# Confused because RCN switched to Digital



## brooklyng (Feb 6, 2008)

Dear TiVo Friends,

RCN Chicago is sunsetting its analog cable service. This has forced us to get 3 cable boxes for our 3 tivo boxes. We do not have HD. We do not have any premium channels.

RCN told us to call TiVo and order cablecards (which we don't need). TiVo told me to call Humax (we have one HUMAX). Humax sold me at IR Cable. I have not received it yet.

Questions that TiVo, RCN, and HUMAX could not answer was:

1. Is TiVo smart enough to understand digital cable so that I can stick the coaxial into the back of TiVo and pretend this never happened?

2. Is coaxial a one way connection? So TiVo can't send a message via coaxial back into the cable box and magically change the channel?

3. Is an IR cable the only solution (as the motorola DCT700 has no serial port)?

4. Does anyone in Chicago have a different cable provider that they recommend?

I understand that analog is going away. I search the forums and found great info about how TiVo customers often know far more about these situations than the cable installers do. 

If you can assist me it would be much appreciated.

Thank you so much. Kristen


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## RonDawg (Jan 12, 2006)

The fact that you have a Humax unit indicates that it is a Series 2 unit, so that makes it easy to answer:



> 1. Is TiVo smart enough to understand digital cable so that I can stick the coaxial into the back of TiVo and pretend this never happened?


No. The Series 1 and Series 2 TiVo's will not receive digital channels without the use of a separate box. If you want to get rid of the box, you must get a Series 3 or TiVoHD and use CableCards.



> 2. Is coaxial a one way connection? So TiVo can't send a message via coaxial back into the cable box and magically change the channel?


Today's coaxial cable is two-way, but no TiVo ever made is capable of this type of communication, including the newest ones. Even if it did, that's not how it changes channels.

What you need to do is hook the cable box's outputs to the inputs of the TiVo, and run either a serial cable or IR blaster from the TiVo to the cable box. The latter is what does the channel changing.



> 3. Is an IR cable the only solution (as the motorola DCT700 has no serial port)?


If serial doesn't work, IR is your only hope. It's a bit ungainly-looking, but as long as you can locate the IR sensor of the cable box, it's actually not that difficult. If you still have the original box, you probably still have the cables and setup poster still in there that will explain how to do this.



> 4. Does anyone in Chicago have a different cable provider that they recommend?


I'm in LA so I can't recommend anything. However, in most parts of the country, cableco's have the monopoly within a particular service area, and few people are blessed with any sort of choice of cable providers. If you are served by Verizon for your landline phone service, see if they offer FiOS TV. If they do, this service will work with the Series 3 and TiVo HD through the use of CableCards. You can also use your Humax unit with FiOS, but you will still have to connect their box to your TiVo as described above.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

That last bit is important: The switch to digital is an equal-opportunity change: It will affect you the same regardless of which of the various competitors (we have Comcast, RCN, FiOS, DirecTV and Dish Network available to folks here in Burlington) you switch to. It isn't any specific service provider that you're noticing -- it is the passage of time that you're noticing.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

bicker said:


> . It isn't any specific service provider that you're noticing -- it is the passage of time that you're noticing.


well he is noticing that RCN Chicago has given him really poor customer and technical service. If the cable service is going all digital they should certainly be able to advise him better than :Call TiVo and get cable cards". This shows a total disregard for a customer simply becasue they have their own 3rd party equipment and as a fellow TiVo user I take great exception to such an attitude from the cable company.

RCN deserves ti loose him as a customer


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

So that some other company, that will treat him just-the-same, can get his business? 

I think it makes more sense to understand that customer service is no different for any of these suppliers and to evaluate them on their actual differences.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

bicker said:


> So that some other company, that will treat him just-the-same, can get his business?
> 
> I think it makes more sense to understand that customer service is no different for any of these suppliers and to evaluate them on their actual differences.


I am betting Verizon would know exactly what he needed to use their service with the TiVo DVRs.


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## TriBruin (Dec 10, 2003)

ZeoTiVo said:


> well he is noticing that RCN Chicago has given him really poor customer and technical service. If the cable service is going all digital they should certainly be able to advise him better than :Call TiVo and get cable cards". This shows a total disregard for a customer simply becasue they have their own 3rd party equipment and as a fellow TiVo user I take great exception to such an attitude from the cable company.
> 
> RCN deserves ti loose him as a customer


Well, since he is using RCN in Chicago, he "probably" has the choice of going to Comcast. However, I believe Comcast is also moving Chicago to all digital this year (or did they already complete the switch?) So, with either company, his issues will still apply.


