# Problems with new Roamio. Am I screwed?



## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

Just bought a Roamio with lifetime. Live in St. Louis have charter cable. 
Took a couple of tries but got the Motorola cable card working. I can view everything but premiums. Called support was told I needed a tuning adapter. Tech support came out with a Motorola MTR700 which didn't work. Several tries later with several more tech support visits, they were not able to get the Roamio to recognize the TA. Last guy called his super to ask what he should do next. Super made it sound like they had done everything they could do at that point.
Some research on the internet, this forum and other places, said it could be that the TA needs a firmware update to 1.40 so the Roamio can talk to it. I called Charter to ask if they could locate a TA with the correct firmware. Tech support said they would send someone out with the correct box the next day.

2 guys from Charter show up to tell me the following.
1. They don't have a clue what the firmware settings are on the TA's 
2. They can't change them
3. They may or may not get them in the future
4. Charter is going down a different path that may use different equipment

I have already filed a complaint with the FCC, but beyond that, I don't know what else to do. So, any suggestions?


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

The FCC complaint was a good idea. That usually gets the ball rolling.

When you plug in the Tuning Adapter, what exactly happens? Does it boot up correctly? When you connect the USB cable to the TiVo does the TiVo recognize that it has been connected? Have you gone into the Tuning Adapter diagnostics to see what firmware version it is running? Also, make sure your CableCard is the same brand as your Tuning Adapter.


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## spynotebook (Jan 28, 2015)

I spent a week a few months ago getting a Roamio working on Charter. Long story short, the tuning adapter turned out to be fine, it updated to the correct firmware after we plugged it in. It took about half an hour.

My problem was the card issued to me was set to not work on third party devices, only inside Charter equipment. That took about 5 techs to figure out.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

I am continually amazed with this entire situation with the cablecos, everytime someone posts here about this. Are the cablecos just trying to create enough hassle to stop people from going with their own equipment, or is it just ineptitude? Seems pretty expensive to them.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

tarheelblue32 said:


> The FCC complaint was a good idea. That usually gets the ball rolling.
> 
> When you plug in the Tuning Adapter, what exactly happens? Does it boot up correctly? When you connect the USB cable to the TiVo does the TiVo recognize that it has been connected? Have you gone into the Tuning Adapter diagnostics to see what firmware version it is running? Also, make sure your CableCard is the same brand as your Tuning Adapter.


Tivo doesn't recognize it. Says none is connected. Can't see what the firmware setting is. Both are Motorola.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

spynotebook said:


> I spent a week a few months ago getting a Roamio working on Charter. Long story short, the tuning adapter turned out to be fine, it updated to the correct firmware after we plugged it in. It took about half an hour.
> 
> My problem was the card issued to me was set to not work on third party devices, only inside Charter equipment. That took about 5 techs to figure out.


It does recognize the cable card and says all 4 channels are working. I can get all my channels but the premiums. Is there a setting somewhere that states if it is set to work with 3rd party devices?


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

Mikeguy said:


> Are the cablecos just trying to create enough hassle to stop people from going with their own equipment, or is it just ineptitude?


Believe the answer is "Yes" to both.


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## b-ball-fanatic (Aug 5, 2003)

Are you absolutely sure about the whole tuning adapter thing....as in, that you actually do need one?

If the cable card wasn't compatible (somehow) with TiVos, it seems like it shouldn't work at all. When you're getting the wrong channel package (for example, the right digital package, but without the premium channels you've subscribed to), it's generally a pairing issue. I have dealt with CSRs that don't understand the importance of the Data ID....they keep inputting the card's serial number. Or doing something that changes the Data ID.

Does Charter have a specific cable card support number like Comcast does? Those people "usually" know a little bit more about cable cards, and can successfully pair a card over the phone.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

b-ball-fanatic said:


> Are you absolutely sure about the whole tuning adapter thing....as in, that you actually do need one?
> 
> If the cable card wasn't compatible (somehow) with TiVos, it seems like it shouldn't work at all. When you're getting the wrong channel package (for example, the right digital package, but without the premium channels you've subscribed to), it's generally a pairing issue. I have dealt with CSRs that don't understand the importance of the Data ID....they keep inputting the card's serial number. Or doing something that changes the Data ID.
> 
> Does Charter have a specific cable card support number like Comcast does? Those people "usually" know a little bit more about cable cards, and can successfully pair a card over the phone.


If it's a pairing problem, he should be getting an error message that says something like "channel not authorized" when he tries to tune to the premium channel. If he needs a tuning adapter to get the channels, he should be getting a message like "channel not available".


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## b-ball-fanatic (Aug 5, 2003)

tarheelblue32 said:


> If it's a pairing problem, he should be getting an error message that says something like "channel not authorized" when he tries to tune to the premium channel. If he needs a tuning adapter to get the channels, he should be getting a message like "channel not available".


Good point....has he specified what message he's getting?


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

b-ball-fanatic said:


> Are you absolutely sure about the whole tuning adapter thing....as in, that you actually do need one?
> 
> If the cable card wasn't compatible (somehow) with TiVos, it seems like it shouldn't work at all. When you're getting the wrong channel package (for example, the right digital package, but without the premium channels you've subscribed to), it's generally a pairing issue. I have dealt with CSRs that don't understand the importance of the Data ID....they keep inputting the card's serial number. Or doing something that changes the Data ID.
> 
> Does Charter have a specific cable card support number like Comcast does? Those people "usually" know a little bit more about cable cards, and can successfully pair a card over the phone.


