# SDV Tuning Adapter problem - no channels



## Micah42 (Jul 30, 2010)

My HOA just switched my neighborhood to Bright House this past weekend. They set up my cable card and tuning adapter but couldn't get the HD channels working for 4 days. All the standard definition channels work fine. When I select an HD channel, I get a random SD channel displayed instead. After calling TiVo customer support, they had me unplug the USB cable to the tuning adapter and all of a sudden my non-SDV HD channels all came in. Plug the tuning adapter back in and all the HD channels cut out again. I tried 2 different tuning adapters and got the same problem. So for now I have to go without the tuning adapter to get HD but I would like to get the SDV channels too. Anyone have this problem before?


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## Micah42 (Jul 30, 2010)

If it helps, I have the Cisco STA1520 tuning adapter


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

I had similar issue when I got my Elite. Eventually re-doing guided setup a couple of times fixed the issue for me. The 1st time I did guided setup it did not tune to channel 14=CNN and ask me if what was being displayed was CNN during guided setup as has always been the case. 2nd time I ran guided setup it did and then everything was fine after that.


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## Micah42 (Jul 30, 2010)

Ok thanks. I've done guided setup twice but I can always run it again. Hopefully it will pick up correctly.


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## Teeps (Aug 16, 2001)

Micah42 said:


> My HOA just switched my neighborhood to Bright House this past weekend. They set up my cable card and tuning adapter but couldn't get the HD channels working for 4 days.
> 
> So for now I have to go without the tuning adapter to get HD but I would like to get the SDV channels too. Anyone have this problem before?


I had a similar experience when Time Warner implemented SDV and tuning adapters. In my case a rodent had chewed the cable drop at the utility pole connection.

Make sure the home run cable from the source (utility pole?) to the tuning adapter is not corrupted.


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## tatergator1 (Mar 27, 2008)

I just recently got my first Premiere and the CableCard and TA to go along with it from Time Warner. CableCard setup was pretty easy thanks to the knowledgeable people at the dedicated TWC CableCard phone number. However, the TA was giving my trouble. I would get it set-up and everything seemed to be working in the morning, but by the time I got home from work, things were messed up. Not only were all the SDV channels missing, but many other digital as well even analog channels would not tune on my Premiere. Everything would go back to normal if I took the TA out of my setup.

I had read several threads here looking for answers and the only possible thing I could come up with was signal strength problems. I was nearly about to call TWC to troubleshoot when I realized I still had a splitter in my cable line from my old Series 2 DT setup. Took that out and the TA has been flawless for over a week.

Moral of the story, TA's seem to be very sensitive to the cable signal. It's possible you may have some signal strength issues. For me it was the splitter, for another poster, a damaged external line.


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## Micah42 (Jul 30, 2010)

This is a new line just installed recently since my HOA switched the whole neighborhood from Comcast to Brighthouse. The tech says the signal strength is fine. But he also swore up and down that it nothing to do with the equipment and that it was the TiVo. I'll keep complaining and try to get a better tech out here.


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## pmiranda (Feb 12, 2003)

My guess is your cableco has the channel map in the TA screwed up. But power cycling everything and redoing guided setup wouldn't hurt


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## Teeps (Aug 16, 2001)

Micah42 said:


> This is a new line just installed recently since my HOA switched the whole neighborhood from Comcast to Brighthouse. The tech says the signal strength is fine. But he also swore up and down that it nothing to do with the equipment and that it was the TiVo. I'll keep complaining and try to get a better tech out here.


Have you tried a known good USB cable? If so...

My next move would be to move the TiVo to another location.
How friendly are you with the neighbors?
Or,
If the TiVo is still under "warranty" or exchange at the retailer, swap it with a new unit.


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## Tony Chick (Jun 20, 2002)

A tip I got from my installer when he put my last TA into a lower-strength outlet was to not run the cable through the TA. In other words, put a 2-way splitter in the cable and run one side to the IN of the TA and the other to the Tivo, don't use the OUT connector on the TA at all.


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## Teeps (Aug 16, 2001)

Tony Chick said:


> A tip I got from my installer when he put my last TA into a lower-strength outlet was to not run the cable through the TA. In other words, put a 2-way splitter in the cable and run one side to the IN of the TA and the other to the Tivo, don't use the OUT connector on the TA at all.


An interesting band-aid for poor infrastructure?

Did you use a Coaxial Terminator (F-Type) across the out put jack of the T/A? [media]http://www.computercablestore.com/images/products/No%20Manufacturer/9-FTERM75-05.jpg[/media]

Why didn't "they" fix the sub par feeder line?


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## Tony Chick (Jun 20, 2002)

Teeps said:


> An interesting band-aid for poor infrastructure?
> 
> Did you use a Coaxial Terminator (F-Type) across the out put jack of the T/A? [media]http://www.computercablestore.com/images/products/No%20Manufacturer/9-FTERM75-05.jpg[/media]
> 
> Why didn't "they" fix the sub par feeder line?


No terminator, he just left it open. He wasn't the most co-operative guy but it was a 50' line I'd run myself out to the back yard gazebo so he didn't want to get involved with it


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## Teeps (Aug 16, 2001)

Tony Chick said:


> No terminator, he just left it open. He wasn't the most co-operative guy but it was a 50' line I'd run myself out to the back yard gazebo so he didn't want to get involved with it


Roger that.
Preferably I DON'T want anyone messing with the cables in my house.

Did you use RG6 cable or self terminate said cable?

I've had problems with self terminated RG6 cable that had been working fine for years. So if that drop is old; might consider replacing it with quad shielded RG6 with factory terminations.


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## Tony Chick (Jun 20, 2002)

It was a store-bought 50' RG6 cable with the connectors already on, I ran it from a splitter inside the house at the nearest point. I can probably do it better, perhaps for next summer, but its working fine as is. The only TA I've actually had problems with is the one inside the house on their cable.


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## Micah42 (Jul 30, 2010)

Thanks for all the ideas


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## Teeps (Aug 16, 2001)

Micah42 said:


> Thanks for all the ideas


Be sure to let "us" know how it's going.


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## rghinton (Jan 19, 2013)

I have tried for days to receive all of the cable channels with my new Ceton and Tuning Adapter. Reading this site solved my problems. I terminated the output of my Tuning Adapter and now receive all of the channels. Thank you.


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