if I manage to TiVo Central past the boot-up THX screen in time.

I have to assume there is a poor hard drive usage/compression/cleanup going on and after all the usage, it's just a fragmented mess.

Of course, it'd be nice if TiVo would look into the many people having somewhat related problems and actually update us on what is going on, but my past experience (the SA card issue) shows that they just tend to ignore, deflect and plow ahead without caring about us, the customers who have been their marketing department since the beginning.

I may change from a TiVo advocate to my friends and coworkers to someone who warns them to avoid it at all costs, to the tune of my $1000 mistake.

 

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They don't seem to care.

There are a lot of problems with the units, it seems. I noticed at least 4 threads about it:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=359565


I have them sending me a new unit, as well, but I can forsee the major hassle it will be for Comcast to come back out and do the cablecards all over again.. plus they'll probably charge for a truck roll.

It has to be a bigger issue. I think it's a software update, as so many people wouldn't have the same problem all at the same time. My biggest fear is what the software version will be on the replacement unit - if it's prior to the SA card fix, then we're going to have those reboot issues until the next software update hits the box. Then if the current problem is the latest software, we're back in the same boat.

 

I had the same problem. However, I noticed that when the "LIGHTS" were "OFF" in the room I didn't have that problem. When they were on It seemed to happen.

Turns out, that all the lights in the room were flourescent.

How many of you have flourescent lights in the same room as your TIVO? Have any of you tried it with all your "lights" Off? Did it help any?

TexasGrillChef

 

On Monday, 7-16-2007 we experienced the same problem as described, remote unresponsive and TiVo continued to freeze even after several reboots. Have the same version of 8.3 as mentioned above. TiVo support was very responsive and quickly offered to replace the unit-new unit arrived two days later. TiVo support claimed it was a hard drive issue. Appears a lot of users are experiencing the same problem at the same time. Also, no florescent lights in the room, and we have not watched any HD programs (although were watching programs on channel 266).

 

No fluorescent lights here. The problems seems to be chiefly around High-Definition channels, although the TiVo overall is running slowly on responses.

Reboots end up with it still freezing. To get the unit up and running, I remove the cable cards (with or without rebooting) and re-insert them. It is reminiscent of the original Scientific Atlantic card problem back with 8.0 or 8.1 where the cards would suddenly go to unauthorized, and if you reseated the cards or rebooted, you'd be ok for a few days for you got the error screen again.

This issue, however, is completely freezing the TiVo up, and I've even loosing some standard def recordings because the unit reboots (probably because it is trying to channel change the second tuner to a HD broadcast for a suggestion or scheduled recording).

Awaiting my replacement unit, and then I'll have to deal with re-synching the cards with Comcast, which I am not looking forward to.

 

My Series3 is doing something similar -- twice this week I have come home to find the Series3 will not respond to any remote commands. I know it's getting a signal from the remote, because the TiVo makes the "bong" sound, indicating an error. But it won't go to Tivo central, it won't rewind, it won't pause -- nothing.

I had to unplug it for a hard reset, and then it worked fine. But I don't want to do that every day!

Is this a 9.1 issue that will soon be fixed, or should I be calling TiVo technical support about this?

 

I've had this problem twice, necessitating replacement of the unit both times. But both times the refurbished box I was provided worked great with the old cablecards. No need for comcast to do anything. Just make sure you keep track of which cards are in in which slot and use the same slots on the new unit.

The second time, before the Tivo was replaced, I had Comcast come out to check the signal. I don't think they charged me anything.

I'm on Comcast in Atlanta, FWIW.