Arghhh, I am so frustrated with the H3 timers situation

[DialgaChampion]

This just isn't getting fixed. Maybe a little better but not fixed. I see it as all these problems are interrelated because of bad Rovi guide info. We are paying escalating DVR fees and constant missing of programs and needing to pay constant attention to timers isn't going to be tolerated forever.

1. I check the other guide services and when we have something like a description of "Turner Classic Movies" the others have the actual programming. Doesn't happen all the time but often enough, happens with A&E and a couple of others from time to time and not just in advanced dates.

2. Advanced dates more than ever have wrong info and resort to "Episode 1" or some non descriptive info. If you are not vigilant you may set another timer for that spot thinking there is nothing recording and because of the wrong info that new timer is allowed. However when the time comes one of two things happens. Either it really is a new episode, it records and the timer you set does not because of priority. Or, when the time comes it is a new episode and it does not record because the info never got fixed and that timer does not record. AGAIN when I check other services nearly always they have the correct advance info - or if the description is not there yet it does clearly show as new and the description shows up before the date.

3. 100% new problem, virtually never happened before if I set a timer and let it decide by priority I am noticing sometimes the next airing where there are no conflicts does set to record I have t manually do it.

4. I still have to delete and update timers nowhere near as often but why still?

I agree entirely. I don't mind paying the $15 DVR fee as long as the majority of my programs are being recorded and sorted properly, as was the case with Gracenote. If the fee goes towards paying for the guide info (and inherently the DVR functionality, which relies on the guide info to record properly), then you have to make sure the guide info has the proper information in it. And no guide provider is 100% perfect, but for the most part, Gracenote was much better than Rovi in terms of providing accurate episode descriptions and titles.

In fact, in many cases with my programs, I've noticed that one week the episode data is fine, and it displays the proper season and episode number and description, and then the next week the same program is back to the default incorrect information again, so the H3 doesn't record it and I have to set a manual timer. So it's not even being permanently fixed. If I had to guess, I'd assume that Dish is only fixing the data one episode at a time, and they're trying to fix as many individual program listings during the week as they can, before the next week comes and they have to start all over again for the next episode of the exact same programs. There's no permanent solution at the moment, short of changing guide providers.

That's the frustrating part. You've got the most advanced hardware in the H3, and yet because of incorrect guide information, the hardware isn't functioning properly. It's not a problem with the hardware in the slightest -- it's more than capable of doing what it's supposed to do. But the guide information is preventing the hardware from doing its job, because the two work together hand-in-hand.

As it is, I actually want to get a couple of 4K Joeys for some other TVs in my house. It's unfortunate though that the guide issues will persist with them as well, but I have no alternative. The only other option where I am is DirecTV, and not only did I hate their service in the past, but their 5-tuner DVR pales in comparison to 16 tuners on the H3, especially when you consider the TVs using up 3 tuners by default for live programming and no primetime anytime function either... so here we go again with recording conflicts.

I just hope Dish is aware of all these complaints and understands that the only permanent fix is to change providers. If they can't go back with Gracenote, find another provider who's just as good and go with them, but don't stay with Rovi.

 

[fishman316]

We have to setup cold case files on a&e every week. Delete the old timer, setup the new one, hopper records that weeks episode and then you look at the schedule and next weeks is missing. Every week.

Sent from my SM-G920P using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[Tampa8]

We have to setup cold case files on a&e every week. Delete the old timer, setup the new one, hopper records that weeks episode and then you look at the schedule and next weeks is missing. Every week.

Sent from my SM-G920P using the SatelliteGuys app!

Often the same for Storage Wars. It's bizarre one week it gets it right, the next the timer sees no new episodes but there is, then the next it sees the second showings as new not the first. Most of timers seem stable but there still a couple and I feel I have to check every week for each one to be sure.
The guide info keeps saying episode 1 for many shows, and of course the ridiculous subjective descriptions that make the actual episode info get truncated, continues.

 

[lparsons21]

Yep, the timers are not the issue, it is the crappy Rovi guide data. TiVo is having the same issues.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[osu1991]

Often the same for Storage Wars. It's bizarre one week it gets it right, the next the timer sees no new episodes but there is, then the next it sees the second showings as new not the first. Most of timers seem stable but there still a couple and I feel I have to check every week for each one to be sure.
The guide info keeps saying episode 1 for many shows, and of course the ridiculous subjective descriptions that make the actual episode info get truncated, continues.

I noticed the 2nd storage wars episode didn't record this week on tivo as it had no info, caught it in time to record the repeat. It's just so inconsistent from week to week. Vegas Rat Rods also didn't record this week as it had a different Series ID than normal.

