[chrison600]

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've posted or visited here. I'm a long term TiVo user, dating back to the early 2000's when DirecTV used TiVo equipment. I've since dropped DirecTV and have been on Time Warner > Spectrum for about the past 10 years, but have maintained a TiVo environment.

A couple of months ago I migrated from a Roamio Pro (upgraded by Weaknees) as my primary TiVo unit to an off the shelf Edge. I do not know when, but at some point the "premium" channels stopped working. I noticed about 6 weeks ago and since then have had a rotating support effort going with Spectrum. Multiple tuning adapter changes, multiple site visits, changed from a "grandfathered" Time Warner subscription to a current Spectrum bundle, etc. So far the premium channels have not been able to be restored.

I was just about to start looking into whether this Edge is faulty but after visiting TiVo Community again, I see I am not alone. I've read through a few of the posts regarding issues with Spectrum connections and would like to see if I can get some help here...

Basic environment:

* 1 x TiVo Edge, 1 x TiVo Lux, 2 x TiVo Minis (The Lux replaced a failing Mini)
* All networked via CAT6 across a Gigabit switch connected via Spectrum Internet on my own modem, download speeds of about 400 Mbps
* Main drop into the house is connected to an Antronix VRA901 amplified splitter
* The connection to the Edge/TA has been tried both through a passive two-way splitter and via both directly connected to the amp (Currently via the passive after a phone tech instructed the on-site tech to do so)

I've tried multiple different disconnect/reboot combinations. Cold boot/power disconnect both, various restarts and reconnects, etc. No improvement.

This is the third TA sent to the house and I currently have my 5th (?) site visit scheduled.

No tech can determine/locate a signal issue. I seem to be in a perpetual loop of the site tech determining a TA issue and the TA/phone tech determining a site visit is needed. Round and round and round again.

Right now the TA diagnostics say:

Tuner: -4
FDC: 4
RDC: 38

Is there anything else I can offer as far as information?

Can anyone help me?

Chris

 

[chrison600]

Update: Site visit #5 resulted in the tech suggesting another (4th) tuning adapter. I'm now scheduled for site visit #6 later today, supposedly with the tech team bringing another TA along with a cable card (which I had to remind the phone agent to have them bring). I do not have high hopes.

One additional piece of possible diagnostic information:

With the tuning adapter disabled, I can tune channel 511 (standard HBO). With the tuning adapter enabled, 511 will not tune. None of the other premium channels tune in either condition.

 

[cannonz]

Unfortunately I have no idea what it could be, but on more info your location might help (maybe someone on same system had or has same problem).

 

[chrison600]

Austin, Texas area.

 

[cwoody222]

The hardware is not broken.

Stop letting them get away with delaying by saying the TA is busted.

Demand a supervisor who knows what the heck he’s doing and don’t let them leave until it’s fixed.

 

[cannonz]

I assume they hooked up one of their boxes and it worked properly.

 

[chrison600]

I assume they hooked up one of their boxes and it worked properly.

Negative. But that's an interesting idea. We used to have a Spectrum DVR out here. Had it because I was researching playback quality issues between TiVo, Spectrum DVR, and Blu-Ray. Pretty bad pixelation on playback from TiVo. Spectrum DVR did not show any discernible difference. Blu-Ray was fine. Sent the DVR back a few months ago. I assume it's compression issues on the inbound from Spectrum.

 

[chrison600]

Tech visit #6 was rescheduled for today. According to the tech who was scheduled for yesterday's visit, the only way they can bring a new Cable Card/Tuning Adapter to a site is if they pick it up first thing in the morning, so the visit from yesterday was rescheduled for today (4pm local). The tech from today did not bring a CC or TA. According to that tech, techs are not allowed to carry CC/TA equipment because it is considered the property/possession of the subscriber. In other words, according to the tech today, the tech from yesterday was telling a fib.

That tech just left after determining that all signals and connections were ok.

I'm now to call to request a new CC and TA to be shipped to me...

The saga continues.

 

[chrison600]

One more interesting thing:

Sometime within the past +/- 24 hours, the TiVo channel selection popup and the TiVo error messages started including the Grande Communications logos, and the error messages now prompt the reader to contact Grande rather than the generic "service provider."