Well the Roamio isn't actually recognizing the TA so it is able to get all but the premiums without it..

No, charter doesn't have a support number. They say they don't get enough of these to worry about it.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

tarheelblue32 said:


> If it's a pairing problem, he should be getting an error message that says something like "channel not authorized" when he tries to tune to the premium channel. If he needs a tuning adapter to get the channels, he should be getting a message like "channel not available".


Well I am getting 2 different error messages. The first says something like: "In order to start cable service for this device contact" and then a number and cable card id info.
When I cancel that I get a second message that says:
"This channel is not authorized" etc. and V58 error code.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Dusty Roads said:


> Well I am getting 2 different error messages. The first says something like: "In order to start cable service for this device contact" and then a number and cable card id info.
> When I cancel that I get a second message that says:
> "This channel is not authorized" etc. and V58 error code.


That definitely sounds like a CableCard pairing problem. Those messages are telling you that the channel is there, but your CableCard is not authorized to show you the video stream. It's a shame that Charter doesn't have a dedicated CableCard pairing hotline. It is much harder to get someone on the phone that knows how to pair a CableCard if the cable company doesn't have a dedicated line for it. You'll have to keep calling back until you get someone on the phone at Charter that knows how to properly pair a CableCard to your TiVo.


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## tim1724 (Jul 3, 2007)

I believe Charter's CableCard phone number is (866) 499-8080


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## telemark (Nov 12, 2013)

From another CC thread:


> Call the normal number on your bill 1-888-438-2427 and when it asks for what they can help you with, Say "Cable Card Installation"


PS. You should leave the TA plugged into power and the cable line on the offchance it notices it needs an upgrade.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

tim1724 said:


> I believe Charter's CableCard phone number is (866) 499-8080


Thanks, I'll give it a try.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

telemark said:


> From another CC thread:
> 
> PS. You should leave the TA plugged into power and the cable line on the offchance it notices it needs an upgrade.


I am leaving it on, when I get home the first thing I do is check to see if there has been a change.

I'm wondering though, if the Roamio isn't recognizing it, would pairing help?


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## cummingsje (Feb 28, 2015)

I just got 2 Roamio's setup with Charter recently and install went very smoothly. It sounds strange that the Tivo didn't recognize the TA when you plugged it in (try another USB slot maybe?). Do you have a solid amber light on your TA? If not that could be the issue. Like was mentioned earlier, try the TA diagnostics in the setup menu.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

cummingsje said:


> I just got 2 Roamio's setup with Charter recently and install went very smoothly. It sounds strange that the Tivo didn't recognize the TA when you plugged it in (try another USB slot maybe?). Do you have a solid amber light on your TA? If not that could be the issue. Like was mentioned earlier, try the TA diagnostics in the setup menu.


The light starts out blinking then becomes solid. Tried switching USB ports even tried a different USB cord. So can someone tell me, did the Tivo recognize the TA before the pairing occurred?


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## cummingsje (Feb 28, 2015)

Dusty Roads said:


> The light starts out blinking then becomes solid. Tried switching USB ports even tried a different USB cord. So can someone tell me, did the Tivo recognize the TA before the pairing occurred?


Good that it turns solid. I would still check the TA diagnostics in the Tivo setup menu to make sure it is / is not seeing the TA. Shouldn't matter whether it sees it before or after, unless it has something to do with a firmware update.


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## kettledrum (Nov 17, 2003)

cummingsje said:


> I just got 2 Roamio's setup with Charter recently and install went very smoothly. It sounds strange that the Tivo didn't recognize the TA when you plugged it in (try another USB slot maybe?). Do you have a solid amber light on your TA? If not that could be the issue. Like was mentioned earlier, try the TA diagnostics in the setup menu.


This was on Brighthouse, not Charter, but a few weeks ago I set my parents up with a TiVo and they needed a TA, and the TiVo didn't think there was a TA attached to it for a while....30-45 minutes maybe? Eventually is magically recognized it. I don't know if that is because someone at the head end did something, or if it just took it that long for the two boxes to communicate with each other properly.

Just another data point about a TiVo not recognizing a TA right away.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

kettledrum said:


> This was on Brighthouse, not Charter, but a few weeks ago I set my parents up with a TiVo and they needed a TA, and the TiVo didn't think there was a TA attached to it for a while....30-45 minutes maybe? Eventually is magically recognized it. I don't know if that is because someone at the head end did something, or if it just took it that long for the two boxes to communicate with each other properly.
> 
> Just another data point about a TiVo not recognizing a TA right away.


Well, the device has been in place and on since Sunday.

Tivo support says I need to request a firmware update. I will try the suggestions I got here to request it when I get home since calling the main support number doesn't seem to work.


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## cummingsje (Feb 28, 2015)

Dusty Roads said:


> Well, the device has been in place and on since Sunday.
> 
> Tivo support says I need to request a firmware update. I will try the suggestions I got here to request it when I get home since calling the main support number doesn't seem to work.


Well, good luck! I have a Roamio Base and Roamio Plus and have been loving the performance so far! I think once you get the TA issue cleared up you'll enjoy the service!


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

I had a problem with receiving HBO on a card that was getting the rest of the channels just fine. I had just added HBO after not originally subscribing to it.

I had to make multiple calls to the CSRs. The first group had no clue. They tried a bit but wanted to do a truck roll which I just knew didn't need to be done. 

So i did some research. The cable card was showing a wrong number/setting that needed to be changed. Maybe it was a re-pairing. I've already forgotten the specifics. But the info is all on Tivo's site.

