[ronenbu]

I have tried looking for a similar post in this forum but with no avail - so my appologies if this subject has been raised before

I have a Tivo HD with a Motorola m-card using comcast (Redmond, WA area), and when watching any hidef channel and mostly when fast forwarding through the commercials when there is a black pause in the video (like between commercials), or whenever the video signal changes drastically (like in a case where in NCIS one of the guys use a flash photography...) the tivo box is (what looks like) loosing the 1080i signal and recycle it for a couple of seconds (showing black screen) until it comes back normally. I had a comcast HD dvr before tivo and never saw such a problem with it.

Any ideas about whats going on? I have set my video settings to hybrid 1080i/480p and it didn't help, even setting fixed 1080i doesn't fix the issue..

any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[robm15]

I got a new Westinghouse TV a week ago, and had exactly the same problem when using the component inputs. But when I changed to S-video the black screen issues while FF went away. After a week I couldn't stand it any more and took the Westinghouse back to the store and got a Vizio, now I have no problems at all, and I'm using the component inputs.

Before returning the Westinghouse I tried everything you listed and none of those actions fixed the problem.

Have you changed anything in your setup since the trouble started? Try different inputs/outputs between the Tivo and TV and see if the problem continues. Out of curiousity, which input/output are you using?

 

[bkdtv]

This is a known issue with some Westinghouse LCDs.

 

[aaronwt]

Why not use the HDMI or DVI with the Westinghouse? I have a series 3 and a TiVoHD and have never seen this problem with my 37" 1080P Westinghouse.

 

[A J Ricaud]

Why not use the HDMI or DVI with the Westinghouse? I have a series 3 and a TiVoHD and have never seen this problem with my 37" 1080P Westinghouse.

Same here. HDMI to DVI adapter from S3 to 32" Westy in the bdrm.=0 problems.

 

[ronenbu]

So I'm not alone in this...

My setup is the tivo hooked up to a yamaha receiver via component connected to the Sony read projection TV, I will try connecting the tivo directly to the TV by passing the receiver - but unfortunately the TV has only one HD component input and I have the xbox and a DVD I would like to switch to...

Do you guys think chaning to a different tivo box/cable card would help? or is this a TV/receiver/Tivo bad combination??

thanks!

 

[hummingbird_206]

So I'm not alone in this...

My setup is the tivo hooked up to a yamaha receiver via component connected to the Sony read projection TV, I will try connecting the tivo directly to the TV by passing the receiver - but unfortunately the TV has only one HD component input and I have the xbox and a DVD I would like to switch to...

Do you guys think chaning to a different tivo box/cable card would help? or is this a TV/receiver/Tivo bad combination??

thanks!

I have the same problem with my Series 3 and Panasonic 42" Plasma. I thought maybe it was the TiVo, but while watching a DVD with a Samsung DVD player I had the same problem, so I now "think" it's the HDMI input on the TV. I'm also using an HDMI switch, but before I put the switch in place I saw the problem with just the TV and TiVo. Could be that the switch is amplifying the prob since I've had the TV and DVD player for over a year and just started seeing the problem with the DVD player, but just saw it once. Not a big enough deal yet for me to do anything about it.

Also, the audio isn't interrupted when the screen goes black. And when watching TiVo input, I can rewind and play that part that was black and the picture is then ok, so again, looks like the TiVo is ok, it's just the TV

 

[robm15]

So I'm not alone in this...

My setup is the tivo hooked up to a yamaha receiver via component connected to the Sony read projection TV, I will try connecting the tivo directly to the TV by passing the receiver - but unfortunately the TV has only one HD component input and I have the xbox and a DVD I would like to switch to...

Do you guys think chaning to a different tivo box/cable card would help? or is this a TV/receiver/Tivo bad combination??

thanks!

Well, to troubleshoot your problem, you may want to bypass the receiver and hook the Tivo directly to the TV and see if the problem does disappear. When did the problem start, did you change something or has it always been that way since you bought the Tivo and/or TV?

