Hero's and Icons #29 now only in Spanish, WTF

[KyL416]

When you're dealing with average customers who expect to be able to use the guide to set series/season passes and other advanced options like record by actor, director, team or sport, yes having nothing is better than presenting them with guide data that won't work with any of the usual DVR functions. As we've seen with this thread, the CSRs already have a hard enough time troubleshooting issues with the locals they do carry as they can't see it first hand unless they also happen to reside in the DMA, so it will be impossible for them to troubleshoot/explain PSIP quality issues that vary from station to station.

The PSIP EIT/ETT data is very barebones. The fields only provide a title, description, airtime, length and parental rating. There are no seperate fields for things like airdates, episode titles, cast/crew, season/episode numbers, new/rerun/live, etc.

Cable and sat DVRs use 3rd party listings services that provide a lot more metadata than just the information you see on screen and what PSIP data can deliver. When you set a recording it does not keep track of it by program and episode/event title, it uses the ids supplied by their listings provider. i.e. For Gracenote, TBS's game 7 telecast had EP041048336933, which is how DVRs knew it was different from any other "Arizona Diamondbacks at Philadelphia Phillies" MLB telecast it might have already recorded during the season, and every English language replay of the game will also have that id in Gracenote's data, no matter what channel it airs on. If it just relied on program/event titles alone, it would have thought it already recorded the game and skipped it like it does for the replays. The other guide data providers like Rovi/TiVo and Red Bee/FYI also have their own set of unique Ids that they assign to all content.

 

[H2Guy]

For what its worth let me re-iterate,
One: 293 does not exist anywhere at least in zip 87043 and area's surrounding (mid and north New Mexico).
Two: Channel 29 which was Hero's and Icons is now a spanish content station and not H&I.
Three: all three receivers (2-922's and 1 Wally) have the exact same results.
Four: All receivers have been factory reset, re-scanned, switches checked etc and all test good and signal levels are perfect.
Five: Even after all the resets, rescans and test all receivers still show the H&I icon even though its really not there, and finally
Five: Other friend of mine have the EXACT same problems described above.

What the problem is, obviously not an easy one to figure as even here, there is even disagreement here amongst the experts as to what the issue is...

 

[RobMeyer1]

I live in Santa Fe and don't see channel 293 listed in my all channels list. I went to the H&I website. It shows Albuquerque - Santa Fe should be getting Dish channel 293, so I sent them a message requesting they contact Dish to actually make this channel available to us. They also list phone # (312) 705-2600 as a way to contact them.

The website page for Albuquerque - Santa Fe is www.handitv.com/wheretowatch/affiliate/790 which also shows the OTA channel available as KOB 4.4, but the Dish OTA channel for H&I is actually 004-02.

I can watch OTA channel 004-02 on my Dish Hopper 3, but there is no guide data, the picture is horizontally compressed, some of the original program image appears to be cut off on the top and bottom, and it has subpar image quality. MeTv was a channel I used to watch, but a few months ago Dish HD channel 6 stopped carrying MeTv programming. MeTv moved to OTA channel 004-03 and it has the same problems as 004-02 so I no longer watch it. On my Panasonic TV, the image is not horizontally compressed when using it's OTA tuner. My Dish Hopper 3 is not displaying the program properly and the format function does not work for this OTA programming. KOB is carrying many subchannels--they already have the local NBC in HD and now they have 6 additional subchannels.

 

[H2Guy]

For those experts I would like to know the details, so how does this work, turn a channel on for an arc, then an updated map gets downloaded into receivers for a specific geographical area to allow receipt of the channel based on authorization? I'm sure there's much more to it then just this but it would be nice to know.

 

[KyL416]

The removal of 129 from the Western Arc likely has nothing to do with it. 293 H&I wasn't on the 129 slot and it moved from 110 to 119 back in May, 2 months before they removed 129 from the system.

You might have better luck with RobMeyer1's suggestion and contact H&I or their owner Weigel directly about it. Tell them that Dish still thinks KUPT/29 is affiliated with H&I so they are incorrectly blacking out the national feed on channel 293 in your market, even though H&I's website says channel 293 should be available in the Albuquerque - Santa Fe DMA. (Compared to a market like San Francisco where Dish 293 isn't listed on the site since they get H&I via KTLN/68)

If he hasn't already, Rob might also want to contact both H&I and MeTV about the incorrect aspect ratio for their networks on KOB's OTA signal, or use KOB's closed captioning contact to contact their chief engineer, as all of Weigel's networks originate as 16:9 feeds. However the chopping of the top and bottom is on Weigel's end of things since they use 14:9 cropping instead of pillarboxing for 4:3 content.

 

[Josh.M]

So at this point I should probably just write off that channel. I have told my friends to call in but at this point if Dish hasn't had enough calls do draw attention to this problem by now they just think its not worth the effort and shelve the report in the round file.

Honestly I don't know what to do with this anymore, Josh, any suggestions? BBB, FCC? or is that a waste of time too.

This is way beyond anything a CSR would be able to help you with - this is a contract negotiation at the programming level (I was told this from the local programming team).

You could try OTA if there is another H&I that you may be in range of but it is highly unlikely we would have the guide info.

Unfortunately I don't have a great solution for you, and I wish I could do more to help but this one is far beyond me.

 

[TheKrell]

You could try OTA if there is another H&I that you may be in range of but it is highly unlikely we would have the guide info.

Why do you say that? Dish has most all of my subchannels from 3 cities with only a few missing data.

 

[Josh.M]

Why do you say that? Dish has most all of my subchannels from 3 cities with only a few missing data.

