# Suddenly Missing Channels on Bolt with Spectrum



## nrrhgreg (Aug 30, 2003)

This is in the Fort Worth, TX area

Over the past week several channels are now displaying the D261 Channel Temporarily Unavailable error. The two big ones are BBC America and Disney Junior but others include Cooking, DIY, MTV Live, and Fuse.

I’ve spent a good bit of time on the phone with Spectrum support refreshing signals and making sure my CableCard is paired correctly to no avail.

I don’t use and have never had to have a tuning adapter. Does anyone know if something has changed in the Fort Worth market that I would now need one? Spectrum support has been unable to tell me if I do or not for some reason


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Someplace to complain: Spectrum in Dallas, Texas outage or service down? Current problems and outages

Spectrum in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas outage or service down? Current problems and outages


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## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

nrrhgreg said:


> This is in the Fort Worth, TX area
> 
> Over the past week several channels are now displaying the D261 Channel Temporarily Unavailable error. The two big ones are BBC America and Disney Junior but others include Cooking, DIY, MTV Live, and Fuse.
> 
> ...


Are you confirming your cable card is properly paired yourself, or listening to Spectrum?
https://support.tivo.com/articles/Troubleshooting/CableCARD-Troubleshooting
If you can't get this fixed soon, consider doing this, 
Submit a request - FCC Complaints


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

nrrhgreg said:


> This is in the Fort Worth, TX area
> 
> Over the past week several channels are now displaying the D261 Channel Temporarily Unavailable error. The two big ones are BBC America and Disney Junior but others include Cooking, DIY, MTV Live, and Fuse.
> 
> ...


Two things. First, I have this happen from time to time. I'm not sure why it happens, could be a signal strength issue- too high or too low. Have you checked your signal strength? Second, as far as I know, all Spectrum areas require a tuning adapter. It could be possible that the channels you are missing are now SDV.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

nrrhgreg said:


> This is in the Fort Worth, TX area
> 
> Over the past week several channels are now displaying the D261 Channel Temporarily Unavailable error. The two big ones are BBC America and Disney Junior but others include Cooking, DIY, MTV Live, and Fuse.
> 
> ...


Those are all channels that require a tuning adapter in my Spectrum area, and the "channel temporarily unavailable" error is the one you usually get when trying to tune a SDV channel and the tuning adapter is failing to work properly. I also know that people in other Spectrum markets have recently been getting letters saying that SDV was coming to their area and that a tuning adapter would be required to receive certain channels. Putting all that together, I think it's likely that Spectrum has rolled out SDV in your area and that a tuning adapter will now be required for you to receive those channels.


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## Bob Rhodes (Sep 11, 2018)

I just went through 3 weeks of working with Spectrum to fix this. When Charter upgraded their system to switched digital it killed about 70% of my channels. Their best tech who is conversant in Tivo problems took approximately 12 manhours over the course of 3 weeks to finally fix my problem. It took 2 different tuning adapters and a new cable card along with finding a knowledgeable tech at the “office” to repeatedly pair the cable card AND the tuning adapter until my Tivo started getting all channels.


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## XIBM (Mar 9, 2013)

In my legacy Charter/Spectrum area I could get almost all my Silver package channels without a Tuning Adapter since they went digital several years ago, until recently. I think they recently added 50 or so channels to SVD as I no longer get them including BBC News. In my market they upped the internet speed so I guess they took the bandwidth for internet and converted more channels to SVD. I have been thinking of pulling out the old TA and trying it but I have not taken the time to do it yet...


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

XIBM said:


> In my legacy Charter/Spectrum area I could get almost all my Silver package channels without a Tuning Adapter since they went digital several years ago, until recently. I think they recently added 50 or so channels to SVD as I no longer get them including BBC News. In my market they upped the internet speed so I guess they took the bandwidth for internet and converted more channels to SVD. I have been thinking of pulling out the old TA and trying it but I have not taken the time to do it yet...


If the tuning adapter has been disconnected for more than a month, then it probably won't work when you hook it up until you call up Spectrum and have them send a refresh signal to it.


