# TWC & Tuning Adapter Issues



## KungFuCow (May 6, 2004)

I wanted to post this and see if anyone else is having a similar issue.

Last Sunday, for no reason, during the UFC special, the video on my Tivo just froze. When I switched to the second tuner to check the channel, no matter what channel I go to, I get "Searching for signal on this cable channel."

Well, I called TWC and the guy at the cable card help desk said he couldnt ping my tuning adapter, it must be bad and I should go swap it out. Next day, I run out at lunch and swap the tuning adapter. That night I hook the new one up,same thing. Call TWC back, they reset the tuning adapter and my video comes up and Im all happy. Next day, back to "Searching for cable signal on this channel."

So.. I called TWC again and they tell me it has to be my signal and the signal level is too low to work with the tuning adapter. So this morning a tech comes up and yea, my signal is low but its not THAT low. But Im back to not being able to get any video with the tuning adapter in the loop.

HOWEVER.. once you unplug the USB cable from the TA,even with the TA in the loop, you get video. That kind of shoots down the whole "running it through the TA degrades the signal too far" aspect of things since my Tivo can tune it fine and its on the other side of the TA.

Im wondering if a recent firmware update from either TWC or Tivo is causing this issue.With the TA out or disconnected, I can get all the non SDV channels. As soon as I put that TA back in the loop, I cant even get a channel guide. Instead I end up with "Tivo can find no channels you are authorized for."

Has anyone else seen anything like this?


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

KungFuCow said:


> HOWEVER.. once you unplug the USB cable from the TA,even with the TA in the loop, you get video. That kind of shoots down the whole "running it through the TA degrades the signal too far" aspect of things since my Tivo can tune it fine and its on the other side of the TA.


Well, it does confirm the problem is the tuning adapter. And the problem isn't necessarily that a low signal degrades the signal quality but a low signal can cause the TA to not function correctly (perhaps they aren't very fault tolerant). Either way, TW should find the issue with the TA (signal quality or not).


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## KungFuCow (May 6, 2004)

rainwater said:


> Well, it does confirm the problem is the tuning adapter. And the problem isn't necessarily that a low signal degrades the signal quality but a low signal can cause the TA to not function correctly (perhaps they aren't very fault tolerant). Either way, TW should find the issue with the TA (signal quality or not).


Theyre going to come out in another week and rewire all my outlets. They kept me waiting 8 days to get out here today and tell me virtually nothing.

Guess Ill wait it out and see what they come up with but I feel pretty confident this is a software/firmware issue and not a signal issue. Guy told me this morning he just left another house with a Tivo doing the EXACT same thing.


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## Beernutts (Jul 16, 2010)

Motorola or Cisco TA?



KungFuCow said:


> I wanted to post this and see if anyone else is having a similar issue.
> 
> Last Sunday, for no reason, during the UFC special, the video on my Tivo just froze. When I switched to the second tuner to check the channel, no matter what channel I go to, I get "Searching for signal on this cable channel."
> 
> ...


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## KungFuCow (May 6, 2004)

Beernutts said:


> Motorola or Cisco TA?


Cisco


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## yoheidiho (Mar 31, 2011)

Three of the last four Cisco tuning adapters to enter my home failed to work. One I picked-up at the store and the last three were brought by techs during a couple of truck rolls. One of the adapters that failed to work was fresh out of the box from Cisco.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

yoheidiho said:


> Three of the last four Cisco tuning adapters to enter my home failed to work. One I picked-up at the store and the last three were brought by techs during a couple of truck rolls. One of the adapters that failed to work was fresh out of the box from Cisco.


It's most likely an incompatibility between the TA firmware and the local headend.


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## KungFuCow (May 6, 2004)

Well, I have a TA in the basement on my Moxi and it works fine. Maybe I should move that out of the basement and see how it works with the Tivo. Its an OLD TA.. Ive had it over a year.


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## Dr_Diablo (Nov 24, 2003)

KungFuCow said:


> I wanted to post this and see if anyone else is having a similar issue.
> 
> Last Sunday, for no reason, during the UFC special, the video on my Tivo just froze. When I switched to the second tuner to check the channel, no matter what channel I go to, I get "Searching for signal on this cable channel."
> 
> ...


