# Spectrum Card Card Support - No New Accounts



## keblmb (Sep 16, 2013)

We are moving to a new state and currently use Spectrum. To do the move, they will close the current account and open a new account in the new state. During the call the support rep told me that Spectrum is no longer going to support cable cards on new accounts. How can we use Tivo and cable?


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

.... and so it begins. Since the FCC dropped the cable card requirement, Spectrum can indeed do this. It's funny that the FCC justified dropping the mandate by saying companies would continue cable card support anyway without the mandate. We see how long that lasted.

Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do. However, since support reps have claimed no cable card support since the beginning of time, it's possible they're lying. So I would call back a couple of times and keep trying to get a card. Just tell them you have a Tivo and need a card and tuning adapter. If you don't have any luck, then it's time to put the Tivo on ebay and either get a Spectrum DVR/service or an online streaming service like Youtube TV, Fubo, Philo, etc.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.


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## MrDell (Jul 8, 2012)

keblmb said:


> We are moving to a new state and currently use Spectrum. To do the move, they will close the current account and open a new account in the new state. During the call the support rep told me that Spectrum is no longer going to support cable cards on new accounts. How can we use Tivo and cable?


 This is just terrible&#8230;. Not sure why the FCC would give the okay to end Cable Card support&#8230;. I would be very persistent and keep calling to try to get different representatives with the hope of connecting with the right one. If you truly strike out and you are in a good reception area and your TiVo can do over the air you can maybe do OTA and a streaming service&#8230;. Good luck


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

MrDell said:


> This is just terrible&#8230;. Not sure why the FCC would give the okay to end Cable Card support&#8230;. I would be very persistent and keep calling to try to get different representatives with the hope of connecting with the right one. If you truly strike out and you are in a good reception area and your TiVo can do over the air you can maybe do OTA and a streaming service&#8230;. Good luck


Because cable card is a dead technology and we here on TCF are some the last users. Sad but true.


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## MrDell (Jul 8, 2012)

PSU_Sudzi said:


> Because cable card is a dead technology and we here on TCF are some the last users. Sad but true.


I hear you and I completely agree, &#8230; I also know that technology moves forward, but to "pull the rug" on an existing cable card for a service you provide that depends on this cable card to receive your service just doesn't seem right!


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

MrDell said:


> I hear you and I completely agree, &#8230; I also know that technology moves forward, but to "pull the rug" on an existing cable card for a service you provide that depends on this cable card to receive your service just doesn't seem right!


It's definitely crappy but I am guessing it has to be a small number of people at each cable provider, maybe in the thousands or hundreds for small ones or tens of thousands for the big boys.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

MrDell said:


> This is just terrible&#8230;. Not sure why the FCC would give the okay to end Cable Card support&#8230;. I would be very persistent and keep calling to try to get different representatives with the hope of connecting with the right one. If you truly strike out and you are in a good reception area and your TiVo can do over the air you can maybe do OTA and a streaming service&#8230;. Good luck


Yeah, if a rep at your cable provider says they've stopped supporting CableCARDs, the best advice is to just keep trying different people there. If they have a local office/store, try there too. I'm not aware of any provider, including Charter Spectrum, who has officially made a statement (on their website, via press release, etc.) about abandoning CableCARD. So I doubt it's true but who knows, maybe.

If you ultimately give up on it, well, as mdavej says, that just means it's finally time to move on from TiVo and check out your other options, which basically boil down to satellite plus the various streaming cable TV services, or instead just using your TiVo with free OTA TV and giving up on cable channels.


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## series5orpremier (Jul 6, 2013)

I recently moved 100+ miles and turned in my Spectrum equipment including cable card. The system didn't recognize the cable card number and was asking for the box that the cable card was in. The lady had to hand write the cable card number on the receipt as proof I turned the cable card in. I said I was concerned about getting another Spectrum cable card issued and she said if you have trouble procuring a cable card for your new place come back here because they still had some. Then their system had the nerve to send me a $20 bill for not returning the cable card, so I went back to get a printout acknowledgment that I turned it in. I'm still a month away from moving into my destination apartment (long story) so I won't find out how easy it is to get a Spectrum cable card until then.


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## keblmb (Sep 16, 2013)

I posted the question on a Spectrum forum and received the following answer.

"Hello and welcome to the Community!
I apologize for any misinformation, yes we do continue to support Cable Cards and when services are setup for your new account you can request them for your TiVo boxes."

Hopefully, it all works out.


