# "Channel not authorized" intermittent disconnects



## JonUrban (Dec 25, 2015)

I have a Bolt with a Mini, and today I am getting intermittent signal from my cable company, where every 2-3 minutes, the signal drops and I get the above message. After a minute or two, the picture comes back, only to drop out again a few minutes later.

This happens on all channels (that I tested)

I have rebooted the Bolt without resolve, then rebooted the tuning adapter, problem stayed. I then powered down the Bolt and pulled the Cable Card and reseated it. Then fired it all up and still have the same issue. So I switched to Apple TV and the Spectrum app for tonight.

So, my question is this. Could this be a faulty signal from the street/cable, or could it be my Cable Card is crapping out?

Has anyone seen this before? My cable provider, Charter/Spectrum, is clueless when it comes to Tivo, so before I call them and get no help at all, I wanted to ask about this here.


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## tommiet (Oct 28, 2005)

I also have Charter/Spectrum... I see the same message a couple times a week and this is a cable issue, not an issue with your TiVo hardware. It usually only happens for a few minutes and returns to normal after. Actually seen it today during a local thunder storm. 

A work around for me is to use the Spectrum app on my Samsung TV or if OTA, use my Recast.


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## JonUrban (Dec 25, 2015)

Thanks for the reply. I sorta figured it was Charter/Spectrum. I'll check it tomorrow, but for tonight, like you suggest, I'm on the app


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## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Log in to your DOCSIS Modem and check it's signal levels as a 'reference' for what your incoming signal levels are.

-KP


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## JonUrban (Dec 25, 2015)

UPDATE: After having this happen for 3 days (and watching TV using the Spectrum App on Apple TV) I finally called Spectrum/Charter to report the issue. After 20 minutes of automated crap where they attempted to reset and restart my box, which I don't really have (it's a Tuning Adapter), I finally got to a point where I could press '0' and get to a live person.

They said "Oh yes, we are having an issue with all customers in your area with cable cards. We thought we had it fixed, but we're still working on it"

Swell.

It's working now, so if anyone has this issue in the future and sees this thread, just call the cable company and sit through the crap to see if it's their problem.


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## jefny (Feb 13, 2008)

Three weeks ago I was having the same problem but on a continuous basis of "channels not authorized" but only specific groups of channels (75 to 81, etc.). I was also getting pixilation on some other channels. I have Verizon. Of course Verizon blamed Tivo and Tivo blamed Verizon. Verizon sent out a tech who found frayed coaxial cables but this did not solve the problem. We then swapped out the Bolt with another one I had from another room (no problems there) and the problem disappeared. It was the Tivo.

Luckily I had an extended warranty and Tivo sent me a replacement and problem solved.

John


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## pl1 (Jan 18, 2007)

jefny said:


> Three weeks ago I was having the same problem but on a continuous basis of "channels not authorized" but only specific groups of channels (75 to 81, etc.). I was also getting pixilation on some other channels. I have Verizon. Of course Verizon blamed Tivo and Tivo blamed Verizon. Verizon sent out a tech who found frayed coaxial cables but this did not solve the problem. We then swapped out the Bolt with another one I had from another room (no problems there) and the problem disappeared. It was the Tivo. Luckily I had an extended warranty and Tivo sent me a replacement and problem solved. John


 I had a very similar experience the other night with my Bolt Vox and Verizon. I thought for sure it was going to be my Bolt. But, fortunately I took advantage of getting a free STB for just this reason. When the STB had trouble with the same channels, it was a great relief, and by morning it all cleared up. So, it can go either way!


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## TKnight206 (Oct 20, 2016)

pl1 said:


> I had a very similar experience the other night with my Bolt Vox and Verizon. I thought for sure it was going to be my Bolt. But, fortunately I took advantage of getting a free STB for just this reason. When the STB had trouble with the same channels, it was a great relief, and by morning it all cleared up. So, it can go either way!


Imagine trying to convince them it's not the TiVo's fault when you hop on your Roku, access their app, and it's happening there. But they still try blaming it by saying it's a separate problem even though it's happening on the same channel at the exact same time.


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## HarleyRandom (Sep 17, 2015)

I'm currently having the problem on my Bolt and I was having it on the Roamio. If I manually record something on the channel it was on (in this case Spectrum's local news channel), it works. Unless the channel somehow changed to something not authorized, but even then you would think it wouldn't change until something was recorded. But if the channel doesn't work, the recording goes away.


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