Same is happening on my end ever since the TA was "forced" on me two years ago... Pryor to the TA I had few issues with the Tivo


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## KungFuCow (May 6, 2004)

Dr_Diablo said:


> Same is happening on my end ever since the TA was "forced" on me two years ago... Pryor to the TA I had few issues with the Tivo


Are you a TWC customer?

They promised me someone would be out here to rewire the drops before now an d of course, no call from anyone. TWC has the worst customer service on the planet. I guess someone will be out tomorrow to rewire the drops unless they cancel again.


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## emmjay28 (Dec 4, 2010)

I have the Cisco TA also, TWC in So Cali, and since the TiVo update, I'm getting the same lost channel issue. Signal strength is fine, but channels keep disappearing from my lineup with the message to contact TWC. Then miraculously, the channels come back after flipping around for a little while. So before the firmware, my TiVo locked and rebooted 4-5 times a day, now with the patch I'm missing channels. Lame.


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## Dr_Diablo (Nov 24, 2003)

KungFuCow said:


> Are you a TWC customer?
> 
> They promised me someone would be out here to rewire the drops before now an d of course, no call from anyone. TWC has the worst customer service on the planet. I guess someone will be out tomorrow to rewire the drops unless they cancel again.


Yes, here in Indy... What it appears, is the tuner drops the signal to the Tivo... Thus the Tivo can't process any dropped signal it gets.

What Tivo suggested is to introduce a signal booster... I have tried to get BrightHouse to place a booster at the box. Each time they were here an tested the signal they sad it was good as it could be.

It's a shame we are forced to pay for a service that is sub par, be it cable or the Tivo.


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## KungFuCow (May 6, 2004)

Well, I had an amp placed on my line and it didnt make any difference.

My stuff is working again.. TWC came out and rewired every drop in my house. Ive had it drop out a couple of times but it seems to work more than it doesnt which is more than I could say before.


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## Dr_Diablo (Nov 24, 2003)

KungFuCow said:


> Well, I had an amp placed on my line and it didnt make any difference.
> 
> My stuff is working again.. TWC came out and rewired every drop in my house. Ive had it drop out a couple of times but it seems to work more than it doesnt which is more than I could say before.


"IMO" BrightHouse should abide by my request to add an booster if they want my business that is...

Fact that I must spend $80 to solve this issue doesn't set well with me... IMHO


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## KungFuCow (May 6, 2004)

Dr_Diablo said:


> "IMO" BrightHouse should abide by my request to add an booster if they want my business that is...
> 
> Fact that I must spend $80 to solve this issue doesn't set well with me... IMHO


Send me a box with some postage and Ill send you my amp. It was only on my line for a week and they just left it here.


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## Dr_Diablo (Nov 24, 2003)

Dang, wish I'd known that a few hours ago, bought one at Best Buy an problem solved, for now


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## Ruefrex (May 6, 2011)

Sigh.

I just got a Tivo because I despise the TWC DVR with the fiery breath of a thousand suns. Got the cablecard initialized, the stupid tuning adapter (Motorola, of course, my hated enemy) is supposed to be working and -- surprise! -- isn't. No SDV channels. So they're sending a dude out -- next Thursday. The signal strength, via the Tivo, is 88, which I'm guessing is okay? I do worry a bit because I have ginormous power lines right out my north-facing window (which is why I was forced to abandon my beloved Dish and get horrid TWC to begin with).

I was not stupid enough to return the DVR before I got all of this set up.

I'm really rethinking the Tivo thing, though, if that TA is going to be nothing but trouble. I haven't activated the Tivo service yet either, because I was afraid I'd have to return it. 

This whole SDV thing is SUCH a freaking scam. But at least I know how to use Bittorrent and if I didn't need a few sports channels, I'd just be done with cable altogether. At least until I could get my satellite back.


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## Dr_Diablo (Nov 24, 2003)

Ruefrex said:


> Sigh.
> 
> I just got a Tivo because I despise the TWC DVR with the fiery breath of a thousand suns. Got the cablecard initialized, the stupid tuning adapter (Motorola, of course, my hated enemy) is supposed to be working and -- surprise! -- isn't. No SDV channels. So they're sending a dude out -- next Thursday. The signal strength, via the Tivo, is 88, which I'm guessing is okay? I do worry a bit because I have ginormous power lines right out my north-facing window (which is why I was forced to abandon my beloved Dish and get horrid TWC to begin with).
> 
> ...


