CableCARDs: Troubleshooting with MMI Screens
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A CableCARD is a specialized network card, similar to the PCMCIA network card that you can insert in a laptop computer. Cable providers install them in CableCARD-compatible devices such as HD TiVo boxs to provide "conditional access", meaning the CableCARDs will allow you to see the channels that you subscribe to. When CableCARDs are installed in a TiVo box, together they take the place of two single-tuner boxs and two cable boxes.
Your CableCARDs are made by one of three manufacturers: Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, or NDS. These manufacturers also make the equipment that is installed at the local cable facility, called "the headend". Like cable boxes, CableCARDs must be registered on the cable system and compatible with the other hardware in the headend. For these reasons, you must obtain CableCARDs from your cable provider.
TiVo has been working with cable providers to help CableCARD installations go more smoothly. While we have no control over CableCARD activation methods, and only your cable provider can resolve activation issues, we offer the following information to help resolve these issues as quickly as possible, so that you can get busy enjoying your TiVo box.
This article has the following sections:
Troubleshooting activation and "missing" channel issues
What needs to be done to achieve a successful activation?
Troubleshooting issues with new activation
What to do if activation fails, or you don't see all the channel you paid for?
Troubleshooting channels that are suddenly "missing"
What to do if your channels were working perfectly, but now something is wrong?
Reference sections:
Related Articles:
The CableCARD gives a '161-x' error
The CableCARD is getting a firmware update
My CableCARD channels and Guide data do not match
How to troubleshoot using CableCARD MMI screens
Troubleshooting activation and "missing" channel issues
For CableCARDs to work properly in a TiVo box, the cable provider and installer must ensure the following (in the order in which they need to be done).
Step 1: Installing the correct number of CableCARDs
Step 2: Checking the OOB or FDC connection to the cable headend
Step 3: Checking the channel map
Step 4: Determining if the CableCARD is activated
Step 5: Determining if the CableCARD is subscribed to the channels you paid for
Step 6: Checking CableCARD pairing (binding)
In practice, you can start troubleshooting based on whether the CableCARDs were just installed or if they have been working for some time, but suddenly channels are "missing".
Troubleshooting issues with new activations
If your CableCARDs were just installed and activated, and you cannot view all or some of the channels you think you should be receiving, start with Step 1: Installing the correct number of CableCARDs.
If you see "Please wait...Acquiring channel information" for more than 10 minutes after activation, or this process has timed out, go to Step 3: Checking the channel map.
If you are seeing a "161-x" error (161-4, for example), go to The CableCARD gives a '161-x' error.
Troubleshooting channels that are suddenly "missing"
If you were able to view all your channels previously, but you now see just a gray or black screen on all or some channels, use the following procedure to troubleshoot the issue. Most troubleshooting is the same as for a new activation, but the starting point is different based on the video you are able to view
- If a gray-and-black screen pops up when you try to view certain channels, start with Step 6: Checking CableCARD pairing (binding).
Your cable provider may have just turned on copy protection. If the CableCARD(s) were never paired, this screen will start to pop up any time you tune to a copy-protected channel. - Restart the TVo box. This resets both the box and the CableCARD(s), which may resolve a transient communication problem between the CableCARDs and the host.
- If a restart does not solve the issue, troubleshoot based on which channels are missing:
- If you can no longer view any channels at all, start with Step 2: Checking the OOB or FDC connection to the cable headend. The box may have lost connection with the cable headend, or your cable provider may have disconnected service to the CableCARD.
- If you can no longer view channels above 100, or you cannot view any channels except local ones, start with Step 4: Determining if the CableCARD is activated. Occasionally, billing issues or an error at the headend will deactivate CableCARDs. If a CableCARD has been activated and then loses the activation, you may still be able to view analog and unencrypted digital channels.
- If your CableCARDs show that they are activated and authorized to display channels, and the box is getting a cable signal (see Troubleshooting digital cable signals on HD TiVo boxs), and you still do not see video, contact the TiVo CableCARD hotline.
- If you are missing a certain channel, start with Step 5: Determining if the CableCARD is subscribed to the channels you paid for, to make sure your account is subscribed to the channel. If it is subscribed, and you do not see video, go to Troubleshooting digital cable signals on HD TiVo boxs.
Step 1: Check to make sure the Cable Input is plugged into ‘Cable In’ instead of ‘Antenna In.’
Step 2: Verify connections have been correctly set up.
