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Tivo Premiere vs Verizon Fios CableCard Pairing Nightmare

So I have exhausted all of my options and tried tons of suggested solutions from TiVo and Verizon Tech Support and Forums with no luck, so I have decided to post my issue in hopes that someone can assist.

I have a TiVo Premiere Elite XL4 with Verizon Fios. As many other posts have reported, I have lost my HBO channels due to the recent copyright protection put into place. The TiVo displays an activation message anytime I tune to HBO. I understand that my cablecard is activated but not properly paired to my TiVo. The TiVo cable card screens show the following:

Con - Yes. EBCP - Yes. Auth - S. Val - ?. I have also confirmed that the cablecard is receiving messages from Verizon. My signal strength is in the mid 90's. No matter what is done I can't get that Val to change from ? To V.

Here is what I have already tried to fix the problem (not listed in any order):

Rebooted the TiVo several times by manually pulling power and also by using the restart option.
I have had the TiVo make several connections to the TiVo service. I am running the latest Fall software.
Reseated the cablecard numerous times.
I have replaced the cablecard twice, on my third. They all looked brand new. They all are Motorola M-Stream.
I have upgraded the TiVo from Series 3 to Premiere XL4.
I have performed the guided setup again.
Verizon has hit the cablecards numerous times.
Verizon has tried the cablecard swap and refresh commands numerous times.
Verizon has completely removed my cablecard and reactivated and repaired it.
Verizon placed an order to cancel my TV Service and reactivated it and the cablecard.
Verizon technicians have read back to me my Host ID and Data ID numerous times to verify it is correct.
I have tried to reactivated / repair the card several times through the automated system, website, and Verizon software. All report that activation has been (re)sent.
I have rebooted the Verizon ONT and modem / router.
I have probably spoken with 8 different technicians at Verizon so far.

If anybody has any other suggestions I would really appreciate them. I love my TiVo and my fios. I have had TiVos since Series 1 and can't imagine TV without them!!

Thanks.

Comments

terout

I have a similar issue, I have gone through 3 cable cards that will not allow any premium channels. All other channels work fine. It is on the Series 4 Tivo and the unit has latest software. Verizon points to Tivo and Tivo points to Verizon. Verizon gives up and says it has done everything it can and Tivo is stating it sometimes takes up to 6 cable cards before you can get one to work. What a mess.

Mikegnj

Glad to hear that I am not the only one having this problem but sorry you are stuck in the same nightmare as me.

Come on Verizon help us fix this problem before we drop the service!! I throught Verizon technicians monitor this forum and respond, guess not. Verizon remember that you are legally obligated to support cable cards!! My next call will be to the PUC.

We cannot be the only 2 people having this problem and remember you helped to cause this problem by enabling the copy protection and requiring pairing.

The whole idea of pairing still doesn't make sense to me anyway. I get the whole copy once, which is fine, but why the pairing? Verizon went years without pairing, which is their own technicians fault during installs, because it "wasn't important". Now that pairing is important nobody is around to help!! Why does Verizon care what device I use the card in? If it supports a cable card I should be able to use it. My theory is as follows, if I have a cable box I can move it to any TV at will so why can't I move a cable card to any TV ot Tivo at will? My cable box isn't paired to a TV. Now I am not looking to move my cable card between multiple devices but should be able to do so if I want. I pay for the service on that card I should be able to use it on any device in my home I want.

Terout - Help us out and everyone else in our situation. Call or email the PUC (Public Utilities Commission). It is easy to find their phone number online.

Anybody else having the same issue? Please speak up!!

prisaz

Have you checked to make sure there are no ports being blocked on the router(s). I had some issues with my TiVO HD when the router I use was blocking ports. Perhaps if you try to set the TiVO with a static IP and place it in the router DMZ to see if it will work. That will show your if it is a port being blocked. My TiVO HD runs great and has for years. I did have to go through the card pairing process when it was first enabled by Verizon. When I first set up the TiVO Verizon was not pairing the cards.

Which network ports and IP addresses do I need open when using my TiVo box? With troubleshooting information.

http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/402

Z1andOwnLee

I am also having problems getting a cable card to work in a TIVO unit.

Can Verizon provide the process a TIVO owners should go through to install/activate/Pair? a cable card?

My cablecard is activated and I can view all channels except HBO. I worked with Verizon and went through

-Manually reboot

-Disconnected coaxial cable and reconnected

-Tech ran a troubleshooting command to re-initialize

-Confirmed the DATA numbers on the TV screen were the same as at Verizon

-Tuned to channel 131 when commands sent

I have a Verizon STB and TIVO. On the Verizon STB I can receive HBO channels from the same coaxizl cable.

jocarlson

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! I have been up working on this since 3 AM! After reading about the VAL code being a ? where it should be a "V"....I was able to work with Verizon on the phone and they fixed my problem immediately! If it wasn't for your excellent communications, I would be pulling what's left of my hair out!!

