[bdlucas]

Tivo HD, set up for cable + antenna, no cable card yet. While changing channels it has on a few occasions rebooted. Seems to happen more often if I change channels quickly in succession.

Is this a known problem?

 

[jfh3]

Are the channels you are switching to just before it reboots over the air channels?

If so, you may have a so-called "toxic channel" (search for more info)

 

[jmpage2]

Mine did this once while quickly changing through digital channels. It didn't reboot though, it locked up hard and I had to forcefully reboot it by pulling power from the unit.

 

[thedanks]

mine restarts and then gets cablecard errors, its a pain. also happened when i was listening to mp3s on a remote computer. ill probably have to go through channel guide setup again. This is rediculous

 

[bdlucas]

This may have been the "reboots while using signal meter" problem that others have reported. Most, and possibly all, of the times it happened when the signal meter was up. If it happened when the signal meter wasn't up, I think it was shortly after using the signal meter, so it may still be related to that.

 

[KJW]

My Tivo HD reboots when I am flipping through channels. It just jumps to the powering-up screen. then I have to wait for the machine to start, but of course the cable cards don't work. I then have to pull the plug on the tivo, remove the cable cards, put the cable cards back, then plug in the machine and wait for it to reboot again. I have Cablevision in NJ.

Anyone else have this problem or, hopefully, a solution?

 

[CrispyCritter]

My Tivo HD reboots when I am flipping through channels. It just jumps to the powering-up screen. then I have to wait for the machine to start, but of course the cable cards don't work. I then have to pull the plug on the tivo, remove the cable cards, put the cable cards back, then plug in the machine and wait for it to reboot again. I have Cablevision in NJ.

Anyone else have this problem or, hopefully, a solution?

There do exist some "toxic" channels (search for discussion of them) that cause rebooting because their signal is so strange. So if it is rebooting on a change involving one particular channel, that might be the problem. That can be cured if it's a non-important channel by just unchecking the channel in "Channels I receive"

If it's a more general problem, then either the cable cards or the TiVo needs replacement.

If you can receive OTA signals, does it happen when you are only dealing with OTA?

 

[KJW]

There do exist some "toxic" channels (search for discussion of them) that cause rebooting because their signal is so strange. So if it is rebooting on a change involving one particular channel, that might be the problem. That can be cured if it's a non-important channel by just unchecking the channel in "Channels I receive"

If it's a more general problem, then either the cable cards or the TiVo needs replacement.

If you can receive OTA signals, does it happen when you are only dealing with OTA?

I don't get OTA channels. Will toxic channels happen every time? Is there a way to use the signal stregnth meter to find these channels and delete them? I think it does happen when I flip on the high numbered HD channels.

 

[KJW]

I am curious as to why people seem to take problems like this in stride when it comes to Tivo. Toxic Channel? Signal spikes? there is no excuse for the machine to reboot and cause all these problems. I can understand if you got a blank screen, but this is a malfunction that Tivo needs to fix.

 

[mbotis987]

This is my second day with the TiVo HD DVR (the cheaper 20 hour one - not the one they call "Series 3"). Last night, I connected it with a UHF antenna and used the phone line to download program data. It unexpectedly rebooted three times, but each time it happened when I was using the signal strength meter. I assumed that was a bug with the signal strength meter, and wasn't too worried about it.

Today, WOW cable came and installed two cable cards and I hooked up the TiVo wireless G adapter. The cable cards are another adventure that is not totally resolved, but basically I got things up and running. Then tonight, while my wife was watching a TV show that TiVo was recording (she was a few minutes behind due to pausing it for awhile), the TiVo restarted. I called tech support and was told the following:

1. There are cable card issues that can cause a reboot.
2. There are issues with the wireless G adapter that can cause a reboot.
3. The TiVo is sensitive to certain types of surge protectors.

Since I had the problem the first night with no cable cards and no wireless adapter, the tech support rep suggested that it might be the surge protector. He suggested that I plug the TiVo directly into the wall outlet for a few days to see if the problem is the surge protector. He also said that TiVo recommends a regulated 110 volt power conditioner or UPS that is fixed at 110 volts and not switchable.

I didn't do anything, and when I was watching a show (that was being recorded since its in the season pass manager), it rebooted 20 minutes into it.

I could editorialize, but those are the facts of what happened and what I was told. I'm going to call tomorrow to get a return authorization for this TiVo (if it is so sensitive to this surge protector that has never caused any other piece of equipment to have problems I don't want it). The only question is do I want my money back or try another one. I had an old Series 2, and the thing that I loved about it was that it was totally reliable and easy as pie. it never missed a show, and I didn't have to spend a whole afternoon and evening setting it up. If I wanted something that I'd have to worry about, I could just get Wow to drop off another Scientific Atlanta DVR. I'm not happy. Based on the customer service rep's comments and the posts in this thread, it seems like there are serious problems with this unit. I guess I editorialized a little. Thanks to everyone for posting your experiences.

 

[KJW]

Tech support game me the same lame suggestions for my problem: it could be my surge protector, my wireless adapter or the cablecards. Their solution? Plug the tivo into a different surge protector, remove the wireless adapter and the cable cards, then use the tivo for a few days to see if the problem happened again. If not, connect the wireless adapter, use it for a few more days and if everything is ok, insert the first cable card, test, then the second cable card.

So after spending $300 on a new tivo, this clown in tech support wants me to use it in a crippled condition while I beta test the machine for him. This is just ridiculous. First, the tivo rebooted on the high numbered HD channels, which I won't be able to receive with my cablecards removed. I also won't get my premium channels, which I will still be paying for. Second, the problem was only intermitent, so I don't know how long to use the machine with one of the components removed before being able to say that it is not the problem.

