This article provides instructions for installing CableCARDs in the TiVo HD DVR.

To receive two digital cable channels at the same time, the TiVo HD DVR requires the installation and activation of either one (1) Multi-stream CableCARD (M-card) or two (2) Single-stream CableCARDs (S-Card).

Most cable companies require CableCARDs to be installed by one of their field installers. If your cable provider allows you to pick up the CableCARDs and install them yourself, make sure you get a telephone number to call to get the cards activated.

If you already have a CableCARD installed in your TV, contact your cable provider to see if you can transfer it to the DVR. Many cable providers associate CableCARDs with the device numbers of the slots in which they are installed when the CableCARDs are active; if you insert the card in the TiVo HD DVR, the card will not work, and may stop working when inserted back into the TV.

Before the Installer Arrives

If possible, do the following at least two days before your installation appointment, to ensure that the DVR can connect to the TiVo Service and download any software updates that are available:

1. Set up the DVR, plug it in, turn on the TV, and use the TV remote to find the TiVo Welcome screen. Make sure you plug the RF cable coming from your wall to the Cable connector (not the Antenna connector) on the back of the DVR. See How Do I Set Up My TiVo HD DVR? for setup options and links to step-by-step instructions.
   
   
2. Complete Guided Setup. Go to Running Guided Setup (Series3 and TiVo HD DVRs) for instructions.
   
   
3. If you were able to complete Guided Setup before your installation appointment, the DVR is ready for CableCARD installation. Go to Step 4, below. If you are performing Guided Setup and installing CableCARDs at the same time, start at Step 1.
   
   Installing the CableCARDs

1. Write down the serial number of each CableCARD you are installing (or any other information that the cable provider may need), and then begin Guided Setup. Follow the on-screen instructions to agree to the Service Terms, confirm that you’ve activated your service, and enter your zip code. (See How Do I Begin Guided Setup? for instructions.)
   
   
2. From the TV Programming Source screen, highlight your program source (Cable Only or Cable & Antenna) and press SELECT.
   
   
3. On the CableCARD Decoder screen answer Yes and press SELECT. The CableCARD Decoders screen appears.
   
   
4. Insert a CableCARD decoder into slot 1 (the right slot) on the front of the TiVo DVR. Make note of the serial number of the card placed in this slot. If you install an S-card, the CableCARD Decoder screen will show that an S-Card has been inserted into slot 1. If you install an M-Card, the screen will momentarily show that an S-Card has been inserted before it updates to show the M-Card.
   
   After a few minutes, the gray CableCARD MMI screen appears automatically.
   
   This screen provides data that may be needed to activate the CableCARD decoder. The content on this screen is determined by the cable provider; TiVo makes a screen available to display the information in compliance with CableCARD certification requirements.
   
   The CableCARD will take a minute or two to initialize. During this time, the CableCARD screens will display a message such as "Card not in normal operation". This does not indicate damage to the CableCARD; as soon as initialization is complete, the message will be replaced with information generated by the CableCARD and the installer will be able to proceed with activation.
   
   If you see the message Updating Firmware when you insert a CableCARD, or if the configuration screen does not appear within 5 minutes, it means that your cable provider is updating the CableCARD’s internal software. DO NOT remove the CableCARD or unplug the DVR until the firmware update is complete! Doing so may permanently damage the CableCARD.
   
   
5. Call your cable provider to activate or initialize the card.
   
   
6. Press CLEAR on the TiVo remote to continue installation. On the CableCARD Decoders screen, highlight Configure CableCARD1 and press SELECT. You are about to use the TiVo menus to test the channels on the CableCARD. Some installers may want to perform a channel scan; this is not necessary.
   
   
7. Highlight Test Channels and press SELECT. You may see the message “Please wait… Acquiring Channel Information", and then the channel test screen appears.
   
   
8. Press the CHAN UP/DOWN button to make sure the card is receiving channels. Then, using the number buttons on the remote, enter the number of at least one encrypted channel (a premium channel, for example) to make sure the card is decrypting properly. If the card is not receiving channels, or is not decrypting properly, see Troubleshooting CableCARD Activation and Channel Issues.
   
