The guide is messed,,,,,,,,, AGAIN!

[Radioguy41]

It just keeps getting better and better. I receive two PBS channels, 39 & 44. It was bad enough when all the guide data for 44 changed to ABC guide info but now 39 started showing guide info for a religious channel I don't even get. That means none of my PBS timers work now. This gets much worse and I'm going to have to start researching alternatives to Dish. They need to wise up to this guide problem or I'm gone.

 

[pattykay]

Dish does not seem to care about the accuracy of the guide for the local channels, especially OTA locals. In my market (Cleveland, Ohio) thankfully the actual guide data seems to be correct (for the satellite-delivered versions) but Dish still puts the wrong logo next to at least two of the channels. Channel 17 is labeled with the Ion Television logo, just like the actual Ion affiliate, channel 23. Channel 17 is actually Ion Life, which has completely different programming from Ion. Add the incorrect logo to the fact that channel 17 now shares the same broadcast frequency as channel 23, which caused the OTA guide data from channel 23 to get mapped to both 023-01 and 017-01, and things can get very confusing.

The other messed-up local is channel 55, which still displays the CW logo in the guide. Channel 55 has not been a CW affiliate since July, when CW moved to channel 43. Channel 55 is now independent. Channel 43 still displays the My Network TV logo in the guide, but they still carry My Network TV programming in the overnight hours. So, that logo is technically correct, although they brand themselves as CW 43 now.

 

[Radioguy41]

It's not just the locals, as described in several posts above. "TBD" is not an acceptable listing for TCM. Switching names as in the case of the "Rich Eisen" and "Dan Patrick" shows on the RSN is not acceptable. Applying incorrect guide info to locals is not acceptable. I can not tell you how many times I've seen completely incorrect descriptions for movie listings. Several times recently I've seen some movies listed in half hour blocks for a two hour film. There are more issues but suffice it to say that all this nonsense plays havoc with timers and it's really wearing thin.

 

[pattykay]

It's not just the locals, as described in several posts above. "TBD" is not an acceptable listing for TCM. Switching names as in the case of the "Rich Eisen" and "Dan Patrick" shows on the RSN is not acceptable. Applying incorrect guide info to locals is not acceptable. I can not tell you how many times I've seen completely incorrect descriptions for movie listings. Several times recently I've seen some movies listed in half hour blocks for a two hour film. There are more issues but suffice it to say that all this nonsense plays havoc with timers and it's really wearing thin.

Those particular issues could be addressed by contacting Rovi, the guide data supplier that Dish uses. Unfortunately, the local channel guide data mapping errors and incorrect logos in the guide are entirely caused by Dish's screwed up system. Dish maps the OTA guide data by matching the TSID (Transport Stream IDentification) broadcast by the station, and the subchannel number (-01, etc.) to a database to determine which guide data stream to provide for that channel. The problem is that stations that are sharing the same frequency now also share the same TSID, and Dish's system has no way to distinguish the channel number before the -01, -02, etc. That results in the guide data for the host station getting mapped to both stations in the guide. The only way to fix this would be with a complete overhaul of Dish's OTA guide mapping system. That is something that would likely take a long time to accomplish, and Dish may not be willing to devote the necessary resources to actually make it happen.

 

[Radioguy41]

If that's how they're doing it that is screwed up. That's like trying to ID what engines in a car by looking up the license plate. There is only one unique identifier and that is the serial number (station call letters). As for Rovi, I don't think it's my job to contact them everytime they screw up and point it out to them. It would be nearly an every day job.

 

[Radioguy41]

And again this morning. A 2 hour movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries blocked in 1 hour segments in the guide. It would be a full time job trying to keep up with all the screwups.

 

[Radioguy41]

For 3 straight days the listing for Hallmark III is nothing more than "To Be Announced".

 

[pattykay]

For 3 straight days the listing for Hallmark III is nothing more than "To Be Announced".

I see what you're saying. For channel 186 (Hallmark Drama) I have the current program and the next program, but everything after that is "To Be Announced."

