# Xfinity on Demand app vanishes



## alexofindy (Apr 16, 2010)

I live in the Indianapolis area, and have had the Tivo Xfinity on Demand app for many months now. Since it first appeared under "My Shows", the app has always been there. Occasionally it doesn't work when we start it up and try to view a show, but the app itself has never before disappeared.

Yesterday, the app vanished from  My Shows. No error, it simply isn't there. Rebooting the Tivo, forcing a connection, waiting overnight did not help. Other network services appear fine. There is no discernable issue with either our cable or internet connections. 

We called Tivo, and after about 45 minutes of rebooting, checking our router, etc (which we had already tried), the customer service rep told us our unit had been removed by Tivo from the "Xfinity on Demand" group at Tivo central. Apparently, the last time our unit did its routine overnight connection to Tivo Headquarters, it was mysteriously reconfigured to disable the app on our unit.

The agent told us we should get it back in a few days. (at the 24 hour point it has still not come back)

Has this happened to anyone else?


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

It's very disturbing how much control TiVo has for back end configuration of individual TiVos. We have no visibility or control over it whatsoever. There have been many instances chronicled in these TCF threads with issues that turned out to being an incorrect back end setting that there is no way for us to know about.


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## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

moyekj said:


> It's very disturbing how much control TiVo has for back end configuration of individual TiVos. We have no visibility or control over it whatsoever. There have been many instances chronicled in these TCF threads with issues that turned out to being an incorrect back end setting that there is no way for us to know about.


I guess the various Internet apps are loaded or updated more-or-less dynamically. I hope that TiVo would be less likely to vandalize the basic DVR functionality of the units. If they did that, it would surely be grounds for a lawsuit.


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## alexofindy (Apr 16, 2010)

Most likely the "xfinity on demand" app is built in to all tivo 4's with current firmware, but is enabled or disabled remotely by a configuration file that is sent to the units when they connect to tivo central.

It sure is annoying, and a major time waste. Tivo's are of course closed products, and are remotely controlled and regulated by design - just try letting your subscription expire and see what happens! (I have PLS for my Tivo). But it sure is frustrating when a fully paid for and subscribed unit loses significant functionality, apparently because of a snafu at tivo central.

Tivo: are you paying attention? You need to do better if you wish to retain customers, and maintain positive vibes in the world of potential purchasers.


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## plumpmouse (Mar 13, 2010)

Same thing for me in Columbus, IN. Xfinity app was there before (and working). Now it's gone...


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## npoffenb (Nov 25, 2006)

I'm also in Indianapolis, and having the same issue on my two premiers. Only other oddity I saw was on 5/4, when I had a message that I received the 2012 Fall Update (20.2.2), which of course I had months ago.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

npoffenb said:


> I'm also in Indianapolis, and having the same issue on my two premiers. Only other oddity I saw was on 5/4, when I had a message that I received the 2012 Fall Update (20.2.2), which of course I had months ago.


Just tested OD in West Hartford CT, working great.


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## ajwees41 (May 7, 2006)

alexofindy said:


> Most likely the "xfinity on demand" app is built in to all tivo 4's with current firmware, but is enabled or disabled remotely by a configuration file that is sent to the units when they connect to tivo central.
> 
> It sure is annoying, and a major time waste. Tivo's are of course closed products, and are remotely controlled and regulated by design - just try letting your subscription expire and see what happens! (I have PLS for my Tivo). But it sure is frustrating when a fully paid for and subscribed unit loses significant functionality, apparently because of a snafu at tivo central.
> 
> Tivo: are you paying attention? You need to do better if you wish to retain customers, and maintain positive vibes in the world of potential purchasers.


don't think it's built in to all Tivo 4's Cox doesn't have it on the Tivo 4's connected on Cox.


