# XFinity On Demand - not so good



## markwill (Aug 28, 2013)

I received and installed my Roamio Plus last night. Installation was simple and straightforward and, even before I called Comcast to pair my cablecard, I was able to browse a large number of channels. I was missing some channels though and obviously couldn't get into On Demand, so I called Comcast. That's when the fun started....

In short, after they paired my cablecard (and told to wait 45 minutes, hence getting me off the phone ) I lost access to a bunch of channels, including stuff like ESPN, etc.

I do have access to On Demand content - in a way! In short, I can navigate around the content available but when I try to play something I hear audio, see 2-3 seconds of content (so, I basically have permission to see the content) but then it just freezes (no audio and a frozen picture). This happens on any content, 100% of the time.

I called XFinity again and they seem to have a standard approach = "we'll send a reset, wait 45 minutes and all should be well". They suggest the signal should give me access to the content properly (namely, it actually plays). Of course, it doesn't. I get the same every time and I can't accept that just resending a reset message is magically going to make content play properly.

This is highly frustrating. Of the various benefits of a Roamio over my old HD, accessing On Demand content was a key attraction. Comcast don't seem inclined to troubleshoot this properly.

Anyone else have this and find a solution? FWIW, I am in the Seattle area.

Thanks.

Mark


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## Big Boy Laroux (Oct 10, 2006)

Possibly issues with cablecard not being paired correctly. Did you call the CableCard line?

1-877-405-2298 

Save that number!


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## markwill (Aug 28, 2013)

Big Boy Laroux said:


> Possibly issues with cablecard not being paired correctly. Did you call the CableCard line?
> 
> 1-877-405-2298
> 
> Save that number!


I did and all indications suggest it is paired correctly (diagnostics, what they see on their end, etc). What confuses me is that I would assume - perhaps incorrectly - that if I didn't have a paired cablecard I would not be able to play any content at all. This was the behavior I saw before my initial call to pair the cablecard. After that call, I could get into content, but it now freezes every time.

Mark


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## Big Boy Laroux (Oct 10, 2006)

Even with an improperly paired cablecard, you could still get channels. But other things (like premium content, some encrypted channels, etc.) may still have issues.

Do you have HBO or another premium channel? if so, are those coming through OK?

If that all checks out, may just be an issue with the XOD feature entirely. I haven't seen anyone report an issue yet, so you may have to try tivo support.


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## cram501 (Oct 23, 2002)

markwill said:


> I did and all indications suggest it is paired correctly (diagnostics, what they see on their end, etc). What confuses me is that I would assume - perhaps incorrectly - that if I didn't have a paired cablecard I would not be able to play any content at all. This was the behavior I saw before my initial call to pair the cablecard. After that call, I could get into content, but it now freezes every time.
> 
> Mark


There are two steps to a cable card. Activation and pairing. If the card is activated you would be able to view non-copyprotected channels only. Until it's paired, you wouldn't see copy protected channels. I don't have xfinity so I"m not sure how that would affect their on demand.

Go to the cable card conditional access screen. The "Auth" field should be "S" if it's activated. If it's not paired you will see a "??" in the "Val" field. If it's paired you should see a "V".

It's at least a first step in tracking down the problem.


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## markwill (Aug 28, 2013)

Yes, I can access HBO.

I am a little worried about getting into a finger pointing situation (Tivo vs. Comcast). The following threads describe my symptoms precisely, albeit in different geographic regions and not with a Roamio.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=487580

http://forums.tivo.com/pe/action/forums/displaypost?postID=11038168

By the way, everything is new for me - new Tivo, new cablecard (picked up from Comcast on Saturday), new cable modem (replaced last week), etc, etc.

Not looking good 

Mark


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## gothaggis (Mar 3, 2010)

at least you have the ability to have On Demand.....my state is listed as being supported (Maryland), however Baltimore City is not supported. Very annoying.


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## Hi8 (Mar 6, 2002)

markwill said:


> Yes, I can access HBO.
> 
> I am a little worried about getting into a finger pointing situation (Tivo vs. Comcast). The following threads describe my symptoms precisely, albeit in different geographic regions and not with a Roamio.
> 
> ...


 just chill ... it's just ' your turn in the barrel ' it will eventually be working fine. Camcast takes MANY times to fix a problem. You will probably have to have a technician come out to your house, for no good reason. He basically is an eyes and ears for the person at the other end of the phone - who's trying to re-pair for the 5-10 time!


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## markwill (Aug 28, 2013)

Quick update...


