TV Guide On Screen - post your info here! [Text View] - Page 8

BigSes

04-19-07, 07:03 PM

Hey guys,

I am writing to inquire about a solution for a recently developed problem with my LG 32LX1D. I had purchased the unit about a year ago with perfect operation all along. However, within the past week, my TV Guide On Screen (TVGOS) menu has become frozen on a black screen. Upon pressing the TVGOS button on my remote, the television moves the current image to the small box in the upper left hand corner, as it is supposed to do, but the rest of the screen is a black. I have no menu, nothing, just a smaller display of my current channel on a black screen. I figure that I may be able to solve my issue by resetting my TVGOS but I cannot do so since there is no menu to do it with. Also, it doesnt appear as though the black TVGOS screen responds to any input from the remote other than the TVGOS button and EXIT (both of which exit TVGOS). I have also tried leaving my TV unplugged from the wall for approximately an hour, but that didnt work either. I am using just a straight coaxial cable connection to the television, and up until now I have never had a problem with my TVGOS, not even with channel updates (as I have read that is a frequent problem). Here are a few more facts that may help to find a solution:

Cable provider: Atlantic Broadband Digital
DVR Device: No
Cable box: No
CableCARD: No

Is there a way that I can reset my TVGOS to act as it did when I first installed my television, or is there a TVGOS software upgrade or anything like that? Ive done a bit of research on various forums and at LG's site, and apparently there is no firmware upgrade for my TV as of yet. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. The problem is actually a little more of a nuisance than simply not having my channel listings because the TV defaults to the TVGOS screen when I power it on, so as soon as its turned on I have the small picture in the upper left corner on the completely black screen. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, I have been unable to find anyone on the internet that has a similar problem. Thank you very much!

twelvepbrs

04-19-07, 07:11 PM

Les Garrenton

04-19-07, 09:40 PM

Is there a way that I can reset my TVGOS to act as it did when I first installed my television, or is there a TVGOS software upgrade or anything like that?My LG 50PX4DR has a couple of ways of resetting the TVGOS and I imagine it would be the same for your LG. Unfortunately I'm travelling and all my notes are home, but I do know there is an easy way to reset the guide involving a few keystrokes on the remote. It will wipe everything out and you'll have to start over entering your location and let the guide repopulate itself with info over 24-48 hours.

It will be a couple of days before I'll be home though, so you might want to try the other method that involves getting into one of the two service menus where there is also a guide reset option. Try searching this thread or this forum for how to get into the service menu - it involves simultaneously pressing a button on the remote and the TV for several seconds while the TV is on, but I don't remember which buttons.

BigSes

04-19-07, 09:49 PM

My LG 50PX4DR has a couple of ways of resetting the TVGOS and I imagine it would be the same for your LG. Unfortunately I'm travelling and all my notes are home, but I do know there is an easy way to reset the guide involving a few keystrokes on the remote. It will wipe everything out and you'll have to start over entering your location and let the guide repopulate itself with info over 24-48 hours.

It will be a couple of days before I'll be home though, so you might want to try the other method that involves getting into one of the two service menus where there is also a guide reset option. Try searching this thread or this forum for how to get into the service menu - it involves simultaneously pressing a button on the remote and the TV for several seconds while the TV is on, but I don't remember which buttons.

One thing that the TVGOS technical support did tell me, that didnt help in my situation but that may help someone else, is a reset method for TVGOS on my LG without having to use TVGOS' menu. I figured this would be beneficial to me, since I cant see my TVGOS screen at all. Im still trying to find a way to get my TVGOS back as opposed to just disabling it. Anyone out there having serious problems with TVGOS and a LG may want to try this:

1) Goto TV's menu, goto EZ SCAN option
2) Dont start the scan, but instead enter 100102 on your remote
3) Screen should go blank for a few seconds, then come back
4) TVGOS should be reset, turn TV off and back on to begin scan

This didnt help me because Im afraid my TVGOS issue is a video problem of some sort. I will post any additional information I receive here to help others down the line. If nothing else, I will post an image of what my TVGOS has turned into, its very strange and I havent found another similar case on the net. I hope my internal TVGOS circuitry isnt screwed, I dont feel like taking this bad boy in for repair!

