# 4 Tuners but will not record more than one program



## supersleeper (Sep 17, 2005)

Every time I go to record an HD program in my Premiere XL, and there's a conflict, I can only find one program being recorded on that day and time in the todo list. I can switch tuners on live tv using the Enter button, and record both with live TV. There are no errors or issues showing anywhere. For some reason, I can't access a 3rd or 4th tuner, but I've seen it while all 4 red circles are active on the Tivo. What gives? Why can't the season pass record more than one at a time? Why can't I manually record 3 or 4 programs?


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

That's because you are using the ENTER button, which does not always switch tuners, it just switches between the current and last channel.

Press LIVE TV button to cycle through the tuners.


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## stevewjackson (Nov 2, 2007)

As already answered, the Live TV button is the correct way to switch among tuners, not the Enter button.

But you said Premiere XL and that you've witnessed 4 red circles...except the Premiere XL is a 2-tuner device. It's what I've got. It cannot record 4 channels simultaneously. And assuming you actually have a different model with 4 tuners, you require two CableCards as well. Do you have that?

And why go to the To To List to see what's recording? It only shows what's scheduled to record, not something that might record as a Suggestion (if you have them turned on). Why not simply use the Info button and use it to scroll among the tuners without actually changing the active (front) tuner?


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## JolDC (Dec 21, 2001)

stevewjackson said:


> But you said Premiere XL and that you've witnessed 4 red circles...except the Premiere XL is a 2-tuner device. It's what I've got. It cannot record 4 channels simultaneously. And assuming you actually have a different model with 4 tuners, you require two CableCards as well. Do you have that?


I have a Premiere XL which has 4 tuners and only requires 1 CableCard.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

stevewjackson said:


> But you said Premiere XL and that you've witnessed 4 red circles...except the Premiere XL is a 2-tuner device. It's what I've got. It cannot record 4 channels simultaneously. And assuming you actually have a different model with 4 tuners, you require two CableCards as well. Do you have that?
> /QUOTE]
> 
> There was a Premiere XL4 (later changed to Premiere Elite) with 4 tuners which must be what he has.
> ...


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## supersleeper (Sep 17, 2005)

stevewjackson said:


> As already answered, the Live TV button is the correct way to switch among tuners, not the Enter button.
> 
> But you said Premiere XL and that you've witnessed 4 red circles...except the Premiere XL is a 2-tuner device. It's what I've got. It cannot record 4 channels simultaneously. And assuming you actually have a different model with 4 tuners, you require two CableCards as well. Do you have that?
> 
> And why go to the To To List to see what's recording? It only shows what's scheduled to record, not something that might record as a Suggestion (if you have them turned on). Why not simply use the Info button and use it to scroll among the tuners without actually changing the active (front) tuner?


I don't typically switch between tuners or watch live tv. I was just using it as a troubleshooting measure to see how/why it won't record two shows at once. Same reason I looked in the todo list so that I can see what is conflicting. Only one show was scheduled to record in the todo list and it said there was a conflict. I only have one cable card and it says there's only two tuners on it. Do they make a 4 tuner cable card? Maybe I need to get it replaced for one. Why is it that I've seen 4 red circles on the box at once? Do downloads or on demand also turn on a red circle record light?


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## supersleeper (Sep 17, 2005)

HerronScott said:


> There was a Premiere XL4 (later changed to Premiere Elite) with 4 tuners which must be what he has.
> 
> 758 TCD75825 Premiere XL4/Elite (Retail) 20.3.8
> 
> Scott


I forgot exactly, but yes, I know for sure it's got 4 tuners. It's the THX model if that helps.


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## worachj (Oct 14, 2006)

Check your "Keep at most" and "Keep until" settings on your season passes.

If Keep Until is set to Keep Until I Delete, all episodes recorded will be kept until the Keep at Most limit is reached. For example, if Keep at Most is set to three episodes and Keep Until is set to Keep Until I Delete, recording will stop after three episodes until you delete one or more of the episodes.