Because we don't carry the Heroes & Icons affiliate that he would pull in via OTA so we don't have guide info ingested for that service.

 

[TheKrell]

Because we don't carry the Heroes & Icons affiliate that he would pull in via OTA so we don't have guide info ingested for that service.

Sorry; I am still confused. I get the majors of course, and there is guide info for all of those. But there is also guide info for almost all of the subchannels even though they are not available on Dish.

 

[Josh.M]

Sorry; I am still confused. I get the majors of course, and there is guide info for all of those. But there is also guide info for almost all of the subchannels even though they are not available on Dish.

OTA guide info is complex and there are a ton of rules/qualifications for what gets guide info - almost every time someone emails me asking for OTA guide info to be added I learn a new rule as to why it wasnt there or can't be there...so to answer your question I'm not sure. What DMA are you in? What locals do you pull in on OTA? They could be from a different market that is close to you that you wouldn't technically qualify for with DISH locals but can pull in with your OTA...outside of that as far as I'm aware if we don't carry the channel we won't have EPG info unless its something that we don't carry only because of a takedown (they specifically plan for those).

 

[TheKrell]

What DMA are you in?

I am in the Washington DC DMA but also get Baltimore stations well, MPT out of Annapolis, and (poorly) some Hagerstown stations.

 

[salmonsmoker]

This is way beyond anything a CSR would be able to help you with - this is a contract negotiation at the programming level (I was told this from the local programming team).

You could try OTA if there is another H&I that you may be in range of but it is highly unlikely we would have the guide info.

Unfortunately I don't have a great solution for you, and I wish I could do more to help but this one is far beyond me.

 

[salmonsmoker]

All of this happened today in wa st. I am completely tech challenged so if any fix include changing settings or things like that are over my head. I do know one thing. Over the last several years most of the channels I once watched are gone, my equipment is obsolete, prices increase and fish gives me the big after approx.20yrs . I hate dish network and will work diligently to find my programming else where asap

 

[H2Guy]

This is an effort in futility. Don't feel so bad, I too have given up on Dish, Channel 29 H&I is still some spanish offering and not H&I, Channel 293 still does not exist.

Trying to contact the local station about the incorrect Dish offering and they said I should contact Dish which I have a number of times. Nobody in my Zip gets 293 on there equipment and passing this info to Dish goes nowhere. I did throw an OTA into my 922 from and old 722 but the fricking thing gets so hot I had to remove it. At this point Iv'e just written off receiving this channel.

Anyway, for me when the contract is over with Dish I too will be moving on, I am sure by then there will be additional other offerings there are new internet offering nearly every day.

It's a shame after 18 year relationship with Dish it's coming to an end. Time to just move on and in all honesty I think the golden days of Dish are now just a fond memory. It's no longer what Dish can do to make your viewership a pleasant but nothing more then excuses, missing and removed channels and zero customer service.

On a good note I purchased a LG smart TV and get free Pluto which has a number of channels with the offering similar to H&I. Might just buy another for my other room and then I have it covered.

 

[Mr Tony]

All of this happened today in wa st. I am completely tech challenged so if any fix include changing settings or things like that are over my head. I do know one thing. Over the last several years most of the channels I once watched are gone, my equipment is obsolete, prices increase and fish gives me the big after approx.20yrs . I hate dish network and will work diligently to find my programming else where asap

I posted on your original thread that Univision moved in Seattle to kvos 12 which was H&I. If you are in Seattle proper with an antenna you can get heroes and icons on 44-3. All of Weigel’s stations (they are the owner of MeTV, H&I, catchy comedy, etc) is on 44 on an antenna.

 

[salmonsmoker]

This is an effort in futility. Don't feel so bad, I too have given up on Dish, Channel 29 H&I is still some spanish offering and not H&I, Channel 293 still does not exist.

Trying to contact the local station about the incorrect Dish offering and they said I should contact Dish which I have a number of times. Nobody in my Zip gets 293 on there equipment and passing this info to Dish goes nowhere. I did throw an OTA into my 922 from and old 722 but the fricking thing gets so hot I had to remove it. At this point Iv'e just written off receiving this channel.

Anyway, for me when the contract is over with Dish I too will be moving on, I am sure by then there will be additional other offerings there are new internet offering nearly every day.

It's a shame after 18 year relationship with Dish it's coming to an end. Time to just move on and in all honesty I think the golden days of Dish are now just a fond memory. It's no longer what Dish can do to make your viewership a pleasant but nothing more then excuses, missing and removed channels and zero customer service.

On a good note I purchased a LG smart TV and get free Pluto which has a number of channels with the offering similar to H&I. Might just buy another for my other room and then I have it covered.

That is great advice. I too bought a smart TV and am watching more TV on free TV then on dish now days. I'm not sure if it's a challenge or not (remember.. Not very tech savvy) but I have to have espn2. I'm a UFC fan and know several of the elite fighter so I purchase ppv fight regularly. Just need to find out how to get ESPN 2 without dish. Ps
If dish continues to piss off long time customers it won't take long for them to go the way of the Buffalo

 

[cyberham]

...Univision moved in Seattle to kvos 12 which was H&I. If you are in Seattle proper with an antenna you can get heroes and icons on 44-3. All of Weigel’s stations (they are the owner of MeTV, H&I, catchy comedy, etc) is on 44 on an antenna.

When I noticed a few days ago a new sub-channel 12-8 from KVOS in Bellingham running Heroes in parallel with 12-1, I knew changes were coming. Sure enough, this morning Univision had bumped Heroes from 12-1. But Heroes still remains on 12-8. So all is well. We can practice our Spanish now.