# Tivo Roamio Plus/Pro compatibility with Time Warner Cable



## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

I need to know which Tivo Roamio models are compatible with Time Warner Cable (Los Angeles/Beverly Hills area)? I purchased a TiVo Roamio Pro yesterday and spent hours unsuccessfully trying to get my tuning adapter and multi-stream cable card working properly with the new unit, but I was unsuccessful in the end (even with well over an hour of telephone tech support with a Time Warner support representative).

I thought maybe there was an upgraded cable card or tuning adapter that I could pickup from my local Time Warner store that would make everything function properly (as my existing card/adapter was at least 2 years old). The store rep I spoke with confirmed that my cable card and tuning adapter were the most recent models, but also said that *Time Warner doesn't offer any cable cards or tuning adapters that support 6 tuners*. Is that correct?

This led me to believe that only the $199 entry-level Roamio with 4 tuners is compatible. Is that correct? I believe others on these forums have had luck with the Roamio Plus/Pro with Time Warner, so I wanted to double-check before I return my Roamio Pro and pickup the base model Roamio instead.

I do like the built-in stream functionality and larger hard drive space of the plus/pro models... Is there some way to disable 2 of the tuners of the Roamio I have if that's whats needed?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... Thanks!


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## bryan4980 (Dec 2, 2011)

Your existing Tivo should work. An M card should give you all 6 tuners. Someone else may chime in with a more detailed answer but it is them not you.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Don't return it. You can get it to work on TWC, it might just take a little work, but we should be able to help you work through it here. Generally with TiVo, once you get through the initial setup issues you will be good to go.

When you called TWC, did you call the dedicated TWC CableCard hotline? If you just call the regular TWC customer service numbers, nobody will really know what they are talking about regarding CableCards/Tuning Adapters. The people at the dedicated CableCard line are pretty good though. I spent about an hour on the phone with the regular customer service people and got nowhere. 5 minutes on the TWC CableCard line and my CableCard was paired and working. The number I have for the TWC CableCard line is 866-606-5889. I think that is actually an old number, but it still redirected to the right place the last time I tried to use it.



m021478 said:


> The store rep I spoke with confirmed that my cable card and tuning adapter were the most recent models, but also said that *Time Warner doesn't offer any cable cards or tuning adapters that support 6 tuners*. Is that correct?


That is completely incorrect. I am on Time Warner Cable and all 6 tuners work just fine. When I first got my Roamio Plus back in November, I would get periodic tuning failures, but after a firmware update on the Tuning Adapter that TWC pushed out back in February, I haven't had any more tuning problems using all 6 tuners.



m021478 said:


> Is there some way to disable 2 of the tuners of the Roamio I have if that's whats needed?


There is. There is a procedure for limiting your Roamio Plus/Pro to only using 4 tuners if you have the old firmware on your CableCard or Tuning adapter that only supports 4 tuners. I don't know what it is off the top of my head, but try searching the forum. I've seen the procedure posted in other threads before.

Go into the settings on your Roamio and see what firmware versions your CableCard and Tuning Adapter is running. If you have the Cisco (Scientific Atlanta) CableCard and Tuning Adapter, the most recent CableCard firmware version is PKEY1.5.3_F.p.1101 and the latest Tuning Adapter firmware version is STA1.0.0_1520_LR_F.1901. If your CableCard and Tuning Adapter are running those versions, you shouldn't have a problem using all 6 tuners.

I highly recommend you just disconnect the Tuning Adapter completely and set it aside for now. Just focus on getting the CableCard paired and working properly. Once you do that, then you can turn your attention to getting the Tuning Adapter working correctly.


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## austinsho (Oct 21, 2001)

On the Time Warner website, they give 1-866-532-2598 as the phone number.

http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/residential-home/support/topics/tv/cablecard.html

I'm just about to make the jump from DirecTV's boxes back to TWC with TiVo. I'm really interested in how the OP's install goes!


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## mcluvin (Apr 29, 2014)

I had the install from hell with Brighthouse last month. I wish I only spent an hour on the phone. I'm rocking and rolling now though, so don't give up.

Chris


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

m021478 said:


> I need to know which Tivo Roamio models are compatible with Time Warner Cable (Los Angeles/Beverly Hills area)? I purchased a TiVo Roamio Pro yesterday and spent hours unsuccessfully trying to get my tuning adapter and multi-stream cable card working properly with the new unit, but I was unsuccessful in the end (even with well over an hour of telephone tech support with a Time Warner support representative).
> 
> I thought maybe there was an upgraded cable card or tuning adapter that I could pickup from my local Time Warner store that would make everything function properly (as my existing card/adapter was at least 2 years old). The store rep I spoke with confirmed that my cable card and tuning adapter were the most recent models, but also said that *Time Warner doesn't offer any cable cards or tuning adapters that support 6 tuners*. Is that correct?
> 
> ...