I can see all channels including HBO, for example
I have the V indicated on the cablecard diagnostic screen
I called the Comcast cablecard phone number and after they reviewed my attempts yesterday they didn't even attempt to resolve the issue (this is a good thing for me - seemed like a waste of time to just do another rest and then wait 45 minutes!)
I have a techician coming out tomorrow morning between 8am and 10am (by the way, to be fair to Comcast that is both quick and the two hour window is appreciated)

Looking at others who have faced this issue and the ease with which I convinced them to send someone out, I'm guessing this is pretty common and costing Comcast a bit to support/fix.

Mark


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Sounds like a signal issue. The way it works is basically you request the VOD content and then the app tells your TiVo to tune to a specific frequency to view it. The freezing video with continued audio is what you'd typically see when tuning a channel with a poor signal.

You should try starting a VOD again, then back out immediately and go to System Information->DVR Diagnostics. Then look at the SNR and signal strength for the tuner that is playing the VOD. If the SNR is below 30 or above 60 or the signal strength is below 70 then that would be the problem.


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## markwill (Aug 28, 2013)

Dan203 said:


> Sounds like a signal issue. The way it works is basically you request the VOD content and then the app tells your TiVo to tune to a specific frequency to view it. The freezing video with continued audio is what you'd typically see when tuning a channel with a poor signal.
> 
> You should try starting a VOD again, then back out immediately and go to System Information->DVR Diagnostics. Then look at the SNR and signal strength for the tuner that is playing the VOD. If the SNR is below 30 or above 60 or the signal strength is below 70 then that would be the problem.


Thanks Dan. I am not sure if I was able to back out quickly enough (or how to tell if I did) but when I went through this all my tuners gave a reading of 100 for signal and SNR was 40 (occasionally flickering to 39).

Mark


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Sounds fine.

Try forcing the VOD to each tuner and see if that makes a difference. To do this start a VOD when nothing is recording, then back out, start recording something and then try again. Repeat until all 5 tuners are going. This will tell you if there is a specific tuner causing the problem.

If that doesn't work then I'd say have the CableCARD replaced. If your signal is OK and it's not a specific tuner then the only other link in the chain is the CableCARD.


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## markwill (Aug 28, 2013)

The XFinity technician is here. Not a good start - he opened by asking for my cable box and then telling me that it's not possible to get On Demand via a Tivo. He was quite positive about this!

I showed him a press release (from April 2012!) and he's decided it might be possible after all and is researching! Sigh.

He told me a) he's never heard of this and b) their technicians have never had any training on this.

Could be a long visit.


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## markwill (Aug 28, 2013)

And there's more....

The technician he spoke with "back at base" did something. Apparently, they had no reference to a Roamio so they set it to a Premier box. That seems weird to me. However, after this we initially received an error when we navigated to On Demand - and then after a while the entire menu disappeared. So, as it stands, there is no On Demand option on my Tivo at all now and I am dealing with someone who doesn't know anything about this.

If anyone has any real time suggestions for how Comcast should be configuring this that would be good.

Mark


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## aeternal (Jul 3, 2013)

When I got my XL4 back in May i switched from comcast's DVR and followed the instructions for pairing the cablecard. I too had the problem of missing channels and made at least 3 phone calls where the support folks said everything was fine and to keep checking back. 

I finally took matters into my own hands and did some testing. I ended up switching out the coax cable which worked fine on my comcast box to a newer cable and the channels miraculously appeared. It's worth a try especially if you have splitters. it does seem like a signal issue.


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## MScottC (Sep 11, 2004)

I'm not sure how they need to configure it on their end, but I know that after forcing a restart on both my Plus and my Mini, both of which were booted up for the first time Tuesday evening, last night (Thursday), XFinity on Demand showed up on both TiVos under the "Find TV, Movies & Video" Menu right below Hulu and Netflix. Other than having my cablecard paired, I did nothing special.


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## markwill (Aug 28, 2013)

aeternal said:


> When I got my XL4 back in May i switched from comcast's DVR and followed the instructions for pairing the cablecard. I too had the problem of missing channels and made at least 3 phone calls where the support folks said everything was fine and to keep checking back.
> 
> I finally took matters into my own hands and did some testing. I ended up switching out the coax cable which worked fine on my comcast box to a newer cable and the channels miraculously appeared. It's worth a try especially if you have splitters. it does seem like a signal issue.


Thanks but I am certain this is not a signal issue. I can view all channels just fine, including Premium channels (HBO, etc). The picture is great and the signal strength always shows 100.

The issue described in this thread is that XFinity On Demand does not work. before the technician arrived it was starting to play and then freezing. Now he has "progressed" to where On Demand is not even showing up as on option on the Tivo any more.