LES: Id be interested in hearing more about your reset methods, if you wouldnt mind emailing me or posting here when you get back, that would be great! Ive been poking around the group but cant seem to come across exactly what you are referring to. Thanks again!

Les Garrenton

04-19-07, 09:59 PM

1) Goto TV's menu, goto EZ SCAN option
2) Dont start the scan, but instead enter 100102 on your remote
3) Screen should go blank for a few seconds, then come back
4) TVGOS should be reset, turn TV off and back on to begin scan

This didnt help me because Im afraid my TVGOS issue is a video problem of some sort.
Unfortunately that is exactly the reset method I was having trouble remembering without my notes. I think that the service menu method is equivalent, so it probably won't do you any good. Sounds like you need to call LG.

BigSes

04-19-07, 10:10 PM

I contacted them prior to contacting TVGOS, which is who they sent me onto contacting. They wouldnt even give me any pointers, basically its not their problem unless I take it into their authorized repair shop. Also, I noticed on reading Bruzzi's Service Menu Code forum that the LG code he posted ALMOST works to get into the service menu. If I hold menu, as he describes, I get a password box but unfortunately I dont know the password to enter the service menu (TV defaults are 7777 and 0000, neither work). Hopefully someone out there has the entry code. =) Thanks for the reply Les!

jobob3

04-20-07, 12:31 PM

Has the TV Guide service recently gone nuts in Houston.

Has been working great for a long time (a couple of years); but the last few days it shows “no listing” or missing data, unless you move the cursor around on the screen, sometimes it will show up?
My Guide Plus died on 2 RCA TVs sometime before the first of the year after working well in Houston (Katy) for 5+ years. It looks like Time Warner is not passing the necessary info thru the cable. I plan to try to hook up some rabbit ears to see if I can get the info that way.

Sampson1943

04-20-07, 04:07 PM

twelvepbrs

04-20-07, 05:43 PM

Can anyone help with which new sets have TVGOS? I use it all the time with my 36" set, the newspaper no longer publishes the daily TV guide. I guess they think you are suppose to have your computer beside your Lazy Boy and look up the listings.

I am now in the process of buying a 50 or 52 inch HDTV and can't find any with TVGOS.
not that i'm trying to talk down on TVGOS (i have it, and use it well...because i'm cheap), but it is/can be a huge pain in the ass depending on your location/equipment/cable co, so just to make sure you know what you might be getting yourself into, i'd guess a good place to start is just to look for sets that have cablecard slots, and then check if they have somekind of programming guide (i'd guess it will probably be TVGOS even if it's not mentioned specifically)

tmccartney66

04-21-07, 03:30 PM

I have a PVR, a Philips HDRW 720/17, and like many others, TVGOS started going screwy for me a few months ago. The channel lineups I get are incorrect and incomplete, and no one wants to take any responsibility for it.

My unit was manufactured in 2005. I'm wondering whether older equipment is having trouble where newer equipment might not be - in other words, did TVGOS change in some way that's not compatible with the older equipment?

I've contacted a friend of mine with a law firm to see if there's any interest in a class-action lawsuit. I bought this unit partly because it had "free" TVGOS (I paid for it as part of the purchase price), and it's not operating as advertised.

Tracey

wbertram

04-23-07, 02:02 PM

Interesting article!

http://multichannel.com/article/CA6435477.html

I wonder if it will be compatible with the existing TVGOS software, or if it will be upgradeable?

Chaptak

04-23-07, 10:10 PM

I am writing to inquire about a solution for a recently developed problem with my LG 32LX1D. I had purchased the unit about a year ago with perfect operation all along. However, within the past week, my TV Guide On Screen (TVGOS) menu has become frozen on a black screen. Upon pressing the TVGOS button on my remote, the television moves the current image to the small box in the upper left hand corner, as it is supposed to do, but the rest of the screen is a black. I have no menu, nothing, just a smaller display of my current channel on a black screen. I figure that I may be able to solve my issue by resetting my TVGOS but I cannot do so since there is no menu to do it with. Also, it doesnt appear as though the black TVGOS screen responds to any input from the remote other than the TVGOS button and EXIT (both of which exit TVGOS). I have also tried leaving my TV unplugged from the wall for approximately an hour, but that didnt work either.