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## fergie8 (Oct 26, 2006)

brooklyng said:


> Dear TiVo Friends,
> 
> RCN Chicago is sunsetting its analog cable service. This has forced us to get 3 cable boxes for our 3 tivo boxes. We do not have HD. We do not have any premium channels.
> [...]
> ...


Just like you, I live in Chicago, I have three TiVos, and my cable company is RCN. Previously my Chicago cable company was Comcast, and prior to that I had RCN, and prior to that I had ATT Broadband / Comcast, and prior to that I had RCN, all in Chicago within the past 5-1/2 years. Based on my vast experience then ... 

... I wouldn't recommend either Comcast or RCN. IMO, the customer service at both companies is pretty poor. I would say the customer service at TiVo is pretty poor too. I have found poorly informed telephone customer service reps at all three of those companies. Bad customer service is a world-wide corporate problem.

I don't know that you would gain anything by switching to Comcast. AFAIK, Comcast went full digital about a year ago in Chicago. In my former Edgewater neighborhood it was already that way when we moved from there last May. Pretty soon in Chicago, I believe you're going to need a converter box for each Series 2 (or do you have Series 1?) TiVo you have regardless of whether you choose Comcast or RCN.

The one RCN digital converter box that I have works just fine with the Series 2 TiVo. I use the IR blaster that came with the TiVo (didn't you get one with each of your TiVos?). You might have to fuss a bit with the placement of the Infrared transmitters over the front of the converter box, but I didn't have a problem with that.

My advice would be that you NOT try to get your cable installer involved in the process of hooking up the converter box to your TiVo at all. That will bring you many more headaches. Try to do it yourself. If you have problems, come back here for help. I can probably get you photos of my setup if need be.


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## Luke M (Nov 5, 2002)

bicker said:


> That last bit is important: The switch to digital is an equal-opportunity change: It will affect you the same regardless of which of the various competitors (we have Comcast, RCN, FiOS, DirecTV and Dish Network available to folks here in Burlington) you switch to. It isn't any specific service provider that you're noticing -- it is the passage of time that you're noticing.


DBS never had any kind of analog. FIOS has an unusually small analog tier, which is going away. Most cable systems still have a large analog tier, and will for the forseeable future.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

Luke M said:


> DBS never had any kind of analog. FIOS has an unusually small analog tier, which is going away. Most cable systems still have a large analog tier, and will for the forseeable future.


except in Chicago, where Bicker's point does have merit.


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## brooklyng (Feb 6, 2008)

Dear everyone who replied to my thread-

I am so grateful for your assistance! We found the old IR cables that came with our TIVO's and so far we have one successfully configured...so we're 1/3 way there.

I know that at 34 I feel like a total dinosaur to have stayed with analog cable for so long (even my MOM has digital cable, but no DVR ), but i'm such a netflixer, i didn't want to hassle with a box just to see first run episodes of Dexter.

Between TIVO, RCN and HUMAX, only the HUMAX tech was able to give me anything that was in the ballpark of the advice you have given me here.

Thank you thank you thank you!

Kristen


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## brooklyng (Feb 6, 2008)

i clearly spoke too soon! the one tv we got to work is only seeing channels 2-30 (instead of to 83) and two boxes cannot receive the signals from RCN!! The RCN phone ops told me that the signal is not strong enough in our condo. 

How sad. Plum in the middle of Edgewater and I am too far away from a signal!

So now an RCN tech will be coming here to help ? me on Tuesday.

Sigh...on the plus side, trying to set up my tivo/digital cable is now my second full time job!

best, kristen


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## gastrof (Oct 31, 2003)

bicker said:


> That last bit is important: The switch to digital is an equal-opportunity change: It will affect you the same regardless of which of the various competitors (we have Comcast, RCN, FiOS, DirecTV and Dish Network available to folks here in Burlington) you switch to. It isn't any specific service provider that you're noticing -- it is the passage of time that you're noticing.


Are you claiming that all cable carriers will end their analog service?

Has this been announced for Comcast and RCN? (I'm not asking about FiOS because we all know how few channels you can get on that without a box.)