Armed with this info, I called them back up 8 hours later late at night. And between my new knowledge of the issue and finally getting a CSR that knew his stuff, ...the problem was fixed in minutes. I was receiving HBO and the truck roll was canceled.


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## b-ball-fanatic (Aug 5, 2003)

trip1eX said:


> I had a problem with receiving HBO on a card that was getting the rest of the channels just fine. I had just added HBO after not originally subscribing to it.
> 
> I had to make multiple calls to the CSRs. The first group had no clue. They tried a bit but wanted to do a truck roll which I just knew didn't need to be done.
> 
> ...


Yeah, it's a matter of getting the Data ID to match on both ends....some CSRs don't even know what the Data ID is. One of the issues is that it's not static, like the serial and host IDs. So clueless CSRs can do things that change it, which means having to re-sync all over again.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

cummingsje said:


> Well, good luck! I have a Roamio Base and Roamio Plus and have been loving the performance so far! I think once you get the TA issue cleared up you'll enjoy the service!


This is my second, first was a series 2 that was connected via a cable box. I have tried charter's DVR's. Not even close.


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## au_en_bear (Nov 11, 2003)

It took me close to 3 months of constant hounding to get Charter to upgrade the code on a Cisco TA. I am convinced that the FCC complaint was the only reason I ever got any traction with them. At first I was told that they had no plans to ever upgrade the TA code. A few days after the FCC complaint I got a call from someone higher up and got the ball rolling but it was still very slow going. It took close to a month before they finally told me that a decision had been made to evaluate the new code. It took another month to be told that their engineering dept had approved the new code. Then it took several weeks for them to actually send out the upgrade.

You have to keep on them and hound them and keep bringing up the FCC complaint to get anywhere.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

au_en_bear said:


> It took me close to 3 months of constant hounding to get Charter to upgrade the code on a Cisco TA. I am convinced that the FCC complaint was the only reason I ever got any traction with them. At first I was told that they had no plans to ever upgrade the TA code. A few days after the FCC complaint I got a call from someone higher up and got the ball rolling but it was still very slow going. It took close to a month before they finally told me that a decision had been made to evaluate the new code. It took another month to be told that their engineering dept had approved the new code. Then it took several weeks for them to actually send out the upgrade.
> 
> You have to keep on them and hound them and keep bringing up the FCC complaint to get anywhere.


Ok, well got a voice mail from a charter corp. guy saying they got the FCC complaint and someone will contact me in the next 24 hours.

Gotta ask, what symptoms were you having before and did the upgrade fix it?


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Pardon me for being amazed, but the only way to get the cableco to be responsive on the issue _is to file a complaint with the government_? Is something broken here, folks?


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Mikeguy said:


> Pardon me for being amazed, but the only way to get the cableco to be responsive on the issue _is to file a complaint with the government_? Is something broken here, folks?


Quasi-monopolies require proper government regulation. This is econ 101. The fact that cable companies will respond after you file a formal FCC complaint is a sign that the system is working.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Silly me, seems to me that they should be responsive _without_ the need to file an FCC complaint . . . .


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## au_en_bear (Nov 11, 2003)

The problem I have is related to SDV timeouts. If one of my tuners is on an SDV channel that has timed out and a recording is scheduled for that channel it did not work correctly. The new code in the TA has made it much better but it is still not perfect. I did find out that if I set sleep mode to max it helps. If the Tivo is in sleep mode and a recording is scheduled it appears that a more robust startup algorithm is used. Since I got the code upgrade and started using the higher level sleep mode I do not think I have missed a recording.

I would love to stop using sleep mode but Tivo has been USELESS in helping with anything. Their standard answer is to ask Charter if I have the latest code even after I have told them that I now have the code they recommend. 

I honestly believe Tivo support is more USELESS than Charter if you are having any real non-standard problem.

If anyone from Tivo sees this and wants to hear my story please let me know.


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## tim1724 (Jul 3, 2007)

au_en_bear said:


> The problem I have is related to SDV timeouts. If one of my tuners is on an SDV channel that has timed out and a recording is scheduled for that channel it did not work correctly. The new code in the TA has made it much better but it is still not perfect. I did find out that if I set sleep mode to max it helps. If the Tivo is in sleep mode and a recording is scheduled it appears that a more robust startup algorithm is used. Since I got the code upgrade and started using the higher level sleep mode I do not think I have missed a recording.


This does sound like the behavior of old buggy firmware on the tuning adapter.

It is a Motorola or Cisco TA? I don't know about the Motorola ones, but the Cisco one will exhibit exactly this behavior if it hasn't been updated to a recent version of the firmware. (I think .1601 was the first mostly reliable version, but I might not be remembering it correctly. Charter recently upgraded my TA to .2001 which is extremely reliable.)

Cables companies tend to use buggy versions of software that are several years out of date. They hate installing updates. It takes a lot of prodding (often via complaints filed with the FCC) to get them to update their equipment.


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## au_en_bear (Nov 11, 2003)

Sorry, I should have given better info. I do have a Cisco 1520 and the upgrade I got about a month ago is .2001. It is much better but I have still seen it fail to record properly on an SDV channel that had timed out.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

Well, now have a telephone number to a Charter technician that actually answers the phone. 
He says they had a meeting about this. Seems others are having similar problems. They have asked Tivo for some assistance and are waiting for them to respond. Once they hear back from Tivo they will decide how to proceed. 

I had already contacted Tivo to see what they recommend and here is their response:

"Thank you for contacting TiVo Customer Support.