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## Cal Nelson (Nov 20, 2017)

I receive Spectrum cable service in the Elmore AL area. I was a former Brighthouse subscriber with two Tivo Roamio boxes, each with a cable card. On October 10, 2018 I changed from legacy Brighthouse billing to standard Spectrum billing thereby reducing my monthly bill by about $48. I subscribed to Spectrum Select plus Digi Tier 1. I have never had or needed a tuning adapter. At conversion all appeared well. However, over the coming days I noticed that I was missing a few channels that were included in the Spectrum Select package. In particular Channel 1175 (TVLAND). Error code V58. I called customer service and went through the obligatory update and restart of the Tivo. Of course, this was not the problem. The rep then scheduled a premise visit by Spectrum tech. When the tech arrived we again went through the obligatory update and restart of the Tivo. Same result. The tech then called dispatch and asked them to check the codes on the cable cards. Between the two techs they determined that the code for Viacom channels was missing. The dispatch tech input the code and up came the channels. So, if you are experiencing a similar issue and subscribe in an area that does not require a DTA you might want to investigate the missing code issue. Apparently there are few techs who understand cable cards and how they work. Keep after them until you find one who does. Again, determine if your service area requires a DTA and which channels are provided using SDV.


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## XIBM (Mar 9, 2013)

How do you determine the SVT Channels?


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## Cal Nelson (Nov 20, 2017)

You have to contact Spectrum tech support to determine if SDV is used in your area.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

"Channel Temporarily Unavailable" can occur during normal correctly-functioning SDV/Tuning-Adapter operation. SDV systems can legitimately shut off an SDV channel's signal after a certain period in which some logic decides you may not be watching the channel anymore. The most common scenario is on multi-tuner devices (e.g., TiVo) for one of the unwatched and not-recording tuners. When this happens, hitting select several times should tune the channel, which will be suggested in the displayed TiVo message. It can also happen on the channel being watched after a certain period of inactivity (i.e., no remote button pushes) in which case the TiVo will put up a message asking if you are still watching. If you aren't there to respond to that message the channel will be de-tuned.

This is not to say the problem couldn't also be caused by improper system configuration or operation.

For the eight years when I was on TWC, before it became Spectrum, I never had an SDV channel drop. On Spectrum I get it frequently on certain channels, but they can always be retuned. I suspect this is because Spectrum is cramming more channels into SDV than before.


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## Michael Kelly (Sep 21, 2018)

I am also a Carter/Spectrum customer in the Ft. Worth, TX. area and experienced the exact same problem with missing channels on my Silver Package.
My problems started on 9/30 when Spectrum upgraded their internet equipment in the area. It took many calls and tech appointments until my problem was finally fixed on 10/11 when Spectrum installed a Cisco STA 1520 tuning adapter to my TiVo Bolt Vox. My service is now back to normal.


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## Chuck_IV (Jan 1, 2002)

Charter has been moving a lot of channels to SDV, all over the country. This problem can occur WITH or without a TA.

I've had aCisco TA since 2015 and back in May of this year, to open space for faster internet, they changed a lot of channels to SDV. The problem was, the TA didn't have a clue what to do with these channels, so I would get the same message.

It turned out to not be as simple as re pushing a signal or rebooting the TA. There was something at the Head end that needed to be done to adjust the frequency so the TA could understand the new SDV channels.

It took WEEKS of someone in a different town(but off the same head end) working with a local office contact(he had an insider) to get the channels to reappear over a period of time.

While the people in the other town got all their channels back, to this day(5 months later), i am STILL missing a channel(American Heroes) that never came back.

I have tried calling tech support and had a guy out to the house who had no idea how to fix it and still nothing. The person with the inside contact disappeared after he got his channels back and I have been unable to get a contact at the local office, to try to get the last channel fixed.

My issue only occurs with cable cards and not with Charter issued boxes, so not many people will probably even notice the one channel being out.

Hopefully it is as simple as adding a TA. Cause if it's not, good luck with getting it fully fixed.


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## Michael Kelly (Sep 21, 2018)

I guess my reply about Spectrum problems and the fix was more directed at “nrrhgreg” who is on the same cable service in the same town as I am and was experiencing the exact same problem that I had. This fix worked for me in the Ft. Worth TX. Area on Spectrum and should correct his problem as well.


