# Roamio freezing up glitches



## Bighouse (Sep 3, 2004)

Roamio and my premiere both have a weird freeze/pause that is happening.

The video and audio stop during playback. When it resumes after several to about ten seconds, the video just continues and everything seems fine...until it does it again.

It's driving me nuts! It's happening every few minutes.

Anyone else having it? I found a thread that was months old and chimed in on it as well.

Also, at times when I select a function from the remote, there might be a long delay u til the function happens...like its frozen for a few seconds.


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

Bighouse said:


> Roamio and my premiere both have a weird freeze/pause that is happening.
> The video and audio stop during playback. When it resumes after several to about ten seconds, the video just continues and everything seems fine...until it does it again.
> It's driving me nuts! It's happening every few minutes.
> Anyone else having it? I found a thread that was months old and chimed in on it as well.
> Also, at times when I select a function from the remote, there might be a long delay u til the function happens...like its frozen for a few seconds.


If I figure it out, I'll let you know. If anybody else figures it out, please share.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

Try going into settings and changing your Video Output format to a single value, such as 720p, 1080i or 1080p. I had exactly this problem and this solved it for me.

It seems to be the result of the station mixing resolutions they broadcast when they insert commercials; I was very surprised to discover they were doing that.


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

ej42137 said:


> Try going into settings and changing your Video Output format to a single value, such as 720p, 1080i or 1080p. I had exactly this problem and this solved it for me.
> 
> It seems to be the result of the station mixing resolutions they broadcast when they insert commercials; I was very surprised to discover they were doing that.


I've only had 1080p set all this time, anyway. On TiVos before the Roamio, I used a fixed 1080i.

Yes, obviously the commercials are SD, while the programming is 720p HD. What happens is the allegedly HD program, will be "postage-stamped" sometimes until the next commercial break ends, or it takes 30 seconds, to 5 minutes, for the screen to be filled by the program. It makes trickplay useless, sometimes, and it's faster to just watch the whole thing, commercials and all, than try to keep using trickplay to fix trickplay issues, often only present if you use trickplay.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

Yes, I figured you (nooneuknow) was aware of this bypass. I'm sorry to hear you're having a similar problem with a single video output format selected.

What I actually have specified these days is 480p and 1080i. (My TV doesn't like 1080p from the TiVo for some reason.) This seems to fix the problem BigHouse described yet still works better with SD. I don't think it would fix your problem but I thought I'd mention it.


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

ej42137 said:


> Yes, I figured you (nooneuknow) was aware of this bypass. I'm sorry to hear you're having a similar problem with a single video output format selected.
> 
> What I actually have specified these days is 480p and 1080i. (My TV doesn't like 1080p from the TiVo for some reason.) This seems to fix the problem BigHouse described yet still works better with SD. I don't think it would fix your problem but I thought I'd mention it.


I sometimes try 1080i, only, because one software update a while back gave me issues with 1080p. Once it was fixed, I welcomed back the crispness 1080p gives me, especially on the Roamio menus.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

Cool beans! I must have had that same problem, because 1080p works for me now! Thanks!


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## Bighouse (Sep 3, 2004)

Mine is set to 1080i and I get the glitches...
Maybe the impending software update will fix it? I stopwatched a few glitches last night. One lasted for four seconds, pretty typical, another went for ten. Ten seconds of frozen video with no audio....makes me seriously start to wonder about dumping my tivo's and looking at going with the comcast boxes...makes me sad...and Tivo used to make me happy...


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## Atlanta Graphic (Jul 31, 2003)

I have been experiencing the same annoying problems that *Bighouse *is describing ever since the last TiVo Software upgrade on my Roamio Pro a few weeks ago. The freezing of video/audio also coincides with an overall system freezing (albeit brief) system freezing, i.e., the TiVo will not respond to remote commands (either by simply ignoring them or with a "spinning wheel" busy icon for a few seconds). This TiVo freezing also appears to affect any recordings occurring at the same moment as the playback freezes, although these freezes manifest as distortion of recording (similar to recording a a weak digital signal looks like). Has anyone else noticed this?