As for the satellite carriers, they've never provided analog cable channels, and TVs have ALWAYS needed boxes to get satellite. That's not a change. It's how it's always been.


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## peeoinchitown (Feb 7, 2008)

when rcn first moved us to digital i spent the better part of a weekend and several weekday evenings trying to get the damn motorola box to work with my tivo series 2. when we finally did get something to show up, we realized quickly that the quality was terrible. the channels like wycc (pbs) that were broadcasting in digital showed up all pixelated and made viewing impossible, this happened regardless of whether we were watching live, or recording in best or worst quality. we discovered we could downgrade to no boxes (and saved money by getting rid of idiot premium channels). 

well that simple, cost effective, never an issue period of service joy ended this morning at 6:04 am. 

we knew it was coming. pleaded with rcn to get some other box besides the motorola crap. nope. no choice. and absolutely assured in the process that any problems that may have existed with tivo have long been solved.

i plugged in the boxes and of course, nothing but a black screen. no message, no error codes, nothing. just empty screen.

finally tonight i was able to get one of the boxes to work in the non-tivo tv. got excited. tried the tivo tv again, but nope. just black. out of curiosity, i swapped out the box on the nontivo tv to isolate any issues with motocrap, and whaddya know, a 50% doa rate for rcn and motozero. so, with the good box in hand i anxiously went down with optimism to connect to the tivo...

the box works fine going straight to the tv (eliminating any weak signal b.s. excuses). but with tivo, nothing, just a black screen. i've run through the guided setup so many times, i could scream. i've changed the channel setting back and forth from 3 to 4 multiple times. nothing.

i wish my problem were as simple as rf blasters. i can't even get to where i was before with crappy quality, but at least something. 

anyone have any idea what to do with a black screen? 

i've restarted tivo, i've restarted the cable box, i've worn my fingers raw screwing and unscrewing those damn coax nuts. what massochistic jackass came up with that design for a cable terminator anyway? and wtf haven't they changed it or improved on it after all these years? would it really be hard to design something with a little leverage so you don't have to take 3 minutes and 43 seconds to screw a cable on or off???? c'mon!!!!!

i was eyeing ATT satellite packages today.


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## Stephen Tu (May 10, 1999)

peeoinchitown, if it works with cable -> cable box -> TV, it should also work with cable -> cable box -> Tivo -> TV. Maybe try the composite video out (yellow RCA jack for video) with the stereo audio rather than the RF.

List each your connections starting from the wall & we can perhaps diagnose if you have something wired incorrectly.


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## chicagosarah81 (Feb 8, 2008)

I am having the exact same problem as peeo. TiVo and cable were working together in harmony until BAM, RCN goes and changes something. We have tried EVERYTHING. Literally, everything, including calling TiVo customer service. 

We now have it hooked up as follows: 

Coaxial goes from the wall to the RF IN on cable box
From RF OUT on cable box to RF IN on TiVo.
From RF OUT on TiVo to back of TV. 

AV Cables are hooked up the same as they always were. 

We get nothing but a black screen when we try to watch live TV, however, when we were running the guided setup (1 zillion times) we can see a picture in the background. The other TV, which does not have a TiVo attached but does have a cable box, is working fine. 

I've tried switching from channel 3 to channel 4 and back again, and nothing ever works. Please help! I need my TiVo back!!


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## Stephen Tu (May 10, 1999)

chicagosarah81 said:


> Coaxial goes from the wall to the RF IN on cable box
> From RF OUT on cable box to RF IN on TiVo.
> From RF OUT on TiVo to back of TV.


You could do this, but I recommend using instead:
coax from wall -> cable box in
cable box AV out (yellow/red/white RCA jacks) -> Tivo AV in
Tivo AV out -> TV AV in.

If you run your original configuration, you have to make sure that:
1. cable box set to output on channel 3. (test by hooking directly cable box out to TV set on channel 3, bypassing the Tivo)
2. Tivo set up to take input from RF. Go to settings/video settings/video hookup, make sure input set to RF ch 3, not ch 4/composite/s-video
3. Tivo output switch on back set to channel 3, TV on channel 3.

If you run my suggested setup, then set Tivo to receive by the composite input, and set the TV to whatever video input you connected to instead of ch 3. Definitely try it if having problems with the RF connections.

If you already ran guided setup at least once and said you have "cable w/ box", then shouldn't have to rerun it, it should be fixable from the video settings/video hookup menu.


