TiVo Community Forums Archives - Serial channel changing with 4.0 is much improved

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Serial channel changing with 4.0 is much improved
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Posted by: bedelman

I've felt that serial channel changing is much improved with 4.0. I haven't missed a channel change yet since I've had 4.0 whereas with the 3.2 serial "tweak" I had a few cases where the digital cable box would stop responding.

Well, last night I saw proof that 4.0 is better.

I had a program that was due to record from channel 163. At the beginning of the program, I saw the digital cable box first go to channel "13" (it dropped the "6"). The TiVo sensed that it was on the wrong channel and and immediately tried to redo the channel change. This time the cable box went to channel "63" (it dropped the "1"). Again, the TiVo picked up that it was on the wrong channel and resent the change. The third time the cable box got it right and went to channel "163".

I was impressed.

Posted by: mikedaly

Yah, I've seen this recently as well. Same behavior - first attempt dropped a digit, second attempt dropped a different digit, third attempt got it right. And it's only happened to me once so far.

Posted by: granoff

Do you think this behavior is limited to serial channel changing? (I don't use serial channel changing.)

Do you think this behavior is limited to digital cable boxes? (I have an analog cable box.)

If this "auto sense and correct" behavior works globally, then that is really cool!

Posted by: bedelman

quote:
Originally posted by granoff
Do you think this behavior is limited to serial channel changing? (I don't use serial channel changing.)

Do you think this behavior is limited to digital cable boxes? (I have an analog cable box.)

If this "auto sense and correct" behavior works globally, then that is really cool!

A direct connection between the TiVo and the cable box would be the only way it would "know" that the channel isn't what it's supposed to be.

As far as I know, there are only a few cable boxes that are supported for serial channel changing and they're all digital boxes partly because only digital boxes have a serial port (I think).

Also, satellite units have had serial channel changing support for a long time. The serial support for cable boxes is relatively new though.

Posted by: Moebius

I've seen this happen even before 4.0 (granted I was on an AT&T box with 3.0, not 3.2). The only extra thing I noticed was that it after the miss, it would send a channel up or down before sending the 3 digit signal again. Also, it did give up once after 4 or 5 tries. Now, I haven't seen a channel change with 4.0 yet to see if it behaves any differently for me.

Posted by: hotguy

unfortunately it only tries 3 times. since 4.0 update my tivo has taped two wrong channels. but, coming from having to deal with ir blasters in the past, i still love serial control.

Posted by: Dan203

Man the cable box software must really suck if it can screw up a channel change 3 times in a row!

Does it do this when you select channels from it's internal guide too?

Dan

Posted by: mikedaly

quote:
Originally posted by Dan203
Man the cable box software must really suck if it can screw up a channel change 3 times in a row!

Does it do this when you select channels from it's internal guide too?

Having seen the serial control screw up a few times, I actually have a theory about this... is it possible that IR activity could be causing the cable box to screw up the serial change?

I think I have noticed that the serial change only gets messed up when it's attempting to change the channel while I'm watching something else (prerecorded) and, presumably, using Trickplay. I seem to remember reading a posting somewhere that the Motorola cable boxes ignore all IR activity when they see IR not directed at it. Is it possible that it has similar behavior if there's IR activity while a serial change is in progress? Since I'm not using IR, I haven't bothered to block the IR receiver on the cable box.

Posted by: Moebius

Actually, my problems are broken into two categories. The first seems to be with the 300 range of channels (pay networks on the digital range). Much as described above. It'll miss the first digit, then channel up or down, next miss the second digit, then get it right. So far it's always managed to get those right.

The other problem I get has to deal with a channel not descrambling fast enough. This is particualrly noticable on channel 73 (happens to be cartoon network around here). Basically, I can watch TiVo send 073, and the cable box accepts, but for whatever reason, channel 73 sometimes takes several seconds to decode. This apparently fools TiVo, so it then sends a channel down and the cable box goes to 71 (no 72 in the lineup). Strange thing is, every time this has happened, TiVo still thinks the box is on 73. Result has been a handful of times I've gone to watch Futurama or something else, and end up with something on the history channel. I've had the problem with the cable box direct (before the days of TiVo), and I'd just get the Please Wait message for several seconds, and then it would finally decode. I've not seen this happen yet since 4.0 to know if the symptoms will be the same.

Posted by: rexdart

I pleaded with Cox about the serial port issue (they have them here, just not activated). Now I am almost glad they don't. My TiVo celebrates its one year birthday next month and I have missed one change in all that time (placement error) with the IR blaster.

How frequent is the described mishap? It does't warm my heart to the idea of using serial even if they begin offering a box with an active serial port.

Posted by: hotguy

it changes channels fine when i'm controlling it. it is when it has to record something on it's own. let's say its channel 123. first it will do 12. then it will do 312. then it seems to pause and then try 123 again. most times it gets it, but sometimes it will then go to 12. since it's the third try, it seems to give up.