[tt881]

Hello. Twice now I've managed to get a TiVo HD into a mode where no video displays. When I say no video, I mean no video. The menus appear but the background light bulbs video is missing -- just black screen. The unit continues recording, but you can't play any videos and live TV is just blank. It's as if everything is working except MPEG playback. This doesn't happen spontaneously, but I'm unsure of the sequence that causes it. A reboot cures it. Running the latest (c) system.

Anyone else seen this? Thanks.

 

[aaronwt]

Yes. I saw this when I had my TiVoHD for use with just analog recordings. the box had a problem with a signal that was too strong and this would be the result of that. I went through a several boxes to get one that worked properly. All the boxes I tried that had serial numbers with 802C and 802D had this problem. I finally got a box with 802F and 803 that were newer that didn't have the problem. OF course it doesn't matter anymore since I only using them now with FIOS and all digital channels.

 

[rcamille]

Have either of you upgraded the internal drive?

I posted a similar problem a couple of days ago, but there were no replies to the thread. Here is an excerpt of my problem, which is similar.

I have a TiVo HD which was upgraded to a 500gb drive last week using winmfs beta 5. I did an mfscopy. The upgrade was completed one day before software version C was automatically downloaded. I am on Cablevision of Long Island with NDS Cards.

On two separate occasions, the unit has blacked out.

The first time I was changing the video setting from native to 1080i and when I hit the Live TV button, the screen was just black. It did not tune to anything. If I hit the TiVo button, the menu came up, but there was no background - just black.

The same thing happend on another instance when I was doing a wishlist search. Once I was done with the search, i hit live tv and the same thing happenend.

The only way I could figure out to remedy the problem was to restart the system and rerun guided setup (but of course the cable cards did not initiate properly on reboot, so I needed to remove them and reinsert them).

Has anyone else experienced this problem? Is it because I upgraded the drive or is it the new C software version? or just a bug that I coincidentally found 2x this wekeend.

 

[tt881]

At least in my case, I don't believe that analog or digital recording modes have anything to do with this. The problem occurs during menu manipulation or changing modes between live video / playback video / menus -- I am not sure of the sequence yet. It does not happen when the remote is not currently being manipulated.

Once in this mode, everything seems normal except the black background to menus (instead of the normal MPEG bulb video) and lack of live or recorded playback -- just black screen when you try. Live video shows normal channel banners, but again, the video is black and no channel audio. Recordings in progress are intact when checked later, at least so far. A simple reboot restores normal functioning, no need to repeat Guided Setup in my situation.

This feels like a timing issue. As you know, you can often see the MPEG background movie come on a fraction of a second after hitting the TiVo button from live mode (for example) as the MPEG playback engine comes on. Somehow the box is wedging in a mode where it thinks MPEG output is in progress but it really isn't.

My box is from new stock within the last couple of weeks, unmodified, running the (c) release. I've seen this blackout effect twice over the last couple of days. Since I've had the box so short a time, I have essentially no experience with it under the earlier (b) release so can't assert whether this problem appeared with (c) or not.

 

[tt881]

Additional thought on this. Note that normally, when leaving recorded program playback when you hit the TiVo button, there is usually a brief flash of a black screen as the top menu slides in, just before the background video commences. I believe this problem relates to some timing issue at that point, but once in that mode you can't get out without a reboot. This is assuming a lack of hardware problems, of course. As noted, I've seen the problem twice over the last couple/three days.

 

[rcamille]

We are definitely experiencing the same problem.

Since you have not upgraded your drive, I can rule out my new hard drive as the culprit. I never had this problem with the b software version.

It has to be something with C software upgrade. We need to get the word out to TiVo. Please call in your problem and I will do the same.

 

[cody_dingo]

I'm having this issue as well, exactly as described. It's happened to me twice in the last week.

I bought my TivoHD from DVRUpgrade, with a 250gb drive in it.

 

[tt881]

Any specific suggestions on the best way to report this issue? I have not been overwhelmed with the telephone support staffing so far. I'm still trying to find someone who understands how to change privacy preferences for example, and I am not confident that a detailed technical problem report like this will get through their front line phone folks intact.

