# here we go again spectrum is ****ed



## sxmfan2018 (Aug 31, 2018)

i wound up buying a tivo bolt yesturday instead. i called spectrum last night to get a cable card and the lady just flat out refused to send me one!!! her excuse was that i was not an old grandfarthered in TWC customer freaking BS. and then she told me that i would need a digital adaptor for use with the cable card and that i would have to pay spectrum a DVR fee on top of it all along with that i would not be able to record 6 shows at once and just one. i'm furious!!! ok first things first why in the hell would i pay spectrum for there dvr service wich BTW should be an embarrassment to them when i am paying tivo to record. 2nd of all why in the hell would i need a digital adaptor wich is nothing more than a small cable box with a remote made by cisco as in my mind the cable card would be the decrypter??? has anyone else had problems with getting a cable card from spectrum???


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## Pete716 (Aug 29, 2018)

You will need a tuning adapter. Spectrum uses switched digital video now where not every channel is sent down the line at all times. The tuning adapter plugs into a USB port of the TiVo and tells the network to send the switched channels when you want to watch them.

Also - I just went through the other part yesterday in a local Spectrum store. I was patient but also firmly explained to the lady helping me that the FCC requires cable cards to be available to all customers. Eventually she found the correct options in the system to give me one instead of the spectrum dvr. At the end she told me I had a look on my face that told her she needed to figure it out haha.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

Other people accept their DVR and then return it, being careful to keep the receipt and check the website for equipment being used.


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## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

sxmfan2018 said:


> i wound up buying a tivo bolt yesturday instead. i called spectrum last night to get a cable card and the lady just flat out refused to send me one!!! her excuse was that i was not an old grandfarthered in TWC customer freaking BS. and then she told me that i would need a digital adaptor for use with the cable card and that i would have to pay spectrum a DVR fee on top of it all along with that i would not be able to record 6 shows at once and just one. i'm furious!!! ok first things first why in the hell would i pay spectrum for there dvr service wich BTW should be an embarrassment to them when i am paying tivo to record. 2nd of all why in the hell would i need a digital adaptor wich is nothing more than a small cable box with a remote made by cisco as in my mind the cable card would be the decrypter??? has anyone else had problems with getting a cable card from spectrum???


Submit a request - FCC Complaints 
File the FCC complaint. This will eventually get you a call from Spectrum where they will say of course you can have a cable card.
You will need a tuning adapter to get all of your channels, not a digital adaptor. The particular CSR you spoke to has had advanced SLI training...that's Stupid, Lazy, and Incompetent.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

Can't believe that people post major ranting complaints like this and don't bother to say where they are located. (Spectrum behavior varies a lot from region to region and a forum member in the same region may be able to give very specific help.)

There is a difference between a "digital adapter" (which you won't need with your TiVo) and a Tuning Adapter (TA, which you probably will need on Spectrum). TA's are usually (always?) provided for free.

The kind of cluelessness you experienced, and problems with TA's, are common, as has been reported in thousands of posts over the last ten years in this forum. It's not going to get better -- CableCARD and TA users are a tiny unwelcome percentage of cable TV customers.


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## sxmfan2018 (Aug 31, 2018)

dlfl said:


> Can't believe that people post major ranting complaints like this and don't bother to say where they are located. (Spectrum behavior varies a lot from region to region and a forum member in the same region may be able to give very specific help.)
> 
> There is a difference between a "digital adapter" (which you won't need with your TiVo) and a Tuning Adapter (TA, which you probably will need on Spectrum). TA's are usually (always?) provided for free.
> 
> The kind of cluelessness you experienced, and problems with TA's, are common, as has been reported in thousands of posts over the last ten years in this forum. It's not going to get better -- CableCARD and TA users are a tiny unwelcome percentage of cable TV customers.


i am located in so cal.


