# Background guided setup



## Eldan (Oct 1, 2008)

I just set up a new Tivo HD with a CableCARD and Tuning Adapter, and I have some comments about the experience. It was not pleasant.

Repeating Guided Setup after the technician installs the CableCARD is just brutal. It's not fair to the tech, who has to spend about 45 minutes standing around waiting, and it's inconvenient for the customer. Obviously not all of this is within Tivo's control, but one major thing is. Tivo needs asynchronous or background setup.

The tech wants to get the cable card in, confirm operation, add the tuner adapter, confirm SDV channels, and leave. The customer wants the tech in and out as soon as possible so he can watch TV. _Nobody_ wants to stand around for a half hour staring at (Preparing...)

In my opinion the solution to split setup into two parts. Once the user data collection (ZIP, provider) and phone/net communications are set up, the two seperate downloads and the interminable "preparing" and "organizing" can all be done in the background while the user confirms tuning or watches TV. The user can return to the menu later to confirm that the setup tasks have succeeded.

If I worked at Tivo I'd set a goal that the user is watching TV within 5 minutes of hooking it up and activating the CableCARD. It shouldn't take longer than that to enter ZIP and provider and make a test call or internet connection. By completing setup in the background, the absurd slowness of steps like "preparing to call..." and the malfunctioning progress indicators on preparing/loading/organizing would all be hidden from the customer. It would be a much better initial experience.


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## SpiritualPoet (Jan 14, 2007)

Agreed. However, did you do pre-configuration as suggested on the TiVo printed brochure PRIOR to the technician showing up? (by scanning all available channels for usage with the cable card(s) as if it/they were already installed? Doing as advised would have saved a lot of time that would be averted later.


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## Eldan (Oct 1, 2008)

I did. I followed all instructions to the letter. But I had to repeat guided setup anyway, twice over two days, with two different cable cards, etc. That's Cablevision's fault, not Tivo's, but I note that after you insert a new cable card, you don't get the proper CableCARD menu until you repeat setup. And my sense of it was that it actually takes longer to repeat guided setup than it does to run it the first time. Perhaps the Tivo is reclaiming or reformatting space or something.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

Eldan said:


> I did. I followed all instructions to the letter. But I had to repeat guided setup anyway, twice over two days, with two different cable cards, etc. That's Cablevision's fault, not Tivo's, but I note that after you insert a new cable card, you don't get the proper CableCARD menu until you repeat setup. And my sense of it was that it actually takes longer to repeat guided setup than it does to run it the first time. Perhaps the Tivo is reclaiming or reformatting space or something.


From the "CableCARD installation FAQ":



> 8. What can I do before the installer arrives?
> 
> Have the CableCARD installation sheet that came in the Tivo carton ready for your installer. They will almost certainly insist that they don't need it, but most will.
> 
> ...


Was this type of Guided Setup performed?


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## Eldan (Oct 1, 2008)

orangeboy said:


> Was this type of Guided Setup performed?


Yes. I ran the guided setup just before the tech arrived, and we confirmed it had 9.4b before installing the card.

According to the second cable tech, the first cable tech or the phone rep he spoke to transposed two characters in the serial number of the Tuning Adapter. This permanently "married" the cable card to the wrong adapter, or something, and was apparently the reason he could never get SDV channels to work that day. But one of the things we tried that first day was removing the cable card and adapter, then restarting the Tivo. When we installed the card again it was recognized as a different card and the Tivo requested repeating guided setup. Once you enter guided setup you cannot escape it, which is another poor design, and waiting for it to complete again when all we wanted to do was test the SDV channels was excruciating.

I'll be happy to answer any other questions anyone might have about my install, but it is besides the point of my post, which is that nobody should have to sit though the two phone calls or net downloads for any reason.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

The current release of software used by Tivo DVRs that require cablecard/tuning adapters is 11.0d. Perhaps a newer release of the software would have negated the need to repeat guided setup due to the technician's error?

Also, I would have been weary of doing both cablecards and TA at the same time. A better troubleshooting approach would have been to install the cablecards and confirm that they were functioning before moving onto the TA installation. If the cablecards work, and the TA didn't, there would have been no need to remove the cablecards.


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## Eldan (Oct 1, 2008)

I thought my narrative was clear. We did not do cable cards and TA at the same time. We installed a cable card, confirmed operation, then installed the TA. Cablevision did something wrong with either the card or TA activation. After removing both and restarting Tivo in an attempt to start from scratch, we had to then repeat guided setup.

But again, that's not the point. The point is there's no reason for guided setup to complete in the foreground.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

Eldan said:


> ...The point is there's no reason for guided setup to complete in the foreground.


Yes, I agree. TiVo already does something similar when downloading Guide Data and Software Updates when it connects to the TiVo Service anytime after Guided Setup completes (the option to "Go back (connecting will continue)" is given).

But that doesn't change my point either: Repeating Guided Setup may not had to have occurred multiple times given the information you provided. Using back-leveled software coupled with a cable tech that wasn't careful with the details (transposing characters, removing cablecards) may have unnecessarily lead to the long waits you encountered.

But because that did happen, you have come across a good suggestion that TiVo should hear about: TiVo New Features Survey.


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## ohboy710 (Jun 30, 2008)

I agree with this post. I felt bad for my cable guy who had to stand around and wait as well. And I too had run the guided setup prior to his arrival as well.


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