... The problem is actually a little more of a nuisance than simply not having my channel listings because the TV defaults to the TVGOS screen when I power it on, so as soon as its turned on I have the small picture in the upper left corner on the completely black screen. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, I have been unable to find anyone on the internet that has a similar problem. Thank you very much!

My LG 32LX1D developed the EXACT same problem as of last Thursday (4/19/2007). I've figured out a fix to the black-screen-at-start-up nuisance: get to the Ez Adjust service menu (hold the "menu" buttons on the remote AND the front panel simultaneously until a service menu pops up -- you might need to repeat this step twice to get to Ez Adjust) and change the setting for item 12 "Auto Guide On/Off."

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out a fix for the main issue: TVGOS. Even the LG service page for the particular model (136.166.4.200/contents/Files/Displays/LCDTV/32LX1D.htm) did not help.

UPDATE: About six weeks after I escalated the issue to both TVGOS and LG, there is some progress -- but not without glitches. LG ultimately had to replace the main board (!). Now, TVGOS comes up and even seems to function. HOWEVER, (1) After obtaining the channel lineup, TVGOS has set the system time wrong -- despite an accurate ZIP code setting, and (2) the CableCARD fails to descramble HBO and Showtime (other channels are fine); the card keeps "Waiting for CP Auth" -- despite multiple attempts by the cable provider (COX) to resolve the issue by communicating with the device.

lostguide

05-06-07, 11:50 PM

My Guide Plus died on 2 RCA TVs sometime before the first of the year after working well in Houston (Katy) for 5+ years. It looks like Time Warner is not passing the necessary info thru the cable. I plan to try to hook up some rabbit ears to see if I can get the info that way.

I was told by an engineer at a local station here in Beaumont that TWC strips off the TVGOS data. This is true since the only way that I get the guide is via rabbit ears. Every so often it hangs up or they turn it off for maintenance and then forget to turn it back on--so I call them and then it comes back. I may be the only one here that uses it. Once it finally goes away, I am getting a dish--totally disgusted with TWC.

HoustonPerson

05-08-07, 08:24 AM

Yes TWC in most areas of SE Texas has very poor service; but they may not be the entire problem if you are getting or were getting good TV Guide service before.

I use only OTA, and get TV Guide via the local PBS analogue in Houston. The Data Grid information, program data formats, was changed significantly during the last couple of months - not something most will see.

In very general and yes vague terms there were three phases of Guide Data.

1. Prior to the "daylight savings" change early March - good data
2. A middle time frame from about a month long - early March till about April 16th - bad data formats (think corrupted data structures)
3. And finally a third and corrected data grid formats - Good Data again -and for most users in SE Texas an addtion of about 100 stations.

If for some reason your TV Guide is not working correctly, then you will need to re-set it up, usually from scratch. This will most likely require either a "soft" or a "hard" re-set (think re-boot) depending on your equipment (example on a Sony DHG-HDD500 use the "guide" and "exit" button on the front panel of the machine to force a soft re-set). And it may also require (most likely), resetting up the TV Guide again, and answering "NO" to the question is the set up information correct - even if it says it is correct. In certain situations, you may have to do this up to three times; if it does not work the first time with correct zip code re-entered over the correct zip; then the second time through enter all "zeros" for zip code, and then a third time with the correct zip code.

That could work in getting your Guide back on track.

lostguide

05-10-07, 09:54 PM

bwall23

05-11-07, 10:43 PM

How long does it take Gemstar to update channel lineups?

I have Comcast in Sacramento, CA. and they moved some channels and added some more 3 months ago.

I have tried setting TVGOS to different zipcodes in the Sacramento area and still don't see the new channel lineup. I do TVGOS resets between zipcode changes to make sure I'm starting from scratch.

Even looking at TV Guide online, I don't see the new lineup in any local zipcode and I've emailed them 6 times, of course I never even get a reply.

VERY FRUSTRATING.

mapper

05-14-07, 08:40 PM

I've had this done before with Cox Cable, and the same procedure can be used here.
Sometimes Gemstar will not change the channel lineups for months at a time.