   
9. When you finish your tests, press CLEAR to return to the menu, and then highlight Go Back and press SELECT to return to the CableCARD Decoders screen.
   
   
10. If you are installing a second S-Card, repeat Steps 4 through 9; If you installed an M-Card in slot 1, the DVR will ignore any CableCARD you attempt to install in slot 2.
    
    
11. When you are finished, highlight Continue on the CableCARD Decoders screen and press SELECT.
    
    
12. On the TiVo Service Connection screen, highlight the method you want to use to connect to the TiVo Service, and press SELECT.
    
    
    
13. For a phone connection, go to How Do I Configure Phone Dialing Options?
14. For a network connection, go to Configuring TCP/IP Settings on My DVR.

During installation, if the configuration screen does not come up within 5 minutes after a CableCARD is inserted in the DVR, the card is probably undergoing a firmware update. Firmware is software that is stored in the CableCARD's hardware. Some CableCARDs will display a message, but other CableCARDs will simply appear to "hang" when a firmware update is in progress.  If you go to the CableCARD menu, however, the you will see"Card Not In Normal Operation" instead of the menu items, and if you select Test Channels you will see a message that a firmware update is in progress.

Your cable provider may also send a firmware update at any time after installation. This is uncommon, but if it happens, you will see a message that a firmware update is in progress when you view live TV.

Firmware updates are sent by the cable provider through the cable connection, and cannot be controlled by TiVo. DO NOT remove the CableCARD or unplug the DVR while an update is in progress, or you could permanently damage the card.

Firmware updates may take up to 40 minutes. If the CableCARD has not yet been activated, the configuration screen will appear immediately after the update is complete. The cable provider can then proceed with activating the card. If the CableCARD was already activated, it will resume working as usual after the update is complete.

If the process takes more than 40 minutes, or the update stops and then restarts, the firmware update failed and the CableCARD is unusable. If the installer is not there, you will need to contact your cable provider to get a replacement CableCARD installed and activated.

Some cable operators are deploying M-Cards™ (multi-stream CableCARDs) into the field. An M-Card is a CableCARD that is capable of running in either single-stream mode (supports one tuner) or multi-stream mode (single card can support multiple tuners). Both the Series3 HD DVR and TiVo HD DVR have M-Card support. For further information, see below.

TiVo Series3 HD 

Currently, the Series3 HD DVR will support M-Cards in single-stream mode, which means that the DVR requires two (2) CableCARDs to run in dual-tuner mode. The DVR must also be running software version 8.0.1c or later. (S-Cards are supported in all software versions.) Your Series3 HD DVR may have shipped with an earlier version of the software installed. The software will be updated automatically, but not until the DVR completes Guided Setup for the first time, and then downloads and indexes the full 14 days of Guide data immediately after Guided Setup.

To ensure that your CableCARD installation runs smoothly, we recommend that you complete Guided Setup on your Series3 HD DVR before the installer arrives to install the CableCARDs. If you perform Guided Setup at least two days before your installation appointment, your DVR will update to the latest software automatically and will be ready to run either S-Cards or M-Cards.

If you perform Guided Setup on the day of the appointment, you should check your software version and, if necessary, force a software update.  For more information, go to Software Version Troubleshooting.

TiVo is also exploring support of M-Cards in multi-stream mode for the Series3 HD DVR.

You can perform Guided Setup even if you don’t have cable service yet. For instructions, go to Running Guided Setup (Series3 and TiVo HD DVRs).

TiVo HD

The TiVo HD DVR supports multi-stream mode for M-Cards. This means that the TiVo HD DVR requires only one (1) M-Card to receive two digital cable channels at once.

This article is reprinted from TiVo's knowledge base article published here . 

Two CableCARDs (either S-Cards or M-Cards) must be installed in the Series3 HD DVR and activated by your cable provider before you can view and record two digital cable programs at once (including high definition cable programs). If you install only one card, you will be able to view/record only one program at a time.

Most cable companies require CableCARDs to be installed by one of their field installers. If your cable provider allows you to pick up the CableCARDs and install them yourself, make sure you get a telephone number to call to get the cards activated.

If you already have a CableCARD installed in your TV, contact your cable provider to see if you can transfer it to the DVR. Many cable providers associate CableCARDs with the device numbers of the slots in which they are installed when the CableCARDs are active; if you insert the card in the Series3 HD DVR, the card will not work, and may stop working when inserted back into the TV.

Before the Installer Arrives

If possible, do the following at least two days before your installation appointment, to ensure that the DVR can connect to the TiVo Service and download any software updates that are available:

1. Write down the serial number of each CableCARD (or any other information that the cable provider may need), and then begin Guided Setup. Follow the on-screen instructions to agree to the Service Terms, confirm that you’ve activated your service, and enter your zip code. (See How Do I Begin Guided Setup? for instructions.)
2. From the TV Programming Source screen, highlight your program source (Cable Only or Cable & Antenna) and press SELECT.
3. On the CableCARD Decoder screen answer Yes and press SELECT; The CableCARD Decoders screen appears.
4. Insert the first CableCARD decoder into slot 1 (the bottom slot) on the back of the TiVo DVR. Make note of which card is in this slot. After a few minutes, the gray CableCARD MMI screen appears automatically.
   
   This screen provides data that may be needed to activate the CableCARD decoder. The content on this screen is determined by the cable provider; TiVo makes a screen available to display the information in compliance with CableCARD certification requirements. 
   
   The CableCARD will take a minute or two to initialize. During this time, the CableCARD screens will display a message such as "Card not in normal operation".  This does not indicate damage to the CableCARD; as soon as initialization is complete, the message will be replaced with information generated by the CableCARD and the installer will be able to proceed with activation.
   
   If you see the message Updating Firmware when you insert a CableCARD, or if the configuration screen does not appear within 5 minutes, it means that your cable provider is updating the CableCARD’s internal software. DO NOT remove the CableCARD or unplug the DVR until the firmware update is complete! Doing so may permanently damage the CableCARD.
   
   
5. Call your cable provider to activate or initialize the card.
   
   For Motorola CableCARDs, many cable providers send an activation signal that causes the DVR to issue error 161-4. This is normal and can be ignored. If you see 161-4 more than once, or if you see any other 161-x signal, it means that the card is damaged and needs to be replaced.
   
   
   
6. Press CLEAR on the TiVo remote to continue installation. On the CableCARD Decoders screen, highlight Configure CableCARD1 and press SELECT. You are about to use the TiVo menus to test the channels on the CableCARD.  Some installers may want to perform a channel scan; this is not necessary.
   
   
   
   
7. Highlight Test Channels and press SELECT.
   
   
8. Press the CHAN UP/DOWN button to make sure the card is receiving channels. Then, using the number buttons on the remote, enter the number of at least one encrypted channel (a premium channel, for example) to make sure the card is decrypting properly.
   
   
9. When you finish your tests, press CLEAR to return to the menu, and then highlight Go Back and press SELECT to return to the CableCARD Decoders screen.
   
   
10. Repeat Steps 4 through 9 to configure CableCARD2.
    
    
11. When you are finished, highlight Continue on the CableCARD Decoders screen and press SELECT.
    
    
12. On the TiVo Service Connection screen, highlight the method you want to use to connect to the TiVo Service, and press SELECT.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

As a general rule, TiVo no longer offers the lifetime subscription service.

However, from time to time, TiVo does run special promotions allowing you to purchase or transfer a lifetime service.  When they run these promotions, there are certain eligibility requirements, so you should ensure you understand the details.  We try to document each of these promotions on our web site here. 

Any TiVo Series3 or TiVo HD purchased from us is always eligible for the same promotions run on the TiVo site.  If you have any questions or concerns about that, you should contact us for more details.

Yes, as long as the systems are purchased and activated within the eligibility dates defined on TiVo's web site, systems purchased through us are eligible in the same way that a unit purchased directly from TiVo would be; there is no difference.

To see the latest rebates, specials and promotions, please see this page of our web site.