[AbMagFab]

What's up with that? My setup:
- 2 working Series 3's with 2 cable cards each, they were working on the first try
- 1 semi-working TivoHD with 2 cable cards

The problem:
- I get severe pixelation on one of the cable cards, it appears to be slot 1 (I determined this by unpluggin the card in slot 2, and seeing the pixelation remain).
- When I test channels from the cable card menu, I don't see pixelation (although perhaps I just hit a good window)

So, I tried to swap the cards (since FIOS doesn't actually pair them, I don't think), and I got repeated 161-4 errors when I put card 2 into slot 1. This also happened during the origina setup, with the tech here, so we started with the other card. The 161-4 error card seems to work fine in slot 2.

So I can't test actually swapping the cards, since card 2 won't go into slot 1 without repeate 161-4 errors.

Questions:
1) Is this repeated 161-4 error an indication of a bad TivoHD or CC? I doubt a bad card, since it should also be bad in slot 2?

2) Is the sever pixelation on only slot 1 an indication of a bad TivoHD, or a bad card? I doubt the latter, since the card should either work or not work?

3) Right after a reboot, thing seems fine for a while. Then they seem to progressively get worse.

Any other experience with these problems? My S3's have had no issues, so this is new to me.

Help!

 

[AbMagFab]

The pixelation might just be random, and be on both cards. It seems particularly bad and reproducable on a couple of channels (HBOHD 851 and Weather 49, FIOS TV), but I get it a little bit even on locals. I haven't checked all channels for long enough to see if other channels are also really bad, but almost every channel gets some pixelation, and I don't see this at all on my S3's.

I swapped the TivoHD in for a S3 also, so it's using the same exact cable connection.

I guess the crux of the issue is whether this is a TivoHD problem or a CC problem.

 

[AbMagFab]

I seem to remember severe pixelation issues with the original S3 and FIOS TV, back before some software updates.

Is it possible we're dealing with the same pre-fix software on the TivoHD? I didn't have FIOS TV at the time, but now I do. My S3's are fine, but my TivoHD isn't.

I'm probably going to return it this weekend. Shame, it'll be the first Tivo I've returned.

 

[bkdtv]

FiOS is coming out to install CableCards in my TivoHD on Sunday, so I'll let you know if I see the same.

 

[AbMagFab]

The worst, most repeatable pixelation (and it seems to be on both cards) is:
831 - HBOHD
49 - WEATHRSCAN (or something like that)

WEATHER is horrible. It can be fine for a few minutes, then it becomes unwatchable/unlistenable.

Please post back here with your results!

 

[AbMagFab]

So, I thought I read someone else getting repeated 161-4 errors, but the search here doesn't work well with strings with hyphens in them.

Anyone get the repeated 161-4 errors in slot 1 (where you can't even navigate), but no errors when you put the same CC in slot 2, and have a fully functioning TivoHD at the end of the day?

I'm trying to see if this is really a CC issue, or a TivoHD issue (and won't get a replacement card for a day or so to test myself).

 

[moyekj]

I found good results for searching by putting quotes around the search parameter that you want an exact match for. i.e. "161-4"

 

[TiVotion]

The first Motorola card we stuck in slot # 1 in my new HD box threw a 161-4 error almost immediately, something I did not see on the Series 3 box. The 161-4 error repeated every several seconds, such as if I tried to navigate the TiVo menu to get to the Cablecard screen I couldn't, because the error message interrupted me.

We took that card out of slot #1, and tried the other card in slot # 1 (we didn't try to go to slot #2 yet). The other card didn't throw up an error message - I was able to see the Cablecard screen and got a "pairing" message. After we sucessfully had slot #1 working with channels, we took the original (first) card and stuck it in slot #2. This time, it worked. As as I recall, it may have thrown up one 161-4 error after the card was paired but while it was waiting for activation, but in a few minutes I had channels on both cards.

I read somewhere in another thread that 161-4 errors aren't necessarily bad and could be expected to happen at least once, but a 161-1 indicated a possible bad card. Can't remember who stated that.

These errors were kind of odd because as I said, the behavior with the S3 box was simply insert card, read the diagnostic/information screens, wait for activation, and go. No error messages on the S3.

 

[AbMagFab]

The first Motorola card we stuck in slot # 1 in my new HD box threw a 161-4 error almost immediately, something I did not see on the Series 3 box. The 161-4 error repeated every several seconds, such as if I tried to navigate the TiVo menu to get to the Cablecard screen I couldn't, because the error message interrupted me.

We took that card out of slot #1, and tried the other card in slot # 1 (we didn't try to go to slot #2 yet). The other card didn't throw up an error message - I was able to see the Cablecard screen and got a "pairing" message. After we sucessfully had slot #1 working with channels, we took the original (first) card and stuck it in slot #2. This time, it worked. As as I recall, it may have thrown up one 161-4 error after the card was paired but while it was waiting for activation, but in a few minutes I had channels on both cards.

I read somewhere in another thread that 161-4 errors aren't necessarily bad and could be expected to happen at least once, but a 161-1 indicated a possible bad card. Can't remember who stated that.

These errors were kind of odd because as I said, the behavior with the S3 box was simply insert card, read the diagnostic/information screens, wait for activation, and go. No error messages on the S3.

Yes, one or two 161-4 errors are good. The repeated 161-4 errors aren't good, but I'm trying to see how bad they are.

I had the exact same experience as you, but once I got both cards working, I get severe pixelation everywhere. With only one card, it works perfectly.

Is it watchable for you now? HD, SD, etc.? Who is your cable provider?

 

[TiVotion]

I have Verizon FIOS in Tampa, FL. After the cards were installed, I have all channels on both tuners. For a whole week prior, before the cards, no pixelation. All I could get without cards was SD 2-49, but everything looked good pre-cards.

Then right after the cards were installed, everything still looked good. All day, no pixelation. Then out of nowhere around 7pm that day, various channels started pixelating. SD, HD, any channel. And it's been doing it ever since.

Thing is, it's not bad pixelation really (a second or less), and it's not constant. It is watchable. Maybe once or twice in the same minute, then maybe not again for 20 minutes. There's no pattern to it. But it's there, and it interrupts at random, even on the menus. There does not seem to be an audio dropout when it happens either.