Archive through November 07, 2007

Bugged New member Username: Bugged Post Number: 9 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - 00:23 GMT Cableguy, Correct--no error message was displayed. The CableCARD CP screen looked OK to me. Auth Status was "CP Auth received." I don't recall specifically what was listed for the other specs on the CP screen, but as I remember they looked in line with what I have seen before. To make this even more mysterious, later that day ESPN HD returned. Go figure...
John Wehlitz New member Username: Busiris Greer, SC United States Post Number: 7 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - 21:33 GMT Cableguy, I am pretty sure that I made a great leap forward today in resolving my cable card issues...I swapped the set out for a Pioneer Plasma unit. I'll let you know how the card works in the new set... Thanks again for all of your help and assistance.
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 925 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 00:16 GMT John~ I wonder what LG will have to say if you don't have any problems with the new Pioneer? lol, please let us know how it works out.
John Wehlitz New member Username: Busiris Greer, SC United States Post Number: 8 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Friday, February 02, 2007 - 20:08 GMT Cableguy, The Pioneer set is up and running. I installed the cable card without a single issue...worked right off the bat. Its a really good looking unit with a great display, maybe better than the LG (although I had absolutely no problems with the LG display quality...in fact, it was so clear that I was hesitant to swap out the unit). I guess the final straw was, even after removing the card, it continued to "power-up" all by itself, sometimes in the middle of the night....sometimes, adding a little excitement to my evenings, if the volume was turned up. However, I have had enough experience with these things to be a bit reserved and not get too overconfident, so I will reserve my final judgment for a couple of months. I will keep you updated over the next few weeks, just to keep you appraised of the situation. So, for now...Pioneer---GOOD, LG---BAD!
w.t.brown New member Username: Wtbrown Post Number: 2 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Saturday, February 03, 2007 - 02:09 GMT Cableguy: I have a Sammy LN-S4696d, and Cablevision has twice installed S.A. cablecards. The cablecard shows CP authorized, and the EMS and EEms show proper numbers. But the first card went only 9 days before it lost the channels, so Cablevision replaced it with a new card, which lost all channels after only 6 days. I can always get the channels back doing a reset, but it means I can't watch tv for up to a half hour while it acquires the channels, then another 20 minutes to program the Sammy channel manager for the channels I want to surf. Any suggestions? Cablevision thinks that Scientfic Atlanta is working on an improved firmware card, but no date is available. What to do? I have a Toshiba set running fine on a cablecard since last March.
Beady New member Username: Beady Smithtown, Ny Post Number: 6 Registered: Jun-06	Posted on Saturday, February 03, 2007 - 16:31 GMT If you have a card that is working in the Toshiba set why don't you have them come and swap the cards? You'll at least know if it is still a problem with the card or if there is some interaction between the Sammy and the SA card. That might at least give you more information to get Sammy involved.
Mikenj New member Username: Mikenj Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Saturday, February 03, 2007 - 20:49 GMT I am planning on installing a wall mounted HDTV LCD in my bedroom. I wanted to avoid the cable box and so was planning on getting a Cable Card from Comcast. But after reading the postings in this forum, I am starting to get nervous about that route so need some advice from the experts. I currently have Comcast service in southern NJ. I have been told the cable cards (which provide HDTV reception) are on order. The rep couldn't tell me if there was a charge for the card or the manufacturer of the card. As I start to shop around for a 32" LCD, does anyone have any suggestions for a particular brand that will work with the cable cards provided by Comcast? Also would you suggest that the installation is performed by a tech other than Comcast? Or do you think it is wise to stay away from using the cards at this time?
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 936 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Sunday, February 04, 2007 - 02:26 GMT John~ I knew a Pioneer wouldn't let you down, they've been pretty reliable. w.t.brown~ have you called Samsung to report the problem? It's very possible you have some outdated software in your TV. Something else you should try is to take the card out, autoprogram without the card in, then manually set the clock before you put the card back in. If that fails to correct the problems call Samsung and see if your software is up to date. Beady~ most cable company's won't swap cards between TV's. They will bring a new one before they'll allow interchanging between sets. Also if he tries to do that himself, the card not only won't work in the Samsung, it won't work when he puts it back in the Toshiba. Mikenj~ I don't work for Comcast so I can't offer much except ask a Comcast service tech which ones they have the least amount of problems with. If you're in no hurry, I'd wait to see how long before the new 2-way products hit the shelf.
Beady New member Username: Beady Smithtown, Ny Post Number: 7 Registered: Jun-06	Posted on Sunday, February 04, 2007 - 20:24 GMT Cableguy, I have Cablevision on Long Island. Only the premium movie channels like HBO require the host bindings. I don't have these channels and was able to swap the card from my Sony TV to my Series 3 Tivo and back without any problems. I receive the locals and also channels like ESPNHD, INHD1, TNT, YESHD, etc. My thought was to see if Cablevision would come and swap the cards. If he saw the same problem this would reduce the number of unknowns and allow them to point to either the TV or connection to that TV as the problem. At that point Samsung would have to prove why it is not them.
Stephen Granato New member Username: Sanremo Kings Park, N.Y. Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Sunday, February 04, 2007 - 22:02 GMT Hi guys. I live on Long Island,like Beady,and have Cablevision. I have a JVC D-ILA rear projection. My problem with cablecard is I get an error message that says " Timeout during CCI exchange." After this, the card usually re-initializes. Sometimes, when I turn the set on I get nothing. I pop the card out and put it back and after it initializes everything is good. I've gotten a message that said " This is not a viewing card" and "Your equipment is defective." All channels come in great. Usually, before I get the error message, the picture will start to pixilate or freeze. Cablevision has no idea what this error message means. I get the standard response from the techs that cablecards are nothing but trouble and they don't work on 7 out of 10 installs. I am wondering if the problem can be signal related. The main cable goes into a 3-way splitter. One to my tv, one to the cable modem, and one to my daughters tv. It is also splits again on my tv with a separate feed to each of the two tuners on the set. Cablevision says the signal passes when they test it but when I look at the antenna strength in the tv menu it shows 40. I'me assuming that is based on a scale of 100. I've had two cards already and I gave in the other day and had the tech put in the STB. I miss my card and want it back. Not to mention monthly rental for the card is $1.25 and the box is $6.25. No wonder they push the box. Any ideas on that error message? Thanks
Anthony New member Username: Anthony522 Post Number: 2 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Monday, February 05, 2007 - 04:16 GMT -----Comcast CableCARD hangs when updating firmware (Samsung HL-S5688w)----- I see others have posted a lot of issues with CableCARD and it looks like I'm going t hop on board with the rest. I have had Comcast out to my house 3 times and they have tried a total of 7 CableCARDs. None of them work and each get to the same point and do not advance. Comcast says its not them, Samsung says its not them either. Great. Basically, I insert the card, the TV reads "Updating Channel List" as indicated in the manual but then in the middle of the screen it says something to the effect that is upgrading the CableCARD firmware. The screen never changes and so far I have left it up for as long as 3 hours just to make sure. So my questions are as follows: 1. Is it updating the firmware on the CableCARD or my TV? 2. If the firmware on my TV is being updated or attempting to be updated why would it need an update at all considering the TV is brand new. 3. Could the cable card (Scientific Atlanta PowerKEY PKM600, dated 03/08/2005) be the problem because of age or compatability? Many thanks in advance.
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 937 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Monday, February 05, 2007 - 17:51 GMT Beady~ Not discounting what you are saying, but that isn't normal for the card to allow viewing of encrypted channels in a device it has not been paired to. Stephen~ JVC would be better at telling you if the signal strength is sufficient or not because that level indicates their TV's gauge not a signal meter telling me the actual dBmV. It sounds like JVC would be a better all around source to help you determine what the problem is, but it wouldn't hurt to have a cable technician come out and verify the signal strength at the entry point to your TV. Have them swap the card out at least once and if that doesn't resolve the problem, demand JVC get involved. Anthony~ If the screen indicates the cable card is upgrading firmware, the card could be stuck trying to load new firmware. Something you could ask Comcast is if they have the ability to load the card on a cable card tv at their office before they bring it out to yours. If it works at their office, it should work at your home. If it continues to fight you in your home, call Samsung and have them verify your tv has the latest version of software installed on it as well. You should be able to scan for channels without the card installed, do that and check to see it is working properly without the card in it. Set the clock on your TV before you reinstall the card. If you still get the error message indicating the card is upgrading the firmware, you need to get comcast to provide you with a card that is pre-loaded.
