Slow Guide building

[Kenster]

Whenever you try to access the program guide on my father's Dish system, it takes a couple of minutes while it is "searching for a guide", or words to that effect. If you try to see what's on two or three hours in the future it really takes a long time.
Even if you finally get the guide built, and go back to regular programing, then go right back to guide, it starts all over trying to build a new guide. It also will not show the currently selected program while the guide is being built. I find the whole thing quite irritating. Is this a normal thing with Dish? He has a Dish 500 system and, I think, a RCA 301 receiver.
My Direct TV system allows me to scroll through the guide for two or three days into the future without taking a time-out while building the guide.

[Geronimo]

What receiver? What locatiosn does he receive?

[HTguy]

When E* was forced by the "must carry" rule to add hundreds & hundreds of additional local channels for the markets they offered local networks it created a gigantic data base of EPG info that challenges the memory capabilities of older & basic IRDs.

One of the major advantages of their PVR rcvrs is that the EPG info is cached on the hard drive for over 7 days resulting in instant access.

They are currently working on a new system of compressing the EPG data stream & dividing it up for faster access by basic rcvrs.

In the meantime, I recommmend that users of those products make sure that they "turn off" the rcvr when not in use so it can download the latest data in order to be ready when needed.

Another tip is to hit the "Guide" button whenever you take a break for a snack, bathroom, etc....even during station breaks if you're not channel surfing.

The PIP option in the guide for non-PVRs is currently useless, IMO, because the rcvr has to switch to the transponder from which the EPG data is spooling so the PIP will be lost during that process.

So for now, I recommend going to the full guide w/o PIP. When you want to see what else is on while watching a show use the "Browse" feature.

[Kevin]

In the meantime, I recommmend that users of those products make sure that they "turn off" the rcvr when not in use so it can download the latest data in order to be ready when needed.This will work only with PVR's which download program info as opposed to the other recievers that fetch the program info when "Guide" is pressed. Shutting off my 3900 overnight does nothing to help with the EPG woes.

This is one of the most annoying problems facing Dish subs not using PVR's. The EPG is virtually useless. You'll find yourself using the Browse feature more often than going to the EPG.

P.S. I've noticed that if you repeatedly hit the Guide button while in the EPG, the program info seems to appear faster than if you just sit there. I dunno if it's just me...

[Karl Foster]

Kinda like continually pushing the elevator button. :D

[Marcus S]

Acutally all the legacy receivers are having problems right now. #1 Charlie wouldn't spend the $'s up front to put in a reasonable amount of memory. #2 None of the receivers handle TP changes well causing slow guide until reboot. #3 which should be #1 is that the algorithm to manage the EPG does not work and why E* will not fix it escapes me. They would rather shove a PVR down you neck.

I finally forced E* to exchange my 5000 for a 4900. No good deal on a 501 through Dish, but I plan to put it up on Ebay and get a 501. I already have a 508. I just bought a 501 for $150 for my Sister, everyone now wants a 508. Ironically 5000 HD adapters are still being offered at $500+ but know one is buying. Glad I sold mine at $750, makes it all worthwhile. :)

[jhall]

When you hit guide, are you wanting to see the stuff around what you're watching, or do you want to seek within the guide?

[Kenster]

Originally posted by jhall
When you hit guide, are you wanting to see the stuff around what you're watching, or do you want to seek within the guide?

Don't care much about seeing the PIP while checking the guide. The problem is just seeing information in the guide, it takes a short while to even show the guide info for the current time, and it takes several minutes before you can advance the guide to see what's on in the next hour or so. You can't even see what's on the other channels at the current time without having to wait several minutes. My Direct TV receivers always have several days worth of guide instantly available. Why can't Dish even provide a good one for just a couple of hours into the future?

By the way, he is set up to see the current program (PIP) while looking at the guide, but the picture is not there until it finishes building the guide, so you miss several minutes of the current program.
As soon as his contract's up in the Spring, he'll probably switch to Direct TV. He loves my Ultimate TV. And he was upset with Dish when they charged him $86 to come out and do some minor adjustment just a few months after the install. He's an old man with terminal cancer. He can do little but watch TV. DISH really took advantage of him.

[scooper]

In a current non-PVR E* receiver, the EPG is good only for the next hour or 2, NORMALLY. I agree, this sucks. But it doesn't upset me enough to want to get a PVR for this alone.

[DarrellP]

Dish is working on using a compressed EPG which is supposed to cut the size in half. The 501's last software upgrade (167) was supposedly to prep it for this new guide.

Why can D* handle 2 days, they have just as many locals as E*. What do they do differently with their EPG?

[scooper]

I don't actually know, but maybe they are dedicating more bandwidth (that would help alot, I bet !).