How do you view the E* EPG? (OpenTv Subs)

[Steve Mehs]

One of the things I was most looking foward to when getting a 501, besides the PVR functions was the split screen EPG, being able to view programming and surf the EPG at once. After just minutes I found that distracting and went back to the normal view

[TimL]

My wife thought the picture in the corner was a distraction at firs but she got used to it. especially when she is watching something she likes. That feature was one of the things I was looking forward to with the 501.

[Jacob S]

Since it says 'retrieving information from satellite, please wait' pops up so much, I see no reason to have it in the corner like that as a partial guide. On the pvr units thats not an issue since the program guide information is stored on the hard drive so it never says that, always has a picture, unless there is a hard drive failure.

[Kevin]

When this feature first came out, I thought it was a great idea, but unfortunately it had to be ruined by the "Info Not Available" blunder of the 3900 reciever. It takes about a minute for the video to appear on my EPG and by then I'm done using the EPG so it's no use.

[Jacob S]

Can they fix this with a software upgrade or are we stuck with this annoying problem forever?

[John Corn]

I really like the video in the corner of the screen on the EPG. :)

[Mark Holtz]

Since my primary receiver is a 501, the guide is stored on the hard drive, so during a slow period of the show, I often go to the guide to set up other program events. So, it's partial for me.

The folks at Dish really need to clean up the code to handle the programming data sent down to the receivers. After all, UNIX has /dev/null, and DOS had NUL. So, if a channel is not intended to be displayed at all on the guide (not even as a unsubscribed channel), the data is simply discarded. How hard is that? Or, does the bit bucket overflow in the receiver?

[rbonzer]

I have two recievers, a 501, which I have show the video, and a 4900, which I have the video turned off. I can get through all the channels on the 4900 before the video kicks in, so what's the point?

[Jacob S]

That is what I like about the pvr units, they store it on the hard drive. Some people's receivers will display the picture a lot quicker than others do, how come is that? I have heard that the longer that it is in use the better it works.