# "Record Blocking Signal Detected" - now I know why my DVR isn't recording **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 24, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294 "2008-10-24T02:21:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/41 "2008-10-27T18:18:29Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > I hardly ever use rabbit ears. Usually just a French maid outfit. Rrrrrowwwww! How You doin’? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/42 "2008-10-27T18:51:54Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > Consumers who don’t watch ads are already pretty much doing the equivalent of downloading the programs anyway, aren’t they? Not completely - the cable company is much more likely to have the subscription revenue even if you zap through commercials on cable shows, and of course a portion of that pays (in part) for the programming. On the other hand, frequently sponsors’ content is delivered during the actual programming. (No question about who sponsors, say, _24_ – even if you don’t soak up the star’s V.O. work for the sponsor during the breaks - you’re gonna see the logo prominintly displayed four or five times per episode.) I still use _Lux_ soap faithfully in large part due to advertising I’ve been exposed to via internet downloads beginning ~1997. My brand loyalty was purchased by the Lever soap company by way of their sponsorship of solid programming _more than seventy years ago_. That’s good advertising. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/43 "2008-10-27T19:01:02Z")
> [@neutron\_star](#): > > This makes me feel a little bit better about downloading torrents of all my favorite shows and only using my cable to watch football games. Pretty much what I was thinking. Except I don’t watch football. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/44 "2008-10-28T05:54:43Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Rrrrrowwwww! > > How You doin’? Well, I’m a little peeved - we lost our Monday night comedies tonight. Put another timed recording on the old VCR downstairs. :mad: I actually saw the note on my tv screen that said the dvr was blocked from recording, **Gut** - is it possible that the message was actually a glitch in the dvr? It’s the same shows week after week that don’t record. ---
**Author:** ![Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gut)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/45 "2008-10-28T06:06:56Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > **Gut** - is it possible that the message was actually a glitch in the dvr? It’s the same shows week after week that don’t record. Could be the dvr or maybe just a bad HDCP handshake if you are connected with HDMI cables. I occasionally get the bad handshake and just restart all my gear. If you aren’t using HDMI cables then I’d suspect a bad dvr. I’ve had mine replaced once. Shaw got tired of resetting the modem to fix lock ups and sent out a replacement, then they sent another. Shoot me a PM with the programs you are recording and I’ll see if I have any problems. Tonight I recorded Boston Legal and My Own Worst Enemy with no problems. Others on my list are House, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother. ---
**Author:** ![Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gut)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/46 "2008-10-28T06:21:41Z")
Upon re-reading of what message you might be getting it might be possible it’s the exact message I used to get before I had the dvr replaced. I would go to the dvr menu and that’s when a message would display, something like “This service has been disabled, please call 1-800-wes-uckk.” I couldn’t even see a list of my previously recorded shows. Every time I would call the tech would walk me through a bunch of steps and ultimately just reset the modem. I started just requesting the reset right off the bat. Like I said, they eventually sent out a replacement, the first replacement wouldn’t download the guide so they sent a second one. Rambling over, going to bed now. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/47 "2008-10-28T08:35:35Z")
When I was doing research on new TiVo boxes I came across newer units supporting some flag embedded in programming that prevents that TiVo from recording. It’s apparently rarely used. So it may not be a faulty DVR, the technology seems to exist. If it becomes more common, I’m just going to give up on TV. No way I’m going back to the pre-TiVo stone age of TV watching. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294.md?page=2)