The freezing of video/audio seems to be aggravated by pausing and forward and backward scanning. Over time, the freezing becomes so constant, that a system restart is required. However, this is only a temporary solution -- the problem begins to reoccur over a short time that varies.

I doubt that the Video Output is the root of the problem (but I could be wrong). I have been using 1080i for the life of the Roamio Pro without any problems (until the last upgrade). 1080i is the native resolution of all of the channels that I watch/record with the exception of a couple of 720p channels (e.g., ABC, FX).


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## BlackBetty (Nov 6, 2004)

I'm having this issue as well. When I go to rewind my tivo will freeze for like 10 seconds.


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## BlackBetty (Nov 6, 2004)

Anyone know if this is fixed with the new update out today?


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## Bighouse (Sep 3, 2004)

Does your remote control also have an odd delay at times?


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## dslunceford (Oct 19, 2000)

Ran into a similar problem this week. Watched SNL recording with no problem (full recording). At end, rewound back to the beginning to show my wife a sketch. It started to play the sketch, then I saw crosstalk into another image and it started playing content that was ~5 minutes ahead of the point where I was watching.

Rewound again and it did the same behavior...it played then "skipped" ahead on its own...as if the chunk of recording I viewed earlier was simply no longer there.


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## Atlanta Graphic (Jul 31, 2003)

Yes! This coincides when the freezing is happening. Sometimes (although infrequently), this will cause the TiVo to lock up and restart on its own.


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## Atlanta Graphic (Jul 31, 2003)

BlackBetty said:


> Anyone know if this is fixed with the new update out today?


I am still having the problem as of 10/27/2014.


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## Bighouse (Sep 3, 2004)

Watched a recorded episode of Gotham last night. The Roamio must have frozen about ten times! Sometimes for only a few seconds, but the longest freeze must have been for about 20 seconds.

This is happening to many of us- has Tivo Margaret weighed in on it yet? It's really frustrating and really breaks the enjoyment of the product for me.


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## Bighouse (Sep 3, 2004)

BlackBetty said:


> I'm having this issue as well. When I go to rewind my tivo will freeze for like 10 seconds.


Agreed. It really likes to freeze when attempting to rewind...just sits there for ten or more seconds before the remote does anything.


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## Big Boy Laroux (Oct 10, 2006)

i'm Seeing this on both my Roamio and my 2 minis. Then with the minis, they will pop up a connection error message.

But i'm thinking it is not network related, if it is happening on my roamio, too. I think the mini just responds with that message with any freeze/delay. Just a hunch.


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## Atlanta Graphic (Jul 31, 2003)

Although I am sorry that this TiVo freezing problem began occurring my TiVo, I am relieved to see that my TiVo is not the only one afflicted. I was concerned when I checked the forums two weeks ago that no one had posted anything about it. I was afraid that I was going to have to send my TiVo in for service, but now I feel pretty sure that it is linked to the last software update.

I really appreciate Bighouse for starting this thread so others could share their similar experiences. I have been working late this week, so I have not had a chance to call TiVo customer service yet to find out if this is a known issue and they are working on a software fix for it.


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## Bighouse (Sep 3, 2004)

Atlanta Graphic said:


> Although I am sorry that this TiVo freezing problem began occurring my TiVo, I am relieved to see that my TiVo is not the only one afflicted...


Proving once again that Misery loves company.

If you do call customer care please tell us what they tell you!


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## Bighouse (Sep 3, 2004)

FWIW, I have not noticed the freezing glitches since the new update!


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## Jed1 (Jun 18, 2013)

I may have had a similar problem last night while watching Frontline. I was about 5 minutes behind watching the program while recording it and at about 44 minutes in the video just stopped and sat there. after about 30 seconds I hit the play button and it was still recording so I hit the fast forward button and then play button real quick and it jumped ahead about 2 seconds and the video then played fine to the end.
I then went back to that same point and it happened again. I also had a old SP for Frontline on my other Premiere 4 upstairs and it did the same thing.

