# Comcast can't pair my cable cards



## nrnoble (Aug 25, 2004)

I upgraded to a 1TB HDD (from DVRupgrade) and I lost only HBO, so I called comcast and during their many efforts to fix my HBO problem things have only gotten worse and worse. I went from loosing just HBO to loosing *all* my digital cable channels. After 12+ calls (5-6 hours) over two weeks Comcast has offically told me they have no idea why I can't get digital cable any longer. The only options they have given me is to get their cable box or drop digital cable.

Any suggestions on what I can do/say to help Comcast figure out what is wrong.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Make sure they have the right info. They are probably trying to enter the wrong info, or the wrong person is entering it. They need to have the correct info and also the correct person at the head end. If they don't have those two things they will never get it to work properly. But once you have those two things, it will be working in a few minutes. At least from my experience that was the case.


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## nrnoble (Aug 25, 2004)

Thanks. I do beleive the reason I went from bad to worse was because the person(s) at comcast end didn't enter the right data or fallow the process correctly and now nobody (so far) can figure out why my TiVo won't get digital channels.


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## Combat Medic (Sep 6, 2001)

Have them delete the cards from your account and start again.


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## nrnoble (Aug 25, 2004)

Combat Medic said:


> Have them delete the cards from your account and start again.


Thanks. I am going a step further and get a new set of cards. I'm Ddoing this not because I think the cards are bad, but to force Comcast to completely remove the old cards and add a new pair.

BTW, the cards have added/removed the cards from my account many times already, but then a couple of times, the next rep told me the cards weren't properly removed or weren't removed. One rep told me the S3 wouldn't work if it had two cards because I was using multistream cards.


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## tivoupgrade (Sep 27, 2000)

nrnoble said:


> Thanks. I am going a step further and get a new set of cards. I'm Ddoing this not because I think the cards are bad, but to force Comcast to completely remove the old cards and add a new pair.
> 
> BTW, the cards have added/removed the cards from my account many times already, but then a couple of times, the next rep told me the cards weren't properly removed or weren't removed. One rep told me the S3 wouldn't work if it had two cards because I was using multistream cards.


It sounds like you are going about things the right way and replacing the cards will probably do the trick.

You have two use two cards in your unit (they can be two M-cards operating in single-stream mode, or two S-cards) because there isn't full M-card support in the Series3.

Personally, I have a Series3 with two M-cards in it (operating in single-stream mode).


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## krusir (Feb 12, 2008)

The CS sucks. Same thing happens in my second TiVo S3. Spend 10+ calls and online chat with different CS. Two trips to local office to exchange new cards. I My first TiVo S3 was a snap....they did it right after second call. 

Finally they insist I need a tech visit. Guess what.... The tech did not touch my remote at all. I operate all the pairing screen since I am more familiar with the TiVo then the tech. I instruct the tech called their "dispatch center" and as the tech give them all the fields about the card. (S/N, host ID, date field) Worked after first try. 

Lesson learned, the normal comcast CS does not know what they are doing. The "dispatch center" which the "visiting tech" use knows what needs to do. I think Comcast needs to put the whole cable card active process online.... Just let us submit these data into their systsm and ensure "no CS" involved....


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## nrnoble (Aug 25, 2004)

tivoupgrade said:


> You have two use two cards in your unit (they can be two M-cards operating in single-stream mode, or two S-cards) because there isn't full M-card support in the Series3.
> 
> Personally, I have a Series3 with two M-cards in it (operating in single-stream mode).


How do I determine if the Multi-stream cards are in single stream mode?

Also, does it make any sense to anyone why comcast can turn my channels off, but can't turn them on?

In there many efforts fix this problem, they keep turning off blocks of channels (unintentionally), but once the channels are Off, they can't turn them on. And get this, they even started turning off my analog channels too. I am now down to just the local broadcast stations, nothing else. I talked to them several times again today, and they have no clue other than to say "_It's probably a problem with TiVo_" Or "_We think TiVo updated their software, so that likely to be your problem_". This all start because I couldn't get HBO, now I can only get local broadcast stations.

I'm no longer upset because this has become too funny. I am almost expecting them the next time they try to fix the problem the power to my house gets turned off too.


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## sinanju (Jan 3, 2005)

nrnoble said:


> I talked to them several times again today, and they have no clue other than to say "_It's probably a problem with TiVo_" Or "_We think TiVo updated their software, so that likely to be your problem_". This all start because I couldn't get HBO, now I can only get local broadcast stations.
> 
> I'm no longer upset because this has become too funny. I am almost expecting them the next time they try to fix the problem the power to my house gets turned off too.


TiVo has a group of folk specially trained in CableCARD issues. Call TiVo support and tell the voice response system you have a CableCARD issue. They will setup a 3-way call with you and Comcast. I had to do this last year and the TiVo rep spent, quite literally, hours on a single call, much of it on hold waiting to speak to the folk who actually do the CableCARD provisioning. She simply refused to let Comcast go until the cards were working.


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## msdonnelly (Apr 3, 2004)

I've been on a similar trip to Oz. There is one invididual in all of Time Warner Texas Border Division who understands cable cards but he never seems to work for more than six months. I got my S3 in Sept 06 and I've gotten the digital cable I pay for during about 6 of the months since then. I call about every two or three weeks to say my cable cards aren't authorized and no one understands me. I live with it because I can at least get the miserable 5 HD channels available in Del Rio, TX with the unauthorized cards. My last go-round started two weeks ago today. I was actually called back by a woman in the admin offices who got the "numbers" they need. Two days later I called back and she told me they would have to get new cards sent from another area because the cards I have don't work with TiVo! That was a week ago today. Still nothing. Oh, well--in about three years I can retire and move to a city with OTA HD and forget about cable.


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## nrnoble (Aug 25, 2004)

Finally!

Overall this is truly comical. To pair my cards Comcast sent out a tech who called their cable card expert (that ONE guy), who paired my cable cards in less than two minutes.

I talked to their cable card expert and he explained how he solved the problem. To solve the problem he only sends the second hit (CCV), but not the first hit. The reason 1st & 2nd teer support at comcast failed was because they follow Comcast's "TiVo Cable card setup" script/procedures that has them send two hits to the TiVo. The problem is that hit #1 resets the Data ID in the Comcast system, thus invalidates the second hit (CCV). He said to properly (re)pair the cards Comcast needs verify that the data IDs match by manually entering the data ID if they don't match. Once the Data Ids match what is on the TiVo screen, then only send Hit #2.

Basically the "TiVo Cable card setup" script/procedures works when adding a new TiVo into their system, but the script doesn't work when correcting cable card problems with existing TiVos.


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## steinercat (Nov 16, 2007)

This sounds like my problem with lost lost Starz channels. (ONLY Starz)

I'm almost scared to call Comcast, but it doesn't look like my cards were paired correctly either.

EDIT: IN CableCARD Menu>CableCARD Pairing...

How do I know my CableCaRD is paried correctly. 

When I enter this, I get the black screen with the message on top saying "In order to start cable service, please contact your cable provider...."

eCM MAC: is 'blank'
Host MAC: is all '00:00' 

My M-Card is not paired correctly is it?


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## steinercat (Nov 16, 2007)

FIXED!

Wow...it really is luck of the draw with Tech support.

I called Tech Support today, girl asked me to read all the numbers present on the "Call your Cable Provider" Blank screen...

She found the error, and re-hit with new signals from her end.

All subscribed channels now showing as they're supposed to!


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