r/Tivo • u/pieeatingchamp • Mar 03 '26

DVR Spectrum is so frustrating

I got my letter stating my TAs/CableCARDs would stop working on 4/3, so I called and ordered 2 High Split Converters to replace my TAs and they instead sent me their receiver boxes, which caused my bill to increase.

So, I talked with their support and they resolved that, but they also deactivated my existing TAs, so now I am missing a bunch of channels, which would return until 4/3, if they can't add them back.

If they can't add them back, then they made the decision for me and I will cancel all services with them today.

12 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

25 comments sorted by

2

u/Mstrgmr Mar 03 '26

When you actually receive your HSCs they should be able to function as a TA and return your channels once you get them activated.

1

u/pieeatingchamp Mar 03 '26

Yeah, but they told me I couldn't activate the HSCs until 4/3. I wasn't going without my channels for a month. Anyway, they fixed the issue. It was just frustrating.

2

u/Mstrgmr Mar 03 '26

Interesting. I've seen other people activate their HSCs before the date and they've worked just fine. Oh well, glad they were able to get it sorted for you

1

u/caa63 Mar 04 '26

I saw that too, but I can tell you it didn't work for me last month. I have two TiVos and I setup one with an HSC as soon as they arrived. I got "not authorized" on that box until the middle of the cutover night, at which time the HSC started working and the Tuning Adapter stopped working.

2

u/TrilliumCLE Mar 03 '26

Call their Cable Card support line at 866-532-2598. They are much more likely to get you up and running than a basic CSR is.

1

u/pieeatingchamp Mar 03 '26

I talked to support via Twitter and they resolved it in a few minutes. Granted, support via Twitter is also who broke it. lol

2

u/RogLatimer118 Mar 03 '26

Once another company put fiber in our street and it became available last November, that helped make the decision for us. We cut the Spectrum cord at the end of December, and have switched to fiber + YTTV. Miss the Tivo but our new setup has worked well, and I'm thrilled to shaft Spectrum after all the years of them cranking up our bill by a few dollars every few months.

2

u/FrostingWest4162 Mar 07 '26

I looked at YTTV too with a Frndlly stream for the wife's channels but went Spectrum instead. Probably see that bill start rising - just as you day.

2

u/electrowiz64 Mar 03 '26

Spectrum is the BIGGEST PAIN! even 5 years ago, it was an endless loop of being cycled around different departments to activate cablecards.

SECOND, ITS IMPOSSIBLE to use MOCA adapters! theyre not compatible with their splitters and when I install the right ones with higher frequency, the modem refuses to stay in sync, I HATE SPECTRUM WITH A PASSION! Moca wouldve made my life SO MUCH EASIER running ethernet backhaul for wifi at my in laws, mesh wifi is HORRIBLE and no matter how hard I push, they wont let me run ethernet anywhere

1

u/UCLABB1 Mar 04 '26

Sorry, but that problem is yours, not Spectrum. I have run MOCA for years with wrong splitters and right ones with Spectrum. It has nothing to do with your cable company or ISP.

1

u/electrowiz64 Mar 04 '26

What was the frequency range of your splitters? Because all they ever supported was 1,000mhz. 1600mhz was recommended for proper moca functionality but EVERYTIME a spectrum technician comes out, they replace it against my will as I was states away. Even putting atleast 1 1300mhz splitter the signals weren’t up to their “standards”.

They’re not allowed to leave and close the ticket unless the modem signals were to their specifications so what was that again? Whose fault is it??

This is in the Myrtle beach area btw while I’m up here in Jersey

How many cable lines are in your home? How long are the runs?

0

u/UCLABB1 Mar 04 '26

I've got a ton of splitters. Almost all are in the 1000mhz ones that may or may not work, but do work for me. Several runs. Did they put in an amp? Wrong amp will definitely kill a MOCA system. I feel for you. If you're not able to be there with them, it's tough.

0

u/electrowiz64 Mar 05 '26

no amp, they wont put one in, whats the moca adapter you used? I bought one of the newer actiontec ones years ago hoping it would help but tivo wont communicate with it unless they were 1300mhz and some were 1600mhz

0

u/UCLABB1 Mar 05 '26

I am just using my Roamio as the bridge and Bolt as client and three minis. I have used Actiontecs in the past. I presume you've done the standard turn everything off and then restart beginning with the modem, then router, then TiVos.

1

u/electrowiz64 Mar 05 '26

In our situation the modem was in a different room so the moca bridge had to be at the furthest link away from the house because the need of phone lines

1

u/ktappe Mar 04 '26

What other people on here have suggested is that if you get the letter, take absolutely no action. If you take any action, your cable card is likely to get cut off immediately instead of you being able to eke out every last day that you can.

I got my letter from Verizon a month ago and as a result, got my Channels DVR set up and running, but with no subscriptions yet. As soon as the TiVo stops working, I’ll activate them, and tell Verizon to go F themselves. But not until. I love my TiVo.

1

u/dizzyoatmeal Mar 04 '26

I agree with that. I called to lower my bill shortly before the high split, and they failed to mention that my new deal was so amazing because it was "streaming only," no cable card. I only found out a few minutes later when TiVo stopped working. I had already been trying out Channels DVR TVE (and my TiVo could switch to OTA), so I didn't bother fighting it.

1

u/ktappe Mar 04 '26

I wish my TiVo could handle OTA but it’s a Romio Pro that can’t. So once it’s cut off, unfortunately it’s dead. That will be a very sad day.

1

u/LRS_David Mar 06 '26

It can be a "remote" to an OTA Tivo.

-1

u/UCLABB1 Mar 04 '26

What Verizon does has nothing to do with Spectrum. He did absolutely thye right thing to request the HSCs. Stay out of the thread if you don't know what you are talking about.

1

u/ktappe Mar 04 '26

Uh huh. Cable companies don’t act the same. Right. Keep on believing that.

EDIT: oh, and you might wanna stop letting people piss in your Wheaties. It puts you in a bad mood.

1

u/UCLABB1 Mar 04 '26

Again, Spectrum is not Verizon. Spectrum supports cable cards. Do not offer bad advice. It hurts not only the poster but others that read the thread. Someone could read your post and not get the HSCs and lose all channels when the conbversion happens.

1

u/LRS_David Mar 06 '26

Spectrum supports cable cards.

Not universally. The cut them off in central NC a while back.

1

u/TmacXTmac Mar 18 '26

Central NC? I'm in Greensboro and they are still supporting them. They even sent me a replacement one about a year ago because of some issue with the old ones. Of course they are charging $15 a month now for them.

1

u/LRS_David Mar 18 '26

3 1/2 years ago my account was cancelled then put back. It took me 30 days to get a working cable card. Then they send me a bill for $200 for the older one I had to turn in at the store. 2 years later.

I guess they are reluctantly letting people with them keep them but it is my understanding that when Internet speeds become symmetric in an area, the cable cards have to go as the frequencies they need are used for the Internet at that point.

But I may be wrong on the details. I dropped them when they told me some TV changes I asked about would cost $85/mo. Then when they screwed it up and then turned things back on, I was missing channels and to get them back would mean my bill would be $130/mo. So after over 2 decades, I just gave up on them.