# Charter, CableCards, and TiVo Premiere



## Sylin (Feb 1, 2008)

*Does anyone have any experience with Charter (I'm in TN) and a TiVo with either M-cards or S-cards?*

I have a Series 3 with 2x CableCards (S-cards) from Charter. When it was first installed (about 2.5 years ago) I was told the 2 cards were necessary in order to have dual tuner capability.

Now I see the TiVo Premiere and it has a single M-Card slot.

I asked Charter, and got conflicting answers. One tech told me that I need 2x M-cards to do dual-tuner on the Premiere. The other tech said the "M" stands for "multi-stream" and thus only 1x M-card was needed for the Premiere to get dual tuner functionality.

Before I plunk down $400 to pre-order the Premiere, I want to make sure I can get dual tuner capability with just the one M-card.

Does anyone have any experience with Charter (I'm in TN), and these cards?

Note: I was told that the Series 3 doesn't support M-cards, and thus I'll still need to keep 2x S-cards in it if I decide to keep it, which I will.

Thanks!


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

Only a single M-card is required in the Premiere for full dual tuner functionality. You will still need both cards in your older TiVo, since it is true that the original Series 3 boxes do not support multi-stream.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

Sylin said:


> I asked Charter, and got conflicting answers. One tech told me that I need 2x M-cards to do dual-tuner on the Premiere.


It is doubtful a Charter rep even knows what a TiVo Premiere is. Just order a single M-card and if they ask what model it is, tell them it is a TiVo HD. Generally, they will not ask and I certainly never volunteer information. It will only make them more confused. Most installers don't keep S-cards anymore, so there should not be an issue there.


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## DancnDude (Feb 7, 2001)

The Premiere only has one CableCard slot (while the Series 3 had 2). To get dual tuners to work, you will have to plug in an M-card into that slot.


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## Sylin (Feb 1, 2008)

Thanks to everyone. I went ahead and ordered my Premiere XL, and I'll move the Series 3 to our bedroom TV.

When I get a notification that TiVo has shipped my new unit, I'll call Charter and order an M-card.

Does anyone else find it odd that TiVo adds the monthly service fees on to your order? I'm assuming my account will be credited a free month?


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## jventerprises (Apr 4, 2010)

Hi,

I have just setup a premiere XL with charter. I'm not sure what cable card they put in, but I just told them I wanted a cable card. The dual tuners seem to work fine, I can record a premium channel and watch or record another with no problems.

There was a test in the users manual for the dual tuners that I could not get to work, though. They wanted you to pause a channel, switch tuners to another channel, wait a few, come back and the original channel should still be paused. I could not get that to work for some reason...


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

jventerprises said:


> I have just setup a premiere XL with charter. I'm not sure what cable card they put in, but I just told them I wanted a cable card. The dual tuners seem to work fine, I can record a premium channel and watch or record another with no problems.


Only a M-card will work in the Premiere XL, so they installed the correct one. On some Charter systems, the "test channels" feature doesn't work at all. So you will see some funkiness trying to verify the channels. However, if you can tune all the channels, you will not have any issues.


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## RayzrShrp (Apr 7, 2010)

I have a Tivo Premiere running with Charter's M-card here in WI.


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## ejthedj (Feb 8, 2004)

Hi all...I am in CT and have the same question as the original poster...I can't seem to get consistent information from Charter regarding a Cablecard for my new Tivo Premiere (not the XL). Charter says I need 2 cards...yet then they tell me the cards are Multi. I'm really confused on this matter and it seems that from other Charter customers on this thread that they simply got 1 M-card from Charter and it works 100% on their Tivo Premiere. The Premiere seems to only have 1 card slot so 2 cards certainly cannot fit.

Any help or tips?...and confirmations from people living in CT that it works just fine?

Thanks so much in advance!

-ejtdj


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## mearlus (Nov 1, 2004)

ejthedj said:


> Hi all...I am in CT and have the same question as the original poster...I can't seem to get consistent information from Charter regarding a Cablecard for my new Tivo Premiere (not the XL). Charter says I need 2 cards...yet then they tell me the cards are Multi. I'm really confused on this matter and it seems that from other Charter customers on this thread that they simply got 1 M-card from Charter and it works 100% on their Tivo Premiere. The Premiere seems to only have 1 card slot so 2 cards certainly cannot fit.
> 
> Any help or tips?...and confirmations from people living in CT that it works just fine?
> 
> ...