I understand that this issue with the tuning adapters from your provider is causing a lot of frustration with your setup. It is true that the provider needs to supply you with the working equipment needed so that you are able to access all your subscribed channels. I have encountered this issue with tuning adapters and TiVo units before, and it is really quite simple to resolve.

With a lot of these tuning adapters and the cable providers, they are issued out new without any updated firmware. The firmware updates that are required is supposed to be updated on the tuning adapter through their manufacturer. Your cable provider should be able to submit a request to the tuning adapter manufacturer to have them send the appropriate firmware update to your model of tuning adapter that is installed. It could take a few days for the request to be processed, but your tuning adapter should receive the update and the TiVo unit will be able to connect and recognized its authorization of your channel lineups.

I would recommend talking to your cable provider's support services and see if they can submit the Firmware Update Request to Motorola as soon as possible so you will be able to enjoy your cable services with your TiVo unit again!"


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## au_en_bear (Nov 11, 2003)

My problem is that I have the newest TA code and it is a big improvement but I still get this same kind of drivel from Tivo. There only answer is always for you to push on the cable provider. 

Why is it that I have a Series 3 with the same CC and TA code and it has no problems? The only difference is the Tivo. It just frustrates me to no end to KNOW that someone in Tivo engineering has a handle on the issues and we are never allowed to interact with them at all.


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## au_en_bear (Nov 11, 2003)

Sorry for the rant and sidetracking your thread. I will attempt to hold my tongue in the future.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

Ok, the Charter guys were here about 4 hours yesterday. They did finally manage to get a working TA and we could see that it had the 1.40 firmware update but that did not fix the problem. Was able to get a couple of Showtime channels in non-HD. They are coming back today so it continues.

Have a couple of questions:
1. When setting up the first time the Tivo asked if I had basic or extended basic cable. The Charter guy said he was able to get one working for another customer by changing it to basic and not extended. Problem is we couldn't find the choice in the menu. I even did a delete all and started over but I never showed up. How do you get change from basic plus extended to just basic?
2. On the conditional access page I'm am still having problems.
Con: Yes, EBCP: Yes, Val: ? 0X00
I've been told Val: should be "V"
Is this a problem with the cable card?


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## DigitalDawn (Apr 26, 2009)

If the problem is not with the TA, then it's most likely the Cable Card.


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## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

Dusty Roads said:


> Ok, the Charter guys were here about 4 hours yesterday. They did finally manage to get a working TA and we could see that it had the 1.40 firmware update but that did not fix the problem. Was able to get a couple of Showtime channels in non-HD. They are coming back today so it continues.
> 
> Have a couple of questions:
> 1. When setting up the first time the Tivo asked if I had basic or extended basic cable. The Charter guy said he was able to get one working for another customer by changing it to basic and not extended. Problem is we couldn't find the choice in the menu. I even did a delete all and started over but I never showed up. How do you get change from basic plus extended to just basic?
> ...


Hi,
The answer is yes on the Conditional Access page, the Val: should start with "V". You are having problems because the people you have been dealing with don't know or don't care to learn how to properly pair a cablecard. The card itself is probably fine, you just need to find someone at Charter who has a clue....keep pounding, they will eventually find someone.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Dusty Roads said:


> Ok, the Charter guys were here about 4 hours yesterday. They did finally manage to get a working TA and we could see that it had the 1.40 firmware update but that did not fix the problem. Was able to get a couple of Showtime channels in non-HD. They are coming back today so it continues.
> 
> Have a couple of questions:
> 1. When setting up the first time the Tivo asked if I had basic or extended basic cable. The Charter guy said he was able to get one working for another customer by changing it to basic and not extended. Problem is we couldn't find the choice in the menu. I even did a delete all and started over but I never showed up. How do you get change from basic plus extended to just basic?
> ...


Based on everything you have said, I'm convinced that your problem is that your CableCard is not properly paired. If you could just get someone on the phone at Charter who knows how to do it, all your problems would likely be solved. The FCC complaint you filed should eventually get someone competent about pairing CableCards at Charter to finally contact you and correctly pair the card.

To answer your question, you can re-run guided setup by going to:

Settings & Messages > Help > Restart or Reset > Repeat Guided Setup


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## telemark (Nov 12, 2013)

If during GuidedSetup, you can't find the Basic plan, you could try another zip code.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

telemark said:


> If during GuidedSetup, you can't find the Basic plan, you could try another zip code.


Does changing the area code screw up your channels selections?


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

fcfc2 said:


> hi, the answer is yes on the conditional access page, the val: Should start with "v". You are having problems because the people you have been dealing with don't know or don't care to learn how to properly pair a cablecard. The card itself is probably fine, you just need to find someone at charter who has a clue....keep pounding, they will eventually find someone.





tarheelblue32 said:


> based on everything you have said, i'm convinced that your problem is that your cablecard is not properly paired. If you could just get someone on the phone at charter who knows how to do it, all your problems would likely be solved. The fcc complaint you filed should eventually get someone competent about pairing cablecards at charter to finally contact you and correctly pair the card. To answer your question, you can re-run guided setup by going to: Settings & messages > help > restart or reset > repeat guided setup


^^^^^this^^^^^^


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

spynotebook said:


> I spent a week a few months ago getting a Roamio working on Charter. Long story short, the tuning adapter turned out to be fine, it updated to the correct firmware after we plugged it in. It took about half an hour.
> 
> My problem was the card issued to me was set to not work on third party devices, only inside Charter equipment. That took about 5 techs to figure out.