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## compnurd (Oct 6, 2011)

ajwees41 said:


> don't think it's built in to all Tivo 4's Cox doesn't have it on the Tivo 4's connected on Cox.


it is not built in


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## Tangerineblend (Jun 4, 2013)

Indy here, too, and over the weekend it just disappeared. I have been searching everywhere trying to get it back. So TiVo ppl say it will just come back on its own after another overnight update thing?



alexofindy said:


> I live in the Indianapolis area, and have had the Tivo Xfinity on Demand app for many months now. Since it first appeared under "My Shows", the app has always been there. Occasionally it doesn't work when we start it up and try to view a show, but the app itself has never before disappeared.
> 
> Yesterday, the app vanished from My Shows. No error, it simply isn't there. Rebooting the Tivo, forcing a connection, waiting overnight did not help. Other network services appear fine. There is no discernable issue with either our cable or internet connections.
> 
> ...


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## pspens (Jan 20, 2013)

alexofindy said:


> I live in the Indianapolis area, and have had the Tivo Xfinity on Demand app for many months now. Since it first appeared under "My Shows", the app has always been there. Occasionally it doesn't work when we start it up and try to view a show, but the app itself has never before disappeared.
> 
> Yesterday, the app vanished from My Shows. No error, it simply isn't there. Rebooting the Tivo, forcing a connection, waiting overnight did not help. Other network services appear fine. There is no discernable issue with either our cable or internet connections.
> 
> ...


I didn't see this post when I originated another thread on the same topic. The current situation is that my ticket has been "escalated" and that they are "working on it". Alex, has yours returned yet? BTW, still on the old software.

Paul in Indy


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## alexofindy (Apr 16, 2010)

No luck. As of this evening, Tuesday, it's still gone. Clearly a problem a Tivo's end. I really doubt it's Comcast - when it's a problem with Comcast. the app is still there, one just gets error messages when trying to use it; the disappearance of the app completely is almost certainly a a Tivo Central issue.


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## wdwms (Jan 10, 2003)

Here in NH the app appeared (at least as far as i can tell) recently... it times out and gives a 'request failed"... Call us and reference GSM-7 and then gives a Local code of
tivocardio-ch2-a3p.comcast.com


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## titsataki (Dec 7, 2002)

wdwms said:


> Here in NH the app appeared (at least as far as i can tell) recently... it times out and gives a 'request failed"... Call us and reference GSM-7 and then gives a Local code of
> tivocardio-ch2-a3p.comcast.com


It just appeared in New Haven as well it is there but I get he same error. It is asking to call Comcast. I need to go through the steps troubleshooting later tonight after work... I will update...

Regards

Nick


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## JWhites (May 15, 2013)

ajwees41 said:


> don't think it's built in to all Tivo 4's Cox doesn't have it on the Tivo 4's connected on Cox.


It's possible it IS built into the software but doesn't appear on other cable providers because the authorization code is from Comcast and sent to their cable cards. I had to contact Comcast and inform them that I had TiVo Premieres on my account, then I had to wait for Comcast to offer it for my area. Since according to TiVo, I was the first customer they were aware of in a Cisco/Scientific Atlanta market to have the app work when they were told the app was only compatible with and offered in Motorola markets and that "the app would need to be rewritten by Comcast's developers to allow Cisco/SA equipment to work", I had to coordinate between Comcast and TiVo in order to straighten that out for other customers in similar markets and as of recent, their website is being updated to reflect this change.


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## IndyBart (Sep 28, 2007)

Like others here, I'm in Indy and my app disappeared several days ago too. Still not back.


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## pspens (Jan 20, 2013)

IndyBart said:


> Like others here, I'm in Indy and my app disappeared several days ago too. Still not back.


Given the colocation of the problem, it would seem more likely to be a Comcast problem than a Tivo problem, wouldn't it?


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## alexofindy (Apr 16, 2010)

When I first called Tivo last Friday, the Tivo rep, after 45 minutes of the usual instructions on rebooting, reconnecting, etc., said that my unit's was no longer included on Tivo Central's "group" of Xfinity enabled Tivo's. He suggested mysterious lists are used by Tivo Central to send a configuration to Tivo boxes, which in turn control whether or not a Tivo displays the app on the user interface. This makes sense to me, but I have no inside information to confirm it.

