FEATURE REQUEST: Allow assigning OTA Digital channels to the major networks

[EdV]

Assuming the 921 works the way the 6000 does, when you add an analog OTA channel, a setup screen allows you to assign it to ABC/CBS/NBC and if you do that, the on screen guide for that channel will provide program information during prime time hours.

But, strangely, when you add a digital OTA channel, you don't have that option and without it, setting up a timer for recording a prime time network show is tedious and error prone.

Although a more robust feature for displaying OTA local programming information may be planned for a future release, please provide a way to map the major networks to OTA digital channels as a near term solution.

[Danny R]

Along the same vein, a better solution for many of us is to not only allow you to assign OTA channels to a major network affiliate, but to actually assign it to a specific local channel which Dish might already carry if available.

While local and digital channels might vary, its much more likely that the guide will be the same for the same station than if we just grabbed the generic national network guide info.

Thus here in Atlanta I could assign the fox digital broadcast to channel 5 rather than just the fox national feed. This way I'm more likely not to miss the local Jerry Springer reruns that the national feed wouldn't have guide info on, but the local channel guide does.

;)

[HookedOnTV]

Seems like a no brainer. Allow you to map the OTA channel to the corresponding 8000 channel for guide data/recording.

[EdV]

Seems like a no brainer. Allow you to map the OTA channel to the corresponding 8000 channel for guide data/recording.

It may seem so, but I can think of several issues that could delay that implementation. For instance, I would assume that the majority of subs that can receive their locals OTA would not subscribe to the locals from E* and the local guide info would not be available to them. It would also not provide a solution for the many local stations that are still not carried by E*.

I can't think of anything more fundament for a DVR than the ability to go to the guide and set up a timer by pressing the select button twice. And without the ability to map at least the three major networks to OTA digital channels, the 921 lacks that fundamental feature. Also, since the 921 can't record analog OTA channels anyway, if anything, the mapping feature should be on the digital OTA channels rather than the analog channels where it is now.

[Danny R]

Obviously it shouldn't be an either-or setup. If you can map to a local channel carried by Dish, then all the better. But if not, then the generic network guide would have to do.

[srrobinson2]

Why doesn't the 921 use the same OTA guide that OTA receivers use? The guide information is being broadcast OTA. I have to create manual timer events to record my local HD content, and I want to do it from the guide.

If this is being fixed, does anyone know about it or have an ETA?

[Bogney]

The guide information is being broadcast OTA. The vast majority of OTA stations do not yet broadcast a program guide. Last time I checked, only two stations in New York City had program information. I had to use my DCT-100 to view it. My Dish 6000 and 921 will not display it.

[wcswett]

I would really like to have the option to have the DISH locals in the 8000's appear in the 0 - 99 range like the tuners without OTA (IE. 721). I have no OTA channels so have to tune in the 8300's on my 921 and 6000's but can tune the actual channel numbers on my 721 and 510.

--- WCS

[Slordak]

If Dish tries to mirror the guide from their local channels, will they be willing to do this for free, even if individuals don't subscribe to the locals? They could (based on account zipcode), but it seems unlikely that they would want to. Basically, it's providing something for nothing, which they are generally adverse to.

If a free solution is truly to be available, it should probably use whatever digital information is in the actual OTA DTV feed. This will vary widely by channel, though, so it'll be quite non-uniform. Maybe Dish could supplement it automatically for free, or for $0.99/month? :)

[srrobinson2]

Are we all speculating here, or does someone know what they plan to do?

[jsanders]

If Dish tries to mirror the guide from their local channels, will they be willing to do this for free, even if individuals don't subscribe to the locals? They could (based on account zipcode), but it seems unlikely that they would want to. Basically, it's providing something for nothing, which they are generally adverse to.

If a free solution is truly to be available, it should probably use whatever digital information is in the actual OTA DTV feed. This will vary widely by channel, though, so it'll be quite non-uniform. Maybe Dish could supplement it automatically for free, or for $0.99/month? :)

You are paying $5/mo for the VOD fee, this is includes the 9 day channel guide. Currently, this 9 day channel guide is incomplete because it doesn't cover all of the channels. It isn't free, we are already paying for it, and in my mind getting the short end of the stick. It should be less than $5/mo for us until this gets completed.

[jsanders]

Why doesn't the 921 use the same OTA guide that OTA receivers use? The guide information is being broadcast OTA. I have to create manual timer events to record my local HD content, and I want to do it from the guide.

If this is being fixed, does anyone know about it or have an ETA?

I can't imagine the OTA guide actually is a 9 day guide that is transmitted. I thought that it was just information about the *current* program. This wouldn't help you with timers about -future- events.

[jsanders]

Are we all speculating here, or does someone know what they plan to do?

I thought they were supposed to look at the call letters for the OTA stations you receive, and then have a massive channel guide data base that gets downloaded in the background. The call letters could be the index to this database. Not very hard to do. We already download the interactive weather in the background already, it just looks through the list and shows us our city. We already download the satellite channel guide in the background too. Not just the channels we are subscribed too, but all of the channels. Shouldn't be so hard to do the same thing with all of the stations in the country based on their call letters.