Right now he's outside in his car charging his phone. Huh.

Mark


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## markwill (Aug 28, 2013)

What fun - the technician has spoken to three different at the support number he uses and NONE of them have heard of the Roamio. The current person is saying it's not supported. Apparently they have a list of Tivo units to choose from and the Roamio is not on the list.

The fact that the second level technical support folks haven't even HEARD of a Roamio stuns me.

This is starting to drive me crazy.


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## jadziedzic (Apr 20, 2009)

FWIW, the person I spoke with at Comcast's CableCARD dedicated activation line last night asked me if I had a Premiere or a Roamio ...


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

markwill said:


> What fun - the technician has spoken to three different at the support number he uses and NONE of them have heard of the Roamio. The current person is saying it's not supported. Apparently they have a list of Tivo units to choose from and the Roamio is not on the list.
> 
> The fact that the second level technical support folks haven't even HEARD of a Roamio stuns me.
> 
> This is starting to drive me crazy.


Telling them it's a Premiere should be fine. The two boxes are similar enough in how they work that it shouldn't matter from their perspective.


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## brianm729 (Jul 11, 2013)

I am also having issues with my box and have similar signal as you, 100 and SNR 41. XOD is not showing up either. spoke with TiVo support about it and He said that signal strength was too strong. Should be around 85 and SNR 35. Comcast came out and said I had a weak signal. Not sure who is right.


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## markwill (Aug 28, 2013)

It started working - and no-one at Comcast had any idea why. They were more focused on blaming Tivo than getting it to work, so it was a complete surprise to them.

I told them not to touch a thing! I have On Demand, despite their protests that it was unsupported.

See here for my follow up on this forum: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=9793060#post9793060

Mark


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## JohnnyO (Nov 3, 2002)

markwill said:


> I do have access to On Demand content - in a way! In short, I can navigate around the content available but when I try to play something I hear audio, see 2-3 seconds of content (so, I basically have permission to see the content) but then it just freezes (no audio and a frozen picture). This happens on any content, 100% of the time.


Hi Mark,

While I see your issue was resolved (apparently, due to no help from anyone...)

I have the same XfinityOnDemand issue. I've had TiVoHD's since 2008. No issues since the initial installation (which, actually, went quite well). I ran through the process with Comcast to move the card to the new Roamio, and after about 20 minutes, I had all my channels, including premiums.

I've never had OnDemand before (the TiVoHD doesn't support it). After waiting over night, forcing a TiVo connection, and restarting, I now have the Xfinity OnDemand application on the TiVo. I can search shows, and even start a show, but it stops after about 2-3 seconds. I can come back 20 minutes later and play another 3-4 seconds. I tried this on two shows.

From what I gather, "it just started working" for you. Based on what I've read, I think I'll let it sit another couple of days before contacting Comcast...

John


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## JohnnyO (Nov 3, 2002)

JohnnyO said:


> From what I gather, "it just started working" for you. Based on what I've read, I think I'll let it sit another couple of days before contacting Comcast..


Another day - no change.

Maybe I'll have to call again. Another note mentioned that OnDemand might require additional Comcast configuration compared to the initial pairing and activation.  Any confirmation? If this isn't a Comcast issue, I'd hate to open that can of worms again.


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## dmaneyapanda (Jan 16, 2000)

I had some initial minor issues getting my card properly paired, but once that was done, I started receiving Comcast VOD with no problems. I don't think there was any additional comcast config needed, but it's possible there was and I just didn't know they were doing it. I did have to get the cablecard specialists on the phone to get it working. FYI, I am in the comcast philly region.


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## Cleo256 (Sep 5, 2013)

Having the same issue described in the original post. Spent 90 minutes on the line with Comcast last night, talking to a 2nd-level rep who really sincerely believed I misunderstood how this was supposed to work, that my account included On Demand, but that I had to watch it over the web or my smartphone, and that the TiVo itself wouldn't actually play it.

This clearly contradicts both their own marketing material, the experience of everyone listed here, and basic design logic (if it's not supported, why is there an app that tries to play the video?).

So if anyone figures out the magic words I need to say to talk to the one person at Comcast who seems to know how this is supposed to work, please share them.

The other possibility is that there could be a TiVo bug here. This thread http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=508353 describes what appears to be a TiVo Roamio bug, and the fact that video just kind of halts for a long time suggests a potential commonality.