I have occasionally seen in the past messages similar to what titsataki describes. I believe these messages indicate that there is a temporary problem with comcast - the app is on the Tivo, but it can't access or "persuade" the Comcast servers to stream the content I request. These messages occur at time which I would think demand would be high. Comcast only has so much bandwidth on their network, and when too many users request individualized content on demand, the Comcast cable gets overwhelmed. This is, I believe, and entirely different issue, and one that it is likely to continue, but to only cause temporary outages.

I believe the present problem us folks in Indy are experiencing is more likely to be a Tivo issue, either an accidental or perhaps a deliberate reconfiguration of Tivo boxes in the Indianapolis area to make the Xfinity on Demand service unavailable for some reason.

Be nice if Tivo would let us know. Be even nicer if they would fix it. (assuming again the problem is at their end).

I did try to call Comcast, but that went nowhere. I suppose I can try again. But because my box is a tivo box, Comcast in generally not able to be responsive.


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## pspens (Jan 20, 2013)

alexofindy said:


> He suggested mysterious lists are used by Tivo Central to send a configuration to Tivo boxes, which in turn control whether or not a Tivo displays the app on the user interface. This makes sense to me, but I have no inside information to confirm it.
> 
> I did try to call Comcast, but that went nowhere. I suppose I can try again. But because my box is a tivo box, Comcast in generally not able to be responsive.


If it was merely a question of a configuration file, how could that not be solved almost immediately? Having been a Unix admin, these kind of problems were solved immediately.

I suspect there is at least one person who has a total understanding of how this interface works and to which the solution would be obvious.


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## JWhites (May 15, 2013)

I kinda think it's a Comcast problem since it seems to be focused mainly to one state. Maybe something happened at Comcast's headend to cause the issue. I'd recommend contacting Comcast and seeing if the account has the correct code to authorize the On Demand for TiVo. I know I had to contact Comcast billing department in order for them to put the codes on my account before it would appear.


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## pspens (Jan 20, 2013)

Still no VOD.


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## alexofindy (Apr 16, 2010)

I called tivo again. Telephone tech support seems more helpful than the email support; the latter is totally useless - one is told to reboot, etc, and when that fails to call the 877 number.

The tech support fellow put me on hold for a few minutes, then informed me that Tivo knew about the problem, but didn't know when it would be fixed. He again indicated the problem was at tivo central, not Comcast - for reasons thus far unknown (or at least unrevealed) Tivo central misconfigured a large number of tivo's in the Indianapolis area such that they no longer make the Xfinity on Demand app available to users. Apparently, the inidividual Tivo's have to be reactivated one at a time, and this is a slow process. Go figure. Most likely crucial details are omitted from what I was told. But it does appear to be a Tivo Central issue.

Best advice - if you have the problem, be sure and call Tivo's telephone support line, and report your individual unit. 

After this and other recent problems, I can honestly say this is likely to be my last Tivo. I like the user interface, but the technical problems and diminishing support for my 3 year old unit (e.g., no compatibility with the mini, declining options for expansion, etc) are such that it's not worth it.


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## npoffenb (Nov 25, 2006)

I was all set to call Tivo per alexofindy's advice, but thought I should check my boxes first. Sure enough, one had it back (threw a quick error message about connecting to comcast, but resolved itself). The 2nd Tivo did not, despite connecting this morning. I forced the connection again, and the Xfinity icon was back. No error message when I navigated the VOD menu. I think alexofindy may have saved me 30 minutes of frustration with a Tivo rep!


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## pspens (Jan 20, 2013)

XOD is back!! I just did a connect to the Tivo service and warm booted (reset) the unit and lo and behold! it was back.


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## alexofindy (Apr 16, 2010)

And back for me as well. Hopefully this is my last post in this thread!

Thanks, all!


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