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Post by taterboss on Aug 19, 2009 23:15:59 GMT -5
Forgive if this turns into a rant, but I've been dealing with this for a while now. I've considered dropping TW Cable entirely, but wouldn't you know it, I can't get all the local channels in HD, so I'm stuck. I would love to get basic cable with local HDs, but that's not an option.
Anyway... every channel that I tend to watch regularly degrades, hiccups, explodes in pixelation, etc. Sometimes, the Tivo will actually skip recording moments to minutes of a show due to the mess coming through the cable.
I've had techs at the house. I've rebooted, reset, rewired. They've put in new wire, new connectors. But, when 20 minutes of a show is missing due to corruption, thats too much.
Shows I watch live will freeze up, channels will go dead. When I first turn on the tv, channels won't exist anymore, or the Tivo will say I have to a new Tuning Adapter.
I'm trying to watch Top Chef at this very moment, and the judges comments are cutting out as the picture explodes.
The HD channels are much the same.
Does anyone have any clue, any hope, any suggestions that would convince me to continue to pay this outrageous monthly fee, just so I check my Tivo that night and find out that Syfy didn't record an entire show, or try to watch Smallville "live" and see it turn into a Picasso of video and sound.
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Post by Skaggs on Aug 20, 2009 6:56:33 GMT -5
It is definitely a love/hate relationship concerning TWC & TiVo. I love my TiVos, but hate the occassional pixellation on some channels. My situation has stabilized in recent months. During the summer, my TV watching is basically limited to YES HD for Yankee games and HBO for movies and series. I know it is a PITA, but you have to force TWC to fix the problem. When you call, do so during normal business hours and ask for the cable card queue. There is a guy named John that is very knowledgable and willing to help. I believe TiVo is developing a Tru-2-Way DVR, which uses a cable company devised method to deliver all content on any approved device, including PPV and on-demand. You may also consult the TiVo Community forums for help. Hurnik seems to lurk there often. I wish I could offer you more help. |
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Post by taterboss on Aug 20, 2009 9:56:05 GMT -5
Let me be clear. I LOVE my Tivo. I had the original, installed a larger drive on it, eventually passed it on to family and got the HD version. However, I won't be buying another one.
Frankly, the On Demand stuff, the stuff that requires 2 way communication, there's nothing there for me. I think anyone can save themselves a bunch of money, get better quality, etc., if they go with Netflix for movies rather than OnDemand, and the web for nearly everything else. There's just not enough unique to cable for me.
Oh, before I forget. The pixelation, freezing and other issues also happen on a LCD tv connected directly to the cable on the lower 70 channels, no Tivo, no adapters, no cable cards. It's just arriving this way.
I've heard that they are installing new equipment, etc., everywhere to handle more channels. But, are they going to be any good? I stumbled across "I, Robot" the other night on FX HD. Sure, the picture was okay, but the sound was awful - compressed, muted. I thought I heard a mosquito land on a cotton ball - it was Will Smith and an exploding car. That's just not right.
It's also not right that you get a better HD signal off the ol' rabbit ears, then for paid cable. Compression kills. I have a few shows I download and watch from the PC. Why do downloads of tv shows look so much better than my paid cable service?
And the Switched Digital @!#@... if I don't press a button every so often, the channel turns off??? What's that about? The Tivo tends to sit on HGTV, as sometimes I just need a fix of house work and home repair that I'll never do in real life. But, sit too long on a channel, and TW shuts it off.
Rant continues. It took an hour to set up the Tivo last night, into the morning to see what I could get for free. Unfortunately, WRGB doesn't show up and I see that others have the same issue. So, am I stuck with TW? Maybe not. Drop the cable, depend on Hulu, downloads, iTunes, etc and I save a lot of money for the year. Drop my digital phone, as I have a cell and Google Voice, and I save $40some a month. Drop RoadRunner Turbo, hell, I could save $110ish bucks a month just from TW.
Just gotta get WRGB to show up... time to build a roof antenna from ol' wire hangers.
I've heard of folks that dont have cable, some don't have a tv - they live through the internet. I understand and I'm being converted.
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Post by hurnik on Aug 20, 2009 20:45:14 GMT -5
Yes, it is a love/hate. To be honest, never had problems until the SDV (well mostly) came into play and the TA seems to also be a culprit. I found a thread on the Tivo forums regarding TW Cable and tivo reboots. Yes, mine was rebooting all the time. I thought it was the hard drive dying. Turns out it's a stupid bug in the Cisco TA and the stupid TA was rebooting, and making the Tivo reboot as well.
