# New Bolt, and existing cable card



## catfan64 (Mar 7, 2002)

I currently have a Premier that is using a cable card from Time Warner cable. No tuning adapter needed.

Thinking about replacing it with a new Bolt. Can I take the existing, working cable card from the Premier, and just pop it in the Bolt, and it work? Or will I need to go through the whole pairing process again through the cable company?


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

You'll need to call TWC's CableCard hotline (866-532-2598) and go through the pairing process again once you insert the CableCard into the Bolt. There is also an automated TWC CableCard activation page that might work to pair the card, but I've never used it myself:

http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/support/tv/topics/cablecard-pairing-form.html


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

I just decided to purchase a Bolt, yesterday, to replace one of my Premieres.

First I had a conversation with a very nice person at Tivo, with some questions I had. She told me that it's just a matter of re-pairing.

BUT, then I felt compelled to call Charter. I was glad that I did because, since my Premieres are 4 years old, as are the CableCARDs in them, she told me that I should either bring my card to the office and get one of the newer ones, as they are faster and some other stuff I forgot (sorry, memory no good anymore), or bring it in and switch it for a newer one, and it would be much better.

I'll probably just pay the $35 to have a service call because last time they had to go through a few cards to get them to pair and I just don't need that grief. They will have more than one on hand but if I go and switch mine out I'll only have one and then be pissed that I have to drive all the way out there again. 

That's not to say that Time Warner also has newer version cards, but maybe.


Anyway, that's my contribution, FWIW.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

catfan64 said:


> I currently have a Premier that is using a cable card from Time Warner cable. No tuning adapter needed.
> 
> Thinking about replacing it with a new Bolt. Can I take the existing, working cable card from the Premier, and just pop it in the Bolt, and it work? Or will I need to go through the whole pairing process again through the cable company?


What is the part number of your cable card?


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

sharkster said:


> I just decided to purchase a Bolt, yesterday, to replace one of my Premieres.
> 
> First I had a conversation with a very nice person at Tivo, with some questions I had. She told me that it's just a matter of re-pairing.
> 
> ...


You should reconsider. As you point out, there are lots of CableCards in circulation that just don't work for whatever reason. If you have a CableCard that works well, you should hold onto it. And a CableCard is a CableCard as long as it is a multi-steam card with the most up-to-date firmware. I really have no idea what the Charter person you talked to was talking about, but they probably don't either. Cable CSRs know very little about CableCards and it's best to assume whatever they tell you is probably wrong. If I were you, I would at least try pairing the card you have that you know works well.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

Blue - Thanks for your advice. Crap! I'd like to think that the CSR knows more than I but how many times I have been proven wrong (with different companies over the years/decades) - I couldn't even count.

*sigh*

Is it traditional that a CableCARD is prone to updating over the years, while in use? I've never seen anything that would indicate it has been receiving updates over the last 4+ years. Not that that means anything. 

I'm glad I have some more time to think on this, then. 

She just said that the ones they have now are a different, faster, and newer tech card, and would be better for the much newer models of Tivo. She did say a couple of things that made me think she kinda knew what she was talking about, such as mentioning Tivo models.

I appreciate the help and advice! :up:


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

sharkster said:


> Is it traditional that a CableCARD is prone to updating over the years, while in use? I've never seen anything that would indicate it has been receiving updates over the last 4+ years. Not that that means anything.


Yes, CableCards do get firmware updates automatically, as the cable company will push them out periodically. It's not something that happens very often, but it does happen. You can see what firmware version is on your card by going into the settings on your TiVo.



sharkster said:


> She just said that the ones they have now are a different, faster, and newer tech card, and would be better for the much newer models of Tivo. She did say a couple of things that made me think she kinda knew what she was talking about, such as mentioning Tivo models.


I'm not a CableCard expert, and hopefully other users will chime in, but as far as I know there is no significant hardware difference between different multi-stream cablecards. I honestly don't think they even manufacture new CableCards any longer. The cable companies just reuse the old ones they have in stock.

