# BOLT+Charter+Cable Card+Tuning Adapter=SOLVED



## ctphoto (Mar 10, 2016)

New setup, BOLT and Charter Cable. Received the cable card and tuning adapter, hooked up as instructed. Bottom line, could not get about 40 random channels at all. Tried the usual resets, etc. Charter finally sends guy to look at it. First thing he does is swap out cable card, still getting same issue. Then he swaps out USB cable, still getting same issue. Then he adds a cable splitter to line coming in from street to feed the BOLT and the tuning adapter separately. Still getting same issue. He makes several phone calls to bosses and one of his other service people, stumped. So I suggest (like I did when he first walked in) to swap out the tuning adapter. He does, problem solved!


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Yeah my first TA from TWC was dead-on-arrival. Swapping it out solved the problem.


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## ctphoto (Mar 10, 2016)

ctphoto said:


> New setup, BOLT and Charter Cable. Received the cable card and tuning adapter, hooked up as instructed. Bottom line, could not get about 40 random channels at all. Tried the usual resets, etc. Charter finally sends guy to look at it. First thing he does is swap out cable card, still getting same issue. Then he swaps out USB cable, still getting same issue. Then he adds a cable splitter to line coming in from street to feed the BOLT and the tuning adapter separately. Still getting same issue. He makes several phone calls to bosses and one of his other service people, stumped. So I suggest (like I did when he first walked in) to swap out the tuning adapter. He does, problem solved!


 I would like to add some information to this. I thought everything was working fine but then would occasionally lose some channels. Charter came back out and took a distribution amplifier that was installed several years ago by them out and the channels came back. Tech said Tivo BOLT can not handle signals over a certain strength. All good now.


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## gbshuler (Feb 25, 2008)

I am a three generation TiVo user. I now have Charter Spectrum with the full bundle. I am saving over $100 per month over DirecTV. I switched our family from a nice DirecTV Tivo over to a miserable Charter Cable Box at least 10 years old. The family now wants to kill me. I want my TiVo.

I hope you can help me with a few questions..

1. Cable cards. My experience has been that you need 1 cable card per channel that can be recorded. For example my TiVo Generation 3 had two cable cards and thus could record two channels at once. So.. Is it true the Bolt accepted only one CableCard? *How many shows can you record simultaneously with one CableCard in a Bolt?*

2. Please confirm.. Like my DirecTV Tivo, I assume the Bolt will not support PPV channels. *Are there other channels I have to give up switching from a Charter Box to the Bolt?*.

3. I am pretty sure I saw, on the TiVo web site FAQ, a claim that On Demand is not supported. But, in the fancy Bolt demo video, the guy clearly said On Demand does work. *Will the Bolt let me watch On Demand content?* (through Charter..).

Thank you!
Brad


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## waynomo (Nov 9, 2002)

[email protected] said:


> I am a three generation TiVo user. I now have Charter Spectrum with the full bundle. I am saving over $100 per month over DirecTV. I switched our family from a nice DirecTV Tivo over to a miserable Charter Cable Box at least 10 years old. The family now wants to kill me. I want my TiVo.
> 
> I hope you can help me with a few questions..
> 
> ...


1) With the Bolt 1 m-card Cablecard is all you need to record from 4 tuners at once. *

2) pretty sure No PPV

3) No On Demand with Charter. That only works with Comcast and Cox.

*with the Roamio Plus or PRO you can record on 6 tuners at once with 1 Cablecard. Bolt only has 4 tuners.


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## gbshuler (Feb 25, 2008)

waynomo said:


> 1) With the Bolt 1 m-card Cablecard is all you need to record from 4 tuners at once. *
> 
> 2) pretty sure No PPV
> 
> ...


Thank you!

I just called Charter to make sure the CableCard will be Multi Stream (M-CARD). The tech said that is all they have these days.