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## tatergator1 (Mar 27, 2008)

Are you using a Tuning Adapter? Older versions of the firmware will limit you to 2 tuners. It's also possible that you're CableCard firmware is very old and only capable of 2 tuners. Where are you located/who is your cable provider?

Go to TiVo Central > Settings & Messages > Account & System Info > DVR Diagnostics.

Scroll to almost the bottom of the list and there will be CableCard firmware information. Please post that info here for reference.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

what happens when you hit right circle when on a live show? It should allow you to cycle through the tuners quickly and show what is on each. An up to date M card should provide tuning up to 6 tuners. As noted, some locals have not completed such an update.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Premiere model are confusing to begin with. Look in the System Information screen, at the Tivo Service number, the 1st 3 numbers is the exact model number (same is on the back label following TCD)

models TCD746320, TCD746500 = 2 tuner Premiere, OTA and/or cable
TCD748000 = Premiere XL, 2 tuners, OTA and/or cable
TCD750500 = Premiere 4, 4 tuners, digital cable only
TCD758000 = Premiere 4XL, 4 tuners, digital cable only.

All use a Multi-stream cable card in its single cable card slot for either 2 or 4 tuners. Multi-stream cable cards can handle up to 6 streams at once with the updated cable card firmware.

Current Tivo Roamio basic model is a 4 tuner for either cable or OTA, while the Plus and Pro are 6 tuners for digital cable only. They have only 1 cable card slot also.


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## supersleeper (Sep 17, 2005)

jrtroo said:


> what happens when you hit right circle when on a live show? It should allow you to cycle through the tuners quickly and show what is on each. An up to date M card should provide tuning up to 6 tuners. As noted, some locals have not completed such an update.


This is on the remote? I have no circles on the remote. But the LiveTV button does cycle through two tuners. If I hit info, I see two blue circles on the left I can use to switch and see what is on each tuner.


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## supersleeper (Sep 17, 2005)

tatergator1 said:


> Are you using a Tuning Adapter? Older versions of the firmware will limit you to 2 tuners. It's also possible that you're CableCard firmware is very old and only capable of 2 tuners. Where are you located/who is your cable provider?.


No tuner adapter. This is Xfinity Comcast in SF Bay Area. Firmware version is 1573.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

supersleeper said:


> This is on the remote? I have no circles on the remote. But the LiveTV button does cycle through two tuners. If I hit info, I see two blue circles on the left I can use to switch and see what is on each tuner.


Press Info, scroll down to the circle, you'll see the other tuners listed there, and a red circle if they're recording, gray if they're not. You can also swap to another tuner at that screen with the arrow selectors on the remote.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

Check your settings to make sure that two of the tuners are not allocated to mini support. IIRC, there was bug at one point where this could happen w/o the user doing it even if you had no minis.

Also, go to the system information screen and post the first 3 digits of the TiVo Service Number.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

lpwcomp said:


> Check your settings to make sure that two of the tuners are not allocated to mini support. IIRC, there was bug at one point where this could happen w/o the user doing it even if you had no minis.


 I know better to assume anything, but wouldn't you consider that a dead bug since they went to dynamic tuner allocation and there's no longer a setting for mini tuner allocation?


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

dianebrat said:


> I know better to assume anything, but wouldn't you consider that a dead bug since they went to dynamic tuner allocation and there's no longer a setting for mini tuner allocation?


Theoretically, yes. But it wouldn't hurt to check, assuming  that the option still exists. The fact that he is only seeing two circles rather that 4 on the info display indicates that there are only two tuners available to the TiVo. This is also why I asked for the model # to verify that he does indeed have a 4-tuner TiVo.

One other thing to check is the history to see if the TiVo tells you _*why*_ things were not recorded.


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## telemark (Nov 12, 2013)

What SW version is this box on, and when did it start doing this?

Have you ever change out your Hard Drive?

What's the model of CableCard?

If you look under DVR Diagnostics, it'll show what each of the tuners is doing. Look to see if there's 2 or 4, and if 4, what the missing tuners are reporting as status.


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