Steve New member Username: Sanremo Kings Park, N.Y. Post Number: 2 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Monday, February 05, 2007 - 19:40 GMT Cableguy~ Thanks. Cablevision is coming out on Wednesday to try another card. JVC said to call them after the card is installed if I'm still having problems and they'll troubleshoot. They haven't heard of that error message either so I went to the Scientific Atlanta site and looked in their listing of cable acronyms. CCI stands for copy control information. What I'm thinking is that the card is trying to get this information and is having a problem and it eventually times out.
Alejandro Gonzalez New member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Tuesday, February 06, 2007 - 22:15 GMT I just got a cablecard from Time Warner being a Motorola for my Samsung HL-S5688W but I inserted the card said it was "updating channel list" then it said finished, and the screen changed to the info I was suppose to call in with, but while I was dialing, that screen with the info disappeared on me. I tried to turn off the tv, remove the card, then pop it back in, but now I only get the "updating channel list" but it never finishes. Does anyone know how to reset it to make that screen again or do I have to go return the card or call some tech? dja2k
Anthony New member Username: Anthony522 Post Number: 3 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Tuesday, February 06, 2007 - 22:56 GMT cableguy: I have a lead technician who will be coming out to my house to try and troubleshoot. They attempted another card today and it didn't work so I have a feeling the two devices are communicating properly Alejandro: I'm certainly no expert but don't you just go into your settings, where you'll see CableCARD and then you can reset the channel list? I believe there are a couple options in there that you can try. Not sure if it will solve the problem because I have the same TV and mine hasn't even worked yet. Good luck.
Alex New member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 2 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 00:47 GMT I already called to give them the pairing info for the tv and card. They said they would call me back, this thing still says "updating channel list" so I hit the reset button and began doing the same thing. dja2k
Alex New member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 3 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 07:15 GMT I am totally lost here, don't even know if I should call my cable company or my tv manufacturer. I swear that the first time I put this card in, the "update channel list" came up and then said "channel list complete". I called the cable company to give them the pairing information, but the screen went away. I didn't know about the info being able to show again from the setup\cable card options so I removed the card and inserted in again. Now it stuck at "updating channel listing" . My cable company already has the paring information and they said it might take some time to work and they would call me back the next day. Tv has been on ever since to see if it finishes updating and nothing. Can anyone point me to the right direction of where to go from here? dja2k
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 941 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 12:48 GMT Alex~ take the cable card out, autoprogram the channels, manually set the clock, make sure any in the clear HD channels are working without the card in, then put the card back in. If that doesn't fix your problem, call Samsung and have them verify you have the correct and latest version of firmware installed on your TV. Samsung is very good about recognizing problems and resolving them. Same thing I told Anthony, and Anthony you need to call Samsung and demand to speak with tech support for cable cards.
pixelswim New member Username: Pixelswim Post Number: 3 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 13:13 GMT cableguy--I'm another guy into my 2nd month of Rx trying to get a cablecard to work. Before I get around to describing my problem however, I'm trying to do my homework by taking notes from all the wonderful work you've done in this thread answering other's questions! I'm going to try to ask some specific questions to fill in the gaps in my notes, then I'll hopefully share them here with you. What does the term "provisioned" mean to you exactly? Here are some guesses I've made: (Just a general term that CC has rcvd all digital data for correct operation?) (A term that means the account at cableco has had the customers premiums added by the CSR?) (A term that means the CC has rcvd a "cold init" or an "EMM staging init"? (and which of -those- terms is correct?)) Thanks!--pixelswim
pixelswim New member Username: Pixelswim Post Number: 5 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 16:11 GMT cableguy--Next question... What does the acronym "CP Auth" actually stand for? Auth is obviously "authorization" but what does CP stand for and what does "CP Auth" as a whole stand for? Also, elsewhere I found a phrase a cable person used that was "CA/CP information." Is CA an acronym related to CP?
Anthony New member Username: Anthony522 Post Number: 6 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 17:54 GMT It looks like I'll be setting up an appointment with a lead technician with Comcast. I asked and they confirmed that at that point I can call Samsung and get the two speaking to each other directly. I thought CableCARDs were supposed to make things easier? I will probably just end up settling for the box because this doesn't seem like its going anywhere at all.
Alex New member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 4 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 19:13 GMT Okay last night it was still saying "updating channel list" but today it didn't show it and now my channel line is complete from 1 - 970. Yesterday was from 1 - 125. Now a lot and I mean a lot of channels still don't work, says scrambled or weak signal , but I have full strength on the rest. Status on the cablecard still says "waiting to start" does this mean they haven't unblocked them? dja2k
Anthony New member Username: Anthony522 Post Number: 7 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 21:18 GMT I'm jealous.
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 942 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 21:35 GMT pixelswim~ provisioning from my definition is making sure the card is properly on the account, correct services are assigned to the cable card, and the proper hits were sent. cp authorization indicates it has received copy protection authorization to release the video if the channels in question are authorized to be viewed by the customer. Not sure about the CA side of things, I know of a CA acronym, but don't relate that to anything found on the CP information screen. Alex~ which channels are working versus not working. There is some pattern that would indicate if the card is properly provisioned. I don't work with Motorola cards so I can't help too much there. If it says it's waiting to start, it might mean it's waiting for somebody to tell it to start working. Anthony~ they are easier once you get past all the BS. I wish they were more uniform, it would make it easier, but alas everybody does things differently.
Anthony New member Username: Anthony522 Post Number: 8 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 22:05 GMT Saturday is D-Day for me. The lead technician will be at my place first thing in the morning and if he is stumped like the others, I will try to connect him right to Samsung. Any tips or suggestions that I should share with him?
Alex New member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 5 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 22:25 GMT Well for sure Cable channels work, but some DTV Cable channels are limited. Some examples are my Encore channels, none work. dja2k
pixelswim New member Username: Pixelswim Post Number: 7 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 22:32 GMT Anthony--Maybe Comcast will be better but when TWC said they were sending a Lead Technician it just turned out to be another guy armed with nothing more than the phone number to the headend guy but not a clue how to Rx the cablecard process. I now know every guy who works for their local subcontractor. I assume you've seen my lengthy thing over in your other thread, I won't get much time for part2 tonight, too many basketball games. Hang in there, $1.75/month is a lot less than $6.95 plus whatever. They are giving me a free DVR until they figure out how to do the cablecard.
Alex New member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 6 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 22:48 GMT I just noticed that some channels are completely blacked out, no audio, scrambled and others are visible with audio but scrambled. Has anyone gotten the TV Guide thing to work with the CableCard or other? dja2k
w.t.brown New member Username: Wtbrown Post Number: 3 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Thursday, February 08, 2007 - 00:59 GMT Thanks for your help, cableguy, I tried all your suggestions and believe the Samsung LN-S4696d is defective when using a cablecard. Today channl 707 wouldn't come in , the screen went blank, then green vertical bars came up all across the screen then it went blank again. Couldn't turn off tv with remote. After 6 or 7 minutes, 707 came on. I have seen this before with this set. Sammy techs say there is no firmware fix in the works and are no help. So, I am returning the set to BB and have purchased a Pioneer 5051hd and will try it with a cablecard. Alex: I have a Toshiba that works great with a cablecard and TV Guide on screen.
pixelswim New member Username: Pixelswim Post Number: 9 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Thursday, February 08, 2007 - 16:39 GMT Well, w.t.brown, that is depressing (I have a Samsung LN-S5296D and am hoping to eventually get the cablecard working...) cableguy--Again, thanks so much for your help. Next question: Have you ever heard the "headend guys" use "names" for different types of hits? Do cablecards need a different sequence/type of hit? I've been told SA cablecards in TWC system need the two hits called "Addressable" and "Refresh."
