Frustrated by numerous program guide issues

[dare2be]

You would think when your business is providing television that getting the guide data correct would be very high on the priority list but we are seeing the result of lazy halfassing management. The same lazy management that can't even get field and CS on the same page, ie pricing. It's amazing a company could be so profitable, hire so many people, and yet allow so many aspects of their primary product to be unmanaged. It's laziness from the top down.

There are two options for guide data, Rovi (Tivo) and Gracenote. Dish used to have Gracenote and it was better, but not perfect. I wonder how long the contract they have with Rovi lasts before they could switch back.

 

[ekilgus]

There are two options for guide data, Rovi (Tivo) and Gracenote. Dish used to have Gracenote and it was better, but not perfect. I wonder how long the contract they have with Rovi lasts before they could switch back.

I don't believe they plan to switch back because the likely reason they went with Rovi was to save money. And I agree, Rovi is definitely inferior.

 

[pattykay]

There are two options for guide data, Rovi (Tivo) and Gracenote. Dish used to have Gracenote and it was better, but not perfect. I wonder how long the contract they have with Rovi lasts before they could switch back.

They had better not switch back, considering all the problems with timers and other major guide data foul-ups that were reported in very long threads here, and also at both dbstalk and Dish's customer service forum, when they switched the last time. As we saw, changing the entire infrastructure for the guide data is not a smooth process, and making such a major change like that again is only asking for trouble, as it would make things considerably worse in the short term, even if the end result would be to make things slightly better than they are now. In my opinion, they would be better off working within the existing system to try to improve things, rather than just keep switching guide data providers every few years.

 

[pattykay]

Gracenote also has a lot of problems. My Sony TV’s use Gracenote for their TV Guide. Since the recent repack in Columbus and Dayton Ohio occurred in October, all of the channels that changed frequency have no program data.

I am not sure which is worse: having no program data, or having the wrong program data. Here is an example of what the repack did to Dish's OTA guide data in the Cleveland, Ohio market:

WRLM is now sharing the same frequency as WEAO. As a result, the guide data for the host station (WEAO 049-01) is being mapped to both 049-01 and 047-01. Dish's guide also incorrectly puts the PBS logo on 047-01 because of this wrong guide data. In this case, the mistake is blatantly obvious, since the channels are right next to each other, so it is easy to see what is happening. At least the satellite-delivered 047-00 still has the correct guide data. However, someone without a subscription to the satellite-delivered locals would be completely out of luck when it comes to getting the correct station's guide data for 047-01 through the receiver.

 

[dare2be]

In my opinion, they would be better off working within the existing system to try to improve things

What can they do, short of at least threaten to switch providers over the lack of quality presented by the current provider?

 

[pattykay]

What can they do, short of at least threaten to switch providers over the lack of quality presented by the current provider?

They can work cooperatively with the current provider, continuing to nag them and point out mistakes (that users like us continue to spot and nag Dish about, so Dish can pass that information along) until the guide data provider gets so annoyed by all of the complaints that they have no choice but to do a better job, just to get us all to shut up. If nobody complains about the poor quality of the guide data, it will never get fixed. If people do complain, it still might not get fixed, but at least we can feel better, having voiced our frustration, and knowing that we are annoying somebody by complaining.

 

[wormil]

I remember the switch, Gracenote was at least equally bad but I remember it being worse. Sometimes you need to crack the whip on vendors. Crawl up their ass about a problem until they will fix it just to get rid of you. In corporate culture you deal with the snakes that bite, the other snakes don't matter.

 

[Howard Simmons]

Batwoman is a rerun on Sunday, and will return with a new episode the following Sunday. Arrow has a couple more episodes, and then it is going on hiatus until its part in Crisis on Infinite Earths rolls around in January. Then there are only a couple more episodes of Arrow after that, which will then be the series finale.

The only thing I don't like about this is I Dvr both Arrow and Batwoman and the way it's set up now it will go under the Batwoman episodes instead of Arrow and there's no way to change the title so it goes to Arrow. I hope I'll remember it when I get around to watching Arrow.

 

[pattykay]

The only thing I don't like about this is I Dvr both Arrow and Batwoman and the way it's set up now it will go under the Batwoman episodes instead of Arrow and there's no way to change the title so it goes to Arrow. I hope I'll remember it when I get around to watching Arrow.

Hopefully they will get this fixed before Tuesday. If not, you could create a custom folder labeled "Arrow" and move this episode of "Batwoman" to that folder after it records. Here are the steps to follow in case you need them:

• On the DVR screen, press the Options button (or red button for older remotes)
• Select "Manage Folders" (option number 4)
• Select "Create New Folder"
• Type in the folder name (Arrow) and select "Save"
• On the DVR screen, press the Options (or red) button again
• Select "Manage Recordings" (option number 2)
• Select your existing Arrow icon, then press number 4 ("Move to folder")
• Select the "Arrow" custom folder from the list
• Then, after "Batwoman" (Arrow) records on Tuesday, open your Batwoman folder on the DVR screen
• Press the Options (or red) button, then select "Manage Recordings" (option number 4)
• Select Tuesday's episode, then press number 4 ("Move to Folder")
• Select the custom Arrow folder, and that episode will then be moved to the same folder as your other Arrow recordings

Of course, inside the custom Arrow folder, this episode will still be labeled Batwoman and have its own icon rather than automatically be grouped in order with the other Arrow episodes under the same icon. So, you will still have to pay attention to the recorded date to make sure you watch them in order. Hopefully, having them in the same folder will at least make the incorrectly labeled episode easier to find, though.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that you would also have to edit your Arrow timer to set any new recordings to go into the custom folder, at least until you get caught up watching it.

