Still No OTA Guide Data in Zip Code with Split DMA's

[Hound]

Any word when there is going to be a software update to give OTA guide data and Dish local mapping to subscribers where the zip code is in two DMA's? In my case it is Philadelphia and New York. I am in Philadelphia DMA, but have no OTA guide information or Dish locals mapping at all.

My 921 had OTA guide information but no Dish locals mapping either. Dish special tech told me that my zip code is 60 percent Philadelphia and 39 percent New York. However, Dish made a decision to give OTA guide data and mapping to New York DMA subscribers only.

It is a real pain in the neck not to have OTA guide information. Especially since I paid
for a 921, paid $299 for a 622 and pay $5 per month for Dish locals when I do not
need the locals because I have OTA.

[PAULSTORM]

I hear ya. I have a situation in the Lincoln-Kearney-Hastings DMA where the CBS affil is KOLN Ch 10 on the Dish locals but, my digital channel I receive for CBS is KGIN Ch 11. They have the entirely same schedule so I wish I could find a way to transfer that entire schedule over to my digital guide data for Ch 11. I've tried renaming the digital channel to KOLN but that doesn't work since it goes by channel number.

The same thing goes for the PBS station in my DMA.

Anybody else have the same problem??

[scottchez]

I contacted ceo&echostar.com about my missing guide data again.
All I asked for was some kind of Discount since I am paying the $5 a month for Locals and the Guide data.

They said Sorry cant help me. I can also get Two DMAs.

We are paying for Guide data. When I had Direct TV I had ALL OTA guide data for all channels including all Sub channels.



Details on what is Missing
=============================
DTV OTA 6.2 UPN Omaha
DTV OTA 10.2 UPN Nebraska (DMA 20 miles from my house)

DTV OTA 12.5 PBS HD Nebraska PBS
DTV OTA 12.2 Nebraska PBS PBS-U
DTV OTA 12.3 Nebraska PBS PBS Kids

DTV OTA 26.5 PBS HD Nebraska PBS
DTV OTA 26.2 Nebraska PBS PBS-U
DTV OTA 26.3 Nebraska PBS PBS Kids

DTV OTA 32.1 PBS HD Iowa PBS (DMA 10 miles away)
DTV OTA 32.2 PBS Iowa SD feed

DTV OTA 36.1 PBS HD Iowa PBS (DMA 10 miles away)
DTV OTA 36.2 PBS Iowa SD feed

[juan ellitinez]

I contacted ceo&echostar.com about my missing guide data again.
All I asked for was some kind of Discount since I am paying the $5 a month for Locals and the Guide data.

They said Sorry cant help me. I can also get Two DMAs.

We are paying for Guide data. When I had Direct TV I had ALL OTA guide data for all channels including all Sub channels.



Details on what is Missing
=============================
DTV OTA 6.2 UPN Omaha
DTV OTA 10.2 UPN Nebraska (DMA 20 miles from my house)

DTV OTA 12.5 PBS HD Nebraska PBS
DTV OTA 12.2 Nebraska PBS PBS-U
DTV OTA 12.3 Nebraska PBS PBS Kids

DTV OTA 26.5 PBS HD Nebraska PBS
DTV OTA 26.2 Nebraska PBS PBS-U
DTV OTA 26.3 Nebraska PBS PBS Kids

DTV OTA 32.1 PBS HD Iowa PBS (DMA 10 miles away)
DTV OTA 32.2 PBS Iowa SD feed

DTV OTA 36.1 PBS HD Iowa PBS (DMA 10 miles away)
DTV OTA 36.2 PBS Iowa SD feed
switch back:lol: ;)

[LtMunst]

Dish special tech told me that my zip code is 60 percent Philadelphia and 39 percent New York. However, Dish made a decision to give OTA guide data and mapping to New York DMA subscribers only.


Is that just for your zip? I have Philly locals and my OTA guide data is just fine.

[Kagato]

Yeah, the Local Guide Data is and always has been sub par. Voom was extremely helpful with resolving guide data issues. DirecTV has been getting better over the years. The channel mapping Dish does doesn't seem to address the issues of what happens when a sub channel doesn't play what the analog station does, nor does it handle quirky DMAs well.

[Hound]

Yes, just for my zip code because my zip code covers two DMAs.

[James Long]

Yes, just for my zip code because my zip code covers two DMAs.It shoudn't be an issue as long as you subscribe to the locals for your DMA. If there are no locals for the DMA where E* has put your zip code that could cause a problem.