 

[rcamille]

Any specific suggestions on the best way to report this issue? I have not been overwhelmed with the telephone support staffing so far. I'm still trying to find someone who understands how to change privacy preferences for example, and I am not confident that a detailed technical problem report like this will get through their front line phone folks intact.

Not really, except to ask to get transferred to a senior troubleshooter. Perhaps it woudl be worthwhile to start another thread asking if anyone has an inside track to a knowledgeable technician. It has to be a bug in the C Software update.

 

[joneSi]

Same problem here on my THD upgraded with 750gb drive. I have the original drive intact, and would go back to it, but it looks as if the upgrade didn't do it. Could be a software issue. Mine never did this before, only with the new software (C2 or whatever the latest as of 9-12-07 is). I don't think it is upgrade related, but then again there may be a little something that was missed in the mfstools goodies for the THD

joneSi

 

[tt881]

Again, my unit is new, case never opened, completely unmodified. So your hardware upgrade is almost certainly not related to this issue ...

 

[sergiu]

exactlly the same. brand new unit with c software unmodified

 

[rcamille]

Can everyone experiencing this problem please indicate the following:

Video Output Setting (i.e. 1080i fixed, Native, etc)
TV Connection - Component or HDMI

I am wondering if either of these factors has an impact on this issue.

Mine is set to Native via HdMI.

 

[tt881]

I'm mostly at 720p Fixed. I have spent some time in the Native setting, but I believe the error mode has always occurred so far when I've been at 720p Fixed. This may be utterly irrelevant though. And always HDMI connection.

 

[rcamille]

The first time I experienced the problem I was changing my video output setting (in the menus - not the front panel button) to fixed 720p. It occured when I hit the Live TV button.

I have now set my unit to fixed 1080i (i know, not optimal), but I am curious if this works.

 

[BetaEleven]

Can everyone experiencing this problem please indicate the following:

Video Output Setting (i.e. 1080i fixed, Native, etc)
TV Connection - Component or HDMI

I am wondering if either of these factors has an impact on this issue.

Mine is set to Native via HdMI.

Brand new Tivo. Just got the CableCARDs yesterday. I have mine set at 1080i fixed (for my old Mitsubishi TV, only this and 480P seems to work) and I'm using component video for the feed.

 

[paslax]

Same problem.

Fixed 720P
HDMI + Component (I hooked up the component after it happened the first time using only HDMI. It has happened several times since.)
OTA/Analog Cable

After hitting the live TV button and everything is black, I get the thumbs-down noise whenever I try to change channels and nothing happens. This seems to make me think that it is a software problem and not a video output problem. Just my theory.

Only the TiVo button will get me back to the menu (without a background). Only a reboot of TiVo seems to solve the problem.

 

[megazone]

It has to be a bug in the C Software update.

Bug yes, 'c2' software no.

I haven't seen it yet on my HD review box with c2, but I did encounter it once in an earlier revision - b1 or b2 I think. So it isn't new in c2. I did tell TiVo about it at the time, so they know about it. But it seems pretty rare overall, and I haven't seen it repeat or been able to make it.

 

[SAH2]

I have it also using 720 Hybrid with HDMI.

My problem is slightly different in that it seems to happen right after changing the video output format and then selecting something from the Now Playing List. I will get the Tivo background with the lights, but the video will not play. When I use the back button, I get the selection you normally see after finishing a video - Do you want to delete or keep this. I choose Keep as I never really played the video.

The only way to fix this is a reboot. I do not have the problem if I don't try to change the video output.

 

[garrettoomey]

I am having the same issue that all video is gone, but menus still work. I called Tivo support, and I was told that this was a known issue. A software update would be released to fix the problem, but no time frame. Mine was a new Tivo HD before upgrading the hard drive, OTA and analog cable only. It has happened on multiple resolution settings. I have the same Tivo connected to feed 2 rooms. HDMI in 1 room and component in the 2nd room. When it happens, it does effect both outputs at the same time...
-G