For what it's worth, On Demand seems to think the video is playing. The counter ticks along as if it's playing. When I let it go for a minute, then quit and try to resume, I get 2-3 seconds of video from a point about a minute into the show, as if it progressed normally. I even went so far as to hook up my Comcast Motorola box to a second TV in another room, looked for the On Demand listing for the same episode, and saw that the Motorola box believed I had already watched 10 minutes (about how long I left it "playing" on my Roamio the second time), so it was starting 10 minutes in.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

brianm729 said:


> I am also having issues with my box and have similar signal as you, 100 and SNR 41. XOD is not showing up either. spoke with TiVo support about it and He said that signal strength was too strong. Should be around 85 and SNR 35. Comcast came out and said I had a weak signal. Not sure who is right.


I had the same signal so I put a 4 way splitter and get to 98% and SNR to 39, still no VOD, the Comcast tech came out and with his signal box got -5db at the end of the coax, he removed the splitter and the signal per his box went up to + 2db, VOD still did not work, changed cable cards, paired it telling the person at the other end of the phone to use the TP settings and VOD came on without any problems. I went back to the 4 way splitter and VOD still worked without problems.
I have seen many people having problems with Comcast VOD and the Roamio, I don't know why but there must be some difference.


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## mxfanatic (Jan 20, 2007)

Almost all issues are related to Comcast's configuration, or lack there of. It is very rare to have hardware issues with the box and cablecard. Even if they got it working with a different card, chances are it was because the first one wasn't configured properly in their systems. Using the "TP" or Tivo Premier config settings seem to help. In addition, even after it's configured properly, I think sometimes that Tivo has to call home to enable VOD. Some of the other threads indicate this is needed. Keep at it. It will get fixed. Tivo is still a rare beast in the eyes of cable co's as large as Comcast.


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## jmpage2 (Jan 21, 2004)

Hmm. Comcast VOD is working on my Roamio but not on my Minis. Getting authentication error. Will try a reboot.


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## JohnnyO (Nov 3, 2002)

Cleo256 said:


> For what it's worth, On Demand seems to think the video is playing. The counter ticks along as if it's playing. When I let it go for a minute, then quit and try to resume, I get 2-3 seconds of video from a point about a minute into the show, as if it progressed normally.


That sounds exactly like what I am seeing.

Others in this thread have indicated calling the special Comcast Cable Card number and having them ensure it is configured using the TP (TiVo Premiere?) setting. I don't know if that comment applies to this issue, or if the was directed at folks who can't get OnDemand at all.

John


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## JohnnyO (Nov 3, 2002)

JohnnyO said:


> That sounds exactly like what I am seeing.
> 
> Others in this thread have indicated calling the special Comcast Cable Card number and having them ensure it is configured using the TP (TiVo Premiere?) setting.


I caved in and called the Comcast CableCard line. In under 5 minutes, the issue was resolved for me. There was -one tiny additional setting- (apparently) that needed to be configured to show that I could support Xfinity OnDemand that had not been toggled when I moved the CableCard to my Roamio from my TiVoHD on Tuesday. When I called just now to say that all other channels were fine, and that my symptoms were that an OnDemand show would play for a few seconds and then stop, the woman on the phone sighed knowingly, and and said, "just one moment, sir..." then asked me to try again. All was well.

So - if you have a Roamio, and otherwise have a working CC configuration (other than Xfinity OnDemand) Comcast should be able to fix this quickly without having to re-pair your CableCard.

John


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## garryj (Sep 14, 2006)

JohnnyO said:


> I caved in and called the Comcast CableCard line. In under 5 minutes, the issue was resolved for me. There was -one tiny additional setting- (apparently) that needed to be configured to show that I could support Xfinity OnDemand that had not been toggled when I moved the CableCard to my Roamio from my TiVoHD on Tuesday. When I called just now to say that all other channels were fine, and that my symptoms were that an OnDemand show would play for a few seconds and then stop, the woman on the phone sighed knowingly, and and said, "just one moment, sir..." then asked me to try again. All was well.
> 
> So - if you have a Roamio, and otherwise have a working CC configuration (other than Xfinity OnDemand) Comcast should be able to fix this quickly without having to re-pair your CableCard.
> 
> John


+1
I too had good cablecard pairing but after the Xfinity OnDemand app appeared I had the "video freeze after a few seconds" issue. I live close to an Xfinity store, so instead of calling the dedicated cablecard number again and doing the transfer/hold dance, I drove there to talk directly with a service rep, who happened to be the same one that had issued my cablecard a few days earlier -- at that time I had told him the cablecard was for a TiVo Roamio model. I explained my issue and asked if my account had the "TiVo Premier" option applied to it, and it did not. When he issued the cablecard, he had been unaware of the "TiVo Premier" option and its relevance to the TiVo/Xfinity OnDemand app. He was a bit dubious that applying the option to my account would do any good, but he did so anyway. When I returned home VOD was working just fine :up:

The good news is that this particular issue should be solvable by first tier support, but it also sounds like there's a disconnect in Comcast's information pipeline regarding what's required for TiVo and VOD in the first place...