If they refuse to budge on what they claim is supported, just say "Fine, I have a 4-tuner TiVo, give me my cablecard and Tuning Adapter". One step at a time, and don't let them dissuade you.

TW never bothers to tell you that if you have MoCA in-use, that each tuning adapter requires a MoCA PoE filter, installed by using a two-way splitter. One split gets a PoE filter and that cable runs to the TA, and the other leg of the splitter goes directly into the TiVo. You can not use the TA coax in & out "passthrough" way if MoCA is being used. The Cisco TAs will malfunction if MoCA frequencies get into them.

Always get the cablecard paired up and working, before even thinking about getting the TA hooked up.

I'd suspect that if you do as I suggest, which has helped nearly a dozen people in the last month, all just might work perfectly. Just don't let the TW idiots win their game of making TiVo unattractive to you, crushing hopes, and lowering expectations.

No point in going forward until you have everything. You can find my guides all over the forum, and save me from typing so much if you dig around.

What's MoCA have to do with anything about getting 6 tuners working? You might not get any working if you don't have your coax, splitters, cablecard, tuning adapter, and (if needed) PoE filters all hooked-up/configured correctly, and done in the right order.


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

Okay, so the darndest thing happened...

Shortly after I made my initial post, I was so skeptical of my odds of getting the Roamio Pro working properly that I disconnected it and put it back in the box ready to be returned. Then you all chimed in and gave me some much needed hope that my initial objective could be achieved. So I pulled it out of the box, reconnected it to my system, and for the first time I noticed the light on the tuning adapter stopped blinking... voilà! It worked! All my channels were instantly visible again and I was able to record a ridiculous 6 things at once!

I've gotten some pretty good advice in the past, but your guys' advice was so freakin' good that literally no action was required on my part to fix the problem at hand  Bravo!

Now that I've got my initial issues with my Roamio sorted out, as the OP I'm going to have to exercise my right to hijack my own thread by asking about something somewhat unrelated to the initial problem - Setting up Whole Home Streaming between my Roamio and several TiVo Mini's via MoCA. MoCA is something I know next to nothing about so perhaps you could help clarify a few things for me...

I've got my Roamio in my family room currently networked via ethernet. I need to install 3 TiVo Mini's around my home, and only 1 of the 3 Mini's is able to be hardwired via ethernet. If I want to be able to dedicate 1 of my Roamio's tuners to all 3 rooms, I believe I would have to setup Whole Home Streaming via MoCA... Is this correct?

If so, would I simply need to purchase 1 MoCA Adapter, and 1 MoCA POE Filter? Is there any need for multiple MoCA Adapters, or do I only need 1 installed alongside the Roamio to establish a MoCA network?

Please advise... Thanks again for all your help!


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

nooneuknow said:


> TW never bothers to tell you that if you have MoCA in-use, that each tuning adapter requires a MoCA PoE filter, installed by using a two-way splitter. One split gets a PoE filter and that cable runs to the TA, and the other leg of the splitter goes directly into the TiVo. You can not use the TA coax in & out "passthrough" way if MoCA is being used.
> 
> What's MoCA have to do with anything about getting 6 tuners working? You might not get any working if you don't have your coax, splitters, cablecard, tuning adapter, and (if needed) PoE filters all hooked-up/configured correctly, and done in the right order.


I'll admit I initially passed over your first comment about MoCA because I wasn't using MoCA nor did I think I'd need to (that is, until I got my Roamio working and I realized that's probably what I'd need to use to setup Whole Home Streaming for multiple TiVo Mini's. I assume this thread should have pretty much all the info I'll need to setup MoCA, correct?


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

Okay, so help me out here... I set up the MoCA network according to the advice below, and I think it's already done without the need for me to purchase anything else... Am I missing something here, or is this right?



BigJimOutlaw said:


> *Option 1: Connect Tivo via Ethernet*
> Platforms Supported: Roamio Pro, Roamio Plus, XL4 (a/k/a Elite), Premiere 4
> 
> This option allows the Tivo itself to function as a MoCA bridge for the rest of the home.
> ...


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## BigJimOutlaw (Mar 21, 2004)

You have what you need. The Roamio Pro has a moca bridge built-in. Since it's connected by ethernet, you can select "Use this DVR to create a MoCA Network" and it's done. No adapters needed for that setup.