Alex New member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 7 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Thursday, February 08, 2007 - 19:35 GMT Well I am getting things straighten out with my cable company, so thanks for the help you provided cableguy. dja2k
John Wehlitz New member Username: Busiris Greer, SC United States Post Number: 9 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Thursday, February 08, 2007 - 23:02 GMT WTBrown, I had an LG 50PC1DR Plasma that refused to work correctly with a cablecard, and even had issues with it removed. I returned it to Best Buy and, like you, bought a Pioneer PDP 5071HD Plasma set. So far, it works perfectly with the cablecard...Good luck!
txmitsu New member Username: Txmitsu Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Friday, February 09, 2007 - 16:25 GMT Here's another data point. I have a new Mitsubishi WD 57732. I switched to digital cable (Time Warner in the Dallas area) about 2 weeks ago using a CableCard. I asked them if there were issues with CCs (having read this forum...). They said no, just no PPV or On Demand. After a couple of days, I noticed that the set would lose favorite channels, ignored channels, and TVGOS ignored channels. It also seems to lose channels over time (pixelation, black screen), but only the HD and SD channels. I called Mitsu and they sent me a firmware update (from V33+ 008.01 to V33+ 008.02), which I applied. It now seems to save channels overnight, but the "channel rot" still seems to be happening. I've pulled the CC out once (which forces me to redo all of the channel erasing) and disconnected power once (same story). Once the CC is reinserted or the power is reconnected, the channels are all restored. Is this the CC or the TV? Am I stuck with a cable box (which I don't want)?
Wanabtech Bronze Member Username: Wanabtech Post Number: 67 Registered: Apr-06	Posted on Sunday, February 11, 2007 - 04:10 GMT From what you've described in my opinion your symptoms are on the tv side. The CC has already been authorized and works, once you reset power, you've in essence rebooted the TV software. Next time it happens, call your provider and ask them to send a hit to the CC. Don't recycle power or pull the card. I'm curious if this makes a difference. I suspect that it won't.
Michael Farrington New member Username: Mike_farrington Post Number: 3 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Monday, February 12, 2007 - 15:56 GMT Here's an update for anyone curious about my issues getting "CP Auth" on my SA PKM600 cards on my TiVo S3. My 6 week ordeal is finally over. The Comcast NOC folks finally came to the realization that it was a local system-wide problem for customers who were recently transitioned from Adelphia. I was on a 45-minute 3-way conference call with the Comcast NOC engineer and with Scientific Atlanta tech support in Georgia. The problem centered mostly around the inability to get the CableCARD and POD servers updated properly. From what it sounded like, my local Comcast had seperate CableCARD- and POD-servers where most are an all-in-one server. I was not privy to the followup call they had with each other, but from the first call it sounded like the main issue was their inability to get the POD file updated. It sounded like S.A. had remote access to the server for diagnostics. Everytime they tried to update the file, it kept showing the old date/time stamp. They must have finally been able to get the new file dropped in place, but I was not privy to that conversation. S.A. needed to get one of their tech support gurus on the phone (instead of the two very knowledgeable protoges who was on the line), and he was at lunch during our conference call. Phew, that was long-winded. Bottom line is that I can now get "CP Auth Received" on both my CableCARDs and I can now view/record all of my encrypted content (digitals and premiums). Keep it up everyone, we'll beat all the cable companies into submission. Then, once they're all experts with CableCARDs.... they roll out SDV. ;)
pixelswim Bronze Member Username: Pixelswim Post Number: 15 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Monday, February 12, 2007 - 17:51 GMT I received a new cablecard-ready Samsung LN-S5296D at the end of November and have not been able to get a cablecard working in it since then. I'm hoping for advice on what to ask the techs when they next help me. Here are the particulars of my case: (for the guys who have answered my questions before - I'll try not to get ahead of myself with questions and just tell you my case this time!) TV: Samsung LN-S5296D Cable company: Time-Warner Cable Central NC (Raleigh/Durham/ChapelHill) CableCARDs: Scientific Atlanta Powerkey PKM-600 Temporary Set-Top-Box: Scientific Atlanta 8300HD-PVR using HDMI to TV Wiring: Cable from telephone pole to house (new underground a couple years ago by TWC) (new gray box with block inside on side of house) Inside: All new wiring by good installer. Short run from gray box to amplifier block. Cable Modem run splits off before amplified splits. Three room runs that are amplified. Installer said incoming signal from pole was excellent. My CC-setup visits: I have had about 8 visits for CC install attempts. In all cases we have started by bypassing the house wiring and running a cable freshly made by the tech from the outside gray box into the TV cable input. All SA cablecards have been the latest ones they could get after the first visit. We unPower/rePower the TV, perform full autoprogram to memorize channels and then manually reset the clock. Then the tech gets the TWC console on the line (they always ask for and get a particular guy who the say is better with CC installs) and reads off the card s/n and date and he inserts the CC in the TV. At this point various things have happened on different visits. Sometimes it gets stuck on "updating firmware" and the tech has finally given up on it. The tech checks status screens per request of the headend guy: In virtually all my cases we get "waiting for CP Auth" (never CP Auth received) and EMM count = 0 and ECM count = 0. In the last case where they ended up giving me the temporary box (STB), the tech said my SNR was good (at the last stage when he removed the bypass wire and hooked up to my house wiring he said it was a little high for "their new number range" and he put a passive splitter right there between the wall and STB which brought it down to 36 I think. He never did any testing of individual carriers that I remember and any values for BER or OOB I would not trust from my notes now. (The STB works great except I have separate issues with occasional sound but no pic on powerup.) On one attempt, the headend got Samsung tier2 on the phone 3-way with me and my impression was that the Samsung guy thought the TV had the latest firmware. He also took us through the samsung clock-sync problem, teaching us the steps of the manual clock reset. He felt that the TV and CC were working properly but just not receiving the signals they needed from the cable system. What advice does anyone have for troubleshooting my next CC-install attempt?
txmitsu New member Username: Txmitsu Post Number: 2 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Monday, February 12, 2007 - 17:55 GMT Thanks, Wanabtech. Sounds like a reasonable deduction to me. However, I just hung up with Mitsubishi customer relations and they claim that the issue is the CableCard itself. Called TWC and they are sending a tech out to check in a few days.
Wanabtech Bronze Member Username: Wanabtech Post Number: 68 Registered: Apr-06	Posted on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 11:09 GMT Here are the steps that I followed on any CC job whether it was a t/c or an install. 1)Check signal at the tap, check the signal @ the demarc, check it behind the set. Correct where necessary. 2) Perform any steps that maybe brnad specific, such as manually setting the clock. etc.... Yes, it can be very painstaking realizing there are steps like this. Remember these would be a product of your TV, not a symptom of the card, therefore no training given, except trial & error. 3) Insert card: tv should give some sort of acknowledgement of a card installed: again, brand specific as to the exact message. 4) Navigate the tv menu to the CC host id/CC id screen. Call disp, and give them the pairing info. 5) Disp will then enter the pairing info, the TV make, model# into billing. 6) Disp will verify rate codes: I always ask them to verify no VOD, or PPV codes on the CC outlet as this can effect the card and cause problems. 7) Once disp completes the order & closes the job, the system automatically will send an authorization to the card. This is when the card will go to saying "CP authorized". It can not receive the authorization if the above info is not given to the person responsible for placing it on the acct. In our case its disp, however I've read other places stating headend tech. 8) Once the card states authorized, you will see your EMM's start to rise. Most screens dont auto refresh, so you will have to leave the screen and come back. Once you get to about 39 EMM's you will see your ECM's start to rise. In our system, as long as you had the 1 ECM, your lineup would display. Things that I've learned along the way: CC's are hit into the billing system just like STB's. In other words they have a time to live, and if not installed into an acct, they will need this hit again. Some call it a STAGING HIT. Different providers have slightly different technology. In our case, 30 days is how long they're staged. However, in my experience, if the cards were much over 20 days, it appeared there were more problems. I would always call the data center and have them check the card to see how long it had been. If near the 20 day mark, I'd have them update that. Our warehouse use to enter a case at a time. Sometimes we would go through them rather quickly, sometimes not. Biggest thing I would emphasize to any tech: CHECK YOUR SIGNAL, CHECK BER - PRE & POST To many times, I've seen the shortcuts for things not to work.
pixelswim Bronze Member Username: Pixelswim Post Number: 16 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 11:59 GMT Wow wanabetech, what a clear outline. Thanks for writing that up!
Alex New member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 8 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 00:47 GMT I went to TimeWarner for my second CableCard and they said this one should work and has the channels unlocked. I inserted it into my Samsung HL-S5688W and said CableCard inserted and then popped up the screen to call in. The channel list was already established from prior card and some channels already worked. So then I called in and gave them the information and said to wait about 15 minutes, but its been longer and CableCard status still says "Wait to Start" - NOT AGAIN! Any advice on why not all my DTV Channels work? Is there something I don't know that maybe not all channels work with the CableCard or am I just unlucky like other people having problems. dja2k
Wanabtech Bronze Member Username: Wanabtech Post Number: 69 Registered: Apr-06	Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 02:19 GMT To be perfectly honest, I'm not familiar on the exact protocol that TWC uses. I'm a Comcast/ former Adelphia employee. I believe Cableguy is with TWC and could probably answer better. We don't give cards out to subs period. We require them to be installed. When you say gave the info, be more specific. You gave them CC id/ host id? For us, until the pairing info is given, and our software tells us they have successfully paired, the card will not authorize.