 

[robm15]

Why not use the HDMI or DVI with the Westinghouse? I have a series 3 and a TiVoHD and have never seen this problem with my 37" 1080P Westinghouse.

I would have kept the Westinghouse 32" tv, but there was another problem that pushed me over the edge, sometimes the TV would reset it self for no reason or turn off for no reason. I only had the TV for six days, and decided that having two unique problems (screen black while FF, and resetting while viewing) with the TV in that period of time was to much for a new TV.

 

[ronenbu]

Well, to troubleshoot your problem, you may want to bypass the receiver and hook the Tivo directly to the TV and see if the problem does disappear. When did the problem start, did you change something or has it always been that way since you bought the Tivo and/or TV?

thanks robm15, The problem started as soon as I connected the tivo box. it is exactly as hummingbird_206 described - the sound keeps on going while the screen goes black and "recycle". Maybe a new TV is in order?

 

[ronenbu]

Try setting the "video output format" to fixed instead hybrid (either 720 or 1080 depending on your tv). This worked for me. My problem was with a Vizio. No more blue screen in between screens, etc.

Yeh, I tried that... the unfortunate thing is that when watching 480i/p sd shows, upscaling them to 1080i (when using tivo fixed 1080i video format), squash them into the 16x9 display and my TV is 4x3, using aspect on the tivo box can't fix it as the tv will only show 1080i in 16x9 with top/bottom bars on the sony TV...

 

[robm15]

thanks robm15, The problem started as soon as I connected the tivo box. it is exactly as hummingbird_206 described - the sound keeps on going while the screen goes black and "recycle". Maybe a new TV is in order?

I hate to say it, but a new TV might be in order. Do you have access to another TV to try the Tivo on it? I'd bet it is the TV though.

 

[ronenbu]

I hate to say it, but a new TV might be in order. Do you have access to another TV to try the Tivo on it? I'd bet it is the TV though.

You think so? how come I didn't see this with the comcast HD DVR?

In any case I feel a trip to Costco coming

 

[hummingbird_206]

You think so? how come I didn't see this with the comcast HD DVR?

In any case I feel a trip to Costco coming

I had the Comcast HD DVR before I switched to the S3. I had so many problems with the Comcast DVR that I can't remember if this blank screen thing was one of them. How sad is that?

 

[ScottE22]

Glad to see this thread... I've noticed that for some shows it's VERY noticeable (Journeyman?!?) and on some shows (Heroes) I don't recall seeing it much (if at all).

I found this thread as well that deals with the same issue. I have a Phillips LCD 26" TV circa 2005 and TiVo HD is connected with a component cable. I'll try switching to HDMI tonight and see if there's a difference.

Glad other people are experiencing it because I thought it was my TiVo (which would be an inconvenience) or - worse - Comcast (which would be catastrophic since every time they come to my house to "fix" something they leave behind two new issues).

 

[ronenbu]

Glad to see this thread... I've noticed that for some shows it's VERY noticeable (Journeyman?!?) and on some shows (Heroes) I don't recall seeing it much (if at all).

I found this thread as well that deals with the same issue. I have a Phillips LCD 26" TV circa 2005 and TiVo HD is connected with a component cable. I'll try switching to HDMI tonight and see if there's a difference.

Glad other people are experiencing it because I thought it was my TiVo (which would be an inconvenience) or - worse - Comcast (which would be catastrophic since every time they come to my house to "fix" something they leave behind two new issues).

Hey ScottE22, you are not alone I'm still having the issues and they are appearing on 480p as well (last episode of my name is earl was almost half black...), I'm right now on my way back to costco to replace the tivo unit to see if it help (I connect it straight to the tv bypassing the switcher and it didn't help), if this doesn't do it, I'll exchange the cablecard. I'll also check if reducing the amplification or putting another splitter (as suggested by the thread you pointed out) will help. I'll report back later on tomorrow.

 

[ScottE22]

Seems kinda funny that we're looking for ways to attenuate the signal... I love technology!

 

[davel77]

I have the same issue, but there is no problem when I bypass the switcher. did anyone find a solution?

BTW, none of my other 1080 devices have had this problem through the switcher.