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## dlatner (Jan 7, 2004)

Michael Kelly said:


> I guess my reply about Spectrum problems and the fix was more directed at "nrrhgreg" who is on the same cable service in the same town as I am and was experiencing the exact same problem that I had. This fix worked for me in the Ft. Worth TX. Area on Spectrum and should correct his problem as well.


---------------
For what it's worth -- this is CONFIRMED definitely a TIVO problem and not a spectrum problem. I have the exact same problem here in NYC. Tivo Bolt, with Time Warner (spectrum) service. All channels come in fine except BBC America and Disney (and about 3 others). Sometimes they come in fine -- other times they come in scattered or not at all. I've changed out the cable cards 26 times -- so completely ruled that out -- plus changed all my house wires, my tuning adapter and everything else with no results. However, I also have an identical Tivo Bolt in the other room -- which works perfectly when I move it over. So it is absolutely and confirmed to be a TIVO software problem on some of the Bolts and other boxes -- but Tivo is not taking responsibility for it. Annoying. Really needs to be fixed.


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## djev (Jan 12, 2014)

nrrhgreg said:


> This is in the Fort Worth, TX area
> 
> Over the past week several channels are now displaying the D261 Channel Temporarily Unavailable error. The two big ones are BBC America and Disney Junior but others include Cooking, DIY, MTV Live, and Fuse.
> 
> ...


OMG I've been dealing with this for weeks! Spectrum is trying to make me believe it's in my head, literally! I don't know how many service calls we've had. Someone will say we need a TA and there are ordering 5 for us. Tech arrives, he's clueless that we need TAs or that he's supposed to bring them. In the meantime, we are losing more and more channels. If only there was an alternative we could use Tivo with! Yes, I'm in the Fort Worth, TX area.


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## CloudAtlas (Oct 29, 2013)

dlatner said:


> Tivo Bolt, with Time Warner (spectrum) service. * All channels come in fine except BBC America and Disney (and about 3 others). Sometimes they come in fine -- other times they come in scattered or not at all. *


Welcome to the world of SDV (switched digital video) and TA's.



> I've changed out the cable cards 26 times -- so completely ruled that out -- plus changed all my house wires, my tuning adapter and everything else with no results. However, I also have an identical Tivo Bolt in the other room -- which works perfectly when I move it over.* So it is absolutely and confirmed to be a TIVO software problem* on some of the Bolts and other boxes --* but Tivo is not taking responsibility for it.* Annoying. Really needs to be fixed.


Unfortunately I don't think this is a TiVO problem. Getting a TiVO DVR working with (Spectrum) cable is a three step process. *1. get CableCard paired * with Spectrum cable which is usually through trial and error. *2. get TA box's serial number registered * in the Spectrum database. *3. connect TiVO DVR to the TA* via USB cable so TiVO can see and communicate with the TA box.

But even once you have a working system you are not guaranteed it will stay that way. Occasionally the TA box stops working and needs to be rebooted and possibly reconnected to the TiVO DVR to get them communicating again. Also firmware updates of the TA box can cause outage until a patch fix is issued.

After a year with no problems my setup of TiVO Roamio+CableCard+TA box stopped working on Spectrum cable (NYC/Manhattan North). I lost SDV channels some paid channels like HBO. Spectrum CableCard group tried but couldn't fix the problem. I just gave up and two months later I came home and everything was working perfectly. No idea what changed!


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## scrim67 (May 1, 2002)

I am having a similar issue with my TIVO BOLT and receiving the MLB EXTRA INNINGS package

I was told today at the optimum store they no longer use tuning adapters and I would need to use one of their own boxes to view these channels

Does this sound plausible?


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## Michael Kelly (Sep 21, 2018)

I live between Ft. Worth and Weatherford and a tuning adapter has been required to to get those channels out here for the last 4 months.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

scrim67 said:


> I am having a similar issue with my TIVO BOLT and receiving the MLB EXTRA INNINGS package
> 
> I was told today at the optimum store they no longer use tuning adapters and I would need to use one of their own boxes to view these channels
> 
> Does this sound plausible?