 

[Radioguy41]

FWIW, Dish sent me a survey today asking if I would recommend Dish to my friends etc. I said no and when asked why I laid it all out about the messed up guide and timer problems. Anyone else receiving the survey should tell it like it is.

 

[DWS44]

Been out of town all week. Got back home yesterday looking forward to watching the new ESPN "30 for 30" series on the Celtics/Lakers rivalry from earlier in the week...found my "30 for 30" timer failed to record any of them.

 

[xfoneguy]

Doesn't help. I redid my timer for the Magicians last night and now when I check the schedule for next week it is missing again and I had to add a new timer. This is a never ending saga. I'll end up filling my max 99 timers with multiple duplicates.

It would really be nice if there were a way to print out a list of timers!

 

[xfoneguy]

Couple of months ago when I had problems adding new timers I called Dish and the rep asked me if by any chance I reached the 99 timers limit so I assumed, apparently incorrectly, that he knew what he was talking about.

Mine has been 199 for some time now - I test it every once in a while and as soon as I try to create #200 I get the error message (which they changed recently to make more sense - something about "reaching your limit")

 

[RobMeyer1]

I just accessed DishAnywhere.com from my PC, selected DVR, then My Timers. I was able to get a list of timers, but it only listed timers than are scheduled to record something in the next 8.5 days. Edit: It also includes scheduled but skipped timers. It is printable, but my 2nd page over printed the heading info over the listing making it hard to read 2nd program listed on that page.

 

[SandFarmer]

I have said it before: Dish is supplying an inferior guide / DVR experience because some people still aren't paying full price. The instant that Dish gets all of the problems fixed, expect the grandfathering to end, since the DVR experience will then be "worth" paying for.

Grandfathered Fees? Mine have long since gone away and I am paying what looks to be full price for an inferior product.

What we pay will never get us a better product. Charlie wants his toys.

Years ago I was brought in to help design a new UI, publication and a part of it was the guide info that Dish was well on its way to having their own product. The projects were dropped in midstream and never finished.

 

[jerryez]

Are your timers set to record new and reruns. If not, you might try that. Then you could delete it if you have seen it. If you have the timer set to new and reruns and still it does not record, then you can blame it on the H3.

 

[avion]

Are your timers set to record new and reruns. If not, you might try that. Then you could delete it if you have seen it. If you have the timer set to new and reruns and still it does not record, then you can blame it on the H3.

I definitely can blame it on the H3. There were many cases when the timer was set to record new and reruns and I noticed that it was not about to record so I had to add a new timer.

 

[DialgaChampion]

If you've tried recording Bowling, good luck with that. With Gracenote, I had two seek timers for "PBA Bowling" and "Bowling", and it would automatically record all new airings.

Now with Rovi, I can't even set a series timer for it. The only options are to manually find it in the guide and select "Record This" or "Record Future Airing" for the exact same episode, and that's it, and since the Search feature isn't properly displaying the results, I can't find it in there either. Have to manually search online to find out when it airs, then find it in the guide to manually record it each time.

 

[midleman]

I agree entirely. I don't mind paying the $15 DVR fee as long as the majority of my programs are being recorded and sorted properly, as was the case with Gracenote. If the fee goes towards paying for the guide info (and inherently the DVR functionality, which relies on the guide info to record properly), then you have to make sure the guide info has the proper information in it. And no guide provider is 100% perfect, but for the most part, Gracenote was much better than Rovi in terms of providing accurate episode descriptions and titles.

In fact, in many cases with my programs, I've noticed that one week the episode data is fine, and it displays the proper season and episode number and description, and then the next week the same program is back to the default incorrect information again, so the H3 doesn't record it and I have to set a manual timer. So it's not even being permanently fixed. If I had to guess, I'd assume that Dish is only fixing the data one episode at a time, and they're trying to fix as many individual program listings during the week as they can, before the next week comes and they have to start all over again for the next episode of the exact same programs. There's no permanent solution at the moment, short of changing guide providers.

That's the frustrating part. You've got the most advanced hardware in the H3, and yet because of incorrect guide information, the hardware isn't functioning properly. It's not a problem with the hardware in the slightest -- it's more than capable of doing what it's supposed to do. But the guide information is preventing the hardware from doing its job, because the two work together hand-in-hand.

As it is, I actually want to get a couple of 4K Joeys for some other TVs in my house. It's unfortunate though that the guide issues will persist with them as well, but I have no alternative. The only other option where I am is DirecTV, and not only did I hate their service in the past, but their 5-tuner DVR pales in comparison to 16 tuners on the H3, especially when you consider the TVs using up 3 tuners by default for live programming and no primetime anytime function either... so here we go again with recording conflicts.