I have a Roamio Pro in STL with Motorola Card and Tuning Adapter. I have 4 tivo's all paired but can't get this one to pair. I can watch all channels but the premiums (HBO, Showtime). I've had 3 techs out, 3 different cable cards. How do I know/check if the cards I'm trying are not set to work on third party devices?


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

Dusty Roads said:


> Ok, the Charter guys were here about 4 hours yesterday. They did finally manage to get a working TA and we could see that it had the 1.40 firmware update but that did not fix the problem. Was able to get a couple of Showtime channels in non-HD. They are coming back today so it continues.
> 
> Have a couple of questions:
> 1. When setting up the first time the Tivo asked if I had basic or extended basic cable. The Charter guy said he was able to get one working for another customer by changing it to basic and not extended. Problem is we couldn't find the choice in the menu. I even did a delete all and started over but I never showed up. How do you get change from basic plus extended to just basic?
> ...


I've had the same problem you are. I have 1.40 in TA but can't get HBO, Showtime ETC. On guided setup when it ask what's on channel 20 select the manual option to get to basic or extended. I've had pairing go smoothly 7 times and this is the first time I've had a problem. 3 techs out already and supposedly had it elevated to NOC?


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## dougdingle (Jul 4, 2007)

Mikeguy said:


> I am continually amazed with this entire situation with the cablecos, everytime someone posts here about this. Are the cablecos just trying to create enough hassle to stop people from going with their own equipment, or is it just ineptitude? Seems pretty expensive to them.


I believe there is an unwritten rule at most cablecos to make using customer supplied equipment as difficult as possible while not running afoul of the FCC.

All the available evidence points to this as being true.

Time Warner in Los Angeles seems better than most, incidentally. I was actually able to reach someone on the first call who was able to upgrade my TA firmware remotely and got it working. Also, TW's cablecard pairing people are really very, very good. But adding every piece of non-TW gear is always at least a small hassle.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

Well latest is Tivo is replacing it. I am sending this one back and they are sending another.
I was able to establish that I have a new cable card with latest firmware and a tuning adapter with latest firmware. Still they wouldn't play together. Best I could do was get regular channels but no premiums. The (Val) was always (?).
So when the new one gets here, how do I answer the question about what kind of cable set up I have. I don't remember the exact question but there were choices involving basic or basic/extended or something like that. Wish I could be more exact but I only saw this choice one time. 

Anyway, how do you select the correct answer and does it matter?


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

Dusty Roads said:


> Well latest is Tivo is replacing it. I am sending this one back and they are sending another.
> I was able to establish that I have a new cable card with latest firmware and a tuning adapter with latest firmware. Still they wouldn't play together. Best I could do was get regular channels but no premiums. The (Val) was always (?).
> So when the new one gets here, how do I the question about what kind of cable set up I have. I don't remember the exact question but there were choices involving basic or basic/extended or something like that. Wish I could be more exact but I only saw this choice one time.
> 
> Anyway, how do you select the correct answer and does it matter?


On guided setup when it ask what's on channel 20 select the manual option to get to basic or extended. I'm not sure it matters, I've never had to do that. Also I'm in STL so it might be different than channel 20 for you.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

Wattsline said:


> On guided setup when it ask what's on channel 20 select the manual option to get to basic or extended. I'm not sure it matters, I've never had to do that. Also I'm in STL so it might be different than channel 20 for you.


Thanks. But how do I tell if I get basic/extended or just basic or just extended. The cable guy seemed to think it matters because he said he was able to get one working by changing the answer.


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

Dusty Roads said:


> Thanks. But how do I tell if I get basic/extended or just basic or just extended. The cable guy seemed to think it matters because he said he was able to get one working by changing the answer.


Extended includes basic. It all has to do with what service you have with Charter. It refers to channel lineups based on what you're paying for.


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## jmbach (Jan 1, 2009)

Really, the first thing to do after you have the latest firmware is to make sure the cableCARD is paired correctly. I really don't believe changing basic/extended had anything to do with it unless basic does not require a TA and extended does.

Here is some good troubleshooting info from TiVo on Motorola CableCARD Troubleshooting: Roamio Series and Premiere Series DVRs.

If the CSR is unable to help you and wants to roll a truck, ask to up a level. Might take several levels (max I went to so far is 6 techs in two different departments) before getting some one that can help. Most commonly the issue with Motorola cableCARDs is that the Data ID on the unit does not match the Data ID on the head end.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

Ok, so got the new Tivo. Went thru the setup first without the CC or TA. After it was fully updated I added the CC and TA. It recognized both very quickly. Thought to myself, this is a good sign. Now to call Charter. 1st call I can tell it isn't going to work, he doesn't know what info is needed, when I explain about the data number he says there is no place for that. Tries to send a signal but I don't get it. Wants to send out a truck, I decline and hang up. Wait 20 minutes, try again, another tech, this one seems to know a little more. I ask her what the data number is and she can't find it at first, but then says she can. I ask what number is in it, she says it's blank. Says she has entered it. Sends the 3 signals which I see on the TA. This knocks the TA off line. She has me reboot it. Still no magical Val: = V but everything else looks ok. Again wants a truck roll, this time I say yes and ask for the person who has been out a couple of times and at least seems to know what he is trying to do. Coming out this evening.
What is the magic word to get them to bump this up to their supervisor, I asked the first one and he said he could take care of the problem. Also, should the pairing signal cause the TA to go off line? That seemed wrong to me.