You need 1 M-card. There is One slot in the Permiere. Charter reps are probably associating the Permiere w/ the hardware specs of S3/HD Tivos.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

ejthedj said:


> Hi all...I am in CT and have the same question as the original poster...I can't seem to get consistent information from Charter regarding a Cablecard for my new Tivo Premiere (not the XL). Charter says I need 2 cards...yet then they tell me the cards are Multi. I'm really confused on this matter and it seems that from other Charter customers on this thread that they simply got 1 M-card from Charter and it works 100% on their Tivo Premiere. The Premiere seems to only have 1 card slot so 2 cards certainly cannot fit.
> 
> Any help or tips?...and confirmations from people living in CT that it works just fine?
> 
> ...


Just order cablecards. If they ask what for, tell them a TiVo HD or just tell them you have a television with a cablecard slot. There's no need trying to ask for specific cards to the rep because they have no clue. The person installing them should bring an m-card and will know the difference.


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## jushen1 (Sep 19, 2004)

Is it possible to go to Charter's local office and get an m-card for self-installation? Will a call to Charter after the installation to ask them to hit the box work?

Thanks.


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## mr_smits (Dec 17, 2009)

jushen1 said:


> Is it possible to go to Charter's local office and get an m-card for self-installation? Will a call to Charter after the installation to ask them to hit the box work?
> 
> Thanks.


I'd like to know this as well.


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## almighty (Jun 17, 2001)

As a general rule, No. Charter does not allow self installs of cable cards, at least in the W. Michigan market they dont. I have done self installs of my cards, but thats really only because I have an inside contact at Charter that arranged it for me.


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## mearlus (Nov 1, 2004)

mr_smits said:


> I'd like to know this as well.


Nope, no self install from Charter yet. At least in WI.


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## mr_smits (Dec 17, 2009)

No self install for cablecards.


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## ejthedj (Feb 8, 2004)

So Charter came out today and gave me the M card as well as a Tuning Adapter....all my channels come in EXCEPT the MLB Extra Innings package that I ordered (and was working before they took away my old box this morning)...again, I live in CT and the MLB channels are 350-363.

So....can anyone confirm that I am supposed to get the MLB channels with this Tivo Premiere?

After 4 hours of working on this, nobody at Charter can 100&#37; confirm if my Tivo is compatible with the MLB Extra Innings package.

Thanks so much...Charter bleeping sucks.

-Eric


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## mearlus (Nov 1, 2004)

ejthedj said:


> So Charter came out today and gave me the M card as well as a Tuning Adapter....all my channels come in EXCEPT the MLB Extra Innings package that I ordered (and was working before they took away my old box this morning)...again, I live in CT and the MLB channels are 350-363.
> 
> So....can anyone confirm that I am supposed to get the MLB channels that I paid for with this Tivo Premiere?
> 
> ...


It's compatible. Its just a channel.

I'd suggest hitting up the techs from Charter that use Twitter, they've always seemed very on the ball to help and usually respond fast.

http://twitter.com/Umatter2Chtr to one of the guys direct twitter page.


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## ejthedj (Feb 8, 2004)

mearlus said:


> It's compatible. Its just a channel.


That's what I figured. However, some at Charter feel MLB is a Pay Per View type channel, which according to them, is technically impossible (too much mumbo jumbo tech talk for me to remember and put here). However, these are the ONLY channels I cannot get with the Tivo...Tivo says "the channel is currently unavailable..."

I'll try Twitter...thanks.


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## mearlus (Nov 1, 2004)

ejthedj said:


> That's what I figured. However, some at Charter feel MLB is a Pay Per View type channel, which according to them, is technically impossible (too much mumbo jumbo tech talk for me to remember and put here). However, these are the ONLY channels I cannot get with the Tivo...Tivo says "the channel is currently unavailable..."
> 
> I'll try Twitter...thanks.


Hmm, I don't know about that. It's in a package of some sort if I recall. Pay Per View isn't possible on Tivo's as that requires Tru2Way. But Premium channels like HBO etc that are an additional charge are possible.

I don't have MLB so I can't say 100% that it isn't a pay per view but I have never heard it being advertised or seen discussion of it being pay per view.


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## brettatk (Oct 11, 2002)

You can get PPV with your Tivo, you just have to call on the phone and order it. You can't do it from the actual Tivo itself like you could through the cable company's dvr.


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## mearlus (Nov 1, 2004)

brettatk said:


> You can get PPV with your Tivo, you just have to call on the phone and order it. You can't do it from the actual Tivo itself like you could through the cable company's dvr.


I think I must correlate PPV w/ OnDemand stuff. I assume the PPV that would be ordered on the phone they would tell you what channel to then tune to in order to see it.


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