No that sounds illegal. The FCC requires them to provide you access to SDV channels. File an FCC complaint.

FCC Complaints


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## scrim67 (May 1, 2002)

tarheelblue32 said:


> No that sounds illegal. The FCC requires them to provide you access to SDV channels. File an FCC complaint.
> 
> FCC Complaints


Just a quick update I just got off the phone with customer service and they told me that a store a little bit further drive away does have a tuning adapter

I'll stop by there on Monday to pick up the hardware and see if this resolves my issue

it does seem a little bit shady that the place I went to today didn't recommend going to a different store that would have them


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## jjhbigfoot (May 3, 2015)

I am in the Birmingham metro area - Charter/Spectrum customer, with a cable box and a mix of TIVOs/Minis and 2 cable card/tuning adapters installed. I made a change to my account level in November, from Gold to Silver - due to a price increase. In February I added Service Tier 2 (non-premium Gold only channels) and at that time the customer rep told me that there were new service levels and that their instructions were to migrate to the new service levels any time changes were made. I was still to be Silver level with Service Tier 2 on top of that, albeit the new structures. After the change was implemented I found that I couldn't get some of the Gold level non-premium SDV channels that I previously received when I was at Gold level. I asked for documentation on the contents of Service Tier 2 and verified they were in Service Tier 2. At that point I did an inventory and was missing 40 +/- SDV channels, with a small part of them receiving a no signal error on the TIVO but most of them getting a "not defined to the tuning adapter" message. I could receive all of these channels on the Set Top Box. After multiple support calls and unsuccessful tech visits that included changing my account back to Gold status, over a period exceeding 4 weeks, a tuning adapter tech specialist finally agreed with me that this was a channel mapping problem and referred it to his supervisor. Over the next 2 weeks there were multiple meetings/bridge phone calls, some of which I listened to because the supervisor was sitting in my den, and some attempts were made to correct the problem up to and including rebuilding the mapping file from the new account structures. After more meetings, to which I was not privy, the supervisor informed that "leadership" had made the determination that the SDV channel mapping for tuning adapters was "Working As Designed", missing channels not withstanding, and there were no plans to change the implementation. When I asked the extent of this decision, i.e. local head end (we have multiples in the metro area) or metro area, etc., he told me he was instructed that this was "Spectrum Wide". In other words, any SDV channels that are added or converted to SDV after a certain date (not sure of this exact date and neither was my supervisor but it is already in the past) will be accessible to Set Top Boxes but not Tuning Adapters. And this is tied to the new Charter Basic/Silver/Gold account structures. Account changes that result in lost SDV channels could come from this implementation. 
That said obviously different areas/head ends will have unique channel mapping files because of different line ups, etcs. and so far no one has been able to tell me how this is a Spectrum wide problem. But no one that I've talked to with Spectrum has told me that it isn't...


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

jjhbigfoot said:


> I am in the Birmingham metro area - Charter/Spectrum customer, with a cable box and a mix of TIVOs/Minis and 2 cable card/tuning adapters installed. I made a change to my account level in November, from Gold to Silver - due to a price increase. In February I added Service Tier 2 (non-premium Gold only channels) and at that time the customer rep told me that there were new service levels and that their instructions were to migrate to the new service levels any time changes were made. I was still to be Silver level with Service Tier 2 on top of that, albeit the new structures. After the change was implemented I found that I couldn't get some of the Gold level non-premium SDV channels that I previously received when I was at Gold level. I asked for documentation on the contents of Service Tier 2 and verified they were in Service Tier 2. At that point I did an inventory and was missing 40 +/- SDV channels, with a small part of them receiving a no signal error on the TIVO but most of them getting a "not defined to the tuning adapter" message. I could receive all of these channels on the Set Top Box. After multiple support calls and unsuccessful tech visits that included changing my account back to Gold status, over a period exceeding 4 weeks, a tuning adapter tech specialist finally agreed with me that this was a channel mapping problem and referred it to his supervisor. Over the next 2 weeks there were multiple meetings/bridge phone calls, some of which I listened to because the supervisor was sitting in my den, and some attempts were made to correct the problem up to and including rebuilding the mapping file from the new account structures. After more meetings, to which I was not privy, the supervisor informed that "leadership" had made the determination that the SDV channel mapping for tuning adapters was "Working As Designed", missing channels not withstanding, and there were no plans to change the implementation. When I asked the extent of this decision, i.e. local head end (we have multiples in the metro area) or metro area, etc., he told me he was instructed that this was "Spectrum Wide". In other words, any SDV channels that are added or converted to SDV after a certain date (not sure of this exact date and neither was my supervisor but it is already in the past) will be accessible to Set Top Boxes but not Tuning Adapters. And this is tied to the new Charter Basic/Silver/Gold account structures. Account changes that result in lost SDV channels could come from this implementation.
> That said obviously different areas/head ends will have unique channel mapping files because of different line ups, etcs. and so far no one has been able to tell me how this is a Spectrum wide problem. But no one that I've talked to with Spectrum has told me that it isn't...