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

Dusty Roads said:


> Ok, so got the new Tivo. Went thru the setup first without the CC or TA. After it was fully updated I added the CC and TA. It recognized both very quickly. Thought to myself, this is a good sign. Now to call Charter. 1st call I can tell it isn't going to work, he doesn't know what info is needed, when I explain about the data number he says there is no place for that. Tries to send a signal but I don't get it. Wants to send out a truck, I decline and hang up. Wait 20 minutes, try again, another tech, this one seems to know a little more. I ask her what the data number is and she can't find it at first, but then says she can. I ask what number is in it, she says it's blank. Says she has entered it. Sends the 3 signals which I see on the TA. This knocks the TA off line. She has me reboot it. Still no magical Val: = V but everything else looks ok. Again wants a truck roll, this time I say yes and ask for the person who has been out a couple of times and at least seems to know what he is trying to do. Coming out this evening.
> What is the magic word to get them to bump this up to their supervisor, I asked the first one and he said he could take care of the problem. Also, should the pairing signal cause the TA to go off line? That seemed wrong to me.


This is from my thread, you will not get a "V" until this is fixed..

Had another charter advanced tech out and I suspected what the problem was. This was the fifth tech and I've been unable to pair a Roamio or Premiere for over a month. I told him what I thought the problem was and he got on the phone and we eventually got to someone at NOC. It seams they changed the Headend software recently and that's when the problems began. They are trying to fix it and and they are having a meeting today, 5/11, with interested parties including Tivo supposedly. I hope they get this resolved soon. I've heard a lot of people with this problem and a lot of suggested solutions that I've confirmed did not work.


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## jmbach (Jan 1, 2009)

I would call back and when the voice prompt asks what are you calling about say cableCARD. If the person is unable to solve the problem on the phone insist on talking to the supervisor. When you call back, ask about the data number again. It might not have been actually saved in their system.


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

jmbach said:


> I would call back and when the voice prompt asks what are you calling about say cableCARD. If the person is unable to solve the problem on the phone insist on talking to the supervisor. When you call back, ask about the data number again. It might not have been actually saved in their system.


Please see prior post! Once they "pair" the system the Data ID is not displayed in their screen anymore. They can get to it but that still isn't the problem.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

Wattsline said:


> This is from my thread, you will not get a "V" until this is fixed..
> 
> Had another charter advanced tech out and I suspected what the problem was. This was the fifth tech and I've been unable to pair a Roamio or Premiere for over a month. I told him what I thought the problem was and he got on the phone and we eventually got to someone at NOC. It seams they changed the Headend software recently and that's when the problems began. They are trying to fix it and and they are having a meeting today, 5/11, with interested parties including Tivo supposedly. I hope they get this resolved soon. I've heard a lot of people with this problem and a lot of suggested solutions that I've confirmed did not work.


Thanks, saw that from your previous post. If the meeting was 2 days ago, wonder if the guy coming this evening might have a solution.


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

Dusty Roads said:


> Thanks, saw that from your previous post. If the meeting was 2 days ago, wonder if the guy coming this evening might have a solution.


The last tech that came out said he was the one handling most of the Tivo calls but he only works Friday though Monday I think. I have his info at home. All the techs that came out up to him didn't know about the Headend problem so I doubt (unless it's fixed already) he will be able to pair.


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## jmbach (Jan 1, 2009)

I saw your prior post. That may be your experience and something might have changed since the last pairing I did a couple of months ago. Over the past year with testing of my Premiere and Roamio with different ways of expanding drives, I have had to pair at least 6 times. Each time has required escalation until some one was able to help. I. usually ended up in their video department. And you are correct, the low level techs cannot get to the data ID. That is why you have to escalate up and and not lateral. 
For Motorola M-Cards, if the data ID displayed on the unit does not match the number on the head end, you will never get the magic Val:V.


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## jmbach (Jan 1, 2009)

It may be that the new Head End software is not allowing the Data ID to stick when they change it. It still a Charter issue and not TiVo.


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

jmbach said:


> I saw your prior post. That may be your experience and something might have changed since the last pairing I did a couple of months ago. Over the past year with testing of my Premiere and Roamio with different ways of expanding drives, I have had to pair at least 6 times. Each time has required escalation until some one was able to help. I. usually ended up in their video department. And you are correct, the low level techs cannot get to the data ID. That is why you have to escalate up and and not lateral.
> For Motorola M-Cards, if the data ID displayed on the unit does not match the number on the head end, you will never get the magic Val:V.


Correct, and I've done about 3 pairing about two months ago and all were accomplished over the phone with no escalation needed. Although it does help to get someone that has done it before for sure!


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

jmbach said:


> It may be that the new Head End software is not allowing the Data ID to stick when they change it. It still a Charter issue and not TiVo.


I was wondering it the format is bad like they have an extra byte in it. It's funny my unit address number from the pairing screen is like their's but they have an extra 4 zero's in the beginning on their screen! I think the problem is probably a small one but it might take a while for someone to find exactly where it is!


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

Wattsline said:


> The last tech that came out said he was the one handling most of the Tivo calls but he only works Friday though Monday I think. I have his info at home. All the techs that came out up to him didn't know about the Headend problem so I doubt (unless it's fixed already) he will be able to pair.


Just spoke to one of the supervisors. He was assigned to my case after I filed the complaint. He wants to hold off until they have had a chance to figure out a real solution other than just keep throwing resources at it. I agreed to this.

Believe that is the same tech cause he won't be at work until Friday.