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

cram501 said:


> . ... If it's not paired you will see a "??" in the "Val" field. If it's paired you should see a "V".


Thanks for that info. I have Premier not Roamio but this was helpful. In my case I see "_Val ? 0x1F_" Kinda looks like the "?" could be a delimiter for the Val question. And 0x1F is 00011111 and probably indicates 8 different settings.

In any case, I guess I am going to have to call. I think I may not be paired because HBO and VOD are not there.

The installation seemed to be a big chicken and egg issue because the installer was certainly not going to wait around for 2 hours of Tivo downloading and installing everything. And he couldn't do channel testing without this. This was a brand new Tivo Premiere, brand new cable and internet installation.

I didn't know there was a special Comcast Cable Card number. All I know is 800-comcast. I will have to look around for that # to hopefully skip some layers.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

hershey4 said:


> Thanks for that info. I have Premier not Roamio but this was helpful. In my case I see "_Val ? 0x1F_" Kinda looks like the "?" could be a delimiter for the Val question. And 0x1F is 00011111 and probably indicates 8 different settings.
> 
> In any case, I guess I am going to have to call. I think I may not be paired because HBO and VOD are not there.
> 
> ...


Comcast special # 877-405-2298


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

I'm hopeful... I called and got the pairing completed fairly painlessly. HBO was on in a jif. She thought she was setting up On Demand because she said it would take about 45 minutes for everything to download. But alas no VOD after all. :-(

I will call again tomorrow. I will mention the Tivo Premiere setting to see if that helps.

(But this still beats the 6 weeks of torture I went thru getting Comcast to snake an underground wire successfully!!)


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

hershey4 said:


> I'm hopeful... I called and got the pairing completed fairly painlessly. HBO was on in a jif. She thought she was setting up On Demand because she said it would take about 45 minutes for everything to download. But alas no VOD after all. :-(
> 
> I will call again tomorrow. I will mention the Tivo Premiere setting to see if that helps.
> 
> (But this still beats the 6 weeks of torture I went thru getting Comcast to snake an underground wire successfully!!)


Had the exact VOD Comcast problem your having, had to have a tec out to my home, he could not get it to work, so he changed cable cards, paired the new cable card and VOD worked, no problem. I can't see why the old cable card did not work with VOD as it did in my TP.


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

Called again and he verified various settings, (V=x026) and sent a new signal. This time I got the VOD app via Find Programs, but still do not have Channel 1 VOD. He said Ch-1 would take 45 min to an hour to complete and download. Seems that's their mantra when things are not going quite right!!! I've heard it a lot!

Is there much difference in the interface? Should I pursue getting Channel 1 setup? 

I discovered that Fast Forward is disabled with VOD, so after all this, I probably won't be using VOD a lot. Commercials...what a drag!


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## Rkkeller (May 13, 2004)

I do not think you will get Channel 1. Comcast VOD is an app in the menu.


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## jakerock (Dec 9, 2002)

I second that you don't get channel 1 on TiVo. You use the OnDemand app.


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## cr33p (Jan 2, 2005)

I too have had Ondemand in my area for quite some time, it has never worked, my cable card was never paired, got my new Roamio, paired my card, ensured she had "premiere" selected and it has worked fine since.

Also, I have never seen channel 1 VOD work on any of my TiVo's


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## jmpage2 (Jan 21, 2004)

hershey4 said:


> Called again and he verified various settings, (V=x026) and sent a new signal. This time I got the VOD app via Find Programs, but still do not have Channel 1 VOD. He said Ch-1 would take 45 min to an hour to complete and download. Seems that's their mantra when things are not going quite right!!! I've heard it a lot!
> 
> Is there much difference in the interface? Should I pursue getting Channel 1 setup?
> 
> I discovered that Fast Forward is disabled with VOD, so after all this, I probably won't be using VOD a lot. Commercials...what a drag!


VOD does not inherently disable ff/rew it depends on the show, HBO during their freeview last weekend allowed FF/REW of all of their programming that I played.

Also, I don't know where you got the idea you would ever get VOD on Channel 1, I don't believe that works or ever will work.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

jmpage2 said:


> VOD does not inherently disable ff/rew it depends on the show, HBO during their freeview last weekend allowed FF/REW of all of their programming that I played.
> 
> Also, I don't know where you got the idea you would ever get VOD on Channel 1, I don't believe that works or ever will work.


