According to TiVo, they are aware of the problem and are working on a resolution. Evidently, the problem does not impact all TiVo users, but we have been unable to discern why some are getting the error and others are not.

Our best suggestion at this point is to just wait it out. Hopefully the problem will be resolved within a day or so. Typically, TiVo is quick to resolve problems once they are aware of them. This one seems to be impacting quite a few customers, so we hope to see the problem fixed quickly.

OK – here’s what you should try:

The first phone call is to TiVo’s toll-free number, to download a list of local access numbers. Sometimes, for some reason, this number doesn’t function properly, or, in some cases, it’s not reachable from certain phone systems.

Also, on up-and-running TiVo DVRs, there are times that phone line conditions change and keep modems from properly dialing-in.

To get around these problems, you can build in a local number that will access the same network. First, use this page to find your local access number:

TiVo POP finder

Enter your local area code and you should get a list of local numbers that won’t incur long-distance charges. From that list, choose the nearest city. You’ll use that number.

Then, on your TiVo, edit the “dialing prefix” area in the following way, where “num” is the number you just got from the web page above.

,#096,,num,

To enter a comma on this screen, use the Pause key, and to input the pound (#) symbol, use the Enter key on the remote. The “#096″ portion tells the modem to use a slower connection speed, which is better for noisy or low-volume lines. The commas are basically 2-second pauses that are necessary to separate out commands.

So, for a 310 phone number, where you need to dial a 1 plus the area code before each call, you’d get:

,#096,,13103881905,

which is entered with this key sequence, once in the right field: pause – enter – 0 – 9 – 6 – pause – pause – 1 – 3 – 1 – 0 – 3 – 8 – 8 – 1 – 9 – 0 – 5 – pause

Once you accept and test these settings, the TiVo will try to add its internal phone number on to the end of this sequence, but it really won’t matter since the other phone number in there ahead of it should already be connecting.

If you still have problems, please check the exact syntax of that string above. Each comma and the # are essential!

Then we wrote to say that TiVo had alerted us that they had fixed the problem.

Well, unfortunately, I’m back to say, that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least for all users. Plenty of our customers are still seeing these dial-in problems. So if you are also, you’re not alone.

TiVo is on the case, but feel free to email us more info on your situation if you’d like, and if you include your 15 digit TiVo Service Number (TSN), we’ll pass it on to TiVo while this problem persists.

We’ve been getting a LOT of inquiries via email and phone from people having this problem. We’re pretty sure it’s not a problem in the TiVos themselves, but rather at TiVo HQ. There are just too many reports for this to be a coincidence.

Over at TiVoCommunity, there’s a whole thread on the issue full of people experiencing these problems.

So, while we’d love to sell you a replacement hard drive or an external modem, we really think the best move is to sit tight and see if TiVo sorts this one out.

UPDATE: Looks like this does NOT just affect Series1 TiVos. I’ve been corrected by several people here at WeaKnees that this is happening with Series2, HD, and even Premiere units, not just with phone lines, but also with network connections.

TiVo! Help!

While $149 may initially seem like a high price when new Dual Tuner TiVos can be purchased for $149, the key is that our repairs retain the customer’s lifetime service, or prepaid service. So if a customer has a lifetime plan on a TiVo DVR covered under this program, they can keep that in place. New lifetime plans from TiVo for new DVRs cost up to $399, so repairing an existing unit often makes much more sense than replacing the unit.

Under this program, we can essentially fix any problem with these units, as long as the unit has not been physically damaged or tampered with (beyond normal hard drive upgrades and installation of replacement parts). So unless it’s been run over by a truck, we’re able to fix it. To date, units we’ve brought in under this program have been revived – 100%.

Another great advantage to choosing our flat-fee option is that customers don’t have to try to diagnose the issues at all. If customers are not sure what’s going on with the unit – of if they just aren’t interested in trying to figure it out – they can just let us do everything.