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## nickg420 (Apr 28, 2015)

I am having a bit of a different issue. I get HD Channels and premiums. However I have random channels in premiums that will not authorize. For example I will get all HBOs but HBO East. I will get Epix West but not east. All Showtimes but one.

One Charter tech came out and spent 5 hours at my house changing connectors and ensuring signal was perfect. He spoke about there being a meeting with Tivo after speaking with like the 5th person on the phone.

I'm supposed to receive a callback. I figure I will give it a few days and either try to have them fix it again or file a complaint with the FCC.

I have a Charter receiver in my son's room and he gets all channels fine. Which makes me think it has to be a Charter cable card pairing problem somewhere.


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

nickg420 said:


> I am having a bit of a different issue. I get HD Channels and premiums. However I have random channels in premiums that will not authorize. For example I will get all HBOs but HBO East. I will get Epix West but not east. All Showtimes but one.
> 
> One Charter tech came out and spent 5 hours at my house changing connectors and ensuring signal was perfect. He spoke about there being a meeting with Tivo after speaking with like the 5th person on the phone.
> 
> ...


Do you have a "V" for the val field in the conditional access screen? Are you in STL? I get some premium channels but for the most part they are non HD channels and I don't think they vary. The tech said all the calls he's been on have the same issue. I have another Tivo that is paired and get's everything but it was paired a year ago or so.


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## dougdingle (Jul 4, 2007)

nickg420 said:


> I am having a bit of a different issue. I get HD Channels and premiums. However I have random channels in premiums that will not authorize. For example I will get all HBOs but HBO East. I will get Epix West but not east. All Showtimes but one.


When this happens on my system, it has always meant that that TA did not have a complete list of fresh channel assignments, usually because they were changed and someone forgot to send the "get fresh channel data" signal to the TAs.

What I do is unplug the TAs' power for a minute, then plug them back in. Once it locks back onto 'mom', it downloads fresh channel mappings, and things start to work again.


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## nickg420 (Apr 28, 2015)

Wattsline said:


> Do you have a "V" for the val field in the conditional access screen? Are you in STL?


I am not sure, I am at work but I will check when I get home.

I am in the Atlanta market.



dougdingle said:


> When this happens on my system, it has always meant that that TA did not have a complete list of fresh channel assignments, usually because they were changed and someone forgot to send the "get fresh channel data" signal to the TAs.
> 
> What I do is unplug the TAs' power for a minute, then plug them back in. Once it locks back onto 'mom', it downloads fresh channel mappings, and things start to work again.


I will certainly give this a try when I get home. Thanks!


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## dougdingle (Jul 4, 2007)

jmbach said:


> I would call back and when the voice prompt asks what are you calling about say cableCARD. If the person is unable to solve the problem on the phone insist on talking to the supervisor. When you call back, ask about the data number again. It might not have been actually saved in their system.


Never thought I'd be saying this, but I am soooo glad I'm with time Warner. Having a special number to call for cablecard and TA issues, answered by people with experience who make things simple, is such a joy.

I had to pair a card and flash a TA last week, and the first thing she asked after answering the phone was "Have you already gone through Guided Setup?" I knew things would go smoothly after that, and so they did.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

dougdingle said:


> Never thought I'd be saying this, but I am soooo glad I'm with time Warner. Having a special number to call for cablecard and TA issues, answered by people with experience who make things simple, is such a joy.
> 
> I had to pair a card and flash a TA last week, and the first thing she asked after answering the phone was "Have you already gone through Guided Setup?" I knew things would go smoothly after that, and so they did.


 I live in St. Louis, lol


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

dougdingle said:


> Never thought I'd be saying this, but I am soooo glad I'm with time Warner. Having a special number to call for cablecard and TA issues, answered by people with experience who make things simple, is such a joy.
> 
> I had to pair a card and flash a TA last week, and the first thing she asked after answering the phone was "Have you already gone through Guided Setup?" I knew things would go smoothly after that, and so they did.


I agree with you about that. I have had very good experiences on the phone with the people at the TWC CableCard hotline. It took me less than 5 minutes on the phone with them to pair my CableCard to my Roamio Plus over a year and a half ago, and I have never had a single problem with it since then.


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## nickg420 (Apr 28, 2015)

Well I'm happy to say I got home yesterday and my problem has been resolved.

I am receiving all of my channels without any issues.

Now if I could just figure out a way to use an SATA external hard drive besides the dumb WD My DVR Expander....

I would change the internal HD but we would lose some recordings and I'd have to hear it from my wife who really could care less about unlimited space like I do.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

St. Louis Charter is sending their Tivo "specialist" out tomorrow evening. He has had some success getting other people with Tivo issues resolved. I guess as long as they are trying different things, that's fine. I'm not hopeful though because he was out before I exchanged my Tivo for a new one and couldn't get the first one working. He is nice enough and seems to know what's required so we'll see. If I tell them no then they will claim I am no longer interested in getting this resolved. 
I believe there is another person from St. Louis posting about having the same issue I am. Would be nice if someone in this area, who actually had the same issue and got it resolved, could post their story about what or who it took to get it fixed.


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

Dusty Roads said:


> St. Louis Charter is sending their Tivo "specialist" out tomorrow evening. He has had some success getting other people with Tivo issues resolved. I guess as long as they are trying different things, that's fine. I'm not hopeful though because he was out before I exchanged my Tivo for a new one and couldn't get the first one working. He is nice enough and seems to know what's required so we'll see. If I tell them no then they will claim I am no longer interested in getting this resolved.
> I believe there is another person from St. Louis posting about having the same issue I am. Would be nice if someone in this area, who actually had the same issue and got it resolved, could post their story about what or who it took to get it fixed.