It's calmed down now, but certain SDV channels are still rather problematic.
I will be SO glad when Verizon FIOS comes around here.
Don't expect a Tivo Tru2way for at least 2 years, maybe more.
So until FIOS comes in (probably in 2 years) we're stuck with this. Supposedly a firmware update to the TA to put it at version .810 will fix some problems (we're still at .710)
Given TW Albany's past track record of firmware updates and feature rollouts it'll be quite some time before we get one. Our SA M-cards are 2 firmware versions behind other TW areas as well.
I'd almost switch to satellite, but I hate DTV and not a big fan of Dish DVR (plus, unless they've moved their HD satellite, a big ol tree is in the way).
and TW DVR is so poor that you may as well use a VCR, IMO.
My series 2, on the other hands, seem fine (minus the TW converter box that is).
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Post by taterboss on Aug 22, 2009 0:28:57 GMT -5
Extensive pain, suffering and switching the Tivo to antenna only then back to cable only again, I've stumbled onto a possible solution, related to FIOS. Seems folks with FIOS are having issues with the signal being too hot going into the Tivo, and that the Tivo really wants the signal to be a certain level. Attenuators, attenuators. $20 gets spent, and I'm waiting for my attenutators to arrive, to knock the signal down and possible keep pixelation and all that mess from happening. Cross yer fingers. Oh - want to know more - just look up Tivo, FIOS and attenuators. Smarthome has the package that is being recommended. www.smarthome.com and enter in item number 7800. Hope it works. |
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Post by hurnik on Aug 22, 2009 9:50:47 GMT -5
In my case, the signal is "just right". According to TW, it's supposed to be between a -10 and +10 db. I tried a -3db attenuator and it seemed to make things worse, but that could've been the issue with the TA and Cable card (I was still unable to tune to several channels until I rebooted the Tivo).
But I hope it works for you.
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Post by Skaggs on Aug 22, 2009 10:17:06 GMT -5
taterboss:
Are you using a cablecard in your TiVo (W/tuning adapter) or are you just attempting to use the TiVo with basic cable and an antenna?
I've read that the guide data won't populate correctly while attempting to use basic cable QAM to get the local HD channels.
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Post by taterboss on Aug 22, 2009 13:45:51 GMT -5
I was curious if the Tivo would still have a "dual tuner" if there was 2 HD programs on "air" with the split option. Would it act as dual tuner with cable also, basically going back and forth as needed... what about 1 program on HD, and another on cable at the same time? Oh, I'm swoooning. Regarding the dB... I've seen different numbers, but I'll be using this one as a guide: www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=375011&highlight=specificationsStarting with -20, then -16, etc. |
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Post by hurnik on Aug 23, 2009 9:47:52 GMT -5
Yes, if you split the cable so that one goes to the TA and the other goes to the Tivo, and you have a TivoHD/S3 with M or 2 S-cards, then it will record two diff. channels at the same time. Apparently the TA's only purpose is to send the two-way communication back to TW head end via the coax cable. However, it communicates this information to/from the Tivo via the USB cable. So apparently that's why you don't need to run the pass-through via the TA. Re: the signal, it varies on the provider and the equipment they are using. All I know is that's what the TW techs have repeatedly told me when they've come out and looked at the signal is that -10db to +10 db is "their" valid range. Apparently a LONG time ago (like 10 years ago) the signal was too weak, so they put a powered amp in. Then a few years ago, they tell me the signal is too strong (+15db by their meter) so they took out the powered amp. As to which db is "true" if you look at the Tivo, I don't know. The TA diagnostics screen shows different db levels for each tuner, ironically (I think mine shows -2db and -1db, but I don't know if that's the "amp" in the TA or what). The cable card/Tivo diagnostics may show a diff. db range. I was curious if the Tivo would still have a "dual tuner" if there was 2 HD programs on "air" with the split option. Would it act as dual tuner with cable also, basically going back and forth as needed... what about 1 program on HD, and another on cable at the same time? Oh, I'm swoooning. Regarding the dB... I've seen different numbers, but I'll be using this one as a guide: www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=375011&highlight=specificationsStarting with -20, then -16, etc. |
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