Alex New member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 9 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 02:40 GMT Well I don't know the difference between authorized or not. Before I got the CableCard, my tv had already gotten a lot of channels like 125 - 2, 125 - 3 which are just example of how it made all 900 and some channels on a 125 channel line up. Some already worked without the CableCard. First CableCard actually updated my channel line up and gave me all 900 and some channels. I called in because not all DTV Channels worked nor my Encore Channels. Some channels looked Scrambled and others are just Blacked out. I called in and they told me there was a problem with the card. I went in for a replacement, they gave me a new one, which they said had the channels open. I called in right after and gave them the CableCard number, the host number, the unit number etc. She said they were going to work on it and should take about 15 minutes though this was around 5:40 and they close at 6:00. I don't know if they got to it, but my channels that worked before still worked right away without the authorization, but the other ones still don't work, i.e. some DTV channels and Encore channels. I want to find out if that is normal for them not to work or not, but in the TW website, it says there suppose to work with the CableCard. dja2k
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 950 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 13:03 GMT Alex, Go to 1 of the channels that isn't working and then go into your CP information screen and post all the data on that page in here. Something else you can do is go into the cable card diagnostics and find the current date and time and report that as well.
Alex New member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 10 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 15:32 GMT Cableguy, I don't think I have the CP information screen, is that the screen where it suppose to say Access Granted cause I don't have such a choice. All I can show is CableCard Pairing information that shows only addresses and also have CableCard Status that shows more addresses and download status which is "0" right now. I don't show date nor time anywhere. dja2k
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 952 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 19:43 GMT grrrrrrrr... call Samsung and have them tell you how to access those menus, if they will do so.
Alex Bronze Member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 11 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 21:35 GMT Hey Cableguy but isn't it weird that most of the channels work and some don't. Some look scrambled and I can see it before the tv tells me scrambled or weak signal and some are just blacked out. dja2k
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 953 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 21:53 GMT No, what's really weird is they can't get the thing working. It's not rocket science.
pixelswim Bronze Member Username: Pixelswim Post Number: 18 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 21:57 GMT Alex, The Samsung HL-S5688W has the same cablecard menus as all the other recent Samsung cablecard TVs. I'll look at the menus in my manual tonight if I get a chance. (Also, it's in PDF format on their web site if you've lost the manual.) Also, your tv has a QAM tuner, so it is pulling all of the channels that are in-the-clear (unscrambled) that your cableco sends on it's digital carrier in the cable. That should include all the digital channels by local broadcasters, whether SD or HD.
Alex Bronze Member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 12 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 22:40 GMT Oh I know the TWC people here don't know what they are doing. All the time when I call for support, they send me to RoadRunner Internet Customer Service because I say CableCard support. I am most concerned with why my Encore channels don't work, those are the only movie channels I have, I am not paying for any premium channels. First link says Digital Channels Vary http://www.timewarnercable.com/laredo/products/cablecard.html Second link says Encore should work (though not from my city) http://www.timewarnercable.com/rochester/products/cablecard.html Should it work?
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 954 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 03:11 GMT Yes...although I'm not sure why they are not offering some of the other channels, not the on demand stuff: the new hd channels. It might be because they are already using switched digital (which is mentioned). What that basically means is in an effort to save bandwidth and offer more channels they are going to switched digital. What switched digital does is not send the signals to your stb unless you are actually watching it. Since the current versions of cable card devices are only 1 way, there is no way for your (in this case) tv to request that channel be sent to you, hence you don't have access to them. Bottom line is their website clearly indicates that channel should be working and you really need to press them to get it working. Once Samsung has done their upgrades, there is no excuse for it to not be working. Press the issue to the highest level in time warner if you have to, it should be working and it's not. I know there are no issues like that at my office, and you shouldn't be having them at yours.
Alex Bronze Member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 13 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 08:07 GMT CableGuy could it be that I am not authorized yet like maybe they don't know how to pair the tv and card right on their side because I told you all those channels were visible without the card, so maybe its not even activated. I thought I was suppose to find a place where it say CP authorized somewhere displayed once it was activated on their side. dja2k
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 955 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 14:14 GMT no, your wait to start is telling you it's not authorized, this is a Motorola card correct?
George Veillette New member Username: Geveillette Sanibel, FL Usa Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 17:46 GMT Cable Guy, I have a Toshiba HDTV, Comcast Cable,Scientific Atlanta Cable card. Every so often in the morning when I turn on the TV it is locked on channel 3 and the screen says "Acquiring channel info" if I try to change the channel. If I unplug the TV and turn it back on it will return to normal operation. Comcast says the cable cards they have are not compaible with Toshiba TV's, Scientific Atlanta says the problem is with the firmware which should be updated by Comcast. What is your take on this problem?
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 957 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 18:03 GMT George~ My take on the problem is everybody with these types of problems needs to demand both the cable company and the television manufacturer need to quit blaming the other for the problems and work together to resolve them. I've seen it happen here, it doesn't happen too often, but it does happen. If you have verified with Toshiba that your TV has the latest version of software, and Scientific Atlanta is indicating that Comcast needs to update their firmware in the cable cards, then Comcast should step up and do so. If both have been updated and you continue to have the problem, it's going to take research and discovery to find out why it is happening, who is responisble for correcting it, and then fixing it.
Alex Bronze Member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 14 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 19:34 GMT Well Cableguy it says "wait to start" under downloads and there are "0" pending. dja2k
Alex Bronze Member Username: Dja2k Post Number: 15 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 22:16 GMT This is very funny, I called in to my local Time Warner and the guy said, well if the channels don't work, then there is nothing we can do and that is the drawback of using a cablecard. No Encore Channels and only some DTV channels, wow they sure don't know how to use this cards. dja2k
txmitsu New member Username: Txmitsu Post Number: 3 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Monday, March 05, 2007 - 22:13 GMT Another update: TWC replaced some old splitters, making the signal strength go from about 50% to about 75%, but this made no difference. They also tried running a line direct from the outside to the TV, but also no difference. They finally gave me a new CableCard a few days after that. After about 2 days, same issue: tiling/pixellating image, jagged audio. I called Mitsubishi again and they said to have TWC give me a new CC. I asked them how many CCs would need to be bad before they would look at it. They sent out a service crew from a local shop and since the problem was not happening when the crew was here, they could not do anything. (The CableCard somehow got reset the night before since all of the deleted channels were back.) I just had TWC send a hit to my CCard. The rep called it a reset. It made no difference. Both cards were Motorolas. The TWC installer said that's all they have in this area right now.
Anthony Bronze Member Username: Anthony522 Post Number: 17 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Wednesday, March 07, 2007 - 02:33 GMT Well, I got home today to find my CableCARD no longer working. Power didn't go off at my house or anything but when I turned the TV on it is giving me the "Updating Channel List" & "CableCARD firmware upgrade in progress". So I try to set my clock back to manual and let the card update, no luck. I call Comcast. Turns out these geniuses decided to send an update out to the CableCARDs in the area, so basically something they have been only able to luck into working on most TVs (technicians have told me this) they decide to screw with and break. Another appointment is now scheduled for Saturday from 2-4. Needless to say, I hate Comcast. I think their customer "service" is an absolute joke (we can offer you a box for $4.50/month....wow great thanks for that offer, that's the standard price) and their level 1 support is worthless. I have literally put in 20+ hours of watching technicians and even more if you consider researching online and am just about at the breaking point. I never thought there would be a day where I would look forward to a Verizon product but FiOS, where the heck are you?