The ch 1 thing comes from the cabler box not TiVo, Comcast has VOD labeled on ch 1 in the TiVo channel lineup, a error that TiVo never corrected.


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## beevik (Sep 11, 2013)

markwill said:


> I do have access to On Demand content - in a way! In short, I can navigate around the content available but when I try to play something I hear audio, see 2-3 seconds of content (so, I basically have permission to see the content) but then it just freezes (no audio and a frozen picture). This happens on any content, 100% of the time


I'm also in the Seattle area and had the exact same problem. Fortunately, I was able to get it working with the help of a Comcast online rep. I highly recommend that you use the online rep. Phone reps couldn't help me, and I got bounced between 5 different people, all clueless.

Here is what the online rep told me she did to fix the problem:

She added the "Tivo Premier Cable Card Install" code, which is a free $0.00 code. When she first added it to my account, the problem didn't go away; I still got the freeze. Then she removed the code and added it again. At that point, my VOD started working.

When I asked her why it was so difficult to solve the problem, she said, "we need to really look for it, for the name is not labelled correctly in some accounts." So apparently the proper billing code is hard to find in their system. If they tell you it doesn't exist, let them know what this service rep told me.

(See my other thread for a complete transcript of my conversation with the online rep.)


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## Cleo256 (Sep 5, 2013)

I called the CableCARD number the other night and talked to a gentleman who acted like he knew exactly what the problem was. He did something on his end, my cable signal blinked out and blinked back on. I asked if he had set the "TiVo Premier Cable Card Install" code, and he said he had. Unfortunately, it still didn't work after that. If anything, it seems like it freezes faster now (after 1 second instead of 3).

I guess maybe there's some relationship between this issue and this other one (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=9819289#post9819289). Maybe this is something that TiVo and Comcast need to work together to solve? And I just need to sit tight?

At any rate, I'm probably going to hold off on bugging Comcast about it again until that TiVo/Fox/Seattle issue is worked out.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Normally, its an issue with their back office in the card set up. call again or escallate through the email support for executive complaints.


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

jrtroo said:


> Normally, its an issue with their back office in the card set up. call again or escallate through the email support for executive complaints.


executive complaints??? that sounds interesting. I have PLENTY!!!

Unfortunately, I had to get a new Tivo replacement box and have to do this all over again. This time getting the right pairing and validation code is a nightmare. Right now I have V=35. Before, after it finally worked I had V=26. The "special" number people said they did not have access to change the code so they transferred me to regular people. OMG. what a disaster. idiots times 100!!!!!!!!!! They tried to give me the Tivo number.

I will call again and try to get a different rep another time at the "special" number. However, the situation is different because last time I went from "?" to 26. Going from 35 to 26 (or whatever) might be a different issue. lucky me.

(at least thanks to this thread I could refresh myself on the details before I tackled the problem)


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## jmpage2 (Jan 21, 2004)

TiVo also has a number for assisting with cablecard setup.. at least they used to. I'm surprised you are having trouble with the Comcast cablecard line. I had my card swapped over in a few minutes.


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

jmpage2 said:


> TiVo also has a number for assisting with cablecard setup..


but this is something on the comcast end of things. I can't imagine how Tivo could help other than call Comcast in a 3-way.

The general pairing went fine, but this last switch seems to be problematic. DId you have Comcast Xfinity On Demand app?


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## skid71 (Mar 20, 2013)

I've called and chatted with Comcast several times to get this issue fixed. It's a lesson in patience and/or futility, take your pick. Now I have a tech coming out in a couple of weeks to try another cablecard. I'm thinking of just going to our local office and getting one myself.

It's not like we use it all the time, but it's handy to have.


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

hershey4 said:


> I will call again and try to get a different rep another time at the "special" number. However, the situation is different because last time I went from "?" to 26. Going from 35 to 26 (or whatever) might be a different issue. ...


I never got around to calling back again but I happened to notice yesterday, that VOD was there!!! Not sure who did that or when it happened. The earlier time it was immediate. This time, there was definitely some significant amount of delay. Now V=0x36 fwiw.


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## jmpage2 (Jan 21, 2004)

hershey4 said:


> but this is something on the comcast end of things. I can't imagine how Tivo could help other than call Comcast in a 3-way.
> 
> The general pairing went fine, but this last switch seems to be problematic. DId you have Comcast Xfinity On Demand app?


That's exactly what TiVo has done in the past to help customers with cable card setup... Set up a three way call with the cable provider to sort the issue out.