As I said above, if I have a CableCard that I know has worked well for several years, I would definitely try to reuse that one before getting a different CableCard from the cable company that may not even work. Most cable companies have gotten better at pairing cablecards. If you get a tech on the phone that knows what he is doing, it really shouldn't take more than 5 or 10 minutes to pair a cablecard. It can be a little harder to get a Charter rep on the phone that knows what they are doing since I don't think Charter has a dedicated CableCard hotline like most of the other major cable companies.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

Thanks again. I'll keep an eye on this and figure out what to do. I'm leaning toward giving the existing CC a try. With so many SPs and such, I just don't want to find myself all messed up. I know - first world problems. 

IIRC, my new Tivo is scheduled to arrive by next Friday so I have time to figure out not only this stuff but in what order to do everything else like moving my SPs and 'To Do' list, etc.

The CSR I talked to at Tivo told me that this new Bolt WILL communicate with my other Premiere in that I will be able to transfer shows between them and such. I'm hoping that's true.

I considered just buying two Bolts and replacing both but, to be honest, it's already frivolous because both of my Premieres still work fine. I just wanted something new. I'm more of an electronics girl and not into shoes and bags. hehe (I probably should turn in my 'girl card' while I'm at it)

When I replaced my old Series 2 Tivos with the Premieres I was sold a bill of goods on a couple of issues so I hate that I cannot trust what I'm being told, yet it's beyond my pay grade to know all of it going in. I'm fairly adept at electronics but by no means an expert.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

sharkster said:


> Thanks again. I'll keep an eye on this and figure out what to do. I'm leaning toward giving the existing CC a try. With so many SPs and such, I just don't want to find myself all messed up. I know - first world problems.


My Premiere is powered off at the moment. With a Roamio and 20.5.9, the TiVo box Diagnostics has added cable card information. Near the end is the card's firmware version. If it's an M-Card you might see 1573 06.25. If it's a SA card I have no clue what it will indicate.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

Hi Joe! Under CableCARD in the 'System Information' page it says 'M-Card active'.

When I go through settings and to the CC stuff I haven't found any info - only choices to do things to it so I got kind of paranoid that I'd screw something up. Is that where you find the info?

Oh wait. I found some more info under 'status'.

It says FW Version: 03.31, -.-, 03.25
HW Version 0537971002

I don't know if any of that might mean something to anybody.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

*TarHeelBlue* - I just wanted to come back and thank you again for keeping me on my toes with this issue of replacing a Premiere with a Bolt and the CableCARD thing.

I called Charter again and explained to the guy what I was told the other day, by somebody else THERE, and he told me that that was not the case - a card is a card.

He I told him that, especially since I am disabled (hate to play that card but sometimes it helps people be more honest), it would be a hardship to drive all the way out there to replace a card (or pay a tech $35 to come to my house) if that information was not even true.

Since the first person explained that the newer card would be different, faster, and more efficient for a newer model Tivo, I explained that to him. He said like you - they are all just generic cards and there aren't any that are faster, etc. That would be a function of the actual Tivo itself and that all the card does is authorize the loading of the channels that I get.

D'oh! That makes all the sense in the world so I'm going to just switch them out and call Charter to get it paired. (fingers crossed) I live by Murphy's Law so if something can go wrong, it will. hehe (banishing those negative thoughts right now!)

I should have known that, but I didn't so I have learned something new. I had those Series 2 Tivos for all those years and they just connected to the cable box, so this was new to me AND I did do a service call to have them hook everything up with the new Premieres 4+ years ago. I kind of like learning by doing as much of the stuff as I can because, that way, if something goes wrong I know a little about it. NOW I do.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

I'm glad I was helpful. I hope the pairing process goes smoothly for you.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

I kind of quizzed this guy just a little and he seemed to know some rudimentary stuff regarding Tivos, so that was helpful to trust what he was saying. 

He did tell me to plug it in and do all the 'Tivo Set up' first and then put the card in. A screen will come up that gives some numbers. Oh, and to write down the serial number of that card so we pair up the right one (I have two cards). Then call in to pair it up.

So, I feel comfortable up to that point. Then there's all the transferring of SPs, and 'My Show' stuff hopefully. I guess I'll have to manually re-schedule any manual recordings I have in 'To Do'. They need to have a thing where you can just move everything from one unit to the other and it's a done deal.  Yeah, if only life were simpler! ha!


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