Ask him if the headend got fixed. If it's not fixed it won't pair!


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

FINALLY!
Decided to give Charter tech support one more try in my effort to eliminate all possible issues. This time I got forwarded to someone that works in the video department somewhere in Massachusetts. Don't know if this was just luck or the person who initially took the call and saw all of the notes from my previous calls forwarded me to the next level.
I have suspected all along that my account wasn't set up correctly so I asked him to tell me what my account looks like. He says I have 3 cable box accounts. I say no, I have 2 cable box accounts and one cable card. He says my account is set up wrong and we go through the process of fixing it. Next we go through the info needed to get it working. First I read the CC S/N to him and have him then read it back. Next the host number which is wrong so he corrects that. Now the data number, it's wrong too. I tell him what it is, he tries to add it and keeps saying it won't take. He has his supervisor over who tries, it won't take for her either. They put me on hold to discuss the issue. Finally he comes back and says charter has changed the way the data number is added. His pc won't allow him to do it but his supervisor could change it from her pc. So now I have him read back the data number, well it's still wrong, she had mis-entered it. Read the number off again, this time the supervisor gets it right. I ask that he reads back all of the info to make sure everything is correct before he tries the pairing signals. Now he sends the 3 signals which I watch on the TA as each one comes through. I tell him the last signal has knocked the TA offline. He says to wait and it will reboot which it does after a few seconds. When the TA light stops blinking and becomes solid yellow again, immediately I can hear and see one of the premium channels that I couldn't see. I scan all of them and they are all now available. I go to the access screen and can see the magical "Val: V" thing. 

I advise everyone having problems with their new Roamio not getting premium channels make sure that the following things are done.

1. Cable card with a firmware of 6.25 or higher. If the Tivo recognizes the card you can find it on one of the screens, just keep looking. Keep getting new ones until you get the correct one. Here in St. Louis you can pick them up at the charter office.
2. Tuning adapter with firmware of 1.40 or higher. Again, if the Tivo recognizes the TA then look in the menus until you find the firmware number. Same as above, keep replacing until your Tivo recognizes the TA and the firmware is correct.
3. When you call Charter start by having them tell you what your account looks like and make sure it is set up as a cable card and not a cable box. 
4. Review the cable card S/N and host id, have them read it back to confirm.
5. Ask them what the data id number is, they probably won't be able to see it so tell them to please ask their supervisor to enter on their device. Again, ask them to read it back.
6. Now have them send the 3 signals, the last one should cause the tuning adapter to reboot.
Hope this helps.


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

Dusty Roads said:


> FINALLY!
> Decided to give Charter tech support one more try in my effort to eliminate all possible issues. This time I got forwarded to someone that works in the video department somewhere in Massachusetts. Don't know if this was just luck or the person who initially took the call and saw all of the notes from my previous calls forwarded me to the next level.
> I have suspected all along that my account wasn't set up correctly so I asked him to tell me what my account looks like. He says I have 3 cable box accounts. I say no, I have 2 cable box accounts and one cable card. He says my account is set up wrong and we go through the process of fixing it. Next we go through the info needed to get it working. First I read the CC S/N to him and have him then read it back. Next the host number which is wrong so he corrects that. Now the data number, it's wrong too. I tell him what it is, he tries to add it and keeps saying it won't take. He has his supervisor over who tries, it won't take for her either. They put me on hold to discuss the issue. Finally he comes back and says charter has changed the way the data number is added. His pc won't allow him to do it but his supervisor could change it from her pc. So now I have him read back the data number, well it's still wrong, she had mis-entered it. Read the number off again, this time the supervisor gets it right. I ask that he reads back all of the info to make sure everything is correct before he tries the pairing signals. Now he sends the 3 signals which I watch on the TA as each one comes through. I tell him the last signal has knocked the TA offline. He says to wait and it will reboot which it does after a few seconds. When the TA light stops blinking and becomes solid yellow again, immediately I can hear and see one of the premium channels that I couldn't see. I scan all of them and they are all now available. I go to the access screen and can see the magical "Val: V" thing.
> 
> ...


Your information is incorrect. The tuning adapter firmware is suppose to be 1.40 and the cable card is 6.25. You have that backwards. Did you ask about the head end? Maybe they got that fixed. I will call today.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

Wattsline said:


> Your information is incorrect. The tuning adapter firmware is suppose to be 1.40 and the cable card is 6.25. You have that backwards. Did you ask about the head end? Maybe they got that fixed. I will call today.


Ok, fixed the firmware thing. Didn't ask about the head end thing.


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## Wattsline (Apr 27, 2015)

Dusty Roads said:


> Ok, fixed the firmware thing. Didn't ask about the head end thing.


I just called the cable guy, Phillip. He said he got an email saying they think they got head-end fixed. He said he was going to call you (assume you are the guy he was also working with). If they fixed the head-end software that would have been the real fix (I think). He is going to call me back with confirmation.


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## Dusty Roads (Dec 24, 2003)

Wattsline said:


> I just called the cable guy, Phillip. He said he got an email saying they think they got head-end fixed. He said he was going to call you (assume you are the guy he was also working with). If they fixed the head-end software that would have been the real fix (I think). He is going to call me back with confirmation.


Yeah, that's him. Spoke to his boss Ryan, told him it is working and that I would send him all of the info that I have come across that might help them in the future. 
Hope this works for you too.


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