OTA guide info on screen.

[crrscott]

Any news on getting on screen guide info for ota stations on the guide. A lot of my customers ask if it will ever be available. I always tell them that I imagine they will get it figured out one day but nothing in the works. I know dtv had it on their older models but that it was not pulled off the station info. Downloaded to the box from dtv and not always accurate.
I would imagine that this ifo will have to be transmitted by the local station and digested by the receiver. Any info from anyone would be helpfull.

[Stewart Vernon]

Not sure what you are asking... Dish requires that you subscribe to local channels in order to get episode guide info for your OTA channels. I believe most markets have their local OTA info available for most channels now.

[RASCAL01]

From what I have heard. The show data will be available Feb. 09 when the digital switch over takes place.

[crrscott]

In our area with ota we get no guide data just Digital Signal across the guide. The locals off the dish are not the same channels as the ota signals. Different DMA. Our ota channels are not on the satellite yet. Is the guide info carried by the broadcaster with their ota signal or are they provided by dish, which would be why we do not get the info.

[tmanmi]

My tv's ota tuner provides guide info on digital channels, so why can't dish's?

[RASCAL01]

The OTA guide data would be provided by the broadcaster.

[Stewart Vernon]

In our area with ota we get no guide data just Digital Signal across the guide. The locals off the dish are not the same channels as the ota signals. Different DMA. Our ota channels are not on the satellite yet. Is the guide info carried by the broadcaster with their ota signal or are they provided by dish, which would be why we do not get the info.

Someone else from your DMA will have to chime in... but most parts of the country have episode guide available for most of the OTA channels as long as you subscribe to Dish locals. Now if you are subscribing to a different DMA somehow, your mileage may vary.

As for the type of guide data that comes embedded in the OTA digital broadcasts... don't expect that any time soon. That guide data is nowhere near as complete as what Dish provides via satellite, so is almost useless for setting DVR timers. Also, not all digital OTA channels even provide guide data.

I have a non-Dish OTA receiver and the guide data it pulls from the OTA broadcast is hit or miss at best, and frankly not all that useful.

[fmcomputer]

In our area with ota we get no guide data just Digital Signal across the guide. The locals off the dish are not the same channels as the ota signals. Different DMA. Our ota channels are not on the satellite yet. Is the guide info carried by the broadcaster with their ota signal or are they provided by dish, which would be why we do not get the info.

Had the same problem. Notified local broadcaster and they fixed the listing. It took about 2 weeks of phone calls.

[crrscott]

Sounds different I know.....I do most of my business in the Bend, OR. DMA...No locals available on Dish but they now have OTA digital/HD signals. So most of my customers have no locals on Dish. Some of my customers live in the Portland DMA which has the locals available. But they still can get the OTA signals from Bend. No OTA signals available from Portland...Too far away.
So if I understand corectly, If you get your locals off dish from the same DMA that you get OTA locals, The guide info shows up for both. If dish does not offer your locals then you don't get guide data from the OTA signals. And if and when we ever get Bend over the satellite connection, the guide info should show up for the OTA channels also.

[jclewter79]

I can understand why dish wants you to subscribe to locals to get guide data but until they have 100% local coverage you will have these problems. This really stinks though.

[Michael P]

I switched to DVR Advantage to avoid the price increase on AT-200. Before the switch, I did not sub to my locals (Cleveland) since I live in the antenna farm and get a better picture OTA than the satellite LIL feeds.

For $1.01 more than what I was paying for AT-200 plus 1 DVR fee, I now get my locals LIL, including guide data on most of the digital OTA channels that are scanned into my 921. It's nice to have the LIL's to fall back on (they take up less hard drive space to record than the OTA's - even the digital SD OTA's took up more space).

Since I get 1 out-of-DMA OTA signal that guide data is included. I even get guide data for subchannels that are not carried on Dish! It's nice that that data is available. If only the few non carried DMA's guide data would also be carried your problem would be solved (well almost, without being able to sub to any LIL's the guide data, even if available, would be locked out).

[fredinva]

My tv's ota tuner provides guide info on digital channels, so why can't dish's?