If you scroll down that post, you'll see a picture of how your tuning adapter should be connected to the Roamio to make sure moca works (use a splitter, not the RF-out on the TA).

It's probably a good idea to get a two POE filters. They're about $8 on ebay, free shipping. One installed at the main splitter to make sure the moca signal stays inside your home, and the other at the tuning adapter to keep the moca signal out of it (sometimes an issue, not always).


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

BigJimOutlaw said:


> You have what you need. Since your Roamio Pro is connected by ethernet, you can select "Use this DVR to create a MoCA Network" and it's done. No adapters needed for that setup.
> 
> If you scroll down that post, you'll see a picture of how your tuning adapter should be connected to the Roamio to make sure moca works (use a splitter, not the RF-out on the TA).


Plus there should be a PoE filter on the splitter leg going to the TA (due to the MoCA being active).

(just spelling it out, rather than leaving that to assumption)


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

m021478 said:


> I'll admit I initially passed over your first comment about MoCA because I wasn't using MoCA nor did I think I'd need to (that is, until I got my Roamio working and I realized that's probably what I'd need to use to setup Whole Home Streaming for multiple TiVo Mini's. I assume this thread should have pretty much all the info I'll need to setup MoCA, correct?


There are so many MoCA threads, I can't even keep count of them (or feel safe saying any are "right" or "best", as a whole, since most contain conflicting information)...

Instructions and illustrations for Cox & TW, when MoCA and TAs are involved, are interchangeable, when it comes to what connects where, in what manner, and what order. Cox just actually bothers to give good documents and a kit that insures you have what you need. TW needs to follow their lead, IMO.

I would highly recommend that you not connect the *USB* cable for the TA to TiVo connection until after you have successfully paired the cablecard, and then have had them authorize the Tuning Adapter. At that point, it may take a few minutes after making that final USB connection, for the TiVo to state it has detected the TA. Don't let the TW reps rush you, especially when they send the pairing signal to the cablecard, which takes time to process (20 minutes, at longest, usually < 5 minutes).

Just hooking it all up at once and getting it to work doesn't have the best odds of everything just working... But, stranger things have happened...


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10142639#post10142639

My rant about TW and the patterns I'm seeing with them lately.


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## marklyn (Jan 21, 2002)

m021478 said:


> Okay, so help me out here... I set up the MoCA network according to the advice below, and I think it's already done without the need for me to purchase anything else... Am I missing something here, or is this right?


The attached diagram is a very basic drawing I did to explain to a friend of mine who didn't understand the concept of moca. Although the POE filters can be placed other places, the important thing is to place them were you DO NOT want the moca signal to go (ie: right before tuning adapter, entry point of house & right in front of cable modem).
Hope it helps you to understand.


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

I not exactly clear where I'm supposed to install the POE filter??? In the following diagram, where would I install the POE filter?








In my attic, I have the modem Time Warner provided me with when they initially installed my TV and Broadband service. Is the POE filter meant to be installed on the Coax cable going into the modem?

Thanks!


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

m021478 said:


> I not exactly clear where I'm supposed to install the POE filter??? In the following diagram, where would I install the POE filter?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


On either end of the red cable that runs* between the splitter and the TA*. Most thread them right on the splitter, and most diagrams show them that way. They aren't directional, so you could thread it onto the TA, if it works better for you.

There should be one where the single coax comes to the house, before any splits.

Sometimes older cable modems that don't have a built-in PoE filter require one, or will work better with one, on either end of that cable, most thread them right onto the modem, for convenience.


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

*This is where I have it now... So this isn't right?*
















** Just to clarify, with regards to the annotation on the second image that says "From cable modem"... this is just the coax cable coming out of my wall providing me with TV signal in my A/V closet... The other end of it might not technically be 'from cable modem' (I don't actually know where that line comes from/goes to, nor do i know where any of the coax cables coming out of any of the walls in my house lead once they disappear behind the wall... Forgive my ignorance on cable TV wiring practices and standards


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

*So you're saying install the POE filter as indicated below, correct?
*








*Does one need to be installed where the coax cable goes into the cable modem in my attic (as shown in my first photo)?*


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

m021478 said:


> ...


I'm getting a headache. Could somebody kindly take over seeing this one through? Thanks...


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

> I don't get the "coax from street" label on your cable modem connection. If that was really the case, the only thing that would work would be the cable modem.


I honestly don't know where the coax cable going into my modem is coming from. The thread I linked to with loads of diagrams and info about MoCA connections said, "... It is recommended that you install a Point of Entry (POE) filter at your cable TV's point of entry in the home." I thought that line going into the cable modem was what they were talking about.



> I'd be interested in knowing what the other side of that splitter says, as far as brand and ratings.