Mister X New member Username: Misterx Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-07	Posted on Wednesday, March 07, 2007 - 20:23 GMT Cableguy (or anyone else), I've got a Philips 32PF7320A/37B, Houston Time Warner Cable (allegedly soon-to-be Comcast), and a Motorola Cablecard. I've had working service on all my digital channels, including HDTV, since July last year. Suddenly, every digital channel says "Channel Not Available" on my TV. I pulled my cablecard and used clear-QAM to verify that my tuner is working with the simulcast digital stations - it is. (I've since re-installed the CC). I've called TWC support, and they suggested that I "reset" my cablecard, though my television does not have any such option. I've unplugged it for several minutes, then plugged it back in, and my TV tells me it's using the CC - still the same situation with no digital channels. This morning I swapped out my cablecard at the TWC office and called to activate my new card - I'm still having the same situation. I have also verified that I have the latest firmware from Philips (USB-upgradeable), and I re-flashed the firmware to the television this morning in an effort to make doubly sure that everything was on the up-and-up on the firmware front. TWC is now insisting that my television is broken. The "Level 3" technician doesn't seem to know anything about clear-QAM channel mapping, and was completely clueless when I was talking about channels with decimal points in them (her response: "Your television needs to be serviced if you're seeing that. Try channel 308." Uh, there's no such thing in the clear-QAM channel map) I am fairly lost here. What can I try to get this resolved? They're sending a technician tomorrow, and I'd like to be able to ask some knowledgeable questions. I suspect that something might have changed with their channel map, and my television has stale information. Is this information stored in the TV or on the card itself? Because I've swapped out the card, but I'm seeing the same behavior - if the information was on the TV, that'd explain why the problem persists. Philips doesn't seem to be of any help when it comes to this, either. Any suggestions? Any information I can provide to help troubleshoot? Thanks! MisterX
w.t.brown New member Username: Wtbrown Post Number: 4 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 01:43 GMT Cableguy: I have a Toshiba tv upstairs that pixelates on channels 702 and 713 when used with a cablecard on Cablevision.The channels aren't watchable. When this tv is moved downstairs, it works fine. Cablevision ran a new drop wire to boost the signal which they say is good. I have tried 3 different Toshiba sets upstairs and they all have this problem. When I use a Pioneer tv upstairs with a cablecard no problems. When I tried a cablebox with the Toshibas upstairs no problems. Cablevision has eliminated the prospect of a bad cable wire to upstairs by running a separate, temporary cable from the demarcation point to upstairs, but the Toshibas still pixelate with a cablecard. They have tried several cablecards, which always show the numbers indicating they are installed and working right. Cablevision has finally found the same problem with another customer, and have concluded that there must be just enough extra length to the cable run to upstairs tv vs. downstairs tv that some tvs don't work on channels 702and 713 with a cablecard. The other customer having the same problem has a Panasonic with a cablecard. By the way, these two channels use the same frequency. Cablevision says the reason the cablebox doesn't pixelate on these channels is it has data error correction capability that the cablecard doesn't. Why the Pioneer works both upstairs and downstairs with a cablecard is a mystery. The Cablecard advanced tech says he has reported the problem to the head end of his company, but with no results. What can I do other than use a cablebox upstairs?
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 963 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 13:41 GMT Mister X~ I believe that you are on the right track with the channel map being suspect. If the channel map is wrong the card won't know where the channels should be. The fact that channels are working without the card supports the channel map as the problem theory. You'll really need to keep on them about verifying the channel map for the card is correct. Ask them if they have a cable card tv at their office and tell them to show you it's working properly there before they condemn your tv. w.t. brown~ Yes there is some validity to the problem that your Toshiba may be at fault, but there are always 2 sides to a coin. The bigger problem is that it sounds like there might be just enough of a signal to noise problem that is causing disruption with the Toshiba. It may be a little more sensative to imperfections hence why it is working downstairs and not upstairs. Something you could try is ask them to run a new wire from downstairs to your upstairs and see if that corrects the problem. You could have some faulty wiring going upstairs that is contributing to the problem. They could also try installing an amplifier to see if they can compensate low signals (since you didn't indicate what the signal levels are upstairs). So, long story short have them come out and verify your signal levels upstairs, check the SNR upstairs, compare those levels to the downstairs wiring and see if there is a difference between the 2 locations. The fact that they are on the same frequency would indicate some sort of interference at that frequency that is causing your problems. (quote) "What can I do other than use a cablebox upstairs?" Have them figure out what is causing the problem. It would also help for you to contact Toshiba tech support and ask them to verify your signals via your diagnostics screen to see if they detect anything wrong with the signal QUALITY Both of you please update the thread as soon as you hear something. Thx
Mister X New member Username: Misterx Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-07	Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 16:53 GMT Thanks for getting back to me, cableguy. The technician is due to come this afternoon. After some digging around on the internet, I should note that under "Conditional Access", my TV says: "EnabledbyCP: no" and "auth: unknown". I'm seeing plenty of OOB messages (more than 50000 since powering off/on the TV last night). When I try to "Hunt for network data", the TV just sits there for hours. Sometimes it comes back with error 161-53 from the "hunt" application. Also under "network setup", i'm seeing: "LKC: 75.250, EMM: 1", and an OOB messages count that steadily increases. After reading several forum posts, I'm of a mixed mind as to what this all actually means. Hopefully the technician will be able to tell me something useful about the signal strength on my connection. Unfortunately, Time Warner in Houston claims to not have any in-home technicians who know anything at all about Cablecards. I specifically requested such a technician and was told that "there's nothing to troubleshoot" (this is them going on the theory that my television is broken, I guess - something Philips flatly denies after a phone call & diagnostic walk-through). The Level 3 technician told me that the Cablecard is "just a dumb memory chip" and that the TV is "doing all the work". I explained to her that that was an oversimplification of the problem (and furthermore, it's false according to the published specification - "dumb memory chips" don't have firmware and error handling routines), and that I felt like Time Warner was wasting my time by shooting in the dark rather than actually trying to solve the problem. It seems clear they'd rather I either get a box, or leave them as a customer (which I obviously am seriously considering given their "it's not our problem - take a hike!" attitude). If they continue to not be helpful at all in resolving this, is there someone else I should ask to talk to? I am trying to be as patient and understanding as I can, but every time I call I get the distinct impression that they just don't know what's going on (in even the "working" case), and furthermore they aren't interested in figuring it out. Thanks again, MisterX
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 964 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 18:14 GMT You could always talk with a local FCC or Cable Commission contact to lodge a complaint. It is a FCC mandate that governs support of cable cards and you can ruffle some feathers that way if need be. The error message indicates something is not doing what it should within a prescribed time period (can't go into detail because I said so), but that error message should be brought into play. I can tell you that when I've seen that error message, usually replacing the card with a new one resolves the error message. The only problem is that was with a SA card and I've never seen that happen with a Motorola. You can tell the technician to call whom ever he needs to call to find out about the error message and what it means and what they need to do to resolve that. They also need to verify the cable card is getting the proper channel map and verify it is physically working in their system instead of blaming your TV. They can also verify your cable signal is within operating specifications, ask them to check the FDC frequency and tell you what the signal level is for that as well as your normal hi and low pilot channel levels and don't forget the SNR. If they have anybody in your system that knows anything about cable cards, this information is vital to what is going wrong and if the tech they send doesn't have the answers, make sure he calls somebody who does before he leaves. One final thing to remember is the poor guy that's walking into your house is a cable guy, he doesn't set system parameters or channel maps so be easy on him for me. His job is to make sure signal levels are where they should be and if necessary to swap the card out if it is suspect. Anything beyond that people further up the food chain need to investigate and resolve the issue.
Mister X New member Username: Misterx Post Number: 3 Registered: Mar-07	Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 19:46 GMT Thanks for the tips, cableguy - the technician is due here in the next couple of hours. I'll see what I can find out. And thanks for the reminder regarding geniality toward my technician - I agree totally that he has pretty much zero control over the situation. I am very sympathetic to the first-tier support people, because what are they really supposed to do? I am less sympathetic with the so-called level 3 cablecard 'specialists' who seem to specialize only in giving me the runaround. Still, I need to be patient with them, too, as it's unlikely they'll resolve the problem I need if I'm confrontational.