Your TV may tell you what show is presently being broadcast, but I doubt it says what's on two hrs from now!!!!

fred

[garys]

Your TV may tell you what show is presently being broadcast, but I doubt it says what's on two hrs from now!!!!

fred

It may depending on what's on now, I get info for current and next program. So if current program is three hours and next is the same, I know what is on for the next six hours. It doesn't happen all that much.

[Jeff_DML]

Your TV may tell you what show is presently being broadcast, but I doubt it says what's on two hrs from now!!!!

fred

some of our locals here in san diego have at least several hours in the future. But yeah overall the guide info is flaky and not consistent across channels, I wouldnt cound on it for programming a DVR. Still would be nice if DISH dvr tried to merged it into the guide.

[lkewin]

Not sure what you are asking... Dish requires that you subscribe to local channels in order to get episode guide info for your OTA channels.

I just got upgraded to a 612 at the end of last week. I get my locals using an OTA antnna, so was really suprised when there was no data for the locals. :nono2: Although I got locals OTA with my old box (811, I beleive) also, it DID have the data. I guess it is just a way to try and get you to pay for locals if your package, does not include it.:mad:

[garys]

I just got upgraded to a 612 at the end of last week. I get my locals using an OTA antnna, so was really suprised when there was no data for the locals. :nono2: Although I got locals OTA with my old box (811, I beleive) also, it DID have the data. I guess it is just a way to try and get you to pay for locals if your package, does not include it.:mad:

Yes you did. The 811 is/was the only Dish receiver which included ota guide listings without a subscription to locals as long as the sat supplying them was a part of your setup.

[lkewin]

Yes you did. The 811 is/was the only Dish receiver which included ota guide listings without a subscription to locals as long as the sat supplying them was a part of your setup.

And DishNetwork tell me that I UPgradged :lol:

[GB1]

Thank goodness I found this thread. I Just switched to DISH on Sunday after a lifetime of cable. I was so disappointed when I plugged my OTA feed into the new VIP 722 and could not get channel guide. I tried the Chat with DISH and was told that it is "impossible" then I called a CSR and he told me my signal strength was too low and he had to send out a tech (but could not figure out how to schedule it). I must have spent 2 hours with this. Then I found this thread, called Dish to activated my locals (yes having to pay $5 a moth just to get the guide data is a rip off) and right before my eyes the program info showed up!!!
Not a great first experience with them but at least the problem is fixed

Thanks everyone for this useful information.

[skippytym99]

Any news on getting on screen guide info for ota stations on the guide. A lot of my customers ask if it will ever be available. I always tell them that I imagine they will get it figured out one day but nothing in the works. I know dtv had it on their older models but that it was not pulled off the station info. Downloaded to the box from dtv and not always accurate.
I would imagine that this ifo will have to be transmitted by the local station and digested by the receiver. Any info from anyone would be helpfull.

the ota locals are in the guide as longt as you suscribe to the local package

[skippytym99]

Not sure what you are asking... Dish requires that you subscribe to local channels in order to get episode guide info for your OTA channels. I believe most markets have their local OTA info available for most channels now.

guide info doesn't come from the local channel affiliate directly to dish it passes through a third party.

[Stewart Vernon]

guide info doesn't come from the local channel affiliate directly to dish it passes through a third party.

I never said it did... I just said that Dish does provide OTA guide data for most of the subchannels in most markets. It all comes from Tribune, who presumably gets info from local affiliates somehow.

[panzman]

Your TV may tell you what show is presently being broadcast, but I doubt it says what's on two hrs from now!!!!

fred

My Toshiba TV and many new ones come with TV Guide Online built in so it has a complete interactive guide with programmind details for 10 days. It is as good or better than the Dish on line guide. I was amazed the first time to see it work. Just connected my antenna and a couple hours later all OTA stations and programming were in the guide without cable or satellite.

[Michael P]

(yes having to pay $5 a moth just to get the guide data is a rip off) .
Did you sign up for DVR Advantage? With DVR Advantage the DVR fee is waived (for the primary receiver) which just about "pays" for the cost of your locals.

See my post above. It only cost me $1.01 more that what I was paying (and that was before the February '08 price increase which I avoided by signing up for DVR-A).