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## brooklyng (Feb 6, 2008)

I am also having Peeo's problem. The motorola boxes work ok outside of tivo (only basic though), but if go through tivo we are met with a black screen. Wait, I get one channel and it is split b/w Polish and Taiwanese TV on Channel 22.

I called RCN last night and they sent the SUPER STRONG 2 HOUR signal, which didn't help.


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## Stephen Tu (May 10, 1999)

Almost certainly you have a wiring or setting problem. List each wire you are using, starting from the wall, what you have set under settings/video settings/video hookup, and what input you have your TV on. Presumably you have already run guided setup & told it you have "cable w/ box"?


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## gastrof (Oct 31, 2003)

Might RCN be sending a "no recording" flag?

Since everything on the TiVo is recorded (even when watching "live" it's a one second delay), could RCN be making it impossible for the TiVo to do ANYTHING with the channel signals?


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## DeathRider (Dec 30, 2006)

The only Moto STB I liked and wish I still had (but when moving, RCN made me return it for a new one):

http://broadband.motorola.com/business/digitalvideo/product_dct2500_settop.asp

It has the serial port for control (instead of using a IR Blaster)


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## bobsoron (Jan 24, 2002)

I sympathize with the other Edgewater residents, but FWIW, I live on the border of Edgewater and Andersonville and, aside from my Tivo not picking up the new channel lineup, my own transition was smooth frpm the changeover. I'll be happy to post my own experiences here and hope they help y'all. And no, there is no "no recording" flag.

For one thing, call RCN and complain, but couch it in context they have to care about. I live near Hollywood & Glenwood, and I was having terrible macroblocking (the picture breaking up into large pixels) and broadband outages over a couple of months. The first tech, who came the day after Christmas, traced every inch of cable between the cable box and the pole before noticing an RCN truck at the end of the alley replacing the hub on that pole. He closed the ticket. Two weeks later, those problems came back; this tech again traced the wire back through the apartment, down the wall, across the wall, and to the junction, but this time he climbed the pole himself, found the squirrel chew, and repaired that segment of cable. If you're having intermittent broadband outages or pixelization issues on your picture, be persistent, and when the tech arrives, make sure they follow the wire from the box to the hub. If things haven't improved, say in a resigned tone, "Didn't even find any squirrel chew," and use the term as a noun like that. I hope you don't need to, but push them a little if you need to. My techs were actually pretty cool and dedicated. RCN bought out 21st Century Cable and most of the equipment is seven to 10 years old. It's ready to be replaced, and that's a distinct possibility if they're telling you the signal level is that low.

You do need a digital converter box, which, unfortunately for us, is probably the Motorola DCT-700. It's a small, squarish, flat black box with a yellow power light on the left. The IR receiver is on the right very close to the side. If you have a box that predates the DCT-700, you're screwed, and they've been sending out mailings and running commercial inserts in local programming to make sure you knew. I assume the HD and the DVR boxes are fully digital, but I don't have any experience with either and can't help there. But my DCT-700 (which I picked up in August at RCN's office) handled the transition between analog and digital flawlessly.

The IR blaster should be put on the right side of the DCT-700, so that its LED can cover both the front and the side of the right corner.

I agree with the recommendation to use the red, white, and yellow RCA cables between the DCT-700 and the Tivo. I can't say why, but my setup seemed to be a bit more reliable when I changed to the RCA cable. Your mileage may indeed vary. (Also, Motorola's documentation for the box says that the only way to get stereo sound out of the DCT-700 is through the RCA jacks; the coax carries a mono signal.)

Follow Tivo Central to Messages & Settings > Settings > Video > Video Hookup and answer the questions there. I can't go past the warning screen without losing a recording at the moment, but it's pretty straightforward as I recall. Just make sure it matches reality.

From there, follow Messages & Settings > Settings > Channels > Channel List and press Enter on your Tivo remote. Give the Tivo its three thumbs down (well earned since the 9.1 update if you ask me). That brings you to a screen that will ask you a couple of questions about your Tivo's setup; tell it that WBBM is indeed now on channel 2. There's another question, I think confirming that BET is now on channel 101. At that point, your Tivo will download the new channel lineup and then get enough programming information to cover the first few hours. You may or may not miss a recording while Tivo's indexing information. There are bugs here and they're annoying; you'll see a mixture of the old and the new channel lineups for days. As I say, you may or may not miss recordings; set them manually for the new channel number if you don't want to take a chance.