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## tivoROCKSme (Jun 24, 2003)

Just looking for clarification. Will Xfinity On Demand work on my TivoHD?


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## jmpage2 (Jan 21, 2004)

tivoROCKSme said:


> Just looking for clarification. Will Xfinity On Demand work on my TivoHD?


It depends what area/market you are in.


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## JohnnyO (Nov 3, 2002)

tivoROCKSme said:


> Just looking for clarification. Will Xfinity On Demand work on my TivoHD?


I think you need a Premiere or a Roamio to have Xfinity on Demand work. As mentioned above, it is location dependant too.

Check out the bottom of this page and enter your zip code to see if it is available in your area.

http://www.tivo.com/discover/cable


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## crwalter2003 (Feb 14, 2004)

Cleo256 said:


> Having the same issue described in the original post. Spent 90 minutes on the line with Comcast last night, talking to a 2nd-level rep who really sincerely believed I misunderstood how this was supposed to work, that my account included On Demand, but that I had to watch it over the web or my smartphone, and that the TiVo itself wouldn't actually play it.


Maybe he thought he works for FIOS, instead of Comcast.


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## sayremr (Mar 15, 2008)

+1

I also had to drive to the Comcast store and have them add the Tivo Premier code. Previous calls to tech support and a chat session did not work.

After the code was added, the Xfinity app disappeared from the list of video providers on Tivo. This required a connection with Tivo to re-enable it.

Then a 6th and final call to the Comcast Cable Card phone line resulted in a tech who knew what he was doing. He confirmed that the Tivo Premier code was in place. He repaired the cable card after the code was in the system and that finally solved the problem.

Total investment of my time exceeded 3 hours and 6 phone calls to Comcast.


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

I know this post is technically Roamio and a little old, but it is the only one I could find about the VOD Connection Access VAL settings. Earlier in this thread, I had VOD Premiere-4 problems and finally was able to get Comcast to get my VAL setting from ? 0x0f to V 0x036. (thanks for this thread I could find that value!!)

But now, VOD is not available (GSM-11 error) and VAL value is now "V 0x0A". Unfortunatley, I can't say when VOD went away or VAL value changed. I don't use it often.

Anybody know any inside dirt on 0x0A setting? I think the "V" means it is validated, but I assume 0A is not as good as 36.

I would like to have as much info before I make the dreaded call.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

hershey4 said:


> I know this post is technically Roamio and a little old, but it is the only one I could find about the VOD Connection Access VAL settings. Earlier in this thread, I had VOD Premiere-4 problems and finally was able to get Comcast to get my VAL setting from ? 0x0f to V 0x036. (thanks for this thread I could find that value!!)
> 
> But now, VOD is not available (GSM-11 error) and VAL value is now "V 0x0A". Unfortunatley, I can't say when VOD went away or VAL value changed. I don't use it often.
> 
> ...


If VAL does *not have* a V you have to make the dreaded call, a truck roll may be in your future.


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

lessd said:


> If VAL does *not have* a V you have to make the dreaded call, a truck roll may be in your future.


tivo.com says val should say "v", a "?" means the card isn't paired:

http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2569​


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

lessd said:


> If VAL has a V you have to make the dreaded call, a truck roll may be in your future.


How do you get from V to truck roll? Isn't it all about sending magic signals to my card? re-validate?

Or did you mean a misguided truck roll?


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

lessd said:


> If VAL has a V you have to make the dreaded call, a truck roll may be in your future.





hershey4 said:


> How do you get from V to truck roll? Isn't it all about sending magic signals to my card? re-validate?
> 
> Or did you mean a misguided truck roll?


I think what he is saying here is that Val: V means that the card is paired so there is something else at work. However, no one knows what the number after the V means or even if has any meaning at all:

For informational purposes, I have the following values:


```
Base Roamio  Val: V 0x2F
Premiere     Val: V 0x2A
TiVo HD      Val: V 0x2C
```
VOD works on both the Premiere and the Roamio.


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

lpwcomp said:


> For informational purposes, I have the following values:
> 
> 
> ```
> ...


Interesting. Your values do make my previous 0x36 stand out. The 0x2 range is pretty consistent on your side.

I wonder if VOD is even worth the trouble. I think there is a tier-2 phone number around somewhere. I guess I've gotta get this started...


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## JohnnyO (Nov 3, 2002)

hershey4 said:


> Interesting. Your values do make my previous 0x36 stand out. The 0x2 range is pretty consistent on your side.
> 
> I wonder if VOD is even worth the trouble. I think there is a tier-2 phone number around somewhere. I guess I've gotta get this started...