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## sxmfan2018 (Aug 31, 2018)

Pete716 said:


> You will need a tuning adapter. Spectrum uses switched digital video now where not every channel is sent down the line at all times. The tuning adapter plugs into a USB port of the TiVo and tells the network to send the switched channels when you want to watch them.
> 
> Also - I just went through the other part yesterday in a local Spectrum store. I was patient but also firmly explained to the lady helping me that the FCC requires cable cards to be available to all customers. Eventually she found the correct options in the system to give me one instead of the spectrum dvr. At the end she told me I had a look on my face that told her she needed to figure it out haha.


have you had any problems with losing channels??? i don't care about losing the caller id i'm getting rid of the phone to and i also don't care about losing the PPV and the VOD either as is i want to see a movie i buy the disc


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## sxmfan2018 (Aug 31, 2018)

jth tv said:


> Other people accept their DVR and then return it, being careful to keep the receipt and check the website for equipment being used.


my free DVR service is up in a few months and i flat out refuse to pay $23.00 a month plus taxes on that for a DVR that is so stone age and it looks and feel like it went out with the flip phone. i have the old TWC 6 tuner whole home DVR and i'll be honest it sucks. though when they set my up they gave me a dual tuner unit wich was a nightmare with recording conflicts and not having enough HDD space to record since it was a 500 GB drive . they told me they would give me a world box and when the tech came out he told me that there not compatible on arris systems. so i just said it either gets fixed now or i cancel everything and he went down to his truck and found an old 6 tuner dvr


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## ManeJon (Apr 14, 2018)

I'm a new (2 1/2) months TIVO customer with Spectrum (in Maine). Up here currently Spectrum only has 2 tuner dvr with no whole home. Gee I thought that was the standard 10 years ago. So I went TIVO - I had no problem getting a tuning adapter. This was part of a move from a house with DirecTv to an apartment. The Spectrum installer installed the TA and got the whole TIVO setup (Bolt + 2 Mini). The TA does "stop working" with a message saying it isn't connected and try power off and back on (did this am) - so far that has worked. 
I think like many things these days it all depends to whom you get on the phone - my plan is I don't get the right answer I hang up and call again until I do.


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## sxmfan2018 (Aug 31, 2018)

ManeJon said:


> I'm a new (2 1/2) months TIVO customer with Spectrum (in Maine). Up here currently Spectrum only has 2 tuner dvr with no whole home. Gee I thought that was the standard 10 years ago. So I went TIVO - I had no problem getting a tuning adapter. This was part of a move from a house with DirecTv to an apartment. The Spectrum installer installed the TA and got the whole TIVO setup (Bolt + 2 Mini). The TA does "stop working" with a message saying it isn't connected and try power off and back on (did this am) - so far that has worked.
> I think like many things these days it all depends to whom you get on the phone - my plan is I don't get the right answer I hang up and call again until I do.


they set me up they way they set you up. i did call em and they said they would give me a world box ok. the tech came out and replaced one of my boxes since it was over heating and to do my upgrade long and behold i didn't see him bring in a world box in with him.. i asked him where my world box was and he said that it was not compatible with motorola arris head ends. by that time i was livid lol. so what i did is i told him it better get fixed or i am canceling everything!!! so he ran down to his truck and found me and old arris 6 tuner dvr one of the whole home units that new customers are not to get!!!


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## Pete716 (Aug 29, 2018)

sxmfan2018 said:


> have you had any problems with losing channels??? i don't care about losing the caller id i'm getting rid of the phone to and i also don't care about losing the PPV and the VOD either as is i want to see a movie i buy the disc


Yes - there are definitely changes that I don't get without the tuning adapter. It should be free though, it is for me.