The tech said he just did a basic "Reload".

Best Verizon troubleshooting experience EVA!

DaveOnTivo

I too have been having a nightmare getting my Tivos working fully.

I have 2 Tivos, an HD that was fine with 2 S-stream cards, and a brand new Premier 4. I got new M-Stream cards for both (to save money - 1 M card instead of 2 S cards on the TivoHD).

I activated 2 different M cards and could not get HBO and Cinemax working on my TivoHD. Finally after 3 calls and a couple of hours later (and 3 days too), Verizon sent out a tech. He showed up, never dealt with Tivo before, BUT on he got my HBO working with the existing card by doing a Deactivate, Reactivate, and Reload set of commands. Now that one is great.

BUT on my new Priemier, it was a new setup, the card got activated but still have the pairing/copy protection problem so no HBO or Cinemax channels come in. I'm going to try on the phone one last time, and have them run a Reload after verifying all the info is entered right on Verizon's end. If that doesn't work, going to ask them to do the deactive, activate, then reload.

If that STILL doesn't work, i don't know what to do... . And Tivo support didn't have anything specific to offer either.

Hubrisnxs

The in home agent lets you pair your own cards now.

So just make sure to get the current Host ID Data ID stuff.

www.verizon.com/connect to download the software

DallasTX

I've got two TiVoHD's that receive all channels including HBO and even the NFL Redzone. I'm thinking about getting an XL4.

Does the problem discussed in this thread affect all XL4's or are some people not having any problems?

kwjr

On the phone now with TiVo tech support. Guy seems knowledgeable about the problem and he's on the other line with Verizon. Hopefully this works and if so, is definitely the way to go. TiVo Tech Support: 877-367-8486 Option one for Tech Support, Option 2 for CableCards.

One thing I have noticed ... Anytime the Verizon tech reactives the card, the host id can change. So if they say everything is done and should be working, but it isn't ... Double check the data id.

The FIOS tech just came back and asked me for the new data id number, so crossing my fingers.

kwjr

Success! Call the TiVo tech support number above. Anytime the data is changes, be sure to let the tech know. Be patient as the call can take a while on Verizon's end.

kwjr

If you look at your conditional access screen, there is a field called Con that should be Yes. That means you have a connection to your cable provider.

Val: should be something other than ? And greater than 0x00. ? And 0x00 means your device is activated, but not paired.

On the network setup screen, VCTID should be a value greater than 0. That means your are getting a channel map (the TiVo know what channels you get). Also, Msgs should also be greater than 0. That means your TiVo is able to communicate with Verizon.

georgine2000@yahoo.com

I recently got TIVO Premiere. I was aware of the pairing issues. June 2012, Verizon begin notifying FiOS TV customers that they would be changing network settings to meet a requirement set by programmers, and that customers who are using improperly activated Verizon CableCARDs would be unable to view Home Box Office (HBO) and other similar channels until they reset their CableCARDs. The channels that seen to be affected are HBO,\Cinemax and Channel 131.

I spoke with TIVO before receiving my new Premiere, they advised me to be sure and do the guided setup before I activated the cable card with Verizon. They said the units come to the consumer more or less 'blank' and require the initial set up.

Once I did the set up, my TIVO asked for the cable card to be inserted. I took a picture of the Host and Data ID when that screen popped up. The unit activated without too much trouble. The next day, I realized I was missing HBO, Cinemax and Ch 131. I went into the TIVO settings to Cable Card Paring and checked the information against the picture from the previous day. The Data ID had changed!!! The host ID is associated with the equipment itself. TIVO host ID always starts with 035 . It does not change. I called Verizon and had the data ID changed, All channels were up after that point.

Important point is to be sure to use the cable pairing info in the TIVO settings, not the information from the initial activation, since the TIVO data ID changes within the unit itself.

DFWDave

Followed the advice here in my dealings with VZ tech support. Funny that the first person I worked with got a little flustered. At one point, without warning, I got music on hold and ended up being transferred to billing. The billing person transferred me back to a technician (staying on the phone for a warm handoff) and that person helped.

Right as he was telling me he was going to have to send me a new cable card because we couldn't get HBO/Cinemax going, I re-suggested a manual activation.

New information not seen in the previous posts that he said made a difference: the entries in his system had to be made with the hyphens as they didn't work without them.

If the Data ID changes after guided setup, then Tivo should move the insertion of the cable card and any cable card menu screens to after that Tivo activation to help avoid this issue.

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