I have never spoken with anyone from Grande Communications and this home has never had any services or equipment provided by Grande.

Might this mean that the serial number of the Cable Card and/or Tuning Adapter that is/are currently active are somehow registered with a range used by Grande?

 

[jmbach]

What are the lights on the TA doing.

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

 

[302481]

Everybody is seeing the Grande message now. It’s a bug and unrelated to your issue. 99.9% chance your card isn’t actually paired or TA is disable on cable company end.

 

[chrison600]

What are the lights on the TA doing.

Solid.

 

[chrison600]

Update:

The package from Spectrum containing the "new" Tuning Adapter along with the DVR and Cable Card arrived today. I spent about an hour on the phone with tech support regarding how they wanted me to implement/verify the new equipment. That tech told me (as others have also) that the Cable Card is irrelevant to the issue of not being able to tune "premium" channels. According to the tech if the Cable Card is bad or not properly paired, nothing will tune. Regardless, we verified the pairing of the current/existing Cable Card. It is correct.

We are now on Tuning Adapter #4. Let's call the TA's #1, #2, #3, and #4. The old TA #1 has been returned to Spectrum (weeks ago). We discovered that the serial number for TA #3 was not associated with my account. It was still showing the serial number for TA #2. We tried removing TA #3 and going back to TA #2. No joy. No change. We then tried changing to TA #4 (the unit that arrived today). No joy. No change. That TA is currently flashing a pattern 8.

We then confirmed that I was able to receive premium channels via the SpectrumTV app, which is loaded on an AppleTV connected to the same media hub/room as the TiVo Edge.

At that point, the phone tech punted back to scheduling an on site. I am now scheduled for on site visit #7, next Tuesday.

I now have three TA's in house, TA #4 is connected, flashing pattern 8. I also have a Spectrum DVR and Cable Card (both still in the package).

At this point, this is becoming a joke. I'm no longer frustrated really. Just laughing at it all. When the on site tech was here last Saturday (Mar 13) he phoned in specifically to verify that the serial number for TA #3 was associated with my account. Obviously that was not done, as the S/N for TA #2 was still on my account today.

TA #2 does not seem to connect/stabilize at all. It remains flashing even after being connected for days.
TA #3 would go to solid, but not change the tuning issues.
TA #4 will not go solid, but is currently flashing a pattern 8. No change to the tuning issues.

(Is it just me, or do other people hear Niska from Firefly saying "Not so solid" everytime you use the word "solid?")

 

[jmbach]

Update:

The package from Spectrum containing the "new" Tuning Adapter along with the DVR and Cable Card arrived today. I spent about an hour on the phone with tech support regarding how they wanted me to implement/verify the new equipment. That tech told me (as others have also) that the Cable Card is irrelevant to the issue of not being able to tune "premium" channels. According to the tech if the Cable Card is bad or not properly paired, nothing will tune. Regardless, we verified the pairing of the current/existing Cable Card. It is correct.

We are now on Tuning Adapter #4. Let's call the TA's #1, #2, #3, and #4. The old TA #1 has been returned to Spectrum (weeks ago). We discovered that the serial number for TA #3 was not associated with my account. It was still showing the serial number for TA #2. We tried removing TA #3 and going back to TA #2. No joy. No change. We then tried changing to TA #4 (the unit that arrived today). No joy. No change. That TA is currently flashing a pattern 8.

We then confirmed that I was able to receive premium channels via the SpectrumTV app, which is loaded on an AppleTV connected to the same media hub/room as the TiVo Edge.

At that point, the phone tech punted back to scheduling an on site. I am now scheduled for on site visit #7, next Tuesday.

I now have three TA's in house, TA #4 is connected, flashing pattern 8. I also have a Spectrum DVR and Cable Card (both still in the package).

At this point, this is becoming a joke. I'm no longer frustrated really. Just laughing at it all. When the on site tech was here last Saturday (Mar 13) he phoned in specifically to verify that the serial number for TA #3 was associated with my account. Obviously that was not done, as the S/N for TA #2 was still on my account today.