Setting up a Series3Setting up and HD or HD XL
Setting up a Premiere or Premiere XL
Step 3: Is your TiVo box directly connected to the cable outlet?
Yes, I am directly connected to the cable outlet: Continue on to Step 4.
No, I am not directly connected to the cable outlet: Verify you are receiving a cable signal by bypassing any additional equipment and connect your TiVo box directly to the cable wall outlet.
Step 4: Installing the correct number of CableCARDS.
For dual tuner operation:
- TiVo HD boxs require either 1 M-Card (multistream CableCARD) or 2 S-Cards (single-stream CableCARDs). The card slots are located behind a door on the lower front panel of the TiVo box. Slot 1 is on the right and Slot 2 is on the left.
- Series3 HD boxs run all CableCARDs in single stream mode, so this model box always requires 2 CableCARDS, which can be M-Cards, S-Cards, or a combination of the two. These cards are inserted into slots located on the back of the box. Slot 1 is on the bottom and Slot 2 is on the top.
What can go wrong?
If you install an M-Card in a TiVo HD box, it must be installed in Slot 1 (the slot on the right). If you install only one CableCARD in a Series3 HD box, even an M-Card, the box runs as a single-tuner device.
Step 5: Checking the OOB or FDC connection to the cable headend.
The OOB or FDC is a broadband connection that the cable headend uses to send CableCARDs the information they need to tune to digital channels, decrypt them, and decode copy protection. The headend also sends periodic update messages about your account on this channel, enabling the CableCARDs to keep performing these functions and to get new firmware or new services that you add to your account.
OOB (for “out of band”) is the term used by Motorola and NDS; Scientific Atlanta, uses the term FDC (for “forward data channel”) for this broadband connection, which is outside the frequency range of the "in-band” channels that carry television programming.
What can go wrong?
When a CableCARD is inserted in a TiVo box, it begins to “hunt” for the OOB or FDC signal over a range of frequencies defined by the CableCARD spec. If the CableCARD cannot find this channel, either the box is not properly connected to the cable input or there is a problem with the cable connection.
How to troubleshoot:
- From TiVo Central, select Messages & Settings > Account & System Information > Diagnostics.
- On the Diagnostics screen, use the CHAN DOWN button to scroll down to check OOB Signal Lock; if it is not Yes, go to Troubleshooting digital cable signals on HD TiVo boxs.
You can also determine the OOB or FDC status from the CableCARD MMI screens. Click a link to view this information:
IMPORTANT:Under rare circumstances, it is possible that the CableCARD distributed from your provider may have been configured for other cable equipment meant for another location close to where you live. This can happen if you live on the border of another city or area which uses similar but different cable equipment. If you have exhausted other troubleshooting steps and the CableCARD is still unable to connect to the Out of Band, ask your Cable Provider what the physical headend address is and if that’s the correct headend for your location.
Step 6: Checking the channel map.
Cable providers can broadcast their digital channels on any frequency they want. A channel map gives the tuning frequency and station call sign for every channel in your lineup. The cable headend sends the channel map to the CableCARD so that the host device (in this case, your TiVo box) knows which frequency to tune to for each channel.
What can go wrong?
While a CableCARD is searching for or downloading a channel map, you will see the message "Please Wait...Acquiring Channel Information." If this message is still displaying after 10 minutes, or the operation times out with a message such as "Access Unavailable", the CableCARD cannot acquire a channel map.
Scientific Atlanta CableCARDs begin downloading the channel map as soon as the CableCARDs establish a connection with the FDC. If the CableCARD cannot get a channel map, it may be because the TiVo box is not communicating with the cable headend over the FDC.
Motorola and NDS CableCARDs must be activated before they begin the download. If the CableCARD cannot get a channel map, the TiVo box may not be communicating with the cable headend over the OOB, or there is a valid OOB connection but the CableCARD is not activated.
Troubleshooting:
- Make sure there is a valid OOB or FDC connection to the cable headend (see Step 2: Checking the OOB or FDC connection to the cable headend).
- Make sure the CableCARD is reporting that it is activated (see Step 4: Determining if the CableCARD is activated).
- Check the TiVo Diagnostics screen. This screen displays "Channel List Received: Yes" when a CableCARD has successfully downloaded a channel map from the cable headend.