For comparison, my Motorola Cablecard here in the St. Paul, MN Comcast system shows the following:

Base Roamio: Val: V 0x5F

My OnDemand is still working. I was very excited to get it working when I got my Roamio last September. It turns out I've maybe watched four shows via VOD since then. Just looking at the list of shows available, there are more things I'd like to watch - I just have not integrated it into my viewing habits.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

hershey4 said:


> Interesting. Your values do make my previous 0x36 stand out. The 0x2 range is pretty consistent on your side.
> 
> I wonder if VOD is even worth the trouble. I think there is a tier-2 phone number around somewhere. I guess I've gotta get this started...


Better to have it and not use it than want to use it and not have it.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

Very small data set, but so far all of the working values reported in this thread have one thing in common that is not true of the one reported non-working value. Whether this is significant is unknown.

edit: I withdraw that statement. 0x5F does not have it.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

NorthAlabama said:


> tivo.com says val should say "v", a "?" means the card isn't paired:
> 
> http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2569​


*My bad* I corrected my post the V is what you want, the ? is what you don't want.

Sorry


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

lessd said:


> *My bad* I corrected my post the V is what you want, the ? is what you don't want.
> 
> Sorry


np, i figured that's what happened, thanks for correcting, i edited my post.


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

On the phone now... very slow... she's checking...

but first thing she said was "lots of no-VOD complaints after the recent Tivo update".


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

That was quite a conversation. She insisted she checked everything on my card and there was nothing she could do and I had to call the billing department because VOD wasn't on my account. I told her she was wrong because that reminded me of last years telephone runaround and it turned out to be incorrect then. Well, it was still incorrect. I did not call billing. I just checked VOD and it's there. Val: V 0x0C.

So who knows what she did, but am back in business with VOD. Bet she doesn't know what she did either!!! I practically hung up on her I was so frustrated as we were debating whether or not she was responsible for customer service.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

hershey4 said:


> That was quite a conversation. She insisted she checked everything on my card and there was nothing she could do and I had to call the billing department because VOD wasn't on my account. I told her she was wrong because that reminded me of last years telephone runaround and it turned out to be incorrect then. Well, it was still incorrect. I did not call billing. I just checked VOD and it's there. Val: V 0x0C.
> 
> So who knows what she did, but am back in business with VOD. Bet she doesn't know what she did either!!! I practically hung up on her I was so frustrated as we were debating whether or not she was responsible for customer service.


There have been reports that at least some Comcast locales require a special billing code be on the account in order to enable VOD on a TiVo. Possibly this billing code was removed from your account by mistake.


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## hershey4 (May 31, 2006)

lpwcomp said:


> There have been reports that at least some Comcast locales require a special billing code be on the account in order to enable VOD on a TiVo. Possibly this billing code was removed from your account by mistake.


She insisted only I could get it added by calling Billing myself. She said she had no ability to add it. But I didn't call and it started working. I am thinking that possibly their training indicates that it requires a Billing code, but in reality it does not. Calling billing didn't work last year and calling billing didn't need to be done this year. I think they don't see the code and they assume that's the problem, but it was something else.

Oh well... all speculation.

At least this is now documented here to refresh my memory for when this happens next year


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

lpwcomp said:


> There have been reports that at least some Comcast locales require a special billing code be on the account in order to enable VOD on a TiVo. Possibly this billing code was removed from your account by mistake.


This problem happened on one of my four paired Cable Cards (Moto) with Comcast CT, they had a truck roll ready than I got a call to test out the Roamio Plus for VOD and it worked so no truck roll, they told me it was a code thing that got mixed up on that Cable Card. Problem is gone now.
That another reason a high % of John/Jane Q public goes with the Cable co DVR and not TiVo. With the Cable co DVR they have the full reasonability to get the system to work, a problem they just replace the DVR at your home. 
If I convince a friend to get a Roamio, I find myself on the hook to keep the system working, I stopped doing that a year or so ago, free service calls is not my thing.


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## ermax (Mar 11, 2005)

I used the level 2 number that is floating around and the guy said the data id wasn't set on my card so he fixed that and reactivated. That didn't work so he emailed the local market to have them check it on their end. 3 days went by and then it started working. The day after it started working he called me back to make sure it was working. I asked what the fix was and he said the local market didn't have it set right. All my billing codes were right from the get go though. My val went from ? To v. Then I installed a 2TB drive which caused my data id to change so I'm back to a val ?. I called the standard activation line and they changed the data id but that didn't help so then he gave me the typical run around. I guess I need to call level 2 again and hopefully it will not take 3 days again. I have all my channels at least so it's not the end of the world.uu


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