TA #2 does not seem to connect/stabilize at all. It remains flashing even after being connected for days.
TA #3 would go to solid, but not change the tuning issues.
TA #4 will not go solid, but is currently flashing a pattern 8. No change to the tuning issues.

(Is it just me, or do other people hear Niska from Firefly saying "Not so solid" everytime you use the word "solid?")

Which cableCARD/TA combination do you have. Motorola or Cisco/Scientific Atlantic?

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

 

[chrison600]

Which cableCARD/TA combination do you have. Motorola or Cisco/Scientific Atlantic?

Cisco/SA

 

[302481]

8 blinks is "service disconnect" or "brick" mode. Steady is "ready".

I've had about a dozen TAs in my life, and every failure was due to a setting on the cable company's end. I've never had a bad one and doubt that any of yours are bad either. You just haven't found the right person on the other end of the phone who understands how cable cards and tuning adapters work.

 

[mattyro7878]

Honestly they are thinking "if we just keep lying to the guy he will rent our box and thats that." Also...you need to get angry. BBB, local state or federal representative, FCC, you name it. You have been patient and polite but this needs to be solved today. You know somebody eating a ham and cheese sandwich in some headend somewhere could fix this in under a minute. Good Luck!!

 

[chrison600]

Update:

Site visit #7 on Tuesday Mar 23 resulted in no change except for the tech was able to get TA #3 to lock. That did not change the channel availability. After about two hours I was told that another site visit would need to be scheduled, during which that on site tech would coordinate via phone with a remote tech who would work as a team to try to discover if there was something remote that needed to be changed. In order to facilitate that appointment, I was told that the on site needed to be scheduled to begin in the 2-3pm time slot because the remote tech came on shift at 2:30. That is a difficult time slot for me because I provide transportation at 3pm and 6pm for an office visit. Each trip is about one hour. We scheduled for Thursday Mar 25 in the 2-3 time slot, which I had to change to Friday Mar 26 - yesterday.

Site visit #8 (yesterday) resulted in no change. The tech was nice and courteous, and apparently from a higher tier level of support, but had no background on the situation other than there had been previous site visits. When I inquired as to whether there was to be any coordination with a remote tech, there was no awareness of that commitment.

This tech did some in house checks, then ran dedicated wiring from the tap to an in-truck tuner, then a dedicated wire run from the conection at the wall of the house to the same in-truck tuner and was able to tune premium channels that way. He then ran that dedicated wire from the outside of the house into the media room to the Edit: passive {amplified} splitter in order to bypass the interior wiring in the house. No change.

We then made the changes necessary to revert back to the old Roamio as the primary TiVo (switching coax connections, USB from TA, cable card re-pair). The Roamio also could not tune premium channels.

We reverted back to the new Edge and the site tech did some looking into TA diagnostics. He relayed to the phone tech that the TA was not getting an IP. The phone tech then advised to get yet another CC and TA. The site tech forcefully asked the phone tech if this was typical to cycle through so many TA's trying to get one to work and was told yes.

Last night I phoned in to order another CC and TA and was told by the phone tech that seeing as how I was looking at three TA's, one of which was active and locked, it was not the TA. We did the typical reboots, moving the USB cable to a different TiVo port, etc. No change. That same phone tech then placed an order for me for another CC and TA, but also advised me to seek technical support from TiVo. It was her opinion that there was a TiVo issue, not a Spectrum issue.

Seeing as how we have an Edge and a Roamio that will not tune premium channels, I find that difficult to believe, but here I am anyway, looking for support from the TiVo community...

Ideas?

 

[jmbach]

...This tech did some in house checks, then ran dedicated wiring from the tap to an in-truck tuner, then a dedicated wire run from the conection at the wall of the house to the same in-truck tuner and was able to tune premium channels that way. He then ran that dedicated wire from the outside of the house into the media room to the amplified splitter in order to bypass the interior wiring in the house. No change....

Does this mean that it worked or did not work. If it did not work, could it be your amplified splitter causing the problem.

 

[chrison600]

Does this mean that it worked or did not work. If it did not work, could it be your amplified splitter causing the problem.

My apologies. The bypass wire was run to the passive 2-way, not the amplifier. I have corrected the post.