Can't seem to get signal on some channels need advice

1363 Views 8 Replies 7 Participants Last post by biosci, Sep 17, 2007

biosci

Discussion Starter · Sep 15, 2007

Hi guys,

With my S3 tivo HD unit, i'm getting a message that says 'Searching for signal on: Basic Cable In - See 'messages and setting'/trouble shooting for more info' on many channels. Not all of them.

Anyone have any idea? At first I thought it was the cable line and we ran another one from the source to no avail. Could it just simply be the signal strength or should comcast come and change out cable cards? I don't know? There are just a lot of gray screens with the tivo now and nothing is recording properly (unless you want to watch a gray screen).

All advice greatly appreciated.
Mike

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jfh3

· #2 · Sep 16, 2007

Switching out the CableCARDs would be the last thing.

If the cards are paired properly, then have Comcast come measure your signal strength as it feeds the Tivo box.

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guitar7272

· #3 · Sep 16, 2007

I just went through this myself... I would get most of my channels but I'd grey screen on some of my HD channels. I went to bestbuy and purchased a bi-directional signal amplifier (so it doesn't kill my cable modem) for around 30 bucks. Problem solved.

Give it a shot, hope it helps some!

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jrm01

· #4 · Sep 16, 2007

guitar7272 said:
I just went through this myself... I would get most of my channels but I'd grey screen on some of my HD channels. I went to bestbuy and purchased a bi-directional signal amplifier (so it doesn't kill my cable modem) for around 30 bucks. Problem solved.

Give it a shot, hope it helps some!

Actually I would suggest an in-line signal amplifier just prior to the tivo (or a ampified splitter if you have a split there) and leave the modem alone and on a separate leg. A hot signal to the modem can keep knocking it off-line.

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Gregor

· #5 · Sep 16, 2007

Is this on one or both tuners?

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biosci

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 16, 2007

I think it's on both because when I test each cable card in the menu, it does the same thing (Gray on some, works on others). I called comcast and they came and checked things out. They found out that my main line in to my house had a low signal (about 15 points too low). So with the splitters to each jack in the house and the internal splitter for tivo, the unit was barely getting anything. We only have 2 active tvs in the house but 4 jacks in the house. He temporarily switched out a 4 way splitter into a two way to get more signal strength into the tivo and then placed a line call for the main line for the union comcast people to come and boost / adjust the signal outside of my house. We'll see what happens after that....

But so far, with the temp fixes, all is good and I'm getting TV!!

Mike

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Kablemodem

· #7 · Sep 16, 2007

There are a couple of channels, Military and one of the Discovery channels, that I get on one S3 and not on the other.

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lethcoeb

· #8 · Sep 17, 2007

Today I actually had a loss of all premium channels on both tuners, requiring a call to Comcast to resend the activation signal(s) to the CableCards.

I maintained the lower channels (2 - 78) and the non-premium HD channels, but lost everything else.

One CableCard immediately received the activation signal, while the second one took some time, but eventually all channels were restored.

In the future, if you do have a previously properly paired system and channels go grey, you may want give a call to the provider - may not be a signal strength issue.

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biosci

Discussion Starter · #9 · Sep 17, 2007

When I had the gray channels, it was random. Like I said earlier, I wouldn't get analog fox or WGN, but then I'd get the digital HD versions.

Comcast can just resent the 'code' from where they are at and not have to send a tech? That's handy, you just need to call them then right?

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