The way to make sure you can get all the information to the new channels is by going to the channel editor.(Service Bar>Setup>Channel Editor) Sometimes there are channels that are in the OFF position because Comcast did not provide that channel before. Just move it to the ON position and set a channel to tune for that channel and you are good to go.

To move channels that have been moved to another channel, go to the channel editor and assign the channel that got moved the correct channel. This will ensure that when you select the channel that was moved to another channel, it wil tune correctly.

bwall23

05-15-07, 10:22 PM

mapper

05-20-07, 11:48 AM

Are the new channels really new? Because if they are, then TV Guide won't have information for them immediately. But hey, it's a free service, you get what you get.

simonkodousek

05-20-07, 03:16 PM

mapper

05-22-07, 09:54 PM

The TV Guide feature doesn't work on my Toshiba DLP. It says the channel info takes 24 hours to populate, but it has been doing this for a week and still nothing. I have digital cable that I use all of the time, but I tried out the TV Guide feature with analog cable.

~Simon :)

So are you trying to use the guide with analog or digital cable? Who is your cable company? It takes 24 hours of time that the TV is officially off. My Toshiba DLP's guide worked perfectly until a couple of days ago, you will have to be patient for the guide to load up.

lostguide

05-23-07, 03:31 PM

The TV Guide feature doesn't work on my Toshiba DLP. It says the channel info takes 24 hours to populate, but it has been doing this for a week and still nothing. I have digital cable that I use all of the time, but I tried out the TV Guide feature with analog cable.

~Simon :)

There are some things you can check to see if the guide is working at all, which it sounds like it is not based on your post. After 24 hours you should see something. Your cable co is probably stripping the data, try an antenna.

This forum contains very explicit answers to your issue, read through old posts and search.

pjhollin

05-28-07, 04:32 AM

Does anyone know what channel TWC broadcasts its TVGOS data on in Los Angeles, zip 91784 (Upland)? I stopped getting updates about 3 weeks ago. Everything has been No Listing since then. Maybe it's because TWC has been going all digital. If I knew what channel they are using, I can check to see if there is an analog channel for it. I have an LG 50PX4DR with a CableCard. I tried the 100102 secret code on the channel scan. That reset the TV's TVGOS data and erased all the channels on TVGOS and I can't get any data now.

TWC support is about useless - they don't even know what TVGOS is - they keep thinking I'm talking about their On Demand service. All they do is send out a signal to my CableCard and have me remove it and replace it.

I'm at the base of the mountains and OTA reception is terrible, so an antenna hookup will not help.

TIA.

Paw Paw

05-28-07, 08:43 AM

I had the same problem with losing TVGO when TWC went to full digital overlay in Houston. TVGOS is only available from an analogue feed and not digital.

Fortunitely my TV had a second coax input and I could hook up an OTA antenna to it and get the analogue TVGOS data from my local PBS station. Finally, after a month or so, TWC put a pointer in the channel table for the CableCards to put the local PBS station's analogue feed on channel 98 and I could then get the TVGOS data. Unless TWC does that for your area you are SOL picking up the TVGOS from them. Anyway, in 20 months all analogue brodcasts are going to cease and there will be no more TVGOS for us. While TVGOS is testing a digital system I doubt that it will be compatable with our sets.

pjhollin

05-28-07, 09:17 PM

Paw Paw, thanks for your response.

As expected, TWC's solution of resetting the CableCard didn't work. This morning my TVGOS screen still had the "There is no data for this screen" message.

So now I've split the input and connected to both the cable and antenna input jacks. Paw Paw, thanks for mentioning about your area having a PBS analog channel on 98. I found an analog channel for our main PBS channel on 97, so maybe TWC has done the same thing here. I've told TVGOS setup that I have an antenna and did a channel scan. Hopefully tonight it will pick up the data.

If not, I'll have to pound on TWC support some more until I can find someone who can tell me what analog channel they are using for the data.

This is a real bummer since my TV's DVR needs TVGOS for recording future programs. I don't want to have to pay TVC for renting a DVR and DVR service.

Paw Paw

05-29-07, 07:25 AM

Splitting the input should take care of your problem if you can stand the 3db loss that is created by the splitter. Your antenna input will still find the NTSC (analogue) signals right where they have always been. However, if you have an analogue PBS station still showing up on the CableCard input I wonder why your set did not find it and populate the schedule.