I have the winter update on both my Premiere 4s and I never had this happen with the fall update but had lock ups and then reboots with the summer update.
I have had stuttering of the video and sometimes freezing when streaming a recorded program from one TiVo to the other with the fall update. I haven't had a chance to test this with the winter update as I got it on Monday.


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## Atlanta Graphic (Jul 31, 2003)

Bighouse said:


> FWIW, I have not noticed the freezing glitches since the new update!


I am still experiencing freezes. What version is the new update? My software version is 20.4.4a.


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## BlackBetty (Nov 6, 2004)

I have 20.4.5 for a few days now and haven't notice any of the issues I was having before. Knock on wood.


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## Big Boy Laroux (Oct 10, 2006)

Likewise for me. Got 20.4.5 on my roamio 2 days ago and no issues since. On the roamio or my 2 minis. Hopefully we're not jinxing ourselves!


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## Atlanta Graphic (Jul 31, 2003)

Big Boy Laroux said:


> Likewise for me. Got 20.4.5 on my roamio 2 days ago and no issues since. On the roamio or my 2 minis. Hopefully we're not jinxing ourselves!


It looks like I need to get the update too. I will report back with the results -- I hope I can report the same.

Thanks


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## Bighouse (Sep 3, 2004)

I think we're good to go!


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## Atlanta Graphic (Jul 31, 2003)

Atlanta Graphic said:


> It looks like I need to get the update too. I will report back with the results -- I hope I can report the same.
> 
> Thanks


Still waiting on the 20.4.5 update (put request in on Oct. 31)... still freezing... still driving me crazy!


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## Atlanta Graphic (Jul 31, 2003)

Atlanta Graphic said:


> Still waiting on the 20.4.5 update (put request in on Oct. 31)... still freezing... still driving me crazy!


I have had the update for 5 days and I am still experiencing the screen freezes. Oh well, I guess I have to send it in for service. Bummer! I have been a TiVo use since 2003, this is my first unit that requires a repair.


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

my pxl still has the freeze occasionally 20.4.5, but a quick 30 sec skip, followed by a few replays fixes it for me. it's only happened twice since the latest update.


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## rsnaider (Apr 25, 2002)

Something is not right with 20.4.5 as my Roamio's where rock solid on the previous software but now I have to reboot them every few days as they become slow, sluggish and almost unusable.

My second Roamio was stuck rebooting itself last night but seems fine now.


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## dkk17622 (Dec 15, 2008)

I have been having the picture freeze problem for the last few days. Has this problem been fixed for all those who posted here in November?


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## LSpera (Jan 20, 2008)

My Roamio has been freezing up a lot lately.. it's requiring an unplug to get it going again. VERY annoying.


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## Pilot20 (Mar 5, 2005)

I just installed my Roamio Basic yesterday. It replaces an S3 that worked well for 7 years, and as of yesterday it was still going strong. I upgraded to the Roamio for the extra tuners. I got really tired of recording conflicts.

This morning I turned on the TV and the TIVO was frozen. It would not respond to any remote commands. I had to reboot to get it going again.

This is disappointing as I was expecting better performance with the upgrade.

On another note, I have TWC and I was worried about re-pairing my cable card. I've had horrible experiences in the past. However, this time the switch was painless. I only spent about 5 minutes on the phone with the TWC CSR and I was up and running.

I hope this freeze thing isn't going to be an ongoing problem!

Pilot


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## dkk17622 (Dec 15, 2008)

Another problem that I am seeing is that when I start a playback, I get only sound without any video (black screen). In order to fix the problem, I have to return to the Tivo menu and restart the program.


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## dkk17622 (Dec 15, 2008)

Just to follow up, once I unplugged and restarted the Tivo, all the problems seem to have disappeared. I'm posting this just in case anyone else comes across this problem.


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