You definitely need to file an FCC complaint about that. The FCC rules require them to provide you access to all the SDV channels through tuning adapters that their own boxes receive.


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## Richard Morgan (May 17, 2019)

tarheelblue32 said:


> You definitely need to file an FCC complaint about that. The FCC rules require them to provide you access to all the SDV channels through tuning adapters that their own boxes receive.


I also am in Birmingham and having a similar problem. When Cinemax was removed from Silver Level I lost every other HBO and Showtime channels. 4 Tech visits, 4 different stories, 2 tuning adapters and 1 new cable card there is no change. Finally a tech said it was a TIVO problem, LOL. I have a Bolt with 4 Minis that have worked fine for 2 years. I have filed a complaint with the FCC. Tired of wasting my time with Spectrum.


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## jjhbigfoot (May 3, 2015)

Certainly seems to be SDV/tuning adapter related. According to a local tech supervisor, the remapping that was done included changing all premium channels with east coast/west coast feeds so that the west coast feed was SDV - accounts for the every other channel loss. I too was told initially multiple times that my problem came from TIVO; I finally got a service tech that could spell SDV and tuning adapter. FWIW I do get the premium channel west coast feeds. My missing channels, with a few exceptions, seem to be those added in the past year or so.


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## wustang (Jun 23, 2010)

I have and have had the same issues with two providers, a local provider and Spectrum. You need to confirm the levels coming into your home at the connection for the TA. You might be better running inline or adding a splitter. I run an amplifier and each bolt / TA are on individual taps from the amp. The issue still persists, but on non HD SDV channels on the lower band which also have sister HD channels. And I can say it was noted Disney JR (which only recently came out with a simulcast HD) and BBCA. Spectrum reports the head end received the request for the SDV but no transmission received. Went thru several TA and CC with different results. It's a weird issue I would like to see resolved. At least Spectrum tried. The local company Buckeye thru in the towel and kept asking me why I wouldn't go with their TiVo equipment at $10 a box.... Just remember the TA's are old refurb boxes and the CCs often are junked out also. Never seen a new one on all my efforts. We've had SDV here now for several years. At one point, I had to wait until some other household called the same SDV for mine to work because the head end kept missing my requests.... Ridiculous poor investment in SDV switching technology and using legacy equipment on end users won bring their own equipment. Good luck and I'll stay "tuned" (or at least until it times out).


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

I'm on Spectrum (former TWC system) in the Dayton OH area and have been using a TA for ten years now. For at least the last five years things had settled into a pattern I could live with, i.e., roughly once a month I would lose a lot of channels and power-cycling the TA would fix things.

However twice now over a period of just five days, it's lost most channels and multiple TA power-cycles have not worked -- but several hours later the channels all returned. The second time (yesterday) my local Spectrum phone support menu automatically (without me asking!) connected me with the national help desk in Buffalo. After considerable troubleshooting that agent concluded that the problem was most likely my aging TA failing. So I have a service call scheduled for this Monday (24 June). The tech is supposed to bring a TA and CableCARD but, based on other reports here, I will be mildly amazed if that happens. And not surprised if the TA is actually older than my current one. I also will be surprised if the TA is actually the problem. I suspect the cable plant, possibly glitches associated with repairs after the recent EF4 tornado that passed within a mile of our house. We will see ......