You still may need to reset the TVGOS software and wipe out the old pointer to the PBS station on the CableCard input that is no longer available. In fact, since you have the PBS station on 97 a reset (without the splitter) might take care of it completely for you since it should find the data on channel 97 so you would not need the splitter.

I know when I lost my TVGOS one of the things I tried was a reset but it was not successful since it took TWC several months to put our PBS station on 98 and by then I had hooked up an old antenna and was getting the TVGOS that way.

I am glad to see that the TWC helpless desk is just as sharp and knowledgeable through out their systems. Some of the people I have talked to obviously are clueless. But then there is no incentive for them to get your CableCard or TVGOS working. They want to rent you a set top box and make more $$$.

pjhollin

05-29-07, 01:13 PM

Well, the splitting the signal into both antenna and cable didn't work.

Paw Paw - I've tried resetting the TVGOS data twice without success. I, too, thought the resulting scan would have located the right channel. This makes me question which channel TWC really is using to broadcast the TVGOS signal.

I was able to locate some rabbit ears that appear to bring in the OTA PBS station strong enough to permit close-caption to work, which, according to an online TVGOS manual I found, is an indication the signal is strong enough for the TV to decipher the TVGOS signal. So I've removed the CableCard and setup everything with just the antenna input. Supposedly the data is broadcast 4 times a day, so I'll leave teh TV off the rest of the day and see what happens.

I need to get back on the phone with TWC to try to find someone who knows what channel they are using. As you stated, it's not in their interest to be completely helpful since it would cost me about $14/month to rent an HDDVR and the recording service, an expense I thought I'd be avoiding with the TV I bought. And I was for the last 1-1/2 years.

Paw Paw

05-29-07, 03:37 PM

I know how frustrating this is when TWC makes changes and doesn’t think them through for the CableCard users. Trying to think back to when I had this problem last year, here are some more ideas.

First, this is a great link for TVGOS information http://home1.gte.net/res18h39/tvgos.theabsolutenuts.com/
I got a lot of good info from it.

I suggest that you look in the link under the Technical FAQ and Diagnostic Mode to see how to enter the diagnostics mode for TVGOS. Then check the host channel and input source as described on the link to be sure TVGOS is not still pointing to the old cable channel that is now digital overlay. It should be blank if you did a reset and no TVGOS channel has been acquired.

If it still points to the old channel the general FAQ section of the link documents the reset process.

Also, I remember that I had to re-setup my Samsung DLP TV to indicate that it had both an antenna input and cable input and I had to scan the antenna input so TVGOS knew that some OTA channels were available in its search for the TVGOS data. I think I also had to setup the TVGOS for both OTA and Cable channels but I am not sure.

Good Luck

Paw Paw

pjhollin

05-29-07, 11:11 PM

Thanks for the link to the TVGOS info, Paw Paw. I had found similar info by following some links on an LG website but your site has more info. The LG site also told me how to get into the diagnostic screens and it described the screens more accurately than your site. LG probably customized them. Nothing showed up in those screens to indicate I had found the host site.

I contacted TWC again today. Naturally the support person knew nothing, but I insisted she do further checking with a higher level. After about 20 minutes she came back with a phone number to call. She actually transferred me so I didn't have to call it. It turned out to be a PBS station in my county. Not the major one for L.A. but one I can get good OTA reception on (I'm about 45 miles east of L.A. and the L.A. PBS station is fuzzy, but serviceable OTA). Anyway, I got to talk to an engineer. He was aware of the problem. He had several people call about it. He said TWC stopped transmitting the VBI data about 3 weeks ago and he can't find anyone at TWC to talk to to get it reset.

For tonight's attempt, I've got the rabbit ears on the antenna input and the cable on the cable input and the TVGOS set to look at the antenna and cable. Given what the engineer said, I'm not expecting anything good to happen, but I might get lucky. Tomorrow, I'll try contacting the major PBS station and see if their engineers have the same story. And maybe start writing some letters.

Hey! I've got something! Before I submitted this reply, I decided to go back one more time through the diagnