TiVo : TiVo Multiroom Streaming Problem

[heavyside]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

Ok, it's good to rule these things out.

Sounds like the sending TiVo isn't supplying data fast enough. Try a "Clear Thumb ratings & Suggestions" on it. (if you haven't already)

I did this a couple of months ago when I read on the forum that this would speed up my sluggish TiVo (it didn't) but I will do so again. BTW, I don't use thumb ratings and switched off suggestions. I tried the feature when I first got TiVo but found the suggestions it made irrelevant.

I'll try viewing more recordings this evening. Fingers crossed.

[heavyside]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

Ok, it's good to rule these things out.

Sounds like the sending TiVo isn't supplying data fast enough. Try a "Clear Thumb ratings & Suggestions" on it. (if you haven't already)

That's not the answer. I cleared thumb ratings and suggestions on both TiVos (just to be certain) and I am still getting the dreaded 'Network too slow' message on my cat 5e directly connected TiVo. Surely there must be a way to fix this.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by heavyside

That's not the answer. I cleared thumb ratings and suggestions on both TiVos (just to be certain) and I am still getting the dreaded 'Network too slow' message on my cat 5e directly connected TiVo. Surely there must be a way to fix this.

It isn't a known error as such. I've only ever seen that message when deliberately testing over a slow network. I've streamed HD recordings from one TiVo to three others simultaneously and not seen it. So you've got something unusual here.

Does it happen if you stream in the opposite direction? Does it happen on SD recordings or just HD?

[heavyside]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

It isn't a known error as such. I've only ever seen that message when deliberately testing over a slow network. I've streamed HD recordings from one TiVo to three others simultaneously and not seen it. So you've got something unusual here.

Does it happen if you stream in the opposite direction? Does it happen on SD recordings or just HD?

It happens in both directions. I have only noticed it on HD recordings as I rarely watch SD. I have noticed that it tends to happen between 8.00 and 9.00 pm but as I only watch TV in the evenings this might just be a coincidence. The worst problem I had was watching a Sky Cinema recording which stopped three times within an hour.

I first encountered the problem using Netgear homeplugs and upgraded to faster TP-Link ones but with no improvement. Next I tried a direct connection with a cat 5e cable via a gigabit switch with the same result. I am now using a 15 metre cat 5e direct TiVo to TiVo connection and still getting this problem.

One other thing to note - often when I first try and connect I get the message 'Unable to find network - try again'. I try again and it connects. All goes well for up to a couple of hours but sooner or later I get the 'Network too slow' message. I must then start the recording from the beginning and fast forward.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by heavyside

I have noticed that it tends to happen between 8.00 and 9.00 pm but as I only watch TV in the evenings this might just be a coincidence

Ah, now that's interesting. It might be IR interference in the room slowing the sending TiVo. Try covering up the IR sensor on the front of the sending TiVo. The sensor is just to the left of the green power LED - lean a book against it or something.

[heavyside]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

Ah, now that's interesting. It might be IR interference in the room slowing the sending TiVo. Try covering up the IR sensor on the front of the sending TiVo. The sensor is just to the left of the green power LED - lean a book against it or something.

Thanks, I'll give it a whirl.

I don't know if you can use the multiroom streaming with the sending TiVo switched off but I always leave it switched on. I do notice the next morning though that it has switched itself off. It must do this automatically after a set period. It did cross my mind that these 'Network too slow' events just might coincide with the sending TiVo switching off. This is something I've yet to check out.

[spiderplant]

It should work with the sending box in standby, but it's possible you get a glitch as it goes into standby. If you want you can turn off auto power saving in Home -> Help&Settings ->Settings -> Devices

[heavyside]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

It should work with the sending box in standby, but it's possible you get a glitch as it goes into standby. If you want you can turn off auto power saving in Home -> Help&Settings ->Settings -> Devices

Thanks again. With the Olympic games now with us I plan to be watching more recorded programmes than usual over the weekend as I'm not a big fan of sport. I hope this works.

[heavyside]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

It should work with the sending box in standby, but it's possible you get a glitch as it goes into standby. If you want you can turn off auto power saving in Home -> Help&Settings ->Settings -> Devices

The problem persists. I even replaced my cat 5e cable with a new one, directly connected the two TiVos, set the sending TiVo to be always on, covered the IR receptor but I still cannot view streamed content between my TiVos without getting the dreaded 'Network too slow' message at some point. This happened three times in seven hours of viewing over the weekend - once on a BBC recording and twice on a Sky Cinema recording. It is intensely annoying. I'm out of ideas.

[heavyside]

Curiouser and curiouser. I was streaming recordings from one TiVo to another over the weekend and I got the 'Network too slow' message three times within a two-hour period forcing me to restart and fast-forward to the point where I was interrupted each time. Then, wonder of wonders, I have watched more than six hours of streamed recordings over three evenings since then without a single blip. I'm beginning to wonder if this is a weekends only problem. Could it be a coincidence or has any one else experienced this?

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by heavyside

Curiouser and curiouser. I was streaming recordings from one TiVo to another over the weekend and I got the 'Network too slow' message three times within a two-hour period forcing me to restart and fast-forward to the point where I was interrupted each time. Then, wonder of wonders, I have watched more than six hours of streamed recordings over three evenings since then without a single blip. I'm beginning to wonder if this is a weekends only problem. Could it be a coincidence or has any one else experienced this?

Did you try the IR interference test I suggested earlier? That's exactly the sort of problem that causes intermittent slowness.

[heavyside]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

Did you try the IR interference test I suggested earlier? That's exactly the sort of problem that causes intermittent slowness.

Yes, I tried it. The three 'Network too slow' blips happened while the IR was completely covered and the sending TiVo turned on permanently. As it seemed to be having no effect I uncovered it and since then - no blips. I'm hoping this continues. I will watch some more streamed recordings this evening and wait and see what happens over the weekend. It's a strange problem, that's for sure.

[spiderplant]

Try covering the IR receiver at the receiving end too

[heavyside]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

Try covering the IR receiver at the receiving end too

Thanks, I'll give it a try, but surely that means that the TiVo I will be watching the recording on will be unresponsive to the remote? If it works it can't be a long term solution.

BTW, I did watch two hours of streamed recordings yesterday evening without a blip. That makes more than eight hours in total since I last encountered the problem.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by heavyside

If it works it can't be a long term solution.

No, it's just part of the process of identifying the cause. If we can prove it is caused by IR interference, we can then work on eliminating the source of that interference (often it's an energy-saving bulb in the room, or the TV screen itself)