- For Motorola M-Cards, if the CableCARD has been activated, and the channel list is still not available, it is possible that your cable provider has assigned the incorrect channel map for your area. This can be verified by using the Motorola M-Card MMI Screens and checking the VCTID and VCT Rcvd sections in ‘Network Setup’. If a VCTID has a number assigned, but VCT Rcvd remains at 0, your cable provider may have incorrectly assigned the channel map for your CableCARD and needs to be changed. Ask your cable provider to check what the correct channel map is for your area is and adjust if needed.
To view the Diagnostics screen, select Messages & Settings > Account & System Information > Diagnostics. Press CHAN DOWN to scroll down to the entry for CableCARD 1. If you have two CableCARDs installed, scroll down further to check the entry for CableCARD2.
NOTE: Motorola M-Cards display the channel map number on the Network Setup screen. To display this screen: from TiVo Central select Messages & Settings > Account & System Information > CableCARD Decoders > Configure CableCARD 1 (or 2) > Network Setup. The VCTID (Virtual Channel Table ID) on this screen gives the ID of the channel map that is currently stored on the CableCARD. For Series3 HD boxs, which require two CableCARDs, the VCTID must be the same for both cards. A channel map of 0 (zero) means the CableCARD did not receive a channel map.
Step 7: Determining if the CableCARD is activated.
The purpose of CableCARDs is to decrypt the channels that you have paid the cable provider to receive, and to decode copy protection on these channels, if present. After a card is inserted into the box, the installer (or you, if your cable provider allows self-installs) calls the dispatch number and provides the information the dispatcher requests. The dispatcher then sends one or more activation signals, sometimes known as “hitting the cards”. The hits send a series of EMMs (entitlement management messages) that give the CableCARDs the ability to display the channels to which you subscribed.
What can go wrong?
Only your cable provider can determine why an activation was not successful.
Troubleshooting:
CableCARDs report their activation status. Click a link to view this information for your CableCARD:
Additional Information:
While only the cable provider can determine why their system is unable to activate their CableCARD(s), from our experience, the following conditions can prevent activation:
- The CableCARD(s) are configured for a two-way device. TiVo boxs are one-way devices, meaning that they accept signals from the cable headend but cannot send signals back. CableCARDs configured for a two-way device are expected to send a signal back to the headend to confirm the activation. Because a TiVo box cannot send this signal, activation fails.
- The CableCARDs did not receive the proper activation signals to provision a UDCP (unidirectional digital cable products) device. boxs leased by cable providers are two-way and use CableCARDs that receive extensive pre-provisioning at the warehouse. Because so much of the information normally sent during activation has already been programmed into these CableCARDs, they require a different activation protocol than CableCARDs that are installed in devices such as TiVo boxs and CableCARD-ready HDTVs. If the headend sends the wrong activation signal, your CableCARDs do not receive enough information to activate, or will activate enough to get a channel map, but no EMMs. The result is that you will be able to view only analog and unencrypted digital channels.
- The activation signal may not be reaching the box. Occasionally, activation signals are misrouted to the wrong node on the cable system, or some other problem prevents the box from receiving the activation signals. Because the TiVo box is a one-way device, the headend has no way to determine that the signal was never received by the host. Your cable provider must determine if this is the case.
Step 8: Determining if the channels you are paying for have been subscribed to the CableCARD.
The cable connection that comes out of your wall carries every channel your cable provider offers. The cable provider’s billing system controls which channels you can actually view, based on the package(s) you agree to pay for each month (for example, Basic Cable, Extended Basic, one or more premium packages, special HD package). When a CableCARD is activated, the cable system sends EMMs (Entitlement Management Messages) to authorize the CableCARD to decrypt all the channels you subscribe to.
What can go wrong?
If your account is not set up correctly in the cable provider’s billing system, you will not be able to see channels you think you should be receiving.
Troubleshooting:
Use Test Channels to check all channels on the CableCARD. Channels will display in Test Channels only if the CableCARD is subscribed to the channel. For instructions, go to Testing CableCARD Channels.
If you are missing one or more channels:
- In Live TV, tune to a channel you are supposed to receive and press RECORD to lock the tuner to that channel. Make a note of the channel number.
- If you have more than one CableCARD, go to Messages & Settings > Settings > Account & System Information > Diagnostics. Find the channel number (use CHAN DOWN to scroll, if necessary), and then scroll down to find which CableCARD is tuning to that channel.
Click to view a larger image:
- Press the LEFT ARROW button to return to the Account & System Information screen.
- Select CableCARD Decoders > Configure CableCARD 1 (or 2) > CableCARD menu. Click a link to view information for your CableCARD:
- For each missing channel, or for a representative sample of a block of channels you are missing (extended basic channels, for example), repeat steps 1-5.
