Comcast XFINITY TV → On Demand not working on one unit, is on the other

I have recently picked up two HD/DVRs. One has a direct feed to it, the other goes through a splitter.

I still have DirecTV and am making the switch to Comcast. Currently, the majority of the house is wired for satellite through a powered satellite approved splitter. This splitter has an AUX Antenna input, which I have a new cable drop from Comcast running into. The first cable box I setup that was on the splitter never had On Demand working. I would get a message "Communications error, please call your cable provider". I did and Comcast ended up having me bring the box back. (Too bad too, cause I had a brand spanking new one and they game me an obviously used one in return). Anyway, I get the replacement box and it does the same thing. Everything works, yet On Demand still gives "Communications Error" even after letting it sit all night long.

I have another unit in the basement that shares a dedicated line off my modem. This unit has no issues, so I'm wondering if my "satellite approved" splitter is not "cable approved" and is screwing with my signal? What do you think? I also notice the one where the On Demand isn't working seems to be taking a ton of time to get the Guide updated. I.E. I want to record Last Comic Standing, which airs in two days, yet the Guide still doesn't show any Last Comic Standing available to record, even after being on all night. I have tried switching the units and have the same issue, although now I cannot fully recall everything since I've been switching boxes left and right for two days.

Let me know your thoughts on the splitter. I am headed out at lunch to get a female/female connector to I can try bypassing my satellite splitter and test a direct feed to the upstairs box. While I'm out, I'd like to get a "cable approved" splitter, so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Splitters. Just go to your Comcast office and get them. They have them, or just find a tech. They all carry them. For free.

Thanks, but I really want to know if there is a difference between satellite splitters and cable splitters, especially in my scenario I explained. I'm really tired of trying to find the prob, returning equipment, calling Comcast, etc.

FYI, I had absolutely no problems with my satellite equipment on this splitter and it read dual feeds to two separate satellite boxes.

yes they are different. what rating is listed on the splitter. cable uses usually 5-1000 and i believe satellite is much higher frequency. in fact the return would probably be on the lower frequencies. take the bad box and hook it up to the line with the good box and i suspect the bad box will be good. if you just go to comcast and get the splitter then your satellite isnt going to work.

Thanks.

Not sure on the rating of my current satellite splitter. I just know it is an RCA powered splitter (plugs into AC for signal boosting).

Well first of all, the "satellite splitter" you are talking about is NOT a splitter, but a "switch". And most of those satellite switches were not really meant to run 2-way cable service through, of which your DVR box needs. If it cannot send signals back to the cable headend, you will have the problems you are having.

You need to bypass your satellite switch & put a proper cable splitter in on your cable line & your problems should go away.

Awesome. I suspected that. Thanks!!

And, I can just go to my Comcast pickup store and get splitters for free?

Ok, I stopped in to the Comcast customer service center and picked up a splitter for free (as I was told I could above. Thanks for that).

Put the new splitter on and still a no-go. I called Comcast and they stated they still could not "see" the DVR. They had me switch units with the other one I have in the basement and the problem stayed with the location, not the DVR. The DVR that did not work upstairs correctly now works fine downstairs.

The DVR that I now put upstairs from downstairs is acting totally different than I've see so far with this problem. I can see all the channels, if I manually go through them (this always worked), but I have no Guide Menu, no My DVR menu, and no On Demand Menu (new problem), nor do I have the progress bar for recording showing across the bottom when I pause TV (yet I can pause, FF, RW live TV).

Since I originally had satellite up at this location with dual tuner service, I have two brand new cables that run upstairs. I even switched cables to the cable box and still have the same issue.

After 3 hours, I called Comcast, letting them know my trouble. They were very helpful (which they have been this whole time) and now scheduled a Tech to come out tomorrow. They said I must have a signaling problem, i.e. weak signal, on that drop, even though it is a brand new drop I just had Comcast put in. We'll see what the Tech finds. I'm sure the first thing he will do is unhook the cable from the DVR upstairs and put his signal meter on it.

The only thing that baffles me is, how can I get perfect pictures on all channels, yet have a probably weak signal?

Anyway, thanks for the replies so far. I'll keep you all posted of my service call tomorrow.

UPDATE..Problems fixed:

Comcast came onsite (wife was home so he called me at work). I explained what was going on..that the DVR didn't work upstairs, but did downstairs, regardless of which DVR was where. Upstairs always did not work. The first thing he asked me was, "what kind of TV do you have downstairs"? I told him an HDTV. My TV upstairs (one with the problem) is a standard 480i. He immediately turned off the DVR upstairs, then hit the Menu button on the front of the DVR to get into the setup menu. The TV settings were for an HDTV @ 1080i. He told me, with the settings wrong like this, On Demand, Guide, My DVR, etc., would all not function.

I told him, when I picked these units up from the Customer Care Center, I could tell they were "used". Ends up, Comcast did not "factory reset" the devices, therefore they had the wrong settings for my upstairs TV. This explains why regardless of which DVR I used, the problem stayed in the location.

He set the TV to a standard 480i in the DVR setup menu, powered on the DVR and the On Demand, My DVR menu, Guide, Menu....they all started working.

He was in and out of there in 15 minutes and totally cool. I am so surprised all the calls I made in to Tech Support never asked me about the TV or had me check the DVR setup menu.

All is fixed, so I can now start checking out the features of Comcast.