Here is another interesting oddity:
Checking a Hopper Duo connected to Eastern Arc, I see Dish Home (ViP receiver) guide listings, such as "Local Weather" in the guide for channel 100.
Checking a Wally connected to Western Arc, the guide for channel 100 correctly shows "DISH Multi-Channel View" with the correct description, which is what the guide should show on a Hopper or Wally.

 

[Howard Simmons]

For 3 straight days the listing for Hallmark III is nothing more than "To Be Announced".

The wives will be up in arms again!

 

[DJ Lon]

Folk TV has started showing "Space:1999" on Sunday afternoons. Except the guide says "Space" for the TV show and 1/1/99 for the air date. They did get Barbara Bain and Martin Landau right though

 

[DawnB]

Those particular issues could be addressed by contacting Rovi, the guide data supplier that Dish uses. Unfortunately, the local channel guide data mapping errors and incorrect logos in the guide are entirely caused by Dish's screwed up system. Dish maps the OTA guide data by matching the TSID (Transport Stream IDentification) broadcast by the station, and the subchannel number (-01, etc.) to a database to determine which guide data stream to provide for that channel. The problem is that stations that are sharing the same frequency now also share the same TSID, and Dish's system has no way to distinguish the channel number before the -01, -02, etc. That results in the guide data for the host station getting mapped to both stations in the guide. The only way to fix this would be with a complete overhaul of Dish's OTA guide mapping system. That is something that would likely take a long time to accomplish, and Dish may not be willing to devote the necessary resources to actually make it happen.

How would one go about contacting Rovi???


Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys mobile app

 

[Bobby]

How would one go about contacting Rovi???


Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys mobile app

Scream Rovi out your window, you’ll get the same result as trying to contact them directly.

 

[Howard Simmons]

Folk TV has started showing "Space:1999" on Sunday afternoons. Except the guide says "Space" for the TV show and 1/1/99 for the air date. They did get Barbara Bain and Martin Landau right though

Thank you for posting this. How many episodes did they show?

 

[DJ Lon]

Thank you for posting this. How many episodes did they show?

So far 3...."Breakaway," "Force of Life" and "Collision Course." I am such a Gerry/Sylvia Anderson nut

 

[Howard Simmons]

So far 3...."Breakaway," "Force of Life" and "Collision Course." I am such a Gerry/Sylvia Anderson nut

I noticed that after I read your post and went to the guide and it looks like they have 3 more set up for this Sunday. Looks like I missed the first three episodes. I hope they go all the way with this because it was on for two seasons.

 

[ncted]

How would one go about contacting Rovi???


Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys mobile app

You could try this: Contact Us

I would think Pay TV Operator is the correct Business Category and Entertainment Metadata is the correct Product category.

 

[joegr]

I noticed that after I read your post and went to the guide and it looks like they have 3 more set up for this Sunday. Looks like I missed the first three episodes. I hope they go all the way with this because it was on for two seasons.

You can get the ones that you missed from YouTube.

 

[Howard Simmons]

You can get the ones that you missed from YouTube.

Thank you for the info. I can watch these three episodes on my Hopper2/sling.

 

[TheKrell]

Well, I have some unexpected good news, and I'm not sure when this was kluged together.

Recall that, ever since locals via satellite became optional, I dropped them since I had (at that time) 3 VIP receivers with built-in tuners and a fair roof antenna. The key to this ability is to have a guide for the OTA channels, which formerly was not available if you did not also sub to satellite locals. Most all OTA channels retained their guide. But the guide for my local PBS station, 26-1, was totally absent unless I subbed again to satellite locals. I complained about this to DIRT at the time, but they could not figure out what the issue was and the guide for that main channel has been AWOL ever since. (The subchannels on 26 all retained their guide as expected.) Now that has been fixed.

I now see a channel 26-0 in the guide, but I cannot tune to it since I don't sub to satellite locals. But now that 26-0 is back, so is 26-1! I call that a kluge. But I am happy since I don't have to record Nature or NOVA off Baltimore channel 22 any longer.

 

[pattykay]

Thank you for the update, TheKrell. I am glad to hear that your long-standing OTA guide issue has finally been fixed! Now maybe they can get to work on fixing the OTA guide problem with my local channel, WMFD 068-01, which has no guide data in spite of Dish carrying WMFD on 012-00.