Mister X New member Username: Misterx Post Number: 4 Registered: Mar-07	Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 21:50 GMT So, the line technician has come and gone. He replaced the cylinder on my wall jack because he said it was corroded and I had a poor signal on the other side of the jack; after fixing it, he said the signal looked just fine. (I asked about specifics, but he looked at me suspiciously, so I didn't push it). He was very helpful - I started off by offering the guy a soda. Hey, it's warm today. After pulling my cablecard, powering down the TV, waiting 5 minutes, reinserting the card, and powering the TV back up, I now successfully have the free-to-air digital stations (basically, the unencrypted ones that wouldn't show up before using the cablecard, but which would show up using clear-QAM). My card was still saying that it wasn't authorized (though this time I got the "MISSING_PROGRAM_REKEY" message), so I called up TWC. Surprise, surprise, my new cablecard that I picked up yesterday (and dutifully called in to submit for authorization) was never entered into the computer. The work order was sitting on someone's desk. The apologetic technician was very helpful and promised that it would get submitted today. So, hopefully I will have fully working service restored by tonight or tomorrow morning. Right now I'm not getting my digital subscription channels (basically the "digital plus" tier and my HD-plus tier). As a side note, who do I call to lodge a complaint that TWC aggressively asserts that my TV is broken every single time I call? This is getting quite old, and it seems standard practice with them. I realize they don't like cablecard customers, but wasting our time is just plain hostile.
Mister X New member Username: Misterx Post Number: 5 Registered: Mar-07	Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 22:03 GMT To follow up, they seem to have authorized my card - all of my channels have returned.
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 966 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 13:24 GMT Mister X~ Thanks for the update, glad to hear things went the way they should. Another happy camper!
w.t.brown New member Username: Wtbrown Post Number: 5 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Saturday, March 10, 2007 - 17:07 GMT Cableguy: They ran a extra wire straight from the demarcation point in the garage to the Toshiba upstairs and it pixelated on channels 702 and 713. I tried two other LCD brand new Toshibas upstairs and they pixelated also on channels 702/713. I tried a signal booster on that leg and no help. When I tried a Pioneer and a Samsung flat panel tvs upstairs they did not pixelate on 702 and 713, but all 3 Toshibas do.(All tvs were tested with a cablecard}. What to do? Remember, none of the tvs pixelate on 702 and 713 downstairs.
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 971 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Monday, March 12, 2007 - 13:01 GMT w.t.brown~ I would raise that question to Toshiba since it appears whatever is going on, only shows itself in the Toshiba and not the others.
w.t.brown New member Username: Wtbrown Post Number: 6 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Thursday, March 22, 2007 - 02:57 GMT Cableguy: The problem has finally been solved .The pixelation on channels 702and 713 was caused by my wifi router in the room next to the Toshiba tv. When I moved it away, problem solved. Apparently Tosbiba tuners are not shielded or something as the Samsung and Pioneer tvs did not pick up this problem at all. Thanks so much for your help.
cableguy Silver Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 974 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Thursday, March 22, 2007 - 14:49 GMT Wow, I've heard about that problem with some Sony models. It never dawned on me to ask you if you had any wireless networks nearby. Great catch! Thanks for the update
Lara Peterson New member Username: Lara_peterson Nebraska Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-07	Posted on Sunday, April 15, 2007 - 14:48 GMT We have a Mits. LT46231 and are having issues with our SA CableCard. Have we come up with any answers as to why there is a compatibility issue here. Our problem started with two out of five HD channels pixelating, so TWC had us contact our local tv repair company to do an update. Once they did that the channels came in fine, but then the big headache started. Our cablecard started having some serious problems. It would work fine for a day or two and then we would get CP Failure. Our EMM count has never been where it is supposed to be accept when we have no digital channels and the card reads CP Failure, only then do we get up in the 40s, but everything else is at zero. We now are waiting on a replacement part for the tv because they think that there is a communication error between the CC and the TV. This has been so frustrating for us. And the cable company is saying it it the tvs problem and Mitsubishi is saying it is the cable companys' problem. Any advice out there?
James Sims New member Username: Sinister13 RIVERSIDE, CA United States Post Number: 7 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Sunday, April 15, 2007 - 16:59 GMT We have the same LT46231 and have not been able to get any SA cable card to work. We have Charter Communications which adds a third finger pointing entity. We first exchanged the TV set which didn't change a thing. Mitsubishi and Charter finally talked to each other and decided it was not the TV. We gave up on the cable card idea and are using the cable box. It is my feeling the Charter doesn't care about cable cards enough to train some people to deal with problems. It is frustrating to have to deal with them. I have spent many hours on the phone trying to reach knowledgable people in Mitsubishi and Charter. Our next move will be to go to direct or dish TV and forget about Charter. After approx. 10 different cards one finally worked for a few hours before it started tileing, picture freezing and sound glitching only on the HD channels. The last message from Charter was that they couldn't do any more. This technology is not ready for the market in my mind.
w.t.brown New member Username: Wtbrown Post Number: 7 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Monday, April 16, 2007 - 02:24 GMT It may be your set. Try a Pioneer which has a reputation to be the most reliable and trouble free with cablecards. I own one, and found it to be perfect with cablecards and Cablevision, whereas the Toshiba and Sammy tvs I tried worked, but with some issues.
John White New member Username: Az_john Post Number: 1 Registered: May-07	Posted on Sunday, May 13, 2007 - 05:01 GMT Hi, I need help with some cablecard programs. I have a Sony KDF-55XS955 RPLCD, Mfg. Date Nov 2004. Just had SA cablecards installed twice by Cox Cable in Phoenix, AZ area. The first one only displayed CHs 1-22 and local HD stations. Seems the guy didn't have a clue and did not sent a hit to the TV. For the second card, I reset the TV first, ran autoprogram and manually set the clock. The card was then installed and procedures found in this forum were used to get it running. About 30 minutes after the tech left, all the channels except CHs 1-22 and local HD stations dumped. Eventually, I reset the card and all came back up. I now have to reset about every 10-30 minutes. At first, I thought my wireless router was the culprit as the CC would start working after I shut it down, but probably just a coincindence since it kept dropping channels after router was shut down. The router is upstairs about 30 feet line of sight from the TV. I have received error codes 161-6 and 161-4 several times Is this a Q-box problem? Some of the posts would indicate this, but Sony says they know of no such problem. The TV will become unresponsive some times and I've seen distorted information screens. I also have an HD cable box which is inferior in PQ, while using the CC produces stunning quality. The cable box occasionally has audio cut out (very short duration, but noticeable), but the picture has not been affected. I definitely don't want the STB for $10 more/month. My diagnostic screen shows the following: SNR 32 AGC 20 Always displays locked FDC SNR is 16-20 SA Cable Card OS build May 2, 2005 - Does this seem a bit out of date? The cable card diagnostic screen looks fine when I have a working channel, otherwise not. The only thing that is questionable is RF IP Addr. which says none. It doesn't change and is probably normal. Cable tech is coming out again on Tues., but don't know what he can do to repair the intermittence. I'm now noticing some of the Local HD channels dropping out as well. Having to reset the card multiple times during the day is a real pain. Thanks in advance for your help.
Jack Shafer New member Username: Jackshafer Arlington, VA Post Number: 1 Registered: May-07	Posted on Sunday, May 13, 2007 - 22:36 GMT I'm hoping that forum members can help me. I have a Sony dhg-hd500 DVR with a Scientific Atlanta cablecard. My provider is Comcast in Arlington, Va. I currently subscribe to Digital Plus, plus HBO. That's about 200 channels. When I take the Scientific Atlanta cablecard out of the Sony, it records all 70+ channels flawlessly. These channels are, of course, are coming to me in analog form as I have no cable box. But here's where it gets complicated. With the cablecard inserted, the Sony fails to record most stations, even though I can view them via my Sony DVR. The exceptions that can be recorded are all of the DT broadcast channels Comcast sends down the wire (I have no antenna). The Sony successfully records of all the ABC, CBS, WB, Fox, NBC, and PBS DT channels. My working hypothosis is that some cablecard-flummoxing code has been applied to all non-broadcast stations that come to me in digital form and that this code tells my DVR it is not authorized to record. Indeed, my Sony will produce a "recording not authorized" message when I try to record ESPN, Noggin, Sci-Fi, HBO, etc. about 190 times. Additional data. My system recorded fine until last fall when Comcast started moving a bunch of its analog channels to the digital space for subscribers who have digital service. I think that this is related. Comcast hasn't been much help in resolving this. The tech there thinks the cablecard unit inside my Sony is faulty. I think he's wrong, otherwise how could I record CBS, ABC, et al.? Has anybody encountered this problem? The FIOS guy was here this weekend trying to sell his service. Should I just switch? Thanks in advance. --Jack
James Sims New member Username: Sinister13 RIVERSIDE, CA United States Post Number: 8 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Sunday, May 20, 2007 - 04:19 GMT We have apparently fixed our problem with the Mitsubishi 46231 and a cable card. The Scientific Atlanta cards did not work. However, Charter Communications now has a Motorola card that is more recent and actually works. It took writing a letter to the Charter CEO to get anyone to look at the problem. We are still having small problems with sound glitches and picture freezing. Now that i have a local phone number that reaches a person, I hope to clear this up soon.
