[jamieh1]

Earl,
Do you know if Directv is planning on adding a channel scan feature to the HR20?
I like to scan in channels as I many a nights can get channels from 100s of miles out.

 

[Tom Robertson]

The current method, using guide data to determine what channels one "receives" does seem a bit backward. Things change, channels change PSIP info still, big ass antenna can get things that one isn't "supposed to", etc. Seems, just scan the air and see what really is available...

Cheers,
Tom

 

[houskamp]

would prefer a scan + manual selection

 

[Tom Robertson]

would prefer a scan + manual selection

What are your thoughts on how a manual selection would work? Like the HR10 in that the users can type in a channel and go there? And/or a manual addition to the list of "channels I receive"?

As I ponder this question I'm wondering if it also makes sense that when a user changes channel to a channel previously unknown, such as 48-3 which, based on PSIP info should be mapped to 5-2, the HR20 would ask if it should add it to the list. While not many users would know what the "true" digital channel is, some will and some will find it by testing.

Thinking out loud.

Merry Christmas,
Tom

 

[houskamp]

What are your thoughts on how a manual selection would work? Like the HR10 in that the users can type in a channel and go there? And/or a manual addition to the list of "channels I receive"?

As I ponder this question I'm wondering if it also makes sense that when a user changes channel to a channel previously unknown, such as 48-3 which, based on PSIP info should be mapped to 5-2, the HR20 would ask if it should add it to the list. While not many users would know what the "true" digital channel is, some will and some will find it by testing.

Thinking out loud.

Merry Christmas,
Tom

Just wondering how does a 'regular' tv know the right digital channel? It can't get a list from anywhere..

 

[hasan]

Just wondering how does a 'regular' tv know the right digital channel? It can't get a list from anywhere..

It simply scans every available channel "slot" looking for digital data to lock on to.

I would like the HR20 to support this same approach. They can keep the guide centric for "normal" operation, but I would like an option to do a "manual" scan, just like any ordinary HD tuner does in typical HD TVs.

In the mean time, I'm so darn happy to have what OTA-HD we have in the HR20 that I could just .....

 

[Tom Robertson]

Just wondering how does a 'regular' tv know the right digital channel? It can't get a list from anywhere..

If it were a directv TV, it would call up and get the guide info...

In the Digital TV datastream is a field called PSIP (IIRC) that tells the TV, HR10, etc. what the data stream is "supposed" to be. For instance lets say channel 5 has its digital channels being broadcast on channel 48. Channel 48 has 3 data streams in it: 48-1, 48-2, and 48-3 (note, they do not have to be sequential, but usually start out that way...)

Then in this example, lets say 48-1's PSIP says that 48-1 is really 5-2. And 48-2's is really to be nothing right now, cuz they turned it off, but held onto the stream for the moment. And 48-3 is really 5-1. The TV, in scanning, builds a table of channel mappings.

And, in most areas, someone broadcasts TVguide guide information in some of the streams. Some TVs can utilize this data to build a guide similar to the Directv Guides. Seems to me, Directv could use this data too, perchance, but it would likely involve some agreement with TVguide.

Now in our example, what if the station started a 5-3 that was 48-4. If a user tried 5-3, they would most likely get nothing since the TV doesn't have a mapping, it couldn't find a 5-3 anywhere. (unless it caught the update in 48's data stream. ) Now in this same scenario, if the user knew to try a 48-4 (just for giggles perhaps), then the mapping would exist and the TV or HR20 could ask the user "Do you want to add this channel as 5-3 to your list?"

Merry Christmas,
Tom

 

[Tom Robertson]

It simply scans every available channel "slot" looking for digital data to lock on to.

I would like the HR20 to support this same approach. They can keep the guide centric for "normal" operation, but I would like an option to do a "manual" scan, just like any ordinary HD tuner does in typical HD TVs.

In the mean time, I'm so darn happy to have what OTA-HD we have in the HR20 that I could just .....

Just be careful to change your pants before you go out...

 

[hasan]

My wife made a similar observation.

 

[say-what]

THis sure would be nice. The H20 has this feature and the HR10-250 does and that is great since D* decided to muck up my market data that had previously mapped my OTA's correctly. Now with the bad data, D* is telling the tuner to search for signals on the wrong frequencies for 3 channels (the H20's signal meter shows the frequency it's trying to tune). At least on the H20 and HR10-250 I can tune into the scanned channels - although they have no programming guide data.

Why wouldn't they add this to the HR20? It would at least allow viewing and recording of the improperly mapped channels until D* enters the data correctly.

 

[Lfix2]

Earl,

Is there any word that D* may take this approach with the HR20?

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Earl,

Is there any word that D* may take this approach with the HR20?

Eventually, yes... but for right now... in this first "version" of OTA, they have opted to remove the scan option.

 

[Lfix2]

It would seem to be a less combursome approach to maintain in the future (Scanning that is) then constantly reacting to trouble calls from customers when guide data changes.

 

[say-what]

You know what would be a nice feature to add to the channel scan - the ability to match found channels to existing guide data. That would allow us to manually correct the problems that occur when the local market info provided by D* doesn't include matching channel frequencies or the data in the guide but no signal as is happening now.....