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## sxmfan2018 (Aug 31, 2018)

Pete716 said:


> Yes - there are definitely changes that I don't get without the tuning adapter. It should be free though, it is for me.


did you get the tuning adapter to. they told me that i would get everything in my package. but there unsure of VOD AND PPV. the card is 2.00 for me and no fee for the tuning adapter. better than paying box rentals


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## sxmfan2018 (Aug 31, 2018)

just got off the phone with a rep that knew what he was doing. finally got the tuning adapter and cable card


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## Pete716 (Aug 29, 2018)

sxmfan2018 said:


> did you get the tuning adapter to. they told me that i would get everything in my package. but there unsure of VOD AND PPV. the card is 2.00 for me and no fee for the tuning adapter. better than paying box rentals


The rep in the store told me I wouldn't need the tuning adapter to receive all my channels. I asked for it anyway.
When I was on the phone with their activation line, the rep told me I DID need the tuning adapter and had me test a few channels that won't come in without it.


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## sxmfan2018 (Aug 31, 2018)

Pete716 said:


> The rep in the store told me I wouldn't need the tuning adapter to receive all my channels. I asked for it anyway.
> When I was on the phone with their activation line, the rep told me I DID need the tuning adapter and had me test a few channels that won't come in without it.


the drone on the phone after a month of trying to get a drone that didn't have there head so far stuck up there ass that they couldn't see 3 seconds in front of them. i did get a nice older guy that knew what i was talking about after 3 long weeks of getting some csr tourcher he told me that i do need the tuning adapter along with the cable card. they did send me an arris tuning adapter along with a motorola m card. now last night when i went to activate it a lady refused to transfer me over the the cable card dept and again i was told that they don't support tivo's and cable cards and that i would have to rent there ****ty DVR and pay for there ****ty DVR service again. so i will be filing an FCC complaint and disconnecting my services with them all together. i am really beginning to think that it's a pure money grab as well as all spectrum hires are ****ing seat warmers!!! i know with spectrum id'e loose the PPV and the VOD now with cox i get them


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## sxmfan2018 (Aug 31, 2018)

ManeJon said:


> I'm a new (2 1/2) months TIVO customer with Spectrum (in Maine). Up here currently Spectrum only has 2 tuner dvr with no whole home. Gee I thought that was the standard 10 years ago. So I went TIVO - I had no problem getting a tuning adapter. This was part of a move from a house with DirecTv to an apartment. The Spectrum installer installed the TA and got the whole TIVO setup (Bolt + 2 Mini). The TA does "stop working" with a message saying it isn't connected and try power off and back on (did this am) - so far that has worked.
> I think like many things these days it all depends to whom you get on the phone - my plan is I don't get the right answer I hang up and call again until I do.


i am also thinking that we both have different call centers as well since your on the east coast and i am on the west coast


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## Kungfubarbie (Dec 8, 2014)

I'm in central Massachusetts and have had Spectrum (Charter) for years. You do not need a tuning adapter UNLESS you wish to watch some channels that require it, I believe those are premium like HBO. I got sick of the TA needing to reboot every few weeks so I unplugged it a year or so ago. Until last Friday, I had three TiVo's (2 bolt, 1 roamio) working just fine with only cable cards. Now several channels have dropped, local ones like the CBS news. I found this number for the *cable card helpdesk: 866-532-2598*. She was very knowledgeable and we checked that the cable cards appeared first in the billing system (this affects it, don't know why), that the cards and TiVo's were paired correctly (ie the card and host ID #'s matched). I then hooked up the tuning adapter which of course didn't fix the issue, because as I said, you don't need one. I'm waiting on a tech and hopefully they can check their lines and equipment outside. I have no idea what is going on. All three TiVo's are experiencing the same missing channels, so I'm 100% sure it's a Spectrum issue.

Anyways, I hope this info helps some people. The main issues in the past were the incorrect billing order and mismatched cards. Make sure to use the above number. The odds of getting someone with cablecard knowledge from the main help line is 0.00%.


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## XIBM (Mar 9, 2013)

In my legacy Charter area it appears that they have recently mapped more channels to SDV which required a TA. Several years ago when Charter went digital I quit using a TA as I could only find one channel in my Silver Package that did not come in without the TA. In the last month or so I noticed I do not get a couple of channels that I usually record (BBCWHD, & DAYSTAR). I just checked and now it looks like 50 or so channels do not come in without the TA including ESPNUHD which has never worked for me without the TA. I don't think any of these channels are worth putting the TA back on line as 47 are junk to me anyway. I may put the TA back in the loop to see what else shows up. They recently went from 100 mb advertised internet to 200 advertised (my speed test went from 55 to 130) so maybe they went SDV with 50 or so channels to give more bandwidth to the internet...