One surprising statement from the national help desk agent: Spectrum is currently working to educate their support agents on CableCARD and TA's. This provoked two immediate thoughts:
1. Why are they bothering?
2. Ten years too late.


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

dlfl said:


> I'm on Spectrum (former TWC system) in the Dayton OH area and have been using a TA for ten years now. For at least the last five years things had settled into a pattern I could live with, i.e., roughly once a month I would lose a lot of channels and power-cycling the TA would fix things.
> 
> However twice now over a period of just five days, it's lost most channels and multiple TA power-cycles have not worked -- but several hours later the channels all returned. The second time (yesterday) my local Spectrum phone support menu automatically (without me asking!) connected me with the national help desk in Buffalo. After considerable troubleshooting that agent concluded that the problem was most likely my aging TA failing. So I have a service call scheduled for this Monday (24 June). The tech is supposed to bring a TA and CableCARD but, based on other reports here, I will be mildly amazed if that happens. And not surprised if the TA is actually older than my current one. I also will be surprised if the TA is actually the problem. I suspect the cable plant, possibly glitches associated with repairs after the recent EF4 tornado that passed within a mile of our house. We will see ......
> 
> ...


Maybe they finally realized that even though there aren't many TiVos out there, sending multiple truck rolls and fielding multiple phone calls to fix a problem is more expensive that some basic education for the techs.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

UCLABB said:


> Maybe they finally realized that even though there aren't many TiVos out there, sending multiple truck rolls and fielding multiple phone calls to fix a problem is more expensive that some basic education for the techs.


I suspect that the tiny percentage of customers using devices that use CableCARDs or TA's created most of the problem. If a technician is likely to go a year or more between encounters with such devices, what they may have been taught will likely tend to fade from memory, since it doesn't get reinforced via frequent exposure.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

dlfl said:


> I'm on Spectrum (former TWC system) in the Dayton OH area and have been using a TA for ten years now. For at least the last five years things had settled into a pattern I could live with, i.e., roughly once a month I would lose a lot of channels and power-cycling the TA would fix things.
> 
> However twice now over a period of just five days, it's lost most channels and multiple TA power-cycles have not worked -- but several hours later the channels all returned. The second time (yesterday) my local Spectrum phone support menu automatically (without me asking!) connected me with the national help desk in Buffalo. After considerable troubleshooting that agent concluded that the problem was most likely my aging TA failing. So I have a service call scheduled for this Monday (24 June). The tech is supposed to bring a TA and CableCARD but, based on other reports here, I will be mildly amazed if that happens.
> ..........


Surprise!  It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic. _Of course_ the tech they sent did not bring a replacement TA. He didn't even know what that was or anything about TiVo's. When he found out what the TA was he said "that's old equipment, we don't even stock those". He called his supervisor who suggested that losing channels was most likely a signal problem. So he spent an hour or so replacing every cable connector he could reach starting outside the house. (His test equipment detected some "leakage".) When he was done everything was working fine --- just as it had been when he arrived. When I complained about the inconsistency of this versus what the Buffalo tech had said was going to happen he just smiled and said "different departments -- you know".

I have two choices now:
1. Complain to Spectrum and/or to the FCC
2. Wait and hope whatever was causing my intermittent lost channels problems will not return.

I strongly suspect choice one will lead to more wasted time with no good result. If the problems continue I most likely will finally cut the cord. I can recognize a dead horse that won't respond to any more beating.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

dlfl said:


> Surprise!  It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic. _Of course_ the tech they sent did not bring a replacement TA. He didn't even know what that was or anything about TiVo's. When he found out what the TA was he said "that's old equipment, we don't even stock those". He called his supervisor who suggested that losing channels was most likely a signal problem. So he spent an hour or so replacing every cable connector he could reach starting outside the house. (His test equipment detected some "leakage".) When he was done everything was working fine --- just as it had been when he arrived. When I complained about the inconsistency of this versus what the Buffalo tech had said was going to happen he just smiled and said "different departments -- you know".
> 
> I have two choices now:
> 1. Complain to Spectrum and/or to the FCC
> ...