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## deepthinker (Oct 25, 2002)

I just signed up for Spectrum this week and received my self-install kit yesterday with 2 Cisco TA’s (That “looked” brand new. Had to take the sticky film off the glossy parts of the TA’s and the modem as well. Not a scratch on any of them.) and also received 2 Cisco CableCards (which also “look” brand new”). I have my own better router of course. Now, I live in DFW, so I guess the mileage may vary and “they could be phasing them out in some areas), but obviously not “everywhere and not here. Them not supporting CableCard sounds like some obviously stupid crap given to you by a CSR that doesn’t know any better. My self-install order telling the rep what I needed was quick and painless and got it all.


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## Johnny Stigler (Jun 10, 2020)

deepthinker said:


> I just signed up for Spectrum this week and received my self-install kit yesterday with 2 Cisco TA's (That "looked" brand new. Had to take the sticky film off the glossy parts of the TA's and the modem as well. Not a scratch on any of them.) and also received 2 Cisco CableCards (which also "look" brand new"). I have my own better router of course. Now, I live in DFW, so I guess the mileage may vary and "they could be phasing them out in some areas), but obviously not "everywhere and not here. Them not supporting CableCard sounds like some obviously stupid crap given to you by a CSR that doesn't know any better. My self-install order telling the rep what I needed was quick and painless and got it all.


I too am in DFW with Spectrum and an Edge with Card and tuning adapter. I had 3-4 tech's come before I got the card and tuning adapter. They had not ever installed one. So I sent them away and the next day I got it all playing. It took a few phone calls to get the tuning adapter & card registered. TiVo support was very helpful. Now after a year or so I am getting Pixelating and audio dropouts on all channels. Three truck rolls and still bad. Never bad when they are here. Very Frustrating. 
JS


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## Brett Boucher (Sep 5, 2020)

I run spectrum with 3 CC and 3 Tuning Adapters and I'm not sure it's much better. Most channels require no tuning adapter (guessing you do need a CC). I'm not sure how many channels I have but if I estimate 300, maybe 35 require the TA. Of them, about 1/3 simply don't work any given day. AXS, BBC America, Smithsonian, Science Channel, etc... If I reboot the TiVo and the TA it often fixes the problem but usually not all at the same time. Basically, I'm always missing some channels. The problem varies too. In my Edge it's really bad. On my Roamio Pro it's the best. On my XL4 it's in between. The real problem with this is that if one of the 6 tuners flips to one of these channels (like to record a show) and the channel won't tune in, the TiVo will hunt for it including restarting the TA on its own. There after it will restart the TA over and over and over...

Long story short, TiVo via Spectrum is not as easy as just getting the equipment. I run 3 TiVos because 1 simply wouldn't work. Unless you don't mind missing show you hoped to tape.


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## Johnny Stigler (Jun 10, 2020)

Brett Boucher said:


> I run spectrum with 3 CC and 3 Tuning Adapters and I'm not sure it's much better. Most channels require no tuning adapter (guessing you do need a CC). I'm not sure how many channels I have but if I estimate 300, maybe 35 require the TA. Of them, about 1/3 simply don't work any given day. AXS, BBC America, Smithsonian, Science Channel, etc... If I reboot the TiVo and the TA it often fixes the problem but usually not all at the same time. Basically, I'm always missing some channels. The problem varies too. In my Edge it's really bad. On my Roamio Pro it's the best. On my XL4 it's in between. The real problem with this is that if one of the 6 tuners flips to one of these channels (like to record a show) and the channel won't tune in, the TiVo will hunt for it including restarting the TA on its own. There after it will restart the TA over and over and over...
> 
> Long story short, TiVo via Spectrum is not as easy as just getting the equipment. I run 3 TiVos because 1 simply wouldn't work. Unless you don't mind missing show you hoped to tape.


I have one Edge 2Tb and the small light box (forgot the name) fed via a LAN cable for the bedroom. After 3 truck roll's and still in trouble I called TiVo and went over the TA diagnostics. They said the level was too hot. 100% & 42db SNR sounded good to me but they said it needs to be less. I ordered some attenuators. I do have a spectrum analyzer and an MEG Quam stream analyzer to evaluate their network. I have seen the light box not show a pgm when the Edge is recording several pgms. It has not been a huge problem. Before I thrown in the towel I will evaluate some more. My only other choice is Direct TV. I was on TVision for a few years and the pictures were great but the reliability was not there. Let's see if lowering the level helps with the macro blocking. Ck your TA diagnostics and report back.


