over the air on the hopper
- Thread starter sam1070
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 12
- Views 1K
That's not true. Dish gets the data and as a business decision, they now CHOSE not to provide it on certain channels, and they have said so.
A lot of it depends on your market and whose sub-channel it is. We get MeTV guide in Indy. So where are you? Grit is a new one for me.
Right. It is different for each DMA as to what data is on the guide with one city getting MeTV guide data while another does not, etc. I've noticed that Dish is not providing EPG data for Decades TV on my 2.2, KCBS, and that surprises me as Dish has consistently provided OTA sub-channel program data for all big 4 nets in my DMA. Hmmm.
That is why I have suggested to DISH for years that if they want to upload to the satellite the main networks for guide information that is fine , but allow the receiver to read the psip data for the sub channels, so we could at least get limited guide information. Both sides win.
It doesn't matter what market you are in, Dish isn't going to provide guide data for new OTA channels that don't already have it.
Now, IF a sub-channel that already has guide data switches to a different network affiliation, that one will get guide data, because the old one had it. My 12.2 channel recently changed to MeTv, and it got guide data because the old channel had it.
Why Dish refuses to provide guide data when it's a big selling point, is beyond me. It doesn't seem to me that it would be that hard to do so.
Now, IF a sub-channel that already has guide data switches to a different network affiliation, that one will get guide data, because the old one had it. My 12.2 channel recently changed to MeTv, and it got guide data because the old channel had it.
Why Dish refuses to provide guide data when it's a big selling point, is beyond me. It doesn't seem to me that it would be that hard to do so.
That's the real question. What business case drives this decision. Somehow, they must think this makes them money or saves them money. Maybe they think the lack of OTA guide data will drive customers to a higher price package? Or it does cost them money? Gotta be something that makes dollars.
If you can get OTA signals from more than one market, it might help to leave the other market's stations in your EPG, even if you do not get a reliable signal from those stations. I have had to do that twice to get guide data for 005-02 (Cleveland, OH market) which only says "Digital Service" in the guide. When 005-02 was still Live Well Network, I could check the guide for 013-02 (Toledo market) until WTVG switched 013-02 to the CW. Now that Live Well has shut down, 005-02 shows COZI TV, and I can get the guide data from 020-02 (Detroit market). So, this is a work-around that may work for viewers in market-fringe areas, but if you can only pick up stations from one market, you are out of luck unless Dish chooses to provide the guide data for your market's affiliate.