Wouldn't it make sense to contact Spectrum again; explain what the first agent had said and that the tech. had come out without a replacement TA and done everything else to fix the situation (without success), which pretty much, then, confirms what the first agent had said; and ask that a 2nd tech. be sent out, now, with the needed TA? At the very least thus far, the system inside your house has been cleaned up.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

Mikeguy said:


> Wouldn't it make sense to contact Spectrum again; explain what the first agent had said and that the tech. had come out without a replacement TA and done everything else to fix the situation (without success), which pretty much, then, confirms what the first agent had said; and ask that a 2nd tech. be sent out, now, with the needed TA? At the very least thus far, the system inside your house has been cleaned up.


Oh there you go suggesting being sensible!  Seems so unfair that I have to be sensible while Spectrum isn't!

But actually I left out a third choice of action, which is the one I'm taking. That is to wait until the TA acts up again and _then_ call support and try to squeeze the TA replacement they promised out of them. If I call in before that they can logically respond that perhaps the "clean up" work done on my cabling has fixed it. As I said before I'm skeptical that whatever replacement TA they manage to scrape up will be newer than my current TA. (Remember the local tech's comment that TA's are "old equipment that they don't even stock".)

BTW, the TA lost most channels again within a few hours after the tech did the "clean up". However this time a single TA power-cycling brought them back. Since it had been about a month since the last time this happened, it fits the "normal" pattern for my TA and I'm not considering it the same issue (the one where even multiple power-cyclings don't fix it, then it spontaneously corrects itself a few hours later). I still think this newer issue is actually a glitch occurring in their cable plant. Unfortunately for me, it apparently doesn't affect the majority of their customers who don't use TA's, so they don't get enough complaints to force them to diagnose and fix it.


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## jjhbigfoot (May 3, 2015)

Here's something that rarely happens - a commendation for Spectrum. As I'm sure those of you that have to deal with the TA environment know Charter/Spectrum has set up a dedicated support group, they call it the cable card group, that encompasses TA support. I note this now because for the past couple of calls I have been routed to this group by the initial tech as soon as my reason for call was determined; that has not been the pattern before. As I've noted in this thread my TA operation has been sketchy and intermittent. A couple of weeks ago I was routed to the cable card group because I was changing out one of my TAs in attempt to fix this behavior. The cable card group tech said before we made any changes he had to rework the way my account was set up. It seems there are proscribed ways to define the cable cards and TAs in their system, including the order and positioning of the definition of all hardware devices associated with the account. My account did not conform. I asked what affect this would have and he replied at least intermittent failures, mostly noted as signal issues with periodically more long term issues. Bottom line he changed my account hardware configuration in their system and both the TAs I have under roof have operated correctly since that time. I do still have the problem of missing newer channels I talked about, because of the account level changes last year. At this point I have received two contacts from Spectrum, the first when they told me they had received my complaint from FCC and another to tell me they were still working on it. 30 day period ends this week....


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## jjhbigfoot (May 3, 2015)

And I hope this is the coda for my issues -- while it took an extension request by Charter/Spectrum from FCC my complaint has actually been resolved. Today I can receive all channels on the TAs that I receive on the Charter cable box. A local supervisor that has kept me informed of the progress on a regular basis told me that the remediation required a manual rebuild of local channel mapping information that was built incorrectly. My thoughts are that the errors were introduced when the new account levels were implemented, although this was not confirmed by the supervisor. He did say that Charter had received additional complaints of the same general nature for this area. My thanks for the FCC reference and link - sometimes the little guy wins a battle, too.


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## Skillman11 (Oct 20, 2019)

Using Spectrum and a Tivo bolt. I am in Lakeway TX west of Austin. In March 2019 I don’t thank there Were problems since I had a HD recording from NBCSN from March. 

Now NBCSN and other channels are Standard definition and many upper channels have a 261 error code. Many of the upper channels are just a black screen other than the momentary channel information at the Bottom of the screen. 

We have tried4 tuning adapters, cable cards and refurbished Bolts and the problem still persists.

The cable card seems to be enabled and I do not understand SDV channels and how the tuning adapter / cable card effects or creates the problem. Can someone explain?


