Tivo with cablecard not pairing for premium channels after data id change

If http://www.xfinity.com/activatecablecard doesn't work you'll probably need to use chat, or call them at 1-877-405-2298 and ask for "CableCARD Repair".

These Tivo installation and troubleshooting articles may help:

    CableCARD Installation
    CableCARD Troubleshooting
    Pair or Activate Your CableCARD

Good luck!

@natejgreene1 

Taking a chance that you're still monitoring this thread. 

I am having the exact same problem as you. Replaced the hard drive in my Roamio, now the CableCard won't pair. I can watch everything except my premium channel, HBO. 

Have had multiple calls with Comcast support-- they go through their pairing process, their system tells them it's paired, and yet, no HBO for me. Also tried multiple cable cards, to no avail.

Bottom line, they can't seem to fix it, so was wondering if you ever got this resolved, and if so, how?

I'm this close to dropping HBO with Comcast and just subscribing to HBO Max...

Yeah I was able to get it going again. it was a pain.  From what I can tell the card needs to be unpaired from the existing tivo either by Comcast doing something, or by pairing it to another / different Tivo and then pairing it back to the Tivo you want. Luckily I had a an old Tivo laying around I was able to pair it to and then use that host id and data id in the activation site. This took a bunch of trial and error. I think I had to pair it like 5 or 6 times to that old host id and data id, in order to get it to finally take and not keep changing on me in the actiavation web site. It kept switching back the data id to the old one it was paired to when I would refresh the activation page. Once it was paired to the old Tivo, I used the upgraded Tivo host id and the new data id it gave me and did the same thing and it finally took. There is something with the Comcast systems during the activation process where things can get out of sync and the host id and the data id do not stay associated with each other through their whole process from the activation page to the headend. Got the idea from here: https://www.tivocommunity.com/community/index.php?threads/hd-replace-on-my-roamio-pro-without-loosing-cable-card-pairing.574373/page-2#post-12102154

@natejgreene1 

Wow-- thanks very much for the quick reply. I have some hope now.

I'll check out the link you provided. Unfortunately I don't have an old TiVo sitting around, so hopefully I can somehow get this resolved without one.

Question-- what exactly is the "Data ID"? In prior pairing efforts, I've only ever been asked about the cablecard serial number and the host ID (which hasn't changed). I don't see Data ID reported on any of the CableCard diag screens.

@natejgreene1 

Also, just out of curiosity what brand of CableCard? Mines a Cisco/SA, so I wonder if that's why I don't see Data ID anywhere.

Could very well be why.  I have a motorola card.  Probably is why it is different.

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@natejgreene1 wrote: ... I have a motorola card.  Probably is why it is different.

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Correct. See Tivo CableCARD Installation

@natejgreene1 

I tried re-pairing at least four times with different customer service techs (online process doesnt work for me) and two different cablecards, but the symptom remains even though I'm told everything looks correct on their end.

I even called TiVo support to see if by any chance they had some idea of what the issue was, but they weren't helpful. (TiVo support isn't what it used to be-- in the old days, they'd 3-way call with your provider to get stuff working.)

I just posted to TiVoCommunity in a last-ditch hope that someone will be able to point me in the direction of a fix, but if it doesn't pan out I'm just gonna drop HBO and subscribe to HBO Max, which is what I've been using anyway while trying to resolve this issue.

No sense in paying Comcast for HBO if I can't watch/record it-- and Max turns out to be a couple of bucks cheaper per month.