I can't think of anything else at the moment. But if any other Chicago residents have questions and I know the answers, I'm happy to pass them along. But that "weak signal" comment from them in your case, Kristen, bothers me. Persistently tell them to fix it. Tell them you have only basic service and you're paying for more. If you had the (confusingly named) DigitalVision package before, you now subscribe to RCN Premiere. RCN Chicago's full channel lineup is at http://www.rcn.com/pdf/chicago_lineups_2008-01-14.pdf for reference. There's an overview page with general information at http://www.rcn.com/digital/index.php -- that page includes a local number for the RCN office that you can call with questions. If you don't have the DCT-700, they show how to get it; if you do, maybe you can get better and more direct answers from someone there, though I don't promise they'll even try to answer anything.

Good luck, and again, if I see any questions I can answer, I'll do my best.


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## bobsoron (Jan 24, 2002)

gastrof said:


> Are you claiming that all cable carriers will end their analog service?
> 
> Has this been announced for Comcast and RCN? (I'm not asking about FiOS because we all know how few channels you can get on that without a box.)
> 
> As for the satellite carriers, they've never provided analog cable channels, and TVs have ALWAYS needed boxes to get satellite. That's not a change. It's how it's always been.


Cable companies are now negotiating with the FCC over the transition to analogue-free output. The FCC wants three years after next year's broadcast transition, on the understanding that not everyone will replace their perfectly good, working NTSC TVs. Cable companies, hungry for bandwidth, want a substantially faster transition. So yes, the death of analogue output will come within four years (three years after the cessation of analogue broadcasting) but likely sooner. To try to make your question germane to this thread, the FCC has already given smaller cable companies, such as RCN, some exemptions.


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## brooklyng (Feb 6, 2008)

thanks bob. To be honest. RCN fixed our problem without actually tell us they were doing anything.

i had run guided setup about 4 times since they turned off the analog signal, installed my IR cables, and no luck. nothing past twenty-something. Tivo was sad.

then on monday morning, the day before the tech was to visit our house and fix our problem, on a whim I ran guided setup again and VOILA there were all my channels!

i don't know what RCN did over the weekend with their signal, but i will tell you that last week when i ran guided setup ad nausea um (sp?), channel 101 had no signal on it. that's one of tivo's setup questions- what channel do you have on 101- and suddenly on Monday I had BET! ALL HAIL BET.

I don't know if any other edgewater residents noticed this shift, perhaps it was something localized to my area...but i truly did nothing different. didn't switch a cable, nothing. And then it all showed up so i could cancel my tech appt.

good luck everyone. and thank you so much for your assistance helping me figure out the analog vs digital environments.

kristen


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## fergie8 (Oct 26, 2006)

brooklyng said:


> thanks bob. To be honest. RCN fixed our problem without actually tell us they were doing anything.
> 
> i had run guided setup about 4 times since they turned off the analog signal, installed my IR cables, and no luck. nothing past twenty-something. Tivo was sad.
> 
> ...


It's not isolated to the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago. I live in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago and had similar problems when I tried to add a second converter box over the weekend before the digital switchover on Feb. 12.

In my case, when the toll-free call that was supposed to automagically hit/refresh the new converter box didn't work, I called RCN's toll free number. Big mistake! RCN's out-sourced call center people in the Philippines really don't have a clue at all. They tried to hit both of my converter boxes and the cable card in my TiVo HD all at once with the setup signals and ended up taking down all three devices.  Fortunately the channels on my TiVo HD came back to life within minutes, but the two converter boxes that were attached to my Series 2 TiVos (including the one converter box that had been working fine for 8 months) never did. I had to have a tech come out several days later.

The tech couldn't get the two converter boxes to work either. He had replacements and installed those, and initiated the setup signals individually by the two boxes serial numbers. But they didn't come up with the channels immediately. He was cool though. He knew what was going on. He said their system is overwhelmed with attempts to send control signals to converter boxes due to the digital switchover in Chicago. He gave me his cell phone number before he left and said "Give it a couple of hours. Call me if you have any more problems. I don't want you talking to the Philippines anymore, that's not going to help." (LOL!) So when the channels still weren't enabled after two hours I called, and he gave me a time for when he'd get back before the end of his shift that day. I didn't have to test that though, as after another hour the channels started coming up so I called back and canceled.

