# Spectrum, Tunning Adapter and This Channel is Tempoaraily Unavalible



## wrongway (6 mo ago)

Hello Tivo World,

Where to start... I have a TiVo Bolt on Spectrum in Winston Salem, NC. We moved here last August. From the very beginning, I stated having an occasional popup when tuning a channel the full text of the message is:

"This channel is temporarily unavailable. Press SELECT to try tuning this channel again. Contact your Cable Provider for more information"

In general, this error can be reproduced when tuning premium channels like Showtime, HBO, Max etc., although it sometimes happens on other tier-2 bundle channels like Military and Motortrend.

In the beginning, I had the cable guy out several times, they really did a lot to try and solve it, from a new drop for the pole, 5-6 different cable cards, and several tuning adapters. At one point, I had three techs's here, and they worked all day on the problem. In the end, they said something like. 

"Spectrum really does not have many TiVo subscribers, and we don't support TiVo anymore. We've done the best we can. You should get our DVR". One of the more TiVO-savy guys said the problem was limited bandwidth for the CableCARD signal.

So I've lived with the problem since, learning how to work around it using the Spectrum streaming app on my Roku. But recently, I became aware that if I schedule a recording on one of the offending channels, it records no problem, and then I realized, it was only live TV that was failing (duh moment!) So I started testing. Tune a channel if I got the error, I'd press Select, and then for 1-2 seconds, the channel tunes in before going blank and displaying the message. IF... I'm fast enough to press record and confirm before the message pops up, the program records without a hitch. So, now I'm thinking I have a TiVo problem. With me so far, reader? Hang in there, I have a request for help coming up.

I called TiVo support last night and explained to them my thesis. After 30 min of walking me through a ton of screens on the CableCARD and tuning adapter, the tech pronounced my Tivo perfectly paired and set up with both. They said, yeah, it sounds like a TiVo problem. I could call WeakKnees for a repair or buy a new unit (no thanks, Edge and Hydra.)

A little more background, this TiVo has been on Comcast and FiOS with a "repeat" guided setup for each new service. So that's three times it has been through repeat guided setup, never "delete everything and start over."

Finally, a question! Could this be a software glitch from the many moves, and would a wipe and load of the software potentially resolve this problem? My plan would be to pull the drive and format, then start over, or simply replace the drive with the factory drive I pulled out when I upgraded it.

If you are still with me, thanks for reading, and hopefully, someone can offer a suggestion!

PS I'm a long-time TiVo user, back to the series one, I used to have a tivo community account under another email address 20 years ago and well couldn't remember the password, thus the new login.


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## cwoody222 (Nov 13, 1999)

It’s your tuning adapter. Period.

Its not set up properly. It’s Spectrum’s fault. Full stop.

PS there’s no such thing as “limited bandwidth for the cablecard” so whoever told you that was either ignorant or making things up.


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## Rugged Ron (Jul 6, 2011)

I had a somewhat related problem with my spare Tivo/Cablecard/Tuning Adapter. What solved the problem was rebooting Spectrum's modem. Not unplugging it and plugging it back in, but rebooting it through Spectrum. I called Spectrum and could reboot it through their phone system and not talking to a live person, but I think you can do it through the Spectrum website. No guarantees, just a suggestion that worked for me.


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## ManeJon (Apr 14, 2018)

Had a similar problem a few weeks ago. Spectrum guy came out to work on it. Apparently, I had a week signal in at least one frequency band. He did a bunch of checking cables, replaced connectors, etc. Finally, he had them remotely reboot?? modem remotely and rebooted TA and Tivo. Fixed the problem. So as someone said have them reboot modem and then everything else


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## CinciDVR (May 24, 2014)

I have a Roamio Basic that had a somewhat similar, but not the same, problem in the past. It would occasionally not record programs with a "No Signal" message in History. It would also occasionally give a blank gray screen when trying to tune a channel live. The only discernible pattern was that the problem seemed to always only occur when trying to tune channels that required the tuning adapter. I never specifically determined what was causing this, but...

Later my Roamio developed the boot loop problem which was solved by replacing the power supply. Instead of replacing the PS with another 2A power supply, I replaced it with a 3A supply. That fixed the boot loop problem. It's also been more than a year and a half and I haven't had a single "No Signal" missed recording nor a single gray screen when tuning a channel live.

So while not definitive, I believe my channel tuning problems were caused by a power supply that had become marginal. It would seem that tuning channels requires more power from the PS and sometimes they aren't up to the task. I can only surmise that throwing the tuning adapter into the mix makes a marginal PS even less reliable since there must be some communication going on between the Tivo and the TA which doesn't get completed when power is marginal.

Not being a Bolt owner, I don't know if your power supply is external. If it is, spending $12 on a new PS might be a cheap way to fix your problem, and if not you're only out $12.


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## SysAdmLarge (6 mo ago)

This is a CHARTER/SPECTRUM ISSUE. 
After a tuner stays on a channel for over 5-6 hours without switching off. CHARTER/SPECTRUM turns the channel off to that tuner (hence the message).
If you just tune up or down one channel, & then return to the original channel it is OKAY!
CHARTER/SPECTRUM pays for when channels are "tuned into", whether you are watching or not.
So, CHARTER/SPECTRUM does this trick to SAVE MONEY.

IF TIVO wanted to, they could fix this issue by having the tuner not stay on a channel for OVER 5 hours straight.
If they PRIORITIZED programming to using the tuner that has not changed to a different channel become the priority tuner for recording the next scheduled program set to record, this would ALMOST solve the problems we are seeing.
Also: Please notice that this does NOT happen to channels in the 1000 range (local broadcast channels)
Also: Please notice that the channels that are most likely to have this issue are "DISCOVERY" company channels
JUST AN OBSERVATION!!!!


