Does your Tivo occassionally record the wrong program?

[Kermit]

We've only had Tivo for about a month or two, but we've had a few occassions where it has just recorded the wrong program. One time I could tell that it had changed the channel to 5 instead of 75. Instead of getting Sew Much More on DIY, I got Judge Mathis on WB! It did it again with a show that DH has a season's pass for, but I didn't look closely enough to see if there was an obvious reason. Anyone else have this problem?

 

[Beth76]

Yes, we've had that happen several times. I don't know if it's Tivo's fault or the cable box's fault. We don't have tivo anymore, we have the DVR through our cable company. It's a DVR/cable box in one, and we haven't had the problem since.

 

[neosnightmare]

Yes, we've had that happen several times. I don't know if it's Tivo's fault or the cable box's fault. We don't have tivo anymore, we have the DVR through our cable company. It's a DVR/cable box in one, and we haven't had the problem since.

Basically the same thing with me. Same issue and switch. I still have the Tivo in my room though. It gets it right enough to be used as a secondary.

 

[mrsstats]

Never had it record the wrong channel. Sometimes the wrong show but that is due to a last minute change in the lineup.

 

[ChristmasElf]

I have not had this happen either. Once in a while, it will stop a minute or 2 before the show is over though, but that is ABCs fault on Friday nights. So I just adjust the timing on the other options flag and it works out fine.
Are you sure you have it programmed? If you play around with it a little, it will tell you what shows it is planning on taping and you can make adjustments.

 

[Kermit]

It's programmed correctly because it has only messed up on things we have Season Passes for. It will record the programs correctly almost all the time and then just mess them up every once in a while.

 

[Buzz Durkin]

Yeah, that happens to me sometimes. Does your TIVO use the infa-red method to change the cable box? This acts like a remote, and like any remote it can occasionally not work properly the first time, so the cable box ends up on the wrong channel.

See if you can mess with the channel-changing settings in the tivo and also make sure the IR things are set up to give it a clear shot at the box.

Lately I've noticed TIVO correct itself when the cable box first goes to a wrong channel, but I'm not sure why this is. It doesn't seem to be happening as much to me as it used to.

 

[2BigKIdz]

We have had Tivo since February and it has never recorded the wrong program for us.

 

[Kermit]

Yeah, that happens to me sometimes. Does your TIVO use the infa-red method to change the cable box? This acts like a remote, and like any remote it can occasionally not work properly the first time, so the cable box ends up on the wrong channel.

That's probably exactly the reason we're having problems. We have our TV in an entertainment center with cabinets under the spot for the TV. There's only room for the Tivo in the section with the TV, so the cable box is in the cabinet underneath it with the doors shut. Maybe the signal just can't get through it sometimes.

 

[Beanie]

I've never had mine record the wrong channel. I hope it doesn't happen either! LOL

 

[mom23boys]

It has happened to me a few times. One night it taped Girls Gone Wild informercial instead of General Hospital.

My DH would have like to seen that, but I was bummed.

 

[bicker]

There are two types of channel-changing problems. One of them always involves channels with the number 6 in them. They're a bit rarer, but if that's the problem you've got, then the solution is different.

For just random channel changing problems, assuming you've selected the right remote code, the issue is almost always outside radio-frequency interference, rather than a misfire of the infrared emitters. We specifically bought a television table that has a big compartment inside, to enclose the cable box and the infrared emitters.

​

No interfering signals can get into the cabinet, and we've not had a channel changing problem since. (Don't put anything else in the cabinet -- it'll get too hot.)

 

[Bobbysdog]

Hi! Twenty-year electronics store veteran and five year TIVO owner here. I've helped out many customers with your specific problem. See if this works for you...

There's a 99% chance that the problem a couple of you have described is that you have the wrong remote codes programmed into your TIVO for whatever cable box you have. What most people don't know is that more than one set of the codes TIVO lists can partially control your box, but only one specific code will completely control all the right functions on your cable box.

When you're setting it up, the TIVO asks you to try a code, then asks if it changes your box, and then assumes that's the right one if it does. Most people will see the box change, assume they got it right, and leave it alone. If TIVO's recording the wrong channel, go back into the menus, and see if other codes will work your box as well. The overwhelming odds are that you've inadvertantly put in the wrong code without realizing that.

There are some other possibilities, but this is the biggest cause. Try this first, and let me know if you have any problems...happy to help!

 

[ZachnElli]

I've had this happen too. And it will actually happen while I am manually changing channels too. It just won't accept both numbers, it's a pain. I'm not sure how we have the wrong code. It works about 85% of the time, so it does work most of the time.

 

[Bobbysdog]

I've had this happen too. And it will actually happen while I am manually changing channels too. It just won't accept both numbers, it's a pain. I'm not sure how we have the wrong code. It works about 85% of the time, so it does work most of the time.

Tivo will ask you in the setup if your cable box needs two numbers or three when punching in a channel. Make sure you're on the right setting there...it shouldn't work only 85% of the time.

 

[MosMom]

I've never had mine record the wrong channel. I hope it doesn't happen either! LOL

No kidding! It BETTER not!

 

[JVL1018]

Mine did that on occasion, but hasn't for months..what it does now is freeze the whole TV, and we have to unplug the back of the box and plug it back in to set it.
It's annoying when you're watching and it happens and VERY annoying when it happens about 2 hours after you leave for vacation and nothing you had set to record for 10 days records.
I can't figure out why it happens.

 

[RadioNate]

Mine did that on accasion, but hasn't for months..what it does now is freeze the whole TV, and we have to unplug the back of the box and plug it back in to set it.
It's annoying when you're watching and it happens and VERY annoying when it happens about 2 hours after you leave for vacation and nothing you had set to record for 10 days records.
I can't figure out why it happens.

How old is your Tivo - that sounds like a hard drive problem. We had that happen with our 1st unit after we had it about 18 months. After awhile it just pooped out and we got a new one.

I've never had the wrong channel problem.

 

[JVL1018]

How old is your Tivo - that sounds like a hard drive problem. We had that happen with our 1st unit after we had it about 18 months. After awhile it just pooped out and we got a new one.

I've never had the wrong channel problem.

We got it in December..and it has happened about once a month since we got it.

 

[Kermit]

When you're setting it up, the TIVO asks you to try a code, then asks if it changes your box, and then assumes that's the right one if it does. Most people will see the box change, assume they got it right, and leave it alone. If TIVO's recording the wrong channel, go back into the menus, and see if other codes will work your box as well. The overwhelming odds are that you've inadvertantly put in the wrong code without realizing that.

There are some other possibilities, but this is the biggest cause. Try this first, and let me know if you have any problems...happy to help!

Thanks for the help. I'll have to find the manual with the codes to see if another one works. I have a question, though. Could that still be the reason if it has messed up on programs we have a season's pass for? It has never messed up more than once on the same program, and it has always been things that we have a season's pass for, so it has recorded the same programs successfully many times.