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## Niceorange (Mar 11, 2004)

It's sounding like the tuning adapter issue is widespread. I'm also in central mass (leicester) and have lost every ta channel. I've got two friends in the area with the same problem. I've got a tech scheduled for Thursday but no confidence that it's an issue on my end.


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## Niceorange (Mar 11, 2004)

Kungfubarbie said:


> I'm in central Massachusetts and have had Spectrum (Charter) for years. You do not need a tuning adapter UNLESS you wish to watch some channels that require it, I believe those are premium like HBO. I got sick of the TA needing to reboot every few weeks so I unplugged it a year or so ago. Until last Friday, I had three TiVo's (2 bolt, 1 roamio) working just fine with only cable cards. Now several channels have dropped, local ones like the CBS news. I found this number for the *cable card helpdesk: 866-532-2598*. She was very knowledgeable and we checked that the cable cards appeared first in the billing system (this affects it, don't know why), that the cards and TiVo's were paired correctly (ie the card and host ID #'s matched). I then hooked up the tuning adapter which of course didn't fix the issue, because as I said, you don't need one. I'm waiting on a tech and hopefully they can check their lines and equipment outside. I have no idea what is going on. All three TiVo's are experiencing the same missing channels, so I'm 100% sure it's a Spectrum issue.
> 
> Anyways, I hope this info helps some people. The main issues in the past were the incorrect billing order and mismatched cards. Make sure to use the above number. The odds of getting someone with cablecard knowledge from the main help line is 0.00%.


If people are having this problem please call spectrum... They are telling me they have not received enough calls to consider it a wider issue, so if you've not yet recorded your missing channels, please do.


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## Johnny Dancing (Sep 3, 2000)

Here is the list of tuning adapter channels for charter in my area.





















On my 3rd tuning adapter. Calling support again now.


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## barbja (Oct 24, 2007)

I have Spectrum (formerly Time Warner). A few years ago I returned my cable box because I never used it. Then I noticed that my bill went UP, not down. I called to find out what the heck and they said that returning the cable box took me out of a package rate, so, you know. Whatever. I went back and got the cable box and put it on a shelf. 

I've had TiVos for at least 15y, so I don't know how long ago that was. Perhaps they don't do that anymore. Plus, since the advent of on-demand, I do occasionally use it now for shows that I've missed that I can't find streaming anywhere else that sometimes show up on-demand on their box. And my cat sitter doesn't know how to use TiVos, so there's that.

When a cable guy was at my house the other day (working on a new tuning adapter and cable card combination that was giving me grief), he wanted to check if the cable box was tuning in channels. He found it supremely funny that I had no idea how to watch live TV on a cable box.  Hey, its not obvious anymore!

What I don't have is one of their iron-age DVRs -- its a stone-age, raggedy cable box.


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## ncbill (Sep 1, 2007)

Johnny Dancing said:


> Here is the list of tuning adapter channels for charter in my area.
> 
> View attachment 36588
> View attachment 36589
> ...


How do I get this list for my local (former TWC) area?

I'm having increasing trouble with multiple channels that used to work just fine now displaying "this channel is temporarily unavailable"

So I'd like to know if the above is a TA or CableCard issue.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

That's typically a TA issue. What brand TA and what's the status of the lights on it?