The bottom line here is that this is an RCN problem and has not much to do with TiVo. (Of course! I think we all knew that, didn't we?) So hang in there Chicagoland RCN customers. Get a tech to come out, pray to whatever god you need to pray to (if any), and avoid the RCN call centers like they are the plague (which they are). Someday soon this nightmare will be over.

[And, btw, I sure am glad I have one TiVo with a cable card, because that turned out to not be a problem at all -- it just required the channel lineup change. Ironic that, given all the cable card related problems that people have reported with the cable cards in their Series 3 and TiVo HD devices.]

Good luck.

-- 
Michael


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## brooklyng (Feb 6, 2008)

I get it. I couldn't place the dialect of the RCN operators. They have a very specific dialect they have learned of English, it is almost as if they all went to the same classes to learn English!

I do think the change to the channel lineup also confused my Tivo at some point. I don't know the process by which TIVO is informed of the new lineup.

But I do know that RCN was shifty!

Thanks, Kristen


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## fergie8 (Oct 26, 2006)

brooklyng said:


> I get it. I couldn't place the dialect of the RCN operators. They have a very specific dialect they have learned of English, it is almost as if they all went to the same classes to learn English!


The probably did go to the same classes.

RCN's Philippine call center is hopeless. The person I talked to there on Saturday I couldn't understand at all. The one I talked to on Tuesday was slightly easier to understand, but both were pretty clueless. I had to deal with that Philippine call center once for a cable internet problem. They're not good for that either. They appear to be following on screen prompts without any real understanding of the technology involved

RCN also has call centers in Pennsylvania and (I think) North Carolina. The people there tend to be a little more knowledgeable, but not much. However call center technical support is a problem worldwide and not a problem unique to RCN.



> I do think the change to the channel lineup also confused my Tivo at some point. I don't know the process by which TIVO is informed of the new lineup.


Actually you must know that process because you described it in an earlier message. It's the bit where the TiVo prompted you about what you receive on Channel 2 and what you receive on Channel 101. Your answers to those questions tells the TiVo whether which of TiVo's different channel lineups you are using.

You can actually run that process before you have working converter boxes in place or before RCN actually changes the cable lineup in your neighborhood, which would then produce confusing results when your TiVo tried to record.


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## brooklyng (Feb 6, 2008)

Oh yes. I mean, I know how personally *I* told TIVO what to do, but I assume when TIVO asks me to select my cable provider from the list, somewhere in TIVOLAND there is a list of the Channels that correspond to which cable provider.

I don't know if I am making sense. If I tell TIVO I have BET on 101, that doesn't make it so...somewhere RCN must have to provide that info to TIVO. 

Right?


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## Luke M (Nov 5, 2002)

bobsoron said:


> Cable companies are now negotiating with the FCC over the transition to analogue-free output. The FCC wants three years after next year's broadcast transition, on the understanding that not everyone will replace their perfectly good, working NTSC TVs. Cable companies, hungry for bandwidth, want a substantially faster transition.


The FCC doesn't want cable to retain analog service. Just the opposite; they've provided economic incentives to some cable companies to terminate analog service by 2/2009.

They do want cable to carry broadcast channels in analog form as long as cable is offering an analog service. But that's not a pro-analog position. It's just a pro-broadcaster position.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

brooklyng said:


> If I tell TIVO I have BET on 101, that doesn't make it so...somewhere RCN must have to provide that info to TIVO.
> 
> Right?


yep. RCN tells Tribune media what its lineup is and then Tribune media pumps that into its zap2it listings and then Tivo gets a cleanedup and massaged version of that zap2it data specifically to work with TiVo season passes and wishlists.

still RCN has to start by handing out the right data


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

ZeoTiVo said:


> I am betting Verizon would know exactly what he needed to use their service with the TiVo DVRs.


I would be that Verizon would know no better or worse, on average, than RCN or Comcast. It's all a matter of who you happen to get as a tech.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

gastrof said:


> > The switch to digital is an equal-opportunity change: It will affect you the same regardless of which of the various competitors (we have Comcast, RCN, FiOS, DirecTV and Dish Network available to folks here in Burlington) you switch to. It isn't any specific service provider that you're noticing -- it is the passage of time that you're noticing.
> 
> 
> Are you claiming that all cable carriers will end their analog service?