I get an out of market station OTA and get the EPG data for it. Markets don't matter as long as you subscribe to what E* considers "your" locals.

[Ron Barry]

Actually James.. One would think that is the case. I have read posts of people that have been able to get guide data from multiple DMAs even though they only have locals to one. Seems that if you get one you get them all. Then there are cases where people, like hound, by the fact of being in a certain zipcode get no OTA mapping.

There is a thread discussing this issue a while back.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=53725

[oljim]

I get ota EPG for 5 DMAs on my 622 with D500, 3 of them have dish locals on 105.
With my 921 I did not get EPG untill I had a dish pointed at 105.

[James Long]

That is another part of the puzzle. I don't get my OTA EPG data if I remove 105 (the current location of my locals) from my system. It doesn't matter if I can receive the satellite for the out of market OTAs or not, but the satellite versions of the in market locals MUST be available to be viewed in order to get EPG data for any OTAs.

Confused? I am. :)

[GravelChan]

I hear ya. I have a situation in the Lincoln-Kearney-Hastings DMA where the CBS affil is KOLN Ch 10 on the Dish locals but, my digital channel I receive for CBS is KGIN Ch 11. They have the entirely same schedule so I wish I could find a way to transfer that entire schedule over to my digital guide data for Ch 11. I've tried renaming the digital channel to KOLN but that doesn't work since it goes by channel number.

Anybody else have the same problem??

Yes, the problem arises when the OTA channel # is different than the one in your Dish locals, as you noted.

I am in the Sioux Falls, SD DMA. Local for Sioux Falls is: CBS(11), ABC(13). However, I live 160 miles from Sioux Falls, and receive CBS(6), ABC(4) on full power translator stations which of course have the same programming as the Sioux Falls stations. Because the channel #'s are different, no EPG info on OTA.

The EPG info is of course there for Dish delivered 11 and 13. The best solution would be for Dish to give us the ability to map EPG info from one station to another. Or else give us the ability to get PSIP info for these stations.

[PAULSTORM]

Yes, the problem arises when the OTA channel # is different than the one in your Dish locals, as you noted.

I am in the Sioux Falls, SD DMA. Local for Sioux Falls is: CBS(11), ABC(13). However, I live 160 miles from Sioux Falls, and receive CBS(6), ABC(4) on full power translator stations which of course have the same programming as the Sioux Falls stations. Because the channel #'s are different, no EPG info on OTA.

The EPG info is of course there for Dish delivered 11 and 13. The best solution would be for Dish to give us the ability to map EPG info from one station to another. Or else give us the ability to get PSIP info for these stations.

Great idea...I wish they would do something like that, also.

[Hound]

In my zip code, if you live in the New York DMA, the dish locals map and you get
OTA guide data. However, if you live in the Philadelphia DMA, like me, there is no
Dish local mapping and there is no OTA guide information. Dish has to correct this
problem. So far, I have heard nothing about a correction or when Dish is going
to tackle this in a software upgrade.

[Ron Barry]

Definitely lots of combinations here that can get really confusing. I also had the idea of providing the mapping in the Local Sat table to say what channel mapping a particular Local belongs to. Though this sounds like a good solution on the surfice. I can see some issues from a support perspective and my gut tells me that this change would be big. Looks rather trivial on the surfice, but I could see where this type of change ripples through the search and NBR features of the receiver.

As to providing PSIP guide integration, I also thought this would be a possible way of making the OTA guide more robust. This also would address having to pay for locals to get OTA guide. However, everything I have read here suggests this solution would also be problematic.

The issue definitely steams from the fact that Dish is providing an integrated solution here and in additional you have this added complexity of each DMA doing things differently and people living in areas served by multiple DMAs. From someone looking in from the outside, it looks to me like a huge mess to get right.

Well from my perspective, There is a lot to consider when trying to provide a solution to a complex problem like this one. How does one cover all situations and future situations while providing a minimum error prone solution as possible. Remember, most people here are pretty tech savvy. We are a small percentage of users and when Dish looks at solutions I am sure they look at it from a much broder less tech savvy users view.

Based on the rational above, I would be suprised if we see PSIP EPG integration or some type of mapping feature. Both of these solutions help these type of situations, but they also add complexity into the box. It is good to keep talking about it here so eyes can see that it is a real issue.

Hound, I know it would suck to not have EPG mapping. Hopefully, it will be addressed in the future, Sounds like Dish is aware of this problem. Given that this issue is in the 921 and I assume the 942, I would guess it might be awhile before a fix happens.