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## Skillman11 (Oct 20, 2019)

Is there someway you can give us information with enough detail so I can tell the cable card group what they need to do? The order and positioning of the definitions of hardware is what you mentioned, do you know what they are? Many thanks I have spent probably 40 hours trying to solve this problem and cannot cut the cable because the cable company is the only one with Internet in my area.


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## jjhbigfoot (May 3, 2015)

Skillman11 said:


> Is there someway you can give us information with enough detail so I can tell the cable card group what they need to do? The order and positioning of the definitions of hardware is what you mentioned, do you know what they are? Many thanks I have spent probably 40 hours trying to solve this problem and cannot cut the cable because the cable company is the only one with Internet in my area.


Sorry, the actual hardware definition sequencing requirements weren't something the cable card group tech shared during our conversation, only that there was a requirement. The cable card group could verify if you are configured correcty, but with only one TA and one TIVO/cable card you would think sequencing wouldn't be an issue. My understanding of my problem was because I had two TIVOs, etc. But one thing I've learned in many of years of dealing with Charter is to never take anything for granted. 
You didn't mention it, but you have tried a cable set top box to verify that channel availability and characteristics match on that are those published by Charter? While this won't explain the channel availability if the HD/SD characteristics are not defined correctly that is an issue. Matter of fact at one point if you selected to record a program on a SD channel and an HD version was available the TIVO would change to the HD version, w/out telling you. Makes for some interesting error resolution if Charter definitions and content don't match as in you opt to record HD program and get a SD recording instead. 
Assuming multiple service calls have verified signal levels and all that stuff, this sounds like a channel mapping issue. A cable set top box would indicate whether limited to TAs on is more generic. 
In response to how SDV channels/TAs/etc. work, there are many better and more detailed explanations out there, but here's my short take. This is Charter's method of putting 10 lbs of stuff in a 5 lb bag. In the pre-SDV world a channel had a fixed unique frequency and would always be mapped and broadcast only on that frequency. The channel mapping interface in that environment was supplied by the cable card -- it determines the frequency used for mapping the channel for the TIVO tuner(s). When the contents of the 5 lb bag needed to be increased, i.e. freeing frequency for adding high speed internet to existing infrastructure, SDV was used to free frequency ranges by changing selected channels so they no longer were permanently mapped to a fixed frequency. The SDV channels would not be broadcast at all until the channel was requested and then the channel content would be mapped to an available frequency in a range of frequencies dedicated to SDV use. The current mapping of the SDV frequency range would be controlled from a central mapping repository. On request if the SDV channel was currently being broadcast the associated frequency would be supplied for mapping; if it was not being broadcast it would be mapped to an available frequency, the repository would be updated to reflect that the channel is being broadcast and the frequency used and then that frequency would be supplied. And this is where the TA enters the picture; to provide the limited two-way conversation not provided by cable cards alone -- Where's this channel? It's on this frequency. There is a housekeeping of sorts associated with this method in that channels no longer being viewed should cease to be broadcast and the repository changed to reflect that the channel is not being broadcast and the frequency is available. For what it's worth I have gotten different answers as to how the the housekeeping is actually performed, as in how Charter determines if anyone is watching an SDV channel before they cease to broadcast it and free the frequency in the repository. But I know that it does happen. Based solely on what I've seen if the TIVO tuner is on an SDV channel and it is being viewed or recorded Charter knows the channel is in use. But if it is not being viewed/recorded after a period of time (I've been told 2 hours, for what that's worth, and then only if a new channel is requested but there are no available frequencies and something must be freed to satisfy the new channel request) then Charter ceases to broadcast it. This can be an issue in the scenario where you record today from an SDV channel and at a later time, i.e. next day, record from the same channel and the tuner that was set to it hasn't been changed. Since the channel hasn't changed the TIVO does not re-tune and uses the previous frequency mapping info. If the channel is no longer being broadcast, or is now being broadcast on a new frequency, the associated frequency is not valid. There's more stuff about the level where the repository is maintained, channels mapped and current use determined , i.e. head end, higher, lower... Again different answers and no observational to base even an opinion on. We don't see these issues on cable set top boxes - they're designed for two way communication from the get-go and don't have to do this exception based stuff. 
Good luck - I know how frustrating this can be.


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