Anyone else having this problem? The picture intermittantly becomes black and white while watching the DirecTV TiVo. Changing channels will sometimes correct the problem, as the problem seems to be somewhat channel specific. I have several Tivo R-10's in one installation, all with the same problem (although some seem more problematic than others). Each of the units is connected to a Sima VS-502 switcher as composite and up-converted to component. I have tried up-converting from S-video, but it seems to make no difference. To eliminate the possiblity of a defective S-video cable , I decided to stick with composite for now. Each of the units Simas are connected to Samsung LNR-238 23" LCD televisions as component video.

Everything else I feed to the TV (through the Sima) doesn't have the problem. Inputs include two DVD players, and a video camera. I am also feeding a PC to each of the televisions through the VGA inputs, with no problem. Only the TiVo has intermittent color.

DirecTV denies that they have a problem with the unit, which doesn't surprise me. I replaced one of the units and it seemed to solve the problem for about a day, then the problem came back. Since the problem is intermittent, it is hard to nail down. Does the Samsung just have a sensitive color reactance circuit, or is it the TiVo? Since the Samsung doesn't act up with any other source, I am assuming that it is the TiVo. I know that I can try substituting, but since the problem is irratic, it's hard to find the time to sit around for hours and wait for it to act up I was just wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem, and if so, what did you do to solve it?

tell customer that this is the latest in electronics...top shelf stuff....better than hidef...black and white is in....hottest thing since 1966

what if you plug something else into the component video input that is giving you greif...i noticed none of your other inputs are jacked up...maybe your component inputs are messed up......or maybe the conversion from composite to component is at fault or maybe the component video cables........

dam throw it all away and start over

ed

I don't have any problem with any other source through the switcher or otherwise. Only the TiVo has a color problem. I am not using component for the TiVo because it only has composite and S-Video. I am using the composite video and up-converting it to component through the Sima switcher, which has a component up-conversion feature.

I was just wondering if anyone else has found a similar problem with the DirecTV
R-10. Anyone?

ok if you takew something else and try to convert it to component what happens it could be your converter!

ok what if you connect the direct tv receiver directly to tv via composit...is it still black and white....

are you an end user or a dealer? this is basic trouble shooting 101......

CEIED, If you look at his profile, you can see that he is in the biz. He is just seeing if anyone else is having issues with the R-10. I did have one go to B&W when we initially installed it, but it seemed to fix itself after it was reset.

just noting that he needs to isolate the problem which he is not. if problem follows converter then converter

if problem stays with tivo..shit can it

Ceied: I am well aware of the basics of troubleshooting, as I am a BSEE and have been designing, installing, and servicing products for the consumer and professional electronics market for over forty years--probably before you were even old enough to wipe your own ass.

While narrowing this problem down may seem as simple as eliminating components, this particular job requires travel and I would like to go back well armed with an arsenal of knowledge. That knowledge will hopefully include any proclivity that this particular model of TiVo may have for color stability problems. No matter what I do, whether it's eliminating a component, hooking it up a different way, reseting the TiVo, or even so much as changing channels, the color problem temporarily corrects its self--often for several hours or even days. The next day I may or may not get a call, saying that some of the units (one or two out of eight), have intermittent color. I replaced one of the Tivo units, which seemed to correct the problem for a day or two, but then the problem returned a couple of days later.

I am just trying to avoid return trips, as each trip costs me several hundred dollars. The next time I return, I am going to remove one of the switchers and wire the Tivo directly to the TV as composite-- then go home and wait. That will eliminate one possiblility. I am also going to try connecting the TiVo to another TV, through the switcher. I will have to let each of these hookups sit and play for a couple of days to determine reliability. As you can see, the cost of trouble-shooting an intermittent problem like this can be very costly, especially when the system is out of town. My next step will be to buy an identical setup and hook it up in the shop to test reliability. Now maybe you can see why I was hoping for some input from other installers.

By the way Ceied, your comments are similar to suggestions I heard from DirecTV when I ask for help. The guy was very condescending and kept insisting that the problem was that the TV wasn't on channnel 3. Do you by chance work in their customer support?

Greg C.: Thanks for helping to explain the problem to those with less reading comprehension. I appreciate your input.

no i am in india.....lol

i still say stay on site till you can reproduce problem, swap out different source being up converted see if that works....

you have 1 of 2 problems.....maybe 3 cables. bad tivo's or bad convertors....i'd bring new tivo's, new convertors and maybe even new cables

Ceied: Sorry I went off on you and thanks for your input. My thoughts are similar to yours on how to handle the problem. Since no one else seems to be having problems with the TiVo, I am left with the "shotgun" approach to trouble-shooting. I have several other installations that are bid and coming up soon with the exact equipment layout, and I'm hoping that the problem won't keep haunting me throughout all of the new installations as well as the exsisting one. The televisions are installed in the ceiling of a dental office. That's why there is a duplication of the same layout again and again. Pretty cool being able to watch TiVo while laying back in a denta chair.

The component cables in this installation are 50 to 70 feet long. Setting up the same scenario on a test bench may be the only way to get a reliable answer to the problem. I've never had a problem running long component cables before, but maybe the Samsung monitors are just a little more sensitive to phase shifts, causing the 3.58Mhz color reactance oscillator in the TV to be unstable--which is all it takes to lose color. Normally, however, there would be some indication on the screen with waves of color drifting accross the screen before turning to black and white.

I may have to pull out some of my old test equipment, some of which I haven't used in years.

If anyone else is experiencing color problems with the DirecTV R-10 TiVo receiver, I would still like to hear about it. Thanks.

Stew: Interesting- I used to have this problem with my old HDVR2. I never solved it. Changing the channel would usually fix it, but sometimes it took a soft reset of the unit. This was a fairly common problem with the older TiVo's. I never fixed it and never got a good answer from. D*. I just lived with it until I got my 10-250. I hit the TiVo boards fairly often and have not seen this mentioned over there about this unit (but I have not been doing any looking for it either!). If you are not familiar with it, here is the TiVo boards link to do some more digging.

[Link: tivocommunity.com]