James Lundgren New member Username: Ntwrks1 Post Number: 1 Registered: Jun-07	Posted on Monday, June 25, 2007 - 21:27 GMT James - Are you still experiencing problems with your CableCARD through Charter Communications? I also have Charter, and received the Motorola CableCARD, worked for several weeks and now regularly the channels go black, even channels in the regular Analog group, not just the HD channels. When I turn the TV off, take the card out, all the analogs again work. Pioneer PDP-5071HD plasma.
James Sims New member Username: Sinister13 RIVERSIDE, CA United States Post Number: 9 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - 00:44 GMT James: I am still having the same problems that I reported on June 7. Nothing as bad as you are reporting. We had a technician out a few days ago to check the signal which he said was ok. I think that this technology is just not perfected yet. So far we are tolerating the glitches. our problems are just on the HD channels. Good luck.
Anthony Bronze Member Username: Anthony522 Post Number: 20 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Friday, August 24, 2007 - 00:55 GMT Well the day has come. FiOS was here this afternoon and setup my new cable TV. Right now the CableCARD isn't working (their technicians had no clue at all, so I asked them to just leave it behind and I would try my hand) but I did insert it and it is sayiny "Updating Channel list". We'll see how long this takes. I'll keep everybody updated.
King Tapeman Gold Member Username: Tapeman New York City in-HD, NY Post Number: 1265 Registered: Oct-06	Posted on Friday, August 24, 2007 - 04:38 GMT Their technicians are still training This happens all the time even with cable TV Cable TV is the best solution for HDTV Also as soon as you cancel cable they'll call you to win you back as a customer and I suggest to consider digital cable triple package all for $90. The second consideration will be Verizon FIOS
Marc Sherman Silver Member Username: Rysa3 Houston, Texas Post Number: 209 Registered: Nov-06	Posted on Saturday, September 01, 2007 - 22:29 GMT Actually cable companies in general are struggling with limitations in bandwidth, and are quickly being bypassed by telephone companies and satellite as far as HD offerings and qualitative bandwidth. There has been some improvement with more recent technology which allows greater efficiency in using bandwidth for the cable companies. However, as time proceeds, we wil see more and more HD content from satellite providers and telephone companies and cable companies are going to have trouble keeping up.
Anthony Bronze Member Username: Anthony522 Post Number: 21 Registered: Feb-07	Posted on Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 01:54 GMT Sounds like King Tapeman may be a cable tech to me ;-). FIOS is cheaper, faster and so far their customer service has been one million times better than Comcast (had a couple questions regarding billing that were quickly resolved). As Marc said, cable just doesn't have the bandwidth and any suggestion that it could keep up with fiber optic is not even technically possible. Back to the CableCARD...... It worked on the first shot. I guess that firmware upgrade to my TV really is all I needed.
T Wieber New member Username: Trw52 Atlanta, Georgia Post Number: 1 Registered: Oct-07	Posted on Monday, October 22, 2007 - 13:01 GMT Add me to the list! Charter cable in Atlanta, latest Motorola MediaCipher Cablecard (M-Card), latest top-of-the-line Mitsubishi LT-46244 LCD HDTV comprises my problem portfolio. I have already invested a few hours on the phone, had a couple cable company visits, tried 4 Motorola cablecards, and currently am waiting on a Mitsubishi service call today and a promised callback from some Mitsubishi level 2 technical guru. I have had the TV for nearly a week, but have not glimpsed any HDTV except over-the-air. The cablecard also seems to initiate a power or signal fluctuation which causes an automatic power off and reset in the TV. Ted , Gwinnett County, Atlanta, GA
James Lundgren New member Username: Ntwrks1 Post Number: 2 Registered: Jun-07	Posted on Monday, October 22, 2007 - 13:31 GMT Wanted to provide an update to my June 25 post about our CableCARD situation with Charter.... Cable techs came out for a third time, with yet a new card, and this time he put new ends on the RG-6 I had running from our splitter up to the Plasma set on the wall. Paired the new card, and for the last 4 months all has been well. Third time was the charm. The technician did say that the cable signal has to be absolutely perfect and strong coming into the set, with all the frequencies (beyond 1 GHz I'm sure) coming through any splitters, cabling, etc. Perfect cable, third card, and is now running. Also to add to the good news and better turn of events, Charter here in Wisconsin just keeps adding more HD channels. Including the three pay HD channels there are a total of 19! As of late August they added MOJO HD, ESPN2HD, and A&E HD. This in addition to the usual HD channels.
wh0 New member Username: Gridl0ckd Buffalo, Minnesota US Post Number: 1 Registered: Oct-07	Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 06:55 GMT ~cableguy Had my first run-in with the infamous LG 42LB1DR using a Motorola MediaCipher CableCARD (Charter Communications system). This call baffled me to hell and back.. I replaced the drop, reconfigured splitters, tested interior wiring for ingress, etc. When I got there the HD channels would just tile and pixel, despite the fact that I had ~+2dB on sensitive digital freqs (both standard/premium & HD). About an hour before I left, however, the TV acted as if the digital and HD channels didn't even exist! Mind you, I hadn't even begun to mess with the actual CableCARD at that point. As luck would have it, and being that it was a Monday, I was fortunate enough to not have another CableCARD in my truck that day. So I scheduled an SRO for the next day to come out and swap out the CableCARD. I show up, call dispatch, swap the SN, read out the Host ID & data ID, request an intializing hit to the card, pop it in, and the digital & HD chans still won't come in. I was beside myself. I had never encountered a problem like this, and I've done my fair share of CableCARD calls. To satisfy my curiosity that it was actually the TV, I brought in an HD box, hooked it up, and the digitals & HDs came in crystal clear. I unhooked the box, popped the card back in, and nothing. What was interesting to me was that in the CableCARD Status menu on the TV it said "OOB Mode", which I presume meant Out of Band Mode. So I swapped two more CableCARDs with dispatch and no luck. To say that I was fed-up would be an understatement, so I came home and started Google-ing to see if there were any confirmed issues with LG TVs and Motorola MediaCipher CableCARDs.. I guess I'm kinda glad that it's not just me, but at the same time I'm horrified by what I've been reading on this forum. I honestly had no idea that things were this bad - have I been lucky enough to dodge this sort of bullet up until now or is it just beginning to rear its ugly head in our system? I'm escalating this issue to division, and probably from there to regional. Judging from what I've read, though, I'm guessing the issue is with LG itself and not Motorola. I'm hoping it's not a bug in the DAC - that's a whole other can of worms that I don't even want to see opened.
cableguy Gold Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 1002 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 12:56 GMT wh0~ I had a similar issue with another brand of TV that turned out to be a SNR problem in the fiber. Just because the box didn't exhibit the problem doesn't always mean the problem is with the TV itself. It would be easier for you to test that theory out if the customer would be willing to let you take the TV to your headend to see if it still reacts the same way. If it does, it's safe to say there is something wrong with the TV. If it doesn't, then there is something out in the plant that is causing the problems. This was the only way we were able to verify what was going on, and in the end it proved there was something wrong on our side and not the TV. You have been very fortunate to have not encountered a lot of the other problems mentioned in this forum, and others like it elsewhere. Let me know if you are able to do further testing back at your office with that TV, I'd be interested to know how it worked out. BTW... nice post
T Wieber New member Username: Trw52 Atlanta, Georgia Post Number: 2 Registered: Oct-07	Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 13:56 GMT Status Update Mitsubishi LT-46244 (Crutchfield purchase) Charter Cable -- Gwinnett County, Atlanta, GA Motorola MediaCipher cablecard (Red M-Card, P/N 514517-002-00) Still no joy! Cards reset TV. Cannot get expected cablecard status information. OOB Mode. Cannot tune HD channels. Awaiting a local Mitshubishi service call. A second TV is enroute from Crutchfield in parallel. To date, I am struck by the combination of positive and friendly support, but without any confidence or detailed understanding of the cablecard installation or troubleshooting process. Everyone seems to take a "swap it out and see what happens approach." There can't be that many BAD cards and TV's. Ted, Atlanta, GA
cableguy Gold Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 1003 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 16:51 GMT quoting T Wieber~ but without any confidence or detailed understanding of the cablecard installation or troubleshooting process. Everyone seems to take a "swap it out and see what happens approach." There can't be that many BAD cards and TV's. That's because nobody wants to learn, nobody wants to teach, and nobody seems to care. It's easier for the cable company to blame the TV, and it's easier for the TV company to blame the cable company. They work and depending on your TV and cable company they work well. Stick with it and you will find resolution, most people just give up and give in rather then holding everybody involved responsible. Best of luck and keep us updated please.