In addition, for customers looking to upgrade the capacity of their unit while it’s here at WeaKnees, that’s an option with these repairs. We can add capacity, and we can do so at a discount while the unit is here.

Please see the options for models and capacity upgrades on our flat fee TiVo repair page.

And the answer is: most DirecTV TiVos do not need to dial in. We’d love to sell you a TiVo external modem kit to fix your broken modem or to make your TiVo work with VoIP or digital phone lines, but in many cases, you just don’t need to have the TiVo dial in. Series 1 DirecTV TiVos DO need to dial in – the rest of this does not apply to these units (Sony SAT T-60, Philips DSR6000, or Hughes GXCEBOT). But Series 2 and the HR10-250 units get their guide data and everything else they need from the satellite.

If you don’t let your TiVo dial in, you’ll get the “nag” screen, once per day. Here’s a nag screen of a TiVo that hasn’t dialed in in quite some time.

My TiVo is crying for help!

So what is your TiVo missing out on if it can’t dial in? The main things it misses are:

• Pay Per View: Once you fill up your unit’s limit,  you won’t be able to do more Pay Per View until your unit dials in and unloads the info.
• System OS Updates: While the update itself generally comes down from the satellite stream, it’s the phone call that authorizes the installation of the update. So if you don’t have a phone line connected, the update won’t install.
• Uploading your data: TiVo uses information from viewing habits to aggregate and sell to advertisers and other interested parties. If your unit can’t connect back, it can’t send this data.
• The “nag” screen: dialing in gives you relief from this once-per-day message for 30 days.

If those issues don’t bother you or don’t apply to you, then you can happily just leave your Series 2 or HD DirecTV TiVo disconnected from the phone line, and you shouldn’t have problems.

But there’s another issue that accounts for many modem failures at the moment, and you don’t need our modem kit to fix it: a problem with local dial-in numbers. We’ve been getting calls from many customers over the last week about this problem, and TiVo has a support page up for these problems. They are basically telling customers to access a new dial-in number by having them query the main TiVo number for an updated list of local access numbers.

So if you think you might be having a problem getting local guide data, and you use a phone line to access TiVo, then you should visit the above link, or, if you have a Series2 or Series3 TiVo, consider networking your TiVo to avoid these problems.

After years of searching, we finally have power supplies for the Toshiba SD-H400 TiVo DVR with DVD player. This short-lived TiVo seems to be prized among TiVo owners, since it has TiVo Basic service and consolidates a DVR and DVD player into a nice compact box. Although the cost of the power supply is unfortunately nothing to sneeze at ($149), they are brand new authorized parts.

With this addition, we now have replacement power supplies for every TiVo made, with the exception of the latest TiVoHD models. Those power supplies should be coming soon.

As TiVos age, repair has become increasingly important to TiVo owners. Whether it’s a TiVo hard drive, TiVo power supply or TiVo motherboard, we can repair most problems. TiVo repairs will preserve lifetime service and in many situations (failed power supplies, motherboards and some drive problems), we can also preserve recordings! As always, help is just an email away.

Briefly, the idea is that this enables the TiVo to tell the cable company which video stream to send down to your unit. So more options are available, since not every stream has to be sent at once. The unit plugs into your TiVo’s USB port and then you plug the cable line into it, and the output from it goes to the TiVo. See more info on our earlier blog post about SDV and TiVos.

Now Time Warner seems to have a way to pre-order the unit for any eligible customer. See this page where you can enter you zip code and confirm eligibility, then sign up!

As far as we know, the adapters will be free for eligible customers.

Early on in their history, CableCARDs caused a whole host of problems, largely just due to the lack of knowledge of cable installers. But since then, the problems have really almost totally disappeared, and their installation and use has become routine and reliable.

But if you do have a problem, you should try calling TiVo’s CableCARD hotline. These folks have pretty deep knowledge of CableCARD issues.

Phone number: 866-986-8486

Hours of operation:
Monday – Sunday
6:00 AM – 9:00 PM Pacific