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## TiVotion (Dec 6, 2002)

I just felt the need to jump in here - there's so many Spectrum TA/Cablecard threads. Long story short, 2 weeks ago I jumped from Frontier FIOS to Spectrum because I wanted specific content (Bay News 9, Tampa FL). Big mistake. Installer (3rd party contractor) showed up without Tuning Adapter and Cablecard. To make matters worse, he said the cable line to the house was bad. It would need to be re-run under the driveway. He left an above ground line that wrapped all the way around the house. Then I had to drive to the local Spectrum store and pick up the TA and CC later that day. Get home, Cablecard can't be activated. Had to have a truck roll. Turns out the installer disconnected the leg of the cable to the living room at the splitter. Cablecard activated. Tuning adapter won't work - only picks up channels 2-17-ish. Two more truck rolls follow (3rd party installers again). Last guy spent 2-1/2 hours arguing with someone at Spectrum on the phone. Finally gets his boss on the phone to request a tap check, and the boss says (he was on speaker) - "I'm not surprised the f***** s*** doesn't work, they are having all kinds of problems up there." Allegedly a tap check was scheduled, I've heard nothing and my channels still don't work. Everyone wants to blame TiVo. I give up. I have an appointment Friday to switch back to Frontier. What a horrible company.


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## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

TiVotion said:


> I just felt the need to jump in here - there's so many Spectrum TA/Cablecard threads. Long story short, 2 weeks ago I jumped from Frontier FIOS to Spectrum because I wanted specific content (Bay News 9, Tampa FL). Big mistake. Installer (3rd party contractor) showed up without Tuning Adapter and Cablecard. To make matters worse, he said the cable line to the house was bad. It would need to be re-run under the driveway. He left an above ground line that wrapped all the way around the house. Then I had to drive to the local Spectrum store and pick up the TA and CC later that day. Get home, Cablecard can't be activated. Had to have a truck roll. Turns out the installer disconnected the leg of the cable to the living room at the splitter. Cablecard activated. Tuning adapter won't work - only picks up channels 2-17-ish. Two more truck rolls follow (3rd party installers again). Last guy spent 2-1/2 hours arguing with someone at Spectrum on the phone. Finally gets his boss on the phone to request a tap check, and the boss says (he was on speaker) - "I'm not surprised the f***** s*** doesn't work, they are having all kinds of problems up there." Allegedly a tap check was scheduled, I've heard nothing and my channels still don't work. Everyone wants to blame TiVo. I give up. I have an appointment Friday to switch back to Frontier. What a horrible company.


Submit a request - FCC Complaints
I know already a wasted post, but just in case you have 5 minutes or so to waste....


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

Years ago when I had Charter Cable they came out with those tuning adapters and said I needed it. Was free so I wasn't too upset, even though it was just one more thing I had to plug in and use my electricity for. Then I got upset when the TA would reboot often, and the causing my Tivo Season Passes recording to get messed up. Wasn't long after that, that I ditched Charter Cable TV and went OTA was the best move I ever made. Sadly, I had to keep Charter Internet and the cost for that went up because I wasn't bundled. Needless to say I am not a Spectrum (Charter), fan. But I need my fast Internet and nothing is this fast in my area. And surprisingly, their internet service has been pretty stable for years now. Early on Internet and TV was going out all the time.


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## RacerNine (Aug 18, 2016)

XIBM said:


> In my legacy Charter area it appears that they have recently mapped more channels to SDV which required a TA. Several years ago when Charter went digital I quit using a TA as I could only find one channel in my Silver Package that did not come in without the TA. In the last month or so I noticed I do not get a couple of channels that I usually record (BBCWHD, & DAYSTAR). I just checked and now it looks like 50 or so channels do not come in without the TA including ESPNUHD which has never worked for me without the TA. I don't think any of these channels are worth putting the TA back on line as 47 are junk to me anyway. I may put the TA back in the loop to see what else shows up. They recently went from 100 mb advertised internet to 200 advertised (my speed test went from 55 to 130) so maybe they went SDV with 50 or so channels to give more bandwidth to the internet...


The Charter/Spectrum Tech who came out to help with this told me that they are moving more channels to free up bandwidth to upgrade internet speeds. This has been getting worse for us here in CT too, I have another tech coming out on Weds this week, but I do not expect good news.


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