This is the splitter I bought: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018BQR84



> A picture of where the cable truly comes into the house (the true "point of entry"), and what the splitter situation and specifics are there would help.


I don't know where this point is.



> What brand and model is your tuning adapter and what brand and model is the modem?


Tuning adapter is a Motorola MTR700; I'm not going to crawl back up into my attic right now unless absolutely necessary, but to the best of my recollection, it's an Arris (like this one)


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

nooneuknow said:


> I'm getting a headache. Could somebody kindly take over seeing this one through? Thanks...


Don't give up on me! We're probably right at the finish line!


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

Okay, I think I know what my confusion was (for the most part)...

Forget about the first picture I posted previously showing my cable modem. When this thread advised "It is recommended that you install a Point of Entry (POE) filter at your cable TV's point of entry in the home," I thought that meant the coax cable going into the cable modem, but I now believe what it meant was the coax cable labeled "In from street" in the _revised_ diagram below:









Does that make more sense? (confused)


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

m021478 said:


> Okay, I think I know what my confusion was (for the most part)...
> 
> Forget about the first picture I posted previously showing my cable modem. When this thread advised "It is recommended that you install a Point of Entry (POE) filter at your cable TV's point of entry in the home," I thought that meant the coax cable going into the cable modem, but I now believe what it meant was the coax cable labeled "In from street" in the _revised_ diagram below:
> 
> Does that make more sense? (confused)


Take the PoE filter off the cable modem, and put it on the "in" port of that very first splitter where the cable comes into the house *(must be no splitters before this point)*.

Your cable modem will probably work just fine. If it starts having problems, pick up another PoE filter for it.

Your tuning adapter should be OK, as long as it isn't Cisco (Scientific Atlanta) brand, which it appears it is not. If it gives you problems, consider installing a PoE filter on it like you had on the modem.

Make sure the splitters are rated 5-1000MHz (5MHz-1GHz). If rated higher, that's good, too.


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

nooneuknow said:


> Take the PoE filter off the cable modem, and put it on the "in" port of that very first splitter where the cable comes into the house *(must be no splitters before this point)*.


*Am I done yet?
*


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

*or did you mean like this:
*


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## CinciDVR (May 24, 2014)

In your last picture, I think you should remove POE #2. It's redundant because it's at the other end of the cable from POE #1.

You still need to place two other filters.

In the attic where the coax cable runs into your cable modem, you should put a filter.

Finally, you need to find out where the cable enters your house. That shouldn't be too difficult. Just go outside and follow the cable line from the pole to your house. That's where it enters. Often there's a splitter visible and you could put a filter there, though I'm not sure how weather resistant they are. If there's not a splitter there, then on the other side of the outside wall you're likely to find a splitter that you can put the filter on.

Ultimately you want a clear run of coax from the Roamio to each of the Minis without a filter in between.


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## m021478 (Nov 18, 2005)

Awesome! Thanks to all for your help!


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## nooneuknow (Feb 5, 2011)

CinciDVR said:


> In your last picture, I think you should remove POE #2. It's redundant because it's at the other end of the cable from POE #1.
> 
> You still need to place two other filters.
> 
> ...


Having one on the cable modem isn't always necessary. But, it shouldn't hurt anything, either. If one is built into the modem, adding an external one just creates a redundancy, like having one at each end of a cable is one more than there needs to be on that run (like you spotted, in the last picture).

I'm not convinced that there are no splitters "upstream" of what is labeled "from street". Note the lack of a code-required grounding wire to that splitter, if that's truly the "from street" point-of-entry. But, I just want this to be wrapped-up, and will assume the real PoE is just a pass-through grounding block (best case scenario here).

So, it looks like this is finally "case-closed" (unless the whole picture isn't presented, or pictures of the true "point of entry" are missing, that might show upstream splitters, making [almost] this whole process a joke)...

<closing the case, anyway>

...and there was much rejoicing <yay>


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## CinciDVR (May 24, 2014)

nooneuknow said:


> [stuff deleted]
> 
> I'm not convinced that there are no splitters "upstream" of what is labeled "from street". Note the lack of a code-required grounding wire to that splitter, if that's truly the "from street" point-of-entry. [more deleted]


I'm with you. There has to be other splitters in the system. He talks about a cable modem in the attic, and three Minis that are (or will be) elsewhere in the house. For those devices to get a signal there must be other splitters since the one shown in the picture is only a 2-way and one output goes to the Tivo and the other output goes to the TA.

So since he's not sure where the other splitters are, it would seem simplest to put the filters at the points he can find (TA, Cable modem, and where the cable enters the house).


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