Where did you get THAT from what I wrote?

What I'm "claiming" is that a switch to digital will affect a subscriber the same regardless of the subscriber's carrier. That's all. That's it. Nothing more. Don't read anything else into it.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

Luke M said:


> DBS never had any kind of analog. FIOS has an unusually small analog tier, which is going away. Most cable systems still have a large analog tier, and will for the forseeable future.


Until they don't. That was my point.


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## bbutwin (Mar 8, 2008)

Hi, I live in chicago and just got the RCN converter box. I've been reading most of these threads and have spent the last 5 hours trying to hook everything up. I'm pretty good with electronics but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing at this point. 

Currently, my set up is cable>splitter>Tivo and cable box, with the A/V ports going from the cable box (the little Motorola one) to the Tivo. Then a coax cable from Tivo to TV. 

Under this, I can and have run all of the setup instructions that eveyone's been posting. But I still get a black screen with a message: "searching for signal on: Basic Cable In" that floats around on the screen. 

It seems as if I can have the Tivo guide, channels, etc running but the new RCN calbe service doesn't show up. If I switch the coax cords and run the cable box striaight to the tv, then I get the RCN cable but can't control my Tivo. I thought I was supposed to be able to do both. 

Finally, I have the IR blaster thing, which is mounted on top of the cable box in the correct place. What is this supposed to do?

I would like to be able to run EITHER channel changing service (Tivo's or RCNs) and be able to use the Tivo features as well. Can someone PLEASE help me with a step by step instructions on how to do this? I have all of the necessary parts I just don't understand how to put them together. 

HELP!


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## Stephen Tu (May 10, 1999)

Specify which model of Tivo you have, is it dual tuner, not dual tuner? You want to make sure that during guided setup you told it "cable with box". Under video settings make sure that it is told that input should come from the composite video AV input. If it's a dual tuner Tivo make sure under channels you receive you only check "box" channels.

You can probably get rid of the RF coax cable going into the Tivo since you aren't using it any more. Also use S-video / composite to the TV if your TV has AV jacks, otherwise picture quality suffers a little and you lose stereo sound.

The IR blaster is what Tivo uses to change the channel on the cable box, which is basically acting as Tivo's slave.


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## bbutwin (Mar 8, 2008)

-I have a dual tunar, Tivo Series 2. 
-Under video settings, I don't see the place where I'm supposed to tell it that the input should come from the composite video AV input....should I do the guided setup again?
-My TV has AV jacks but they are filled by my XBox AV jacks.
-So is the IR blaster just used by Tivo to change the channels by itself when it wants to record stuff? Or is it used any time that I decide to change the channel MYself? Sorry for my ignorance.
-Finally, so what I'm really trying to figure out is which "setup" I'll be on, meaning Tivo's little blue boxes that show channel info, etc, or RCN's new setup (yellowish color). Will I be "using" RCN's new cable service features, and if so how do I access Tivo (hadn't been able to do that in the past)? Or will I remain on Tivo's menu/features but just have the RCN service on another input or whatnot? Again, sorry for my ignorance this is just ridiculous. Thanks for your help so far, I just need a little more guidance.


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## bbutwin (Mar 8, 2008)

Plus, which remote can I use? The Tivo remote or do I have to switch to the new one RCN sent me?


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

When a TiVo is used to control a cable box, you have to use the TiVo remote.


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## Stephen Tu (May 10, 1999)

bbutwin said:


> -I have a dual tunar, Tivo Series 2.


Note with your cable company going all digital it basically forces you down to a single tuner. Upgrade to TivoHD to get dual tuner back.



> -Under video settings, I don't see the place where I'm supposed to tell it that the input should come from the composite video AV input....should I do the guided setup again?


It should be under settings -> video settings -> video hookup
If it's not there rerun guided setup.



> -My TV has AV jacks but they are filled by my XBox AV jacks.


You could get an AV switchbox if you want to retain stereo sound. Otherwise you can continue to use modulated ch 3 output, just live w/ mono.



> -So is the IR blaster just used by Tivo to change the channels by itself when it wants to record stuff? Or is it used any time that I decide to change the channel MYself? Sorry for my ignorance.


It's used in both instances. When you change the channel w/ Tivo remote, your Tivo will in turn use the blaster to change the channel on the box.