And what possible problem could their be with any of these components that would cause a reboot? I can see a problem resulting in an error message, but for the machine to reboot because it gets a bad program signal or a power fluctuation that effects no other piece of equipment (including my old series 2)? That is just a bad product.

I have been a tivo customer for five years, and I currently have two machines. But this shoddy support -- on top of being kept on hold for up to a half-hour on 3 seperate occassions and being hung-up on twice -- is really making me miss my cablevision DVR.

 

[mbotis987]

When I got up yesterday, the TiVo said it installed a "Fall Service Update" or upgrade or something, and it was like Christmas morning. Wverything that was bugging me worked (cable cards getting all channels, no pixelation at all). The unit rebooted 5 times in the first two nights and hasn't rebooted at all since. I had it recording shows round the clock to make sure (if it reboots it continues to record the show when it starts back up but it is in two entries in the Now Playing list). I also decided I'd watch football all weekend to make extra sure (it's a tough job...).

I don't know - it's been like the Series 2 Tivo that i loved - no problems, no reboots. Did anyone else get this update? Did it solve your rebooting problems?

 

[restart88]

Just for the record my S2DT which is only used for D* and has a serial connection has been doing the same thing almost daily.

Seems to happen most often when I channel surf, but has even happened just from hitting say the info button.

The last software "upgrade" has really been a PITA on both of my SD Tivos.

 

[KJW]

When I got up yesterday, the TiVo said it installed a "Fall Service Update" or upgrade or something, and it was like Christmas morning. Wverything that was bugging me worked (cable cards getting all channels, no pixelation at all). The unit rebooted 5 times in the first two nights and hasn't rebooted at all since. I had it recording shows round the clock to make sure (if it reboots it continues to record the show when it starts back up but it is in two entries in the Now Playing list). I also decided I'd watch football all weekend to make extra sure (it's a tough job...).

I don't know - it's been like the Series 2 Tivo that i loved - no problems, no reboots. Did anyone else get this update? Did it solve your rebooting problems?

Which firmware version were you upgraded to?

 

[mbotis987]

Which firmware version were you upgraded to?

Software version is:
9.2a-01-2-652

 

[Warlern]

My wife has reported that our Tivo HD has now rebooted twice in the past 3 days while she was changing channels as well. We have Comcast in the Bay Area, CA. The Tivo has one multicard CableCard in it. It has happened while recording a program on one tuner and changing channels on the other one. Seems like it could be a toxic channel I suppose, but it's kind of hard to keep track of what channel you're switching to just before a reboot comes out of nowhere.

I agree - this really needs to be fixed. There's no excuse for a spontaneous reboot under any circumstance. Well, the only excuse I would except is if there's an earthquake and major power surge. Should we try to isolate the channel by switching through them all? It's probably just the HD channels, since we only tend to watch those.

Hope there's a good solution somewhere.

 

[KJW]

My wife has reported that our Tivo HD has now rebooted twice in the past 3 days while she was changing channels as well. We have Comcast in the Bay Area, CA. The Tivo has one multicard CableCard in it. It has happened while recording a program on one tuner and changing channels on the other one. Seems like it could be a toxic channel I suppose, but it's kind of hard to keep track of what channel you're switching to just before a reboot comes out of nowhere.

I agree - this really needs to be fixed. There's no excuse for a spontaneous reboot under any circumstance. Well, the only excuse I would except is if there's an earthquake and major power surge. Should we try to isolate the channel by switching through them all? It's probably just the HD channels, since we only tend to watch those.

Hope there's a good solution somewhere.

I have noticed the reboot issue on different channels. I thought it was originally the high-number, HD channels, but it happened on the lower channnels also. I have tried flipping the channels slower so the Tivo can catch up and that has seemed to work. Still, though, regardless of the issue, a reboot is totally unacceptable. The tivo software should be able to handle whatever the problem is in a better manner.

 

[Lenonn]

The past 24 hours, my family's TiVoHD rebooted twice. Both happened while flipping through the channels (and at a relatively quick pace). I have told my father that, for the immediate future, he should wait for the picture to show before flipping to the next channel.

We have a m-card cable card (RCN digital cable) and an antenna connected to the system. Aside for the channel surfing, I haven't been able to determine rhyme or reason for why the reboot occurs. But the signal meter was not up either time. One reboot (possibly both) was in the digital/HD version of our local channels.

 

[KJW]

The past 24 hours, my family's TiVoHD rebooted twice. Both happened while flipping through the channels (and at a relatively quick pace). I have told my father that, for the immediate future, he should wait for the picture to show before flipping to the next channel.

We have a m-card cable card (RCN digital cable) and an antenna connected to the system. Aside for the channel surfing, I haven't been able to determine rhyme or reason for why the reboot occurs. But the signal meter was not up either time. One reboot (possibly both) was in the digital/HD version of our local channels.

do you have parental controls set? Just a theory, but I disabled mine after a reboot on Saturday. I think this may be a software issue. Just a hunch at this point.

 

[bradenmcg]

I hate to pile on with "me too" but this is getting to a point where the Wife is annoyed. It seems to happen regularly in our SD Digital channels, particularly in the 130s and several times when flipping to FitTV while browsing around. We're on TWC. I have a TivoHD with one Sci. Atl. M-card.

I haven't had problems with this because I use the guide rather than channel flipping, but the wife has old habits that die hard.