Do you happen to know if the TiVo Roamio series has any significant lack of features compared to the BOLT? I like the component output for the old Slingbox..

Plenty of PPV with Apple (although Charter reportedly has 48 hour rental which is huge).


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## waynomo (Nov 9, 2002)

[email protected] said:


> Thank you!
> 
> I just called Charter to make sure the CableCard will be Multi Stream (M-CARD). The tech said that is all they have these days.
> 
> ...


Since SkipMode and QuickMode have come to the Roamio, the only feature that I'm aware of that isn't there is support for 4K video. Also while both have MoCA I believe the Bolt supports 2.0 while the Roamio 1.1. That shouldn't be a big deal.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

[email protected] said:


> Thank you!
> 
> I just called Charter to make sure the CableCard will be Multi Stream (M-CARD). The tech said that is all they have these days.
> 
> ...





waynomo said:


> Since SkipMode and QuickMode have come to the Roamio, the only feature that I'm aware of that isn't there is support for 4K video. Also while both have MoCA I believe the Bolt supports 2.0 while the Roamio 1.1. That shouldn't be a big deal.


Depends on what Raomio you are talking about.

If you are talking about a Roamio Plus/Pro compared to the Bolt. The Bolt has 4K, the ability to be used with OTA (not at the same time as cable), MOCA 2.0 versus 1.1, has AC wireless versus N wireless, more memory (not storage, memory like ram on a computer), and a much faster processor. The memory and processor really help with apps, Netflix loads nearly instantly (after the first load) and apps like YouTube load in about one half to one third the time. On the Plus side for the Roamio Plus/Pro, they have more tuners (6 versus 4), more storage, more storage upgrade options, can maintain more Streams to Android/iOS/Web Browsers (4 versus only 2 for the Bolt), and currently has out of home streaming which is pending for the Bolt.

If you are talking about the actual Roamio (base) compared to the Bolt things are different. The Bolt has built in Stream Functionality to Android/iOS/Web Browsers versus no built in Stream Functionality, GB Ethernet versus 100Mb Ethernet, MoCA 2.0 versus no MoCA, wireless AC versus wireless N, 4K support, more memory, and a much faster processor. The memory and processor really help with apps, Netflix loads nearly instantly (after the first load) and apps like YouTube load in about one half to one third the time. But unlike the Roamio Plus/Pro the Base Roamio's only real Plus side is more storage upgrade options.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

PPV works if you order over the phone. 

Get a Roku for streaming many channels in lieu of On Demand. Cable On Demand has always been pretty worthless anyway, so you aren't missing anything.

Roamio doesn't have component either. But Mini does. Get one of those for your Sling.


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

waynomo said:


> 2) pretty sure No PPV


PPV works just fine on Charter. VOD doesn't work. I've ordered UFC fights plenty of times and Charter authorizes every device on your account for the channel that it airs on. When you call, just don't tell them anything about cablecards or TiVos. Just order it and everything works.


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## gbshuler (Feb 25, 2008)

rainwater said:


> PPV works just fine on Charter. VOD doesn't work. I've ordered UFC fights plenty of times and Charter authorizes every device on your account for the channel that it airs on. When you call, just don't tell them anything about cablecards or TiVos. Just order it and everything works.


Interesting. I have one report saying Charter has no PPV and another says yes PPV.

Just a comment to you from my BWW server.. "Buffalo Wild Wings has an exclusive deal to carry all UFC events. Come watch UFC with your friends and enjoy the food/drink".. Not a bad idea..


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## gbshuler (Feb 25, 2008)

atmuscarella said:


> ..much enjoyed, exhaustive review by atmuscarella...


I have been rattling brain all day over whether to get a $448 Roamio Pro 3TB or a $500 BOLT 2TB (Amazon prices for today). I think you tipped me over to the BOLT.