> -Finally, so what I'm really trying to figure out is which "setup" I'll be on, meaning Tivo's little blue boxes that show channel info, etc, or RCN's new setup (yellowish color).


You'll essentially be on Tivo's interface only, for the most part. It's possible to use the RCN UI, but it's a little cumbersome to do so. You'd only really want to use it if you wanted to order PPV/VOD or something like that. You'd have to either temporarily bypass the Tivo, or set the Tivo to "live TV" mode and at the end of the buffer, putting up with a ~1.5 sec delay or so before you saw the results of your keypresses on the RCN remote.

But for normal Tivo viewing it would be all Tivo UI. You might see the RCN banner come up as it changed channels.


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## bbutwin (Mar 8, 2008)

The reason that I have the coax splitting and also going into the Tivo is for the dual-tuning purposes, these were the instructions given to me by the Tivo setup - to have dual-tuning capabilities, you must use a splitter and have one coax going into the tivo and one going into the cable box.

I will try the other advice soon and post back if nothing comes of it. 

To recap my concerns: Once everything is "set up," will I notice anything different, or will the Tivo interface, remote, etc work exactly the same as before? Also, I think that the RCN interface will be "running," but I won't need to access it if the IR blaster is set up correctly - it should control that as needed, right?


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## Stephen Tu (May 10, 1999)

bbutwin said:


> The reason that I have the coax splitting and also going into the Tivo is for the dual-tuning purposes, these were the instructions given to me by the Tivo setup - to have dual-tuning capabilities, you must use a splitter and have one coax going into the tivo and one going into the cable box.


This only works if there are still analog channels for the Tivo to tune with its built-in tuner. You can test if there are any analogs left by hooking a coax cable straight to your TV and flipping through the channels. If there aren't any, this connection is basically worthless. If there are, jot down which channels you still get, you can check those as "cbl" channels under channels you receive and get dual tuner capability for those.



> To recap my concerns: Once everything is "set up," will I notice anything different, or will the Tivo interface, remote, etc work exactly the same as before? Also, I think that the RCN interface will be "running," but I won't need to access it if the IR blaster is set up correctly - it should control that as needed, right?


It'll work the same as before except channel changes are going to be slower. You don't have to access the RCN UI unless ordering PPV/VOD.


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## dig4guano (Jun 23, 2003)

Jumping in on this thread since I just got a note from RCN Chicago saying I will have no TV at the end of May if I don't get a converter box!

I have a S2 TiVo with analog RCN through my building so looks like I'm in for a world of hurt. Is it time to bite the bullet, buy an S3 and get a couple of cable cards?


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

dig4guano said:


> I have a S2 TiVo with analog RCN through my building so looks like I'm in for a world of hurt. Is it time to bite the bullet, buy an S3 and get a couple of cable cards?


if analog RCN goes through the building - ask if a cable box can be hooked up in your apartment

if not I do not see how cable cards would work either
so the apratmnet owner may need to do something different.

sounds like the place to start is take the RCN letter to building owner and ask what the scoop is for the building


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## dig4guano (Jun 23, 2003)

ZeoTiVo said:


> sounds like the place to start is take the RCN letter to building owner and ask what the scoop is for the building


Thanks, I'll do that. I know there's digital because until they recently encrippled them I was getting local HD via the QAM tuner in my TV. I can still get local digital SD via the same tuner.


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## end44 (May 6, 2008)

After 2 hours of trian and error i was able to work my series 2 tivo with rcn cable box.

What you need to do is during the set up process if tivo asks you if you could see any video ( this will be a dark background) or if you are able to change the chanel answer yes to all the questions, although you are not able to perform these functions. This will take a while you have to go through several chanells. At the end you should be able to use the tive i.e. recording and changing the chanells.


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## fuyuasha (Oct 3, 2008)

Stephen Tu said:


> You could do this, but I recommend using instead:
> coax from wall -> cable box in
> cable box AV out (yellow/red/white RCA jacks) -> Tivo AV in
> Tivo AV out -> TV AV in.
> ...


I had exactly the same setup and prob as chicagosarah81:
cable box RF -> Tivo RF -> TV

Changing it to your "Stephen Tu"'s suggestion (replace RF with RV cables) completely fixed the probem - didn't go back to find out which one (assuming it was only one) that was really necessary cos I'm far too happy w/ gettign my Tivo back - Gosh I've missed it.

:up:Excellent suggestion thank you Stephen !!!:up:


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