Why can't Dish use TV GUIDE information for ota locals not carried by satellite?

[boy921]

...Dish could probably improve their "PR" a lot if they'd occasionally announce when they're "actively" working on an issue like this...

If you have watched past Charlie Chats, Charlie has made announcements about upcoming features, then never followed through, or didn't meet the expected date. This doesn't help with, "PR." The amount of fury generated by Dish giving out early information then not following through is are far worse then them making the announcement at the time the service is provided.

 

[teachsac]

So Scott are they working to enable some form of ota guide information as I suggest using the TV Guide data for those who can't get locals via Dish or are they doing sub channels guide information. Can you elaborate on this? :

There have been a few clues over the past two to three months in various threads (Sacramento and Alabama) all relating to guide data. I know I can't elaborate, and I don't think Scott can either.

S~

 

[Pepper]

I will elaborate only to the point of saying that all but one of the Mobile, AL digital subchannels have had guide info since the week before the EEPG moved to 119.

I only say that much since it's something anybody with a E* HD receiver could find out by looking at the guide if they are in this DMA. I don't know whether the same methodology (whatever they did) will be applied to other DMAs or how long it will be.

 

[jcrandall]

Maybe we can email this in as a question for tech chat - does anyone have the address? Something like is there any plan to provide guide data for OTA channels not provided by Dish, like PBS-HD, etc. I think this is a bigger 'want' for HD cusotmers than anyone talks about. The fact that they are working on it is a good sign, providing they don't shelf it.

 

[lars1999]

All,

My OTA channels in the Colorado Springs area do show in the TV guide with program information on my 811 (and formerly on my 921 before it crashed), BUT not on my vip622 (which just shows "local programing" in the guide. What's up with that?

 

[tonyp56]

Come on everybody, you are making this issue way too hard. All Dish Network has to do with their receivers is what every other digital OTA receiver does, READ THE PSIP DATA IN THE DATA STREAM FROM THE OTA CHANNELS--which includes guide info! Problem solved. Dish could always set it up so that you have to have a satellite signal for it too work, but then again they already require that before the OTA tuner will work, let alone the guide data.

The reason why, IMO, is because they don't want to give their customers anything, why would they want us to be able to watch and know what will be on OTA when they have so much money tied up in their LIL channels. This way we have to still pay for their crappy LIL OTA channels even if we can get our locals in HD--or at least digital.

Another "feature" of Dish Network receivers. They are so top of the line.

 

[jcrandall]

Two things I would question to using PSIP data. First, how long does PSIP data usually go out, I don't use it, but does it go 9 days like the E* guide?

Second, someone mentioned above the likelihood of problems with NBR and using PSIP data - I would suspect that to be true given each station sends data in their format, with little consistency.

I think what they are working on is a good solution, to simply create a 'dummy/guide only' station for the guide data that will map down to the local sub-station. Example is X station has sub station X-2, dish could have channel 14xxx map the guide down to the local slot we look at. Exactly like the regular locals are down-mapped now from the channel in the 6000-9000 range.

From what Pepper is saying they have successfully got it working in his DMA - we just need to hope they plan on a wider scale rollout - SOON!!!

I know I'm eyeballing those uplink reports almost daily hoping for more HD or something in the 14k area.

 

[foghorn2]

Forget the PSIP and just get it into TV Guide.
PSIP is slow and probably won't integrate in the 622 recording scheme.

 

[GaryPen]

I wonder if the guide provided via DSL on the ATT/Dish Homezone receiver includes ota guide info? I shoulkd hope so. Not having EPG data for OTA renders the dual OTA tuners useless for DVR. And that is just unacceptable. (Dish should be ashamed, and working to correct this stupid shortcoming.)

 

[osu1991]

Come on everybody, you are making this issue way too hard. All Dish Network has to do with their receivers is what every other digital OTA receiver does, READ THE PSIP DATA IN THE DATA STREAM FROM THE OTA CHANNELS--which includes guide info! Problem solved. Dish could always set it up so that you have to have a satellite signal for it too work, but then again they already require that before the OTA tuner will work, let alone the guide data.
.

That won't work in Tulsa. KTUL psip just lists DTV program and OETA just says PBS HD program and KQCW is now a subchannel of KOTV which just says KWBT(old call sign) programming.

 

[navychop]

In my experience, at best PSIP lists the current and following program. I think it theoretically can go out a few hours. Often, the PSIP just says "digital program." It's good to have, but nothing like a 9 day EPG.