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## Brett Boucher (Sep 5, 2020)

I know next to nothing about these matters but countless techs and reps have tried to fix it but they never do. I'd prefer Directv but it would be seasonal because I have trees with leaves so can't get a clear path. Directv was a pain too but it was less problematic Spectrum. Snow was the only real problem I had. Once I mounted my dish where I could sweep it, the problem was minimal. For now through, I do my best with the TiVos.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Johnny Stigler said:


> Before I thrown in the towel I will evaluate some more. My only other choice is Direct TV. I was on TVision for a few years and the pictures were great but the reliability was not there. Let's see if lowering the level helps with the macro blocking. Ck your TA diagnostics and report back.





Brett Boucher said:


> I know next to nothing about these matters but countless techs and reps have tried to fix it but they never do. I'd prefer Directv but it would be seasonal because I have trees with leaves so can't get a clear path. Directv was a pain too but it was less problematic Spectrum. Snow was the only real problem I had. Once I mounted my dish where I could sweep it, the problem was minimal. For now through, I do my best with the TiVos.


In case you're not aware of it, there's a streaming version of DirecTV called AT&T TV. It will be relaunched this Thursday as DirecTV Stream now that AT&T has spun it off to a separate company. Given that Spectrum's broadband service has unlimited data (no data cap), DirecTV Stream might be a good option for you. It has excellent HD picture quality (pretty much the best of any cable TV service in the nation) and you can access it via apps on your own streaming devices (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV) or via an optional custom box and remote that they sell. It has both advantages and disadvantages versus traditional cable TV + TiVo. No idea if you'd end up paying less or more than you do now.

And besides DirecTV Stream, there are other streaming cable TV services like YouTube TV and FuboTV. They all have their pluses and minuses. But given the headaches involved with using a TiVo plus tuner adapter on Spectrum, those are options you might want to consider.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Johnny Stigler said:


> I was on TVision for a few years and the pictures were great but the reliability was not there. Let's see if lowering the level helps with the macro blocking. Ck your TA diagnostics and report back.


You might want to give TVision a second look. It has been replaced by Youtube TV plus a $10/month discount, bringing the price down to $55, and you get the full Youtube TV service with 9 month DVR, 6 profiles, and PBS, all of which AT&T TV/DirecTV Stream lack.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

mdavej said:


> You might want to give TVision a second look. It has been replaced by Youtube TV plus a $10/month discount, bringing the price down to $55, and you get the full Youtube TV service with 9 month DVR, 6 profiles, and PBS, all of which AT&T TV/DirecTV Stream lack.


Yeah, YTTV at $55/mo is a pretty great deal, assuming you don't need your local RSNs. It's still missing a few popular channels but those gaps can be filled with Philo (including unlimited 12-month DVR), which you can get for just $15/mo after the T-Mobile discount. So a total of $70/mo, if you don't need RSNs and don't mind using two different apps/UIs on a streaming device to get all your channels.


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## dougtv (May 20, 2015)

North Texas. Spectrum. 2 Cable Cards and 2 TAs. It took forever in 2019 to get our second TiVo working. But after that, we have had absolutely no problems other than an outage during the Feb 2021 snow/wind freeze period Texas had. We added AT&T as a backup ever since that event. 

We use the Spectrum app on an Apple TV in an office room that works wonderful but no DVR access on that. Wish there was a TiVo app for Apple/Fire/Roku TVs to watch recordings *or* TiVo Stream4K that actually talked to a TiVo DVR for when a mini isn't the best option. 

We do have minis in most bedrooms using Moca. But I am one of those that have never had a real bad experience with TiVo and Spectrum. We pay $160 to spectrum for our internet (200mbps)+tv+couple premiums (showtime/starz/starz encore). And Spectrum internet truly is unlimited/uncapped internet. The broadcast fees (included in that $160) seem to keep going up every few years. It is quite silly compared to something like YouTube TV which is my favorite streaming service for live tv. 

HBO max is part of AT&T. We just don't get the live HBO channels anymore. Our AT&T backup (40mbps) internet is $45/month total.

Nice having both the Spectrum TV (Live TV) app and TiVo app (live tv + recorded shows + scheduling) on the mobile phone. 

$295/month total for 2 Wireless Lines, Cable, Home Internet, and Backup Internet

includes plenty of basic cable tv channels, showtime, starz, encore, 200mbps (uncapped usage) spectrum internet, 40mbps (1TB usage) AT&T internet, 2 AT&T Wireless unlimited(**slows you down after 50gb) data lines, HBOMax. Maybe that's a lot but we never have a problem with anything here. If I had outages a lot, I could easily see myself complaining about prices.

I don't know how much longer we will keep Cable TV because it really is overpriced considering I didn't even include what we pay for netflix/hulu/disney/etc. At some point I could see us ditching CableTV, but I say that every year and both the wife and I do enjoy channel flipping every other night or so.


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