Tivo claims an incomin sig strnght is acceptaable at 82%

THERE have been times mine drops to 70%


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## KungFuCow (May 6, 2004)

Call the cable card help desk at TWC and see if they can get it going. You have to take the installers with a grain of salt. Most of them dont know a cable card from a greeting card.


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## Joey Bagadonuts (Mar 13, 2006)

KungFuCow said:


> Call the cable card help desk at TWC and see if they can get it going. You have to take the installers with a grain of salt. Most of them dont know a cable card from a greeting card.


Have to call BS on this (not on the poster, on TWC)!  TiVo and cable cards have been around for how long now? And yet Time Warner is still feigning ignorance to the application/installation of cable and/or M cards? Please. This is nothing more than an on-going ploy on TWC's part to make it as difficult as possible for TiVo customers to bypass the cable box as well as purchasing a DVR other than TWC's. The second I have a viable alternative to TWC (and no, I don't consider U-Verse as viable), I'll be canceling my TWC service. That's a phone call I cannot wait to make.


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## LoganBear2327 (Jul 30, 2011)

I guess this TWC problem is localized, because I haven't had a problem with my cable card or tuning adaptor at all. And when I had to replace a faulty TiVo, the people on the Cablecard hot line helped me get the card sync'd with the new TiVo.

When I got TWC installed, migrating from AT&T U-verse, the three installers talked about their inexperience or uncomfortability with cable card installations. They don't get a lot of them But, even two of them agree that their hotline people know what they're talking about.


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## Ruefrex (May 6, 2011)

Joey Bagadonuts said:


> Have to call BS on this (not on the poster, on TWC)!  TiVo and cable cards have been around for how long now? And yet Time Warner is still feigning ignorance to the application/installation of cable and/or M cards? Please. This is nothing more than an on-going ploy on TWC's part to make it as difficult as possible for TiVo customers to bypass the cable box as well as purchasing a DVR other than TWC's. The second I have a viable alternative to TWC (and no, I don't consider U-Verse as viable), I'll be canceling my TWC service. That's a phone call I cannot wait to make.


Man, same here! I installed the card and TA myself and the rep on the phone understood everything and got the card initialized just fine. But the TA just isn't bringing in the SDV channels. I mean, BIG SURPRISE that a complication TWC inserts inbetween a third-party makes the whole thing not work. I'm not at ALL shocked. Or disappointed, really. I just need to know if I have to return the Tivo, which will indeed make me very sad because I am gobsmacked at how awful the TWC DVR is. There is literally NOTHING good about it. It's the least intuitive piece of technology I've ever used.

I mean, what is WITH SDV anyway? Why do they think it's the Greatest Thing Ever, aside from causing major headaches? The channels go out all the time and I HATE that it will automatically change the channel, thinking I'm not watching it. God, how I HATE cable and want my satellite back!

Incidentally, I had to talk to two reps and BOTH of them tried to sell me cable internet. When I told the one guy I had DSL with Sonic, he pretended he'd heard of it (but seriously, NOT that good an actor) and lectured me about third-party companies. I should have lectured HIM about how I loathe TWC and loathed Adelphia before it.


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## KungFuCow (May 6, 2004)

The people at the Cable Card Help Desk know way more about TAs and CCs than the level 1 grunts. And as far as the installers, every one that has stepped foot in here has told me this is their first or second dealing with a cable card. I just dont think they are very common.

My stuff still isnt 100%. Im getting as lot of "You are not authorized to view this channel" BS on the regular.


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## Dr_Diablo (Nov 24, 2003)

recently a screem pops up to press select if you are viewing this channel or it will be disabled/closed? ... WTF?


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## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

Dr_Diablo said:


> recently a screem pops up to press select if you are viewing this channel or it will be disabled/closed? ... WTF?


That would seem to make sense if the channel is SDV. At least they're warning you and giving you a chance to keep it active, although a pop-up requiring a response is not exactly recording-friendly.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

L David Matheny said:


> That would seem to make sense if the channel is SDV. At least they're warning you and giving you a chance to keep it active, although a pop-up requiring a response is not exactly recording-friendly.


I don't believe it would do it if it was a recording. There are different types of priorities for SDV channel requests.


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