# CableCard firmware update - Bad form, TiVo



## Foxcoon (May 12, 2002)

So the other day I turn on my TV to find my TiVo Bolt presenting me with a screen:
Your CableCard has received a firmware update.
Press OK to continue.​I had no idea that my firmware was going to be updated, but whatever, I press OK. Everything seems fine.

However, I then learn that for the entire previous 24 hours or so, NOTHING was recorded, because my TiVo has been sitting at that screen, for hours, waiting for me to press OK so that it can continue.

TiVo, you really screwed this up. The box should not have just been sitting there, useless, waiting for me to acknowledge something that I had no idea was going to happen. Instead, the update should have completed, and you should have dropped a message into my Message Inbox, like you do for other types of channel updates. You made me miss some new shows because of your lack of foresight on this.

Please take this as constructive criticism for how to handle such updates in the future. Thank you.


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## tomhorsley (Jul 22, 2010)

The TiVo actually had almost nothing to do with this. The cable company is the one that pushes the update when they feel like it. Maybe the TiVo could handle it better, but given all the rules about cable cards, maybe not (I don't know for sure).


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## HDRyder9 (Aug 2, 2007)

Blame your cable provider. Tivo is completely out of the loop on this issue.


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## Foxcoon (May 12, 2002)

I'm not complaining that my firmware got updated. That didn't seem to cause a problem.

I'm pretty sure the "Press OK to Continue" prompt comes from TiVo, not from my CableCard. They could and should handle it better.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Foxcoon said:


> I'm not complaining that my firmware got updated. That didn't seem to cause a problem.
> 
> I'm pretty sure the "Press OK to Continue" prompt comes from TiVo, not from my CableCard. They could and should handle it better.


You're probably right. I do wonder why an update was done. Is it a Moto M-Card? If so, on the CableCARD Status, do you have FW 2.65?


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Seems like a fail. But, these cards are nearly never updated, so the failure was probably due to the rarity of the event.


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## Foxcoon (May 12, 2002)

It is a Moto M-Card. The firmware version is reported as FW 06.25.


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

which cable service provider?


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Foxcoon said:


> It is a Moto M-Card. The firmware version is reported as FW 06.25.


Ok, I just noticed that both are shown with an asterisk with the 6.25. No dates though.


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## Foxcoon (May 12, 2002)

NorthAlabama said:


> which cable service provider?


Verizon FIOS


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

That does seem odd to prompt you for an OK. I know that on my older S3's that the firmware upgrades happened in the background without any end-user interaction. I suppose that could cause issues with recordings happening at the same time but they seemed to occur in the early hours of the day for at least the few that I've noticed.

Scott


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

i would think a simple message left in the mailbox would be the best way to notify the user (like channel lineup changes). if an unattended upgrade notification had prevented recordings on my tivo, i'd be upset, too.


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## Foxcoon (May 12, 2002)

HerronScott said:


> I know that on my older S3's that the firmware upgrades happened in the background without any end-user interaction.


You bring up a good point, that I owned an HD TiVo with a pair of S-Cards for about 8 years, and I never saw a single firmware upgrade event. Perhaps there were no such events? I wonder why the Bolt seems to feel they need to be brought to the user's attention.

I have a thread on this subject going on TiVo's own support forums, and they seemed to try to imply that there may be legal agreements in place that require this behavior. But I have difficulty believing that.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

Foxcoon said:


> You bring up a good point, that I owned an HD TiVo with a pair of S-Cards for about 8 years, and I never saw a single firmware upgrade event. Perhaps there were no such events? I wonder why the Bolt seems to feel they need to be brought to the user's attention.


If you were with Comcast, there was at least 1 update with the S-cards as we had one card fail during the upgrade process at which time they replaced both cards with M-cards which also received at least a couple updates (mostly in later years and especially the one related to 6 tuner issues when the Roamio's came out). We didn't get CableCards for our second S3 OLED until much later so it had M-cards from the start.

Scott


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## Tico (Dec 10, 2002)

In almost 10 years of cable cards I have never seen a screen saying my CC was updated, Press OK to continue.

Must be a FIOS thing.


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## CableDigitalDog (Jul 18, 2013)

TiVo has nothing to do with cable card firmware updates. Your provider is the one that pushes updates to cable cards. I have worked for the cable company for 28 years and this year was the only time I have ever upgraded cable cards.
This one was needed as 6.25 is what the 6-tuner set-tops need to function properly.


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