TiVo HD - missing channels

Try getting both Tivo and your cable provider on the same line - the problem seems to be improper pairing/authentication by the cable company. Tivo CableCard support number to call:
1-866-986-8486 given in this thread:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=362005&highlight=CableCard+Support

 

I would call tivo customer service and ask for their cablecard section. They will be able to walk you thru the cablecard diagnostics to help identify the problem. If needed they can initiate a 3-way call with comcast to try and resolve it.

 

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Arggh, sorry, link fixed.

 

If they had the same pairing/auth problem as before, the box swap was most likely a red herring and a waste of time.

I am just amazed at how many techs fail to properly install CableCARDs and ensure the right info gets to the authorization folks.

 

It would help if the techs knew what they were doing. In my experience most don't. I'm at the point now where I don't want the techs to touch anymore than they need to. They last time I had a tech touch any cables, I had to reterminate them myself because he didn't know how to do it properly and screwed it up. The same with the cable cards. The tech couldn't even figure out how to remove them. I finally did get a tech that knew what they were doing and got my cable cards working. Now I'll have to go through the same crap with FIOS. At least I'm only going to use the Fios cable cards with my TiVoHD initially so hopefully dealing with one box will make it easier on them. So far the way verizon has been with the scheduling doesn't leave me with any confidence that they will know what they are doing either.

 

I'm having the same issue... analog and digital channels are just giving me a black/grey screen. After doing some diagnostic work with Tivo (everything with Tivo, the CableCard and signal are all good) and doing a verification with Comcast and our service, I was told the problem most likely was due to incompatibility with the macrovision protection used by channel providers. She said with the software patches they've been releasing 80% of the customers have had the issue resolved while I must still be in the 20% that do have the issue. She went on to say that there was no release date of the new patch but if it wasn't patched within two weeks I should call back.

The only strange thing is if I pull the CableCard out the analog channels comes through fine.

Any comments on this?

 

If you pull the CableCARD and the analog channels are fine, that most likely means that your system uses ADS and that what you think are analog channels (below 100) with the CableCARDs are actually digital.

The Macrovision line sounds like BS, but I don't know.

First thing - do you have single stream cards or one multistream? Are you CERTAIN that the cards are paired/validated properly? (If you aren't sure, post what it says on the Conditional Access screen for each card)

 

Turns out all I needed was to talk to a clueless Comcast person who did as I asked. Instead of arguing with me or telling me "that's not the problem" she verified all the codes and then re-initialized the card per my request and boom... it worked.

 

I'm having the exact same problem with my TiVo HD on Comcast in Richmond, VA. I'm missing about 30-40% of my channels below 100. I'm only getting a random mix of HD channels -- for example, I get MTV HD, but not Discovery HD. I'm not getting any of my premium channels (HBO & STARZ). Also, on ESPN HD, I'm able to see video but no audio.

Any ideas? Comcast has been out to my house twice. I've called Comcast several other times to verify that the Host ID, Card ID, etc. are all correct in Comcast's system.

This is so frustrating. TiVo is about to go back to Best Buy.

 

I am also in the same situation. Missing channels under 100 and some HD channels.

CC1 works perfectly fine while CC2 fails to get all the channels. I've verified that the CCs are paired properly, and I am going to double check that tmr.

I know my CC slots work because the first tech activated CC2 first and then CC1. At that point CC2 got all the channels and CC1 didn't. Tech two replaced all the CCs and now CC1 works. Tech three just sat on the phone and didn't get anywhere. CC2 is stuck in "Waiting for EMMs" mode.

Any additional suggestions would be helpful as I am setting up for a fourth truck roll...

 

I'm having the exact same issues, missing channels etc, been on hold with Tivo for over 20 minutes now with no one picking up. Is this fairly standard for Customer Service when you have an issue??

I am looking at my CC 2 Cable Card pairing menu and the host / data and UnitAddress fields are all zeros.

If someone doesn't pickup soon this puppy is going back to BestBuy tomorrow morning as soon as they open. Comcast was freaking useless when i called of course, spoke to 2 different people and one of them gave me the, "well we don't support your Tivo, the cable cards ARE working properly" spiel.

This is ludicrous, I thought that this standard was setup by CableLabs so that ALL cable card devices complied and worked properly??

The conditional Access screen on CC2 has CA enable (not possible)
Component PIDs are ALL zeros

Host Validation is Unknown 00

I'm a n00b here with the HD Tivo but for all appearances this card is not paired properly.


EDIT::

Have Tivo and Comcast on the line at the same time, been on for a hour and 20 mins so far and 3 reboots. Comcast said "let me try to pair it from a different system".

I must say this is incredibly painful even for me understanding that comcast has no idea how to support the cable cards.


EDIT #2::

They worked with my Tivo CCs from the Comcast and Tivo end for 90 minutes and the end result was shipping 1 M card, and 2 S cards with my truck roll for Monday and I am calling Tivo back while the guy is here. Sigh..... this blows.

 

I have this problem too. Have had two truck rolls and also had the tech, comcast and Tivo all on the line and Tivo offered to replace unit. The replacement unit came and it has the same missing channels. Tivo reports my signal is 45-50 which is bad, but their tech says the signal is good.

I am going to call comcast Monday and see what else can be done. I have noticed over the last few days that their signal has been crappy during the day. Yesterday I couldn't use on-demand and today I can't get FOX HD.

This is an ongoing saga and neither Tivo or Comcast have any idea how to fix.

 

I'm at four truck rolls

At least the last tech is still trying to work on it. He called me on my cell and says he'll be back out tmr with a new card if things are still broken.

 

Just posting this "for the record".

Have TiVo HD (the expensive one) with two Comcast (Motorola) CableCards. Card in slot 2 works great.

Slot 1 is where the problem is. Have replaced the card in that slot 4 times now.

THE SLOT IS NOT THE PROBLEM. Think I've ruled that one out. Putting the card in Slot 2 in Slot 1 works well. No problems.

ALSO, signal strength is fine. Consistently receive above 90, usually 92 - 96, according to the TiVo. Strangely, this is true even on channels that aren't available (gray screened).

Here are the symptoms of what's happening:

1. Insert card, call Comcast. They initialize it and tell me to wait 10 to 30 minutes for all the channels to be available. In reality it takes about 2 or 3 hours before all channels above 100 are available.
2. A few hours later, channels in the HD range begin to disappear. It seems to be random as to which ones.
3. Soon, all channels above 99 are missing again.
4. Call Comcast who reinitializes (reprograms the card). They say wait about 30 minutes and all channels will be available. At first 105 and 107 tune in. Then, 206 (Mojo) is available and some of the channels in the 231 and above range are available. BUT, no other channels can be tuned.
5. Time for another call to Comcast.

I'll try to keep you posted on what happens over the next few days as I slog through this. I'm on my 4th CableCard, four visits from Comcast, and countless calls.