On second thought, the easiest thing to do might be to not edit the timer, and just let any new episodes go to wherever they are currently going. (I am assuming the main DVR screen.) Then, you would just have to remember to start with the old Arrow recordings in the "Arrow" folder, then "Batwoman" from the "Arrow" folder, then any episodes of Arrow that are not in the "Arrow" folder. That sounds like a plan.

 

[dare2be]

It's not like you can rename the titles after they are recorded, unless you still have a VIP series receiver.

 

[JSheridan]

It's not like you can rename the titles after they are recorded, unless you still have a VIP series receiver.

That was a very nice feature.

 

[pattykay]

It's not like you can rename the titles after they are recorded, unless you still have a VIP series receiver.

Another thing the ViP receivers could do is remove the automatic grouping by title, and just show each individual recording in order by date and time. That is a feature that would be very useful in Howard Simmons's case, especially when the CW shows get to the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover.

 

[pattykay]

Batwoman is a rerun on Sunday, and will return with a new episode the following Sunday.

And now the schedule for next week is screwed up (although perhaps this error only affects the Cleveland, Ohio market). WUAB's The Fifth Quarter show is listed as one-hour long, pushing Batwoman back to 8:30 PM, and Supergirl to 9:30 PM, as you can see in this picture:

However, WUAB is still advertising for these shows as being in their regular time-slots at 8 PM and 9 PM. So, I am assuming that this is yet another Rovi guide data screw-up, and not an actual change in the schedule for these shows next week.

 

[JSheridan]

And now the schedule for next week is screwed up (although perhaps this error only affects the Cleveland, Ohio market). WUAB's The Fifth Quarter show is listed as one-hour long, pushing Batwoman back to 8:30 PM, and Supergirl to 9:30 PM, as you can see in this picture:
View attachment 141930
However, WUAB is still advertising for these shows as being in their regular time-slots at 8 PM and 9 PM. So, I am assuming that this is yet another Rovi guide data screw-up, and not an actual change in the schedule for these shows next week.

Our CW has the shows listed at their normal times of 8 and 9 next Sunday night.

 

[pattykay]

Yeah, I figured this particular issue was only with the Cleveland market listings. The Fifth Quarter usually airs on CBS affiliate WOIO, but sometimes it gets bumped to their sister station WUAB. Next Sunday, WOIO has the Raiders at Chiefs game listed from 4 PM to 8 PM, with a half-hour of "To Be Announced" from 8 PM to 8:30 PM. So, I am guessing that The Fifth Quarter is supposed to be listed somewhere in that range on WOIO, and somebody put that show on the wrong station in the guide, screwing up the CW listings. It does seem unusual that it would be an hour long, though, especially since it is not immediately following a Browns game. So, it is also possible that this show actually is going to be on WUAB, but somebody got the length of the show wrong. If these listings for Sunday actually are correct, then WUAB had better start modifying the commercials for these shows to reflect the actual start times, or they are going to have to deal with a lot of angry Batwoman and Supergirl fans. This is a terrible thing to do, screwing up the guide for these shows the week before the major Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event begins. Let's hope they get their guide issues straightened out before that crossover starts, or else there will be hell to pay.

 

[DISH Support]

Hello Crodrules. We appreciate your comment but DISH does not control the programming information that is on each channel in your guide, this is the decision of the owners of the channel. Thank you for any comments and suggestions that help us continue to provide the best experience for you and other clients.

 

[pattykay]

Hello Crodrules. We appreciate your comment but DISH does not control the programming information that is on each channel in your guide, this is the decision of the owners of the channel. Thank you for any comments and suggestions that help us continue to provide the best experience for you and other clients.

Right. The owners of the channel (or the company providing their guide information to you) is who I meant by "they." Sorry for any confusion. If I had direct contact information for them, I would be sending them these issues instead of reporting here. For now, this is the best I can do. I am simply trying to provide a heads-up to other Dish subscribers who may watch these shows, and may be affected by the faulty guide information, so that they can adjust their timers accordingly to make sure that they do not miss these episodes.

 

[pattykay]

The good news is that next Tuesday's (12/3) listings do correctly show Arrow in the 9 PM time-slot. Tomorrow night's listing is still screwed up, though.

 

[wormil]

Guide data for Forged in Fire was wrong this week, it wasn't a double episode, and may be wrong on upcoming episodes. Minor.

 

[pattykay]

Hopefully they will get this fixed before Tuesday.
...

Good news! Tonight's listing has been fixed, at least in my guide. Sunday night's listings are still screwed up for me, though.