T Wieber New member Username: Trw52 Atlanta, Georgia Post Number: 3 Registered: Oct-07	Posted on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - 15:43 GMT Status Update Mitsubishi LT-46244 (Crutchfield purchase) Charter Cable -- Gwinnett County, Atlanta, GA Motorola MediaCipher cablecard (Red M-Card, P/N 514517-002-00) Still working problem with no success! Replacement Mitsubishi TV set to arrive today. Local Mitsubishi service call added no value -- the guy admitted to "dreading" the service call in advance because he "knew" he wouldn't be able to help. This kind of honesty I am not sure I need. Other interesting Mitsubishi service comments (can't vouch for the accuracy): 1. Mitsubishi will not have cablecard capabilities in future generations of sets -- they have decided to discontinue due to the hassle. 2. It is difficult to claim warranty on cablecard troubleshooting. From the service perspective, he claimed they do not have much ability or facility (special test equipment, procedures, training, etc.) to troubleshoot cablecard issues. If they invest a bunch of time in troubleshooting and still can't solve the problem, then Mitsubishi will not honor warranty claim for reimbursement. Most service people hate to hear about cablecard problems. 3. The philosophy that this cablecard issue is an FCC/government mandate and is therefore somehow not really the manufacturers' responsibility. I have heard variants of this excuse from several on both the cable and TV manufacturer side -- interesting rationalization. My reply was that if they are selling and advertising and charging for this feature, then they have a responsibility to make it work. 4. That he has seen only one other cablecard service call in the past year, from which he concludes that there aren't that many sets in this area using them. He then proceeded to tell me of the limitations of cablecard and that I would really be better off with a settop box anyway. Frustrating...I am still waiting to come across someone in this process who shows some real technical understanding or takes ownership of the problem.
James Lundgren New member Username: Ntwrks1 Post Number: 3 Registered: Jun-07	Posted on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - 16:01 GMT So sad to read the bad news about the CableCARD in these forums.. I feel as I am one of the very fortunate to actually have a CableCARD up and running on my Pioneer 50" Plasma set bought earlier this year. I had purposely bought the 2006 model because I was told the 2007 models were phasing out the CableCARD slot, also due to all the problems. Knock on wood, after approximately 5 months it is still up and running with all my HD's. Incomplete guide data a lot of the time, but as long as the picture is crisp and there every day, I don't mind. But what is the alternative?? Can anyone tell me if there is an HDMI capable set-top-box out there? And generally, the STB rental from the cable co is $8 to $12 per month, whereas the CableCARD rental is $1.50 to $2.50 per month. It adds up. Plus, you've paid for that technology in your set to accept the CableCARD via the PCMCIA slot and integrate into the system and not to mention the FCC mandate/regulation as indicated in the forementioned post. Perhaps if a cable co. can't get a CableCARD to work they should allow a user to rent an STB at the CableCARD price in that instance?? Maybe it would be less expensive for them altogether? Just a frustrating deal all the way around..
cableguy Gold Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 1004 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - 20:06 GMT Wow James that's some deep thoughts. T Wieber, can you get some screen shots of your cable card diagnostic menus? Also in response to your #3 The FCC mandated the plug and play order and it was up to the manufacturers and the cable companies to get the stuff working. Unfortunately there is too much finger pointing going on to make heads or tails of who is right and who is wrong. The bottom line is there were too many "unclear" definitions in the layout and protocols that left the manufacturer options to not choose certain mandates, then you have the cable card installers not really getting any training from the manufacturers other then make sure the levels are "x", or try multiple cards before they get involved. For the most part they have been pretty good, depending on who made the TV. Some TV's work just fine with motorola cards, while others work just fine with scientific atlanta cards. Unfortunately what you have already found out is that the manufacturers are discontinuing the feature because it's costing them too much money to figure out what went wrong. Even more importantly they are not so quick to jump into the newer 2-way technology because of constraints that force them to comply with cable technology which is leaving no alternative other then renting STB's. While we're on that subject read up on OCAP equipment and you'll see what's around the corner, and James HDMI is included
T Wieber New member Username: Trw52 Atlanta, Georgia Post Number: 4 Registered: Oct-07	Posted on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - 22:52 GMT Status Update Mitsubishi LT-46244 (Crutchfield purchase) Charter Cable -- Gwinnett County, Atlanta, GA Motorola MediaCipher cablecard (Red M-Card, P/N 514517-002-00) Unbelievable! The saga continues. This afternoon, Crutchfield swapped out a new Mitsubishi TV for the problem unit. Well, we can't even fire this one up -- when plugged in, it simply continues to show a rapid blue blinking light indicating boot up. This light should stop after 30-60 seconds and allow the set to power on. Resets, power disconnects, changes in surge suppression and electrical outlets -- nothing works! One hour on the phone with Mitsubishi didn't help -- they will send a warranty repair guy a WEEK from now! Crutchfield is ready to ship a 3rd unit. I am rethinking my purchase decision -- perhaps another brand. Perhaps no CableCARD.
richard powell New member Username: St_james Post Number: 1 Registered: Oct-07	Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 02:16 GMT I have a Sharp Aquos HD-LCD CC TV which I got working with great help from this forum and cableguy about two years ago. Its been working good ever since. Now TWC says they are going to drop three of my HD channels unless I get a STB because they are upgrading those channels to "two-way" technology. The STB will be free for one year. I don't want two-way service, and I definitely don't want a STB --- that's why I got CC in the first place. No mention of reducing my CC rental, or my subscription price for fewer HD channels. Has anyone heard of similar marketing ploys from TWC? I feel like I'm getting screwed.}
cableguy Gold Member Username: Cableguy Somewhere on... U.S. Post Number: 1005 Registered: Mar-05	Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 12:07 GMT It's called Switched Digital Video, and it's a way for cable companies to free up bandwidth to make room for more HD channels. Since SDV requires 2 way communication to work they will not be able to offer certain channels in 1 way hosts. It's not just TWC doing this and you can find threads about this is other HD forums.
richard powell New member Username: St_james Post Number: 2 Registered: Oct-07	Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 19:34 GMT Thanks very much for the info, cableguy. I'll look into it.
Bugged New member Username: Bugged Post Number: 10 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Tuesday, November 06, 2007 - 23:23 GMT Cableguy-- This is a long shot, but a couple of years ago you reported in this forum about a problem you had discovered with a Sony TV. Below is an excerpt from your response to Cablecard Dean who was having tiling problems with HD channels: "Let's back up a second here...Dean, one thing you need to do is contact Sony and report this problem. The fact that your HD STB is working fine without tiling indicates the same problem I'm working on right now with a Sony TV." Well, my Sony TV (KDF-E50A10) was manufactured in 2005 and has exhibited similar symptoms. However, I am almost certain the cablecard is not at fault. To make a long story short, the TV does not exhibit these symptoms with the STB. By any chance did you ever confirm the problem with the Sony TV? Sony's response has always been that it's a problem with the signal or the cablecard.
Beady New member Username: Beady Smithtown, Ny Post Number: 8 Registered: Jun-06	Posted on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - 03:41 GMT Bugged, I had the tiling problems with the KDF-E42A10, that I purchased in 2005, and an NDS cablecard from Cablevision in NY. It needed a special b-block replacement. The part number was T99860312. Sony should have a bulletin on it.
Bugged Bronze Member Username: Bugged Post Number: 11 Registered: Jan-07	Posted on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - 08:58 GMT Beady, Thanks for the info. I assume that was a problem that was specific to the NDS cablecard? How do you find a list of Sony bulletins?
Beady New member Username: Beady Smithtown, Ny Post Number: 9 Registered: Jun-06	Posted on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - 16:28 GMT Bugged, I'm not sure if it was just NDS or if that was the initial card where it was discovered. I don't think customers have access to the bulletins but the CSR was finally able to find it when I described the problem and mentioned the NDS card. It sure sounds like the same problem. If you are seeing it happen with more than one cablecard I would push Sony on it.

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