I will buy one of each of these TiVo models actually. I need the Roamio Pro to get a video OUT for my whole house composite-based video system (third party component to composite adapters work I assume). In another room I was thinking of getting the same model to keep it simple. But.. now I think the BOLT will go in daddy's man cave. The BOLT's superior performance will be great.

I assume whether I have (1) two Roamio Pro's or (2) a single Roamio Pro and a BOLT, the interactivity between the two will be the same. I know the BOLT "only" has 4 tuners (I have never had more than two).


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

[email protected] said:


> I have been rattling brain all day over whether to get a $448 Roamio Pro 3TB or a $500 BOLT 2TB (Amazon prices for today). I think you tipped me over to the BOLT.
> 
> I will buy one of each of these TiVo models actually. I need the Roamio Pro to get a video OUT for my whole house composite-based video system (third party component to composite adapters work I assume). In another room I was thinking of getting the same model to keep it simple. But.. now I think the BOLT will go in daddy's man cave. The BOLT's superior performance will be great.
> 
> I assume whether I have (1) two Roamio Pro's or (2) a single Roamio Pro and a BOLT, the interactivity between the two will be the same. I know the BOLT "only" has 4 tuners (I have never had more than two).


The Roamios and Bolt play well together. Some one else recently indicated they went with a Roamio Pro and Bolt and seemed very happy. I have a Bolt and base Roamio and like them both - but the Bolt is better, at this point I only use the Roamio for recording, if I am going to use an app I use the Bolt.


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## gbshuler (Feb 25, 2008)

atmuscarella said:


> The Roamios and Bolt play well together. Some one else recently indicated they went with a Roamio Pro and Bolt and seemed very happy. I have a Bolt and base Roamio and like them both - but the Bolt is better, at this point I only use the Roamio for recording, if I am going to use an app I use the Bolt.


Right before I read your reply I was considering whether to get the 2TB (Weaknees) BOLT or the 1TB (factory) BOLT. Boom.. Light bulb comes on. I don't need to pay $135 more for 1 more TB of disk space. I can just leech off the 3TB Roamio Pro in the other room! Then I read your post.. It all makes sense now.


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## mark1958 (Feb 13, 2005)

[email protected] said:


> I have been rattling brain all day over whether to get a $448 Roamio Pro 3TB or a $500 BOLT 2TB (Amazon prices for today). I think you tipped me over to the BOLT.
> 
> I will buy one of each of these TiVo models actually. I need the Roamio Pro to get a video OUT for my whole house composite-based video system (third party component to composite adapters work I assume). In another room I was thinking of getting the same model to keep it simple. But.. now I think the BOLT will go in daddy's man cave. The BOLT's superior performance will be great.
> 
> I assume whether I have (1) two Roamio Pro's or (2) a single Roamio Pro and a BOLT, the interactivity between the two will be the same. I know the BOLT "only" has 4 tuners (I have never had more than two).


I just picked up a couple of Roamio Pro's last month with live time subscription and it was only a little north of 600.00 each, but i have been a Tivo subscriber for over 15 years, you must call Tivo and ask about the deal.


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## gbshuler (Feb 25, 2008)

mark1958 said:


> I just picked up a couple of Roamio Pro's last month with live time subscription and it was only a little north of 600.00 each, but i have been a Tivo subscriber for over 15 years, you must call Tivo and ask about the deal.


You know you are forfeiting the free TiVo extended warranty for monthly subscribers by going "all in"? I am laying down a grand (including two of those super cool slide remotes). $1200 more to go all in would be over my top. Good luck. I respect peace of mind with the lifetime.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## rainwater (Sep 21, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> Interesting. I have one report saying Charter has no PPV and another says yes PPV.


The reason for the contradiction is some people confuse VOD with PPV. Also, a lot of people aren't aware you can order PPV over the phone with most cable companies. You certainly can with Charter as I do it all the time.

Just don't expect recording a PPV and watching it days later to always work. They can be deleted soon after airing. For me, I only order PPV for one time events that I watch live so it is not an issue.


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