- Check with your cable provider to make sure your account includes all the channels you think you should be receiving. If the billing system entries appear to be correct, there may be a lineup problem. (See Channels missing or incorrect in live guidefor troubleshooting instructions.)
NOTE: In very rare cases, the lineup may be correct and your billing may be correct, but you can’t view certain channels because there is error in the way one of the packages is configured on the cable system. This will need to be escalated to a higher level in the cable provider’s support organization.
Step 9: Checking CableCARD pairing (binding).
"Pairing" or "binding" means the CableCARD and the host ID of the CableCARD slot are associated with each other in the cable provider’s billing system.
What can go wrong?
If the CableCARD is activated, but not paired, you can still view encrypted digital channels. When you tune to a copy protected channel, however, a gray-and-black screen with pairing information pops up, prompting you to call your cable provider.
Troubleshooting:
If a gray-and-black CableCARD screen pops up as soon as you tune to a copy protected channel, the CableCARD is unpaired.
If you want to verify this information further, you can look at the CableCARD MMI screens. CableCARDs report their pairing status and the copy protection value for the current channel.
To view the copy protection status for a particular channel:
- Tune to the channel in Live TV and press RECORD to lock the tuner to that channel. Make a note of the channel number.
- If you have more than one CableCARD, go to Messages & Settings > Settings > Account & System Information > Diagnostics. Find the channel number in the list (if necessary, use the CHAN DOWN button to scroll down), and then scroll down to find the CableCARD association listed for the channel.
Click to view a larger image:
- Press the LEFT ARROW button to return to the Account & System Information screen.
- Select CableCARD Decoders > Configure CableCARD 1 (or 2) > CableCARD menu, and then select a menu item to view the information for your CableCARD:
- If you find that a CableCARD is unpaired, contact your cable provider.
Additional Information:
Only your cable provider can determine why a CableCARD will not pair. From past experience, however, TiVo has found that the following conditions can prevent pairing:
- The correct signal was not sent to pair a one-way CableCARD.
- The pairing information was not entered correctly into the billing system; for example, the CableCARD information was entered in the Host ID field and vice-versa, or the numbers were not communicated correctly over the phone.
- The CableCARD was never scanned into the system when received at the warehouse or was scanned out of order.
Testing CableCARD channels
TiVo software has a Test Channels feature that uses the information in the channel map to tune to each channel, display the channel information provided by the channel map, and display the video on the frequency the channel map is specifying for the channel. Encrypted and copy protected channels will be viewable only if the CableCARD has been successfully activated and paired, respectively.
WARNING: If two CableCARDs are installed, it is important to test each CableCARD separately, to make sure both are working properly. For example, when only one CableCARD is activated, encrypted channels may seem to “disappear”, intermittently displaying only a gray or black screen. What is actually happening is that these channels are viewable only when the tuner accesses the activated CableCARD.
To test channels on the CableCARD(s):
- From TiVo Central, select Messages & Settings > Account & System Information > CableCARD Decoders > Configure CableCARD 1.
- Select Test Channels. In response to the Warning that appears, select OK, access this setting.
- Channel through low channels (2 through 20, for example, which tend to be either analog or unencrypted digital channels), higher-numbered channels (above 100, which tend to be encrypted), and the premium channels you are supposed to receive (which may be both encrypted and copy protected).
Make a note of any missing channels. - Press CLEAR on the TiVo remote to exit the Test Channels screen for CableCARD 1.
- If the TiVo box has two CableCARDs, press 2 to go to the Test Channels screen for CableCARD 2, and then repeat steps 2-4.
- If you could view video on all the channels you should be receiving, the CableCARD has been properly activated.
- If a gray-and-black screen appears, advising you to contact your cable provider, it means the cable provider needs to pair the CableCARD to the box slot.
- If none of the channels appear, the CableCARD may not be receiving a signal, or the cable provider encrypts all channels and the CableCARD has not been activated. For instructions on how to check the signal, go to Troubleshooting digital cable signals on HD TiVo boxs. To check the activation, see Step 4: Determining if the CableCARD is activated.
How to get more help
If you tried the troubleshooting steps in this article and you still have a CableCARD issue, contact the TiVo CableCARD hotline.
Need additional assistance?
Chat with a TiVo representative.
To get help from other TiVo users, visit the TiVo Help Forums.
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