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## dougdingle (Jul 4, 2007)

This happens almost always because Spectrum updates the routing tables for their Switched Digital Video (SDV) channels, and the TA does not know this has happened and still has the old tables.

Spectrum used to send a reboot command to the TAs after doing this to update its tables, so the issue was essentially transparent to users, but they stopped doing that a year or so ago.

It happens here regularly now. The solution for me has been to unplug power from the TA for about 20 seconds, plug it back in, and wait for it to re-sync to 'mom'. The missing channels are always then available without fail.

This does not fix the occasional issue where a single channel disappears for whatever reason. Those usually return in a day or two. But when a bunch of channels cannot be tuned, this has fixed it for me every single time.


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## wrongway (6 mo ago)

Update...

Thanks for all the suggestions. Since I'd already replaced the CableCARD and tuning adapted multiple times, I decided to wipe and load my tivo first before I called back to schedule a tech for a replacement CableCARD and tuning adapter (again). So I pulled the disk out and plugged it into a windows PC (Diskpart, select drive X, clean). Reinstalled the drive and hooked it back up without the CableCARD or tuning adapter. Boot up and download/install software, reboot a couple of times and then installed M-Card when prompted during guided setup. Called the number on the screen, giving them the activation data. Verified CableCARD was functional and then plugged in tuning adapter and rebooted both..... And everything has been working perfectly for over a week now. In the past, I got no more than 20-30min before the dreaded "channel unavailable" message ruined my day.

So did I fix it with the wipe and load or was it just paired correctly this time? I don't know, but it works now and I'm going to take the win!


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## SCT299 (5 mo ago)

Kudos to you for getting it straightened out. I just moved from Winston-Salem to South Carolina. I had the same problem with not getting all the channels. Spectrum, after promising to fix the problem, eventually stopped returning my calls and I lived with it 

I moved to SC near Hilton Head earlier this month. The upshot: Spectrum in South Caroline won’t even consider providing a cable card. After having TiVo since series 1, I have to go without it. Whoever tells you that the cloud DVR is better than TiVo is a liar or does not know TiVo. There is no pausing live tv and,when advancing through commercials (no skip feature), you are doing so blind. It does not show the video as you speed ahead. I hate it.

So is TiVo dead in South Carolina for Spectrum users or is there a reasonable alternative? I miss my TiVo Bolt.


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## mosleyh7 (5 mo ago)

I'm a Greenville SC resident and TiVo user since the very first Sony unit. I feel your pain. I've been having intermittent but increasingly worse tuning adapter problems. I had a spare tuning adapter so I swapped it out and had Spectrum pair it with my CC, but that did nothing to improve the situation. I put in a service call and got a visit from a very knowledgeable, sympathetic tech. After confirming my signal strength he basically said that the problems are on Spectrum's end and they won't do anything about them. He said that I could _try_ another tuning adapter if I could get one, but I'd have to call the 800 number and ask for one to be sent out. He also said that Spectrum business has a backorder of thousands of them so not to get my hopes up. I called, and corporate won't send them out either. THEY said that all they could send would be a cable box. The tech's best suggestion was to use the spectrum app on either Apple TV or Roku. No pausing live TV or recording, but more flexible than a cable box.

Basically, now that the FCC has opened the door, Spectrum is end-of-lifeing our TiVos for us. 

The tech also said that they're planning to move toward cable boxes that receive all content over the internet, getting away from the copper-wire model they've been using for so many years.


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## wesmjc (Jul 2, 2006)

I have a TiVo Bolt and a Roamio box, and I had 60 of over 250 channels that has come up with the message "*This channel is temporarily unavailable. Press SELECT to try tuning this channel again. Contact your Cable Provider for more information*" on both boxes using Xfinity. I had the tech come by and said there was nothing he could do since Xfinity was moving towards IP internet on their channels instead of using frequencies, which is not supported on my TiVo boxes. I have had every generation of TiVo boxes (except TiVo Edge), now it looks like its time to hang it up. Cable cost is out of hand, and I'm not in a good location to get local channels. I'm cutting the cord and going to streaming TV service. RIP TiVo. 😭😢


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## ManeJon (Apr 14, 2018)

When I get that message often rebooting the TA fixes the problem (until it happens again. Once when I had this and wouldn't go away I got the vendor in and they found signal strength very low on some frequencies and they replaced cables which seemed to fix it\


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## terrym21 (May 28, 2008)

mosleyh7 said:


> I'm a Greenville SC resident and TiVo user since the very first Sony unit. I feel your pain. I've been having intermittent but increasingly worse tuning adapter problems. I had a spare tuning adapter so I swapped it out and had Spectrum pair it with my CC, but that did nothing to improve the situation. I put in a service call and got a visit from a very knowledgeable, sympathetic tech. After confirming my signal strength he basically said that the problems are on Spectrum's end and they won't do anything about them. He said that I could _try_ another tuning adapter if I could get one, but I'd have to call the 800 number and ask for one to be sent out. He also said that Spectrum business has a backorder of thousands of them so not to get my hopes up. I called, and corporate won't send them out either. THEY said that all they could send would be a cable box. The tech's best suggestion was to use the spectrum app on either Apple TV or Roku. No pausing live TV or recording, but more flexible than a cable box.
> 
> Basically, now that the FCC has opened the door, Spectrum is end-of-lifeing our TiVos for us.
> 
> The tech also said that they're planning to move toward cable boxes that receive all content over the internet, getting away from the copper-wire model they've been using for so many years.


Streaming instead of cable! I've been hearing that same rumor, which is why I am very hesitant to invest further in Tivo technology. If I can't record shows and most importantly, skip commercials, I will be leaving Spectrum.


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