# Clueless and need help with my Thomson tivo...



## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

Hi, have read the FAQs and couldn't find an answer- might have missed it, happy to be redirected!

My Tivo doesnt look like it's dead but it isn't working! My green left hand 'receiving' light comes on, but it no longer sends a picture to the tv... have bear hugged all my cables.. what now?

I just got it (secondhand), I love it.. please don't let it be dead!!


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Does the green light flash when you press the remote?


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

Nope :-(

the red light on the remote flashes, and I've given it new batteries


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

What happens to the lights when you press the VCR button?


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

Remote light flashes, Tivo does not do anything, just stays green...

Why do I feel I'm headed to sky plus?


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## Raisltin Majere (Mar 13, 2004)

Are there any other remotes in the vicinity?


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

have taken them all next door... don't think it's that... am emailing repair shops in glasgow to see if they have any skills here!


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## RichardJH (Oct 7, 2002)

Have you tried rebooting Tivo. Just pull the plug wait a few secs and then plug it back in.


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

RichardJH said:


> Have you tried rebooting Tivo. Just pull the plug wait a few secs and then plug it back in.


*nods sadly*


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## 6022tivo (Oct 29, 2002)

Hard drive probably failed...
Grab a old one from someone who has upgraded, buy a pre done one..

I have a couple of 40gb around, but they are not the tivo ones and a a few mbs smaller, because of this they won't take a image. If they could, you could have one.


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

6022tivo said:


> Hard drive probably failed...
> Grab a old one from someone who has upgraded, buy a pre done one..
> 
> I have a couple of 40gb around, but they are not the tivo ones and a a few mbs smaller, because of this they won't take a image. If they could, you could have one.


My techie friend (who sold me on TIVO months ago!) is coming to visit in a fortnight, and reckons I need a drive with 250 odd hours storage anyway.. so it's upgrade time. Fingers croessed it works - I'm so darned impatient!!!

I have TIVO because I work away a lot in places with no digital tv at all, so am going to have Lost and Heroes withdrawal... it's going to be a tough cold turkey time of it...


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## RWILTS (Apr 21, 2006)

Not my place but could it be that the remote is no longer matched to the tivo's channel. Not sure how this would happen accidentily but I know you can have several different 'frequencies' so you could use two Tivo's in same room and not interfere?


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## Raisltin Majere (Mar 13, 2004)

RWILTS said:


> Not my place but could it be that the remote is no longer matched to the tivo's channel. Not sure how this would happen accidentily but I know you can have several different 'frequencies' so you could use two Tivo's in same room and not interfere?


I thought that, but it wouldn't stop the picture displaying would it?


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## RWILTS (Apr 21, 2006)

Ah good point!


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Emmzi said:


> My techie friend (who sold me on TIVO months ago!) is coming to visit in a fortnight [..] so am going to have Lost and Heroes withdrawal... it's going to be a tough cold turkey time of it...


Why wait?

If you can use a screwdriver then you can fit a preconfigured drive in 15 minutes; if you know how to connect a drive to your PC and boot from a CD you can configure one yourself in half an hour :up:


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## rwtomkins (Jul 14, 2003)

blindlemon said:


> Why wait?
> 
> If you can use a screwdriver then you can fit a preconfigured drive in 15 minutes; if you know how to connect a drive to your PC and boot from a CD you can configure one yourself in half an hour :up:


Blindlemon's right (!), I bought a preconfigured drive from er, blindlemon (aka Tivoheaven) and fitting it was simplicity itself even for a non-techie like me. One tip: if you're going to watch digital TV on an LCD or plasma screen, you might want to consider having the drive preconfigured for mode 0 recording, which delivers a much better picture quality.

Or, as blindlemon says, you could always do it all yourself. You'll get all the help you need from the friendly folks here.


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

As far as I know I can ony get pre-configured mail order?

Too late for this weekend.. only home again Fri-Sun next weekend... mate arrives following Thursday with everything in his bag..

UNLESS someone knows where to buy a preconfigured one in Glasgow.. and don't you need sdome kind of special removal tool thing?

(And would be on standby to call the hospital if it all goes wrong!)


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Darn! If you had posted earlier and purchased a drive yesterday you could have had it by Saturday delivery today


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

Heh. Sadly it didn't die until after last post time!!


Promise, you're now on the 'good guys to get bits from' list!


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Word of warning, if there's not so much as a flicker on the TV screen, it may not be the hard disk. Does the disk spin up with no unpleasant noises?


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

it's hard to tell... there a very low rythmic noise and I can't tell if it's louder than it used to be...

I guess worst case I need a new one...so will save up and ebay..and upgrade with the new drive

Customer service did say I'd need a new sub though


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

By the way..am I right in thinking it's either tivoland or ebay for boxes? Tivoheaven only does spares and upgrades?


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Yes, that's correct.

Before you spend any money though you might want to pop the lid and check that the IDE and power cables are properly attached to the drive. The symptoms you get with a completely dead and a disconnected drive are identical - ie. what you are seeing.



Emmzi said:


> Customer service did say I'd need a new sub though


Absolute rubbish! Your sub will not be affected at all by changing the drive :up:


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

To clarify, CS said if I got a whole new *box* I'd need a new sub, but actually pointed me to your website for drives and repairs 

Alas, I cannot check cables. The lid appears to need a specialist implement for removal of screws.. have tried cross head, flat blade, tiny allan keys and adjustable wrench...

ARGH!!!! Feeling limke an inept and incapable girly atm... had better get back to womens work and make some scones or such like..


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

You need a torx T10 screwdriver bit, often available from hardware stalls in markets for about 50p. 

Scones, mmmm


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

Lol. Off to hardware store it is.

Really should be making Blundell cakes and all sorts of east european goodies for eurovision tonight - borscht, anyone?

Will post back later after adventures in DIY if fingers have not been sliced off...


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

Emmzi said:


> To clarify, CS said if I got a whole new *box* I'd need a new sub, but actually pointed me to your website for drives and repairs


How much $$$$ did you pay to get referrals from tivo / sky CS blindlemon ?


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Absolutely nothing! I guess I'm just lucky


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

Ok. Torx purchased, lid off. One perfectly manicured fingernail sacrificed itself to the cause.

First comment 'eww!" 

Never been opened, dust bunnies the size of my fist. Had a very careful hoover so as not to disturb anything.

All leads checked and housed well; the noise on start up seems to be the fan, the drive doesn't feel like it's on as not even a wee vibration.

Does this help the diagnosis of the patient?.


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

If the drive doesn't appear to be doing anything - no vibration or clunk at startup - then it's probably deceased 

It's worth checking the other end of the IDE cable too, but it sounds like a dead drive to me.


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## Emmzi (May 11, 2007)

All cables wiggled. Ok..mate with spare drive arriving in 2 weeks.. am damn sure they'll do a Heroes catchup weekend soon (seem to do it every month!)so will not cry too much over what I'm missing.

Wish I'd planned ahead better and not bought a bargain home cinema (on grounds I can't see myself investing in HD until I have a big enough living room to house a screen that will make it worthwhile!) or I'd just replace it with a recorder system! But can't face rewiring all the speakers!

Failing this, I think I'm on to Archos... which will be able to travel with me on holiday...


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