# Xfinity On-Demand mini issues...



## sfm (Oct 3, 2006)

I have a Roamio and 3 minis (all ethernet hard-wired)... Xfinity on-demand works (for the most part) on the Roamio... but for the 3 minis I rarely am able to even get the app running and on the rare occasion when the app does run attempting to watch any video almost always fails. I say almost because if I reboot the Roamio then the first attempt or two at watching Xfinity on-demand usually work on the mini... but within a few times of exiting then re-entering the Xfinity app the errors start again and will persist. I sometimes see the same errors when accessing the Xfinity on-demand app or when I attempt to play something from the app on the Roamio but it is much more reliable than the Minis in this regard. The errors I see are usually a GSM-XX error with the occasional CL-XX error thrown in.

Tivo blames Comcast and Comcast blames Tivo so no help/resolution so far in that respect. And I find the suggestion to reboot in this situation a non-starter... I shouldn't have to do that... the Amazon and Netflix On-Demand apps have no such issues requiring a reboot.

In all other regards my cable card seems to be fine (get the premium channels, etc.). And the fact that it sometimes works implies the problem is elsewhere (I would assume?).

Any suggestions? Any others experiencing similar issues with Xfinity on-demand? I'm in the Denver metro area by the way.


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## DigitalDawn (Apr 26, 2009)

I have the same problem here in West Palm Beach. Never been able to fix it. If I want to watch VOD on a Mini I have to reboot it.


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## JacksonM404 (Nov 4, 2014)

I have a Roamio Pro and 3 minis. Xfinity on demand works fine on my minis. I do occasionally get an error, but if I retry a couple of times it works. 

I have had an issue though where 2 people were trying to watch the same on demand show on different boxes and when they start the show, it kicks the other one out of the show. I'm told this happens even if it's not the same show, just someone else tries to watch an on demand. I haven't been able to try and figure out if it's something I can fix or not as my roommate moved out so it's just me watching tv.

I am in Atlanta if that matters. It could be it operates differently in different markets.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

JacksonM404 said:


> I have had an issue though where 2 people were trying to watch the same on demand show on different boxes and when they start the show, it kicks the other one out of the show. I'm told this happens even if it's not the same show, just someone else tries to watch an on demand.


Yep, XOD4TiVo is limited to a single active on-demand stream per DVR and connected Minis. If a second user tries to start a video, it will just freeze playback for the 1st viewer without any warning to either viewer. Poor implementation, and especially painful given the inability to fast-forward a good quantity of XOD content.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

sfm said:


> ... I find the suggestion to reboot in this situation a non-starter...


Especially since they're asking us to reboot a device that is often busy recording content. Reboots aren't always possible without complications.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

sfm said:


> Xfinity on-demand works (for the most part) on the Roamio... but for the 3 minis I rarely am able to even get the app running and on the rare occasion when the app does run attempting to watch any video almost always fails.


GSM-11 usually signals a bigger problem, possibly requiring a reboot. I usually just go watch something else when I encounter a GSM-11.

Often when starting a video in XOD4TiVo, I'll start hearing audio but the video doesn't start. On these occasions, my solution is to immediately exit XOD via the TiVo button, as soon as I suspect a problem, and then drill back down to the video and give it another try. It almost always starts playback on the second try. TiVo-ing out of XOD and then drilling-back in is my usual workaround, aside from the GSM-11 errors.

Unsatisfactory performance for such a critical app, really, but I've quickly lost hope of any aggressive troubleshooting/resolution, and am living with it.


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## sfm (Oct 3, 2006)

I have seen the audio with no video issue as well... and restarting usually fixes that... on the Roamio at least.

Almost always when I see errors on the mini (GSM-11 or other) if I go to the Roamio and try Xfinity on-demand it will work... just refuses to work (98% of the time anyways) on any mini. Only rarely will the Roamio refuse to run the Xfinity on demand app or start a video and in these situations a reboot is required to get it working again.

Really slopply execution on the part of Tivo/Comcast... don't really know who blame (who wrote the app? Tivo or Comcast? some 3rd party?)... but support calls to either have been a waste of time... Tivo blames Comcast and Comcast either blames Tivo or wants to mess with my cable card (which I am assuming is not the problem as on-demand works, for the most part, on the Roamio and I have no other cable card related issues).


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

sfm said:


> Tivo blames Comcast and Comcast either blames Tivo *or wants to mess with my cable card* (which I am assuming is not the problem as on-demand works, for the most part, on the Roamio and I have no other cable card related issues).


Precisely. I'm generally not looking to interfere with my regular DVR functions to troubleshoot the XOD app. Especially given the little confidence I have that there will be any long-term solution derived. If it remains unavailable, I just spy the next convenient window from the To Do list when I can safely reboot the TiVo. (I'd love to see a "schedule DVR reboot at..." feature in the TiVo.)


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