I just hope Dish is aware of all these complaints and understands that the only permanent fix is to change providers. If they can't go back with Gracenote, find another provider who's just as good and go with them, but don't stay with Rovi.

DialgaChampion, I completely agree with your comments. This problem with the guide is out of control. Sometimes Rovi waits till the last the last minute to update the guide if you’re lucky. The guide is mostly useless eight days out( as promised by DISH) . The latest problem is TMZ. It is most always a new show but the guide has it a generic description next week so as of now, it won’t record.

It has been 10 weeks since Dish said they would contact me concerning this problem and still no email like the CSR said they would do. Dish need to change their slogan from the listening company to We don’t give a S**t. Dish need to fix the guide. Maybe they need to do the guide themselves. ( what a concept).

If I didn’t have a contract, I might have left already. Giving a $5 discount for 6 months for a DVR fee $15 that is spotty at best is not a fair trade. My patients is wearing really thin right now.

All I would wish for is a guide that works. ( Rant over)

 

[Tony S]

It has been 10 weeks since Dish said they would contact me concerning this problem and still no email like the CSR said they would do. Dish need to change their slogan from the listening company to We don’t give a S**t. Dish need to fix the guide. Maybe they need to do the guide themselves. ( what a concept).

As you have probably realized by now, I think that the CSR said that to get you off the phone and keep you quiet for a while (because they knew there was nothing that they could do about the issue).

 

[midleman]

As you have probably realized by now, I think that the CSR said that to get you off the phone and keep you quiet for a while (because they knew there was nothing that they could do about the issue).

Tony, you are most likely correct. Keep us quiet and hopefully it fixes itself. What a sad way to run a business that says they listen.

 

[camo]

If you've tried recording Bowling, good luck with that. With Gracenote, I had two seek timers for "PBA Bowling" and "Bowling", and it would automatically record all new airings.

Now with Rovi, I can't even set a series timer for it. The only options are to manually find it in the guide and select "Record This" or "Record Future Airing" for the exact same episode, and that's it, and since the Search feature isn't properly displaying the results, I can't find it in there either. Have to manually search online to find out when it airs, then find it in the guide to manually record it each time.

I'm not having issues searching or setting timers for bowling with H3. I'll see if it records.

 

[DialgaChampion]

I'm not having issues searching or setting timers for bowling with H3. I'll see if it records.

According to the image you uploaded there Camo, you set a "Once" timer for the Bowling. That works fine.

But try setting a permanent timer to always record all new episodes of it, instead of just a one-time only recording. With Gracenote, I was able to actually record it as a series, setting it to "Only New". But now with Rovi's guide information, since it seems to be interpreting it as a one-time "Sporting Event" instead of like an actual TV series, the options for "Only New" and "New and Reruns" are completely gone. The only option is to record it as a one-time timer, meaning I have to keep checking the guide every week on ESPN and CBSSN to see if it's airing and then record it. Also it doesn't even tell me if it's a new episode anymore, so I have to record it and then find out myself while watching it if it's a repeat.

Edit -- If I go into the DVR Timers menu, select the Bowling timer and choose "Edit Timer", it does in fact let me change it to "Only New" and "New and Reruns", but after just trying it right now, it still only records that one airing. For instance, there's new Bowling on both Saturday and Sunday this week on ESPN at 1 pm, so I set it to record the one on Saturday, then went into the DVR Timers Menu and manually edited it to "New and Reruns" and it still wouldn't record the other new one on Sunday. So I had to set a second manual timer recording for the one on Sunday as well.

 

[Tampa8]

DialgaChampion, I completely agree with your comments. This problem with the guide is out of control. Sometimes Rovi waits till the last the last minute to update the guide if you’re lucky. The guide is mostly useless eight days out( as promised by DISH) . The latest problem is TMZ. It is most always a new show but the guide has it a generic description next week so as of now, it won’t record.

It has been 10 weeks since Dish said they would contact me concerning this problem and still no email like the CSR said they would do. Dish need to change their slogan from the listening company to We don’t give a S**t. Dish need to fix the guide. Maybe they need to do the guide themselves. ( what a concept).

If I didn’t have a contract, I might have left already. Giving a $5 discount for 6 months for a DVR fee $15 that is spotty at best is not a fair trade. My patients is wearing really thin right now.

All I would wish for is a guide that works. ( Rant over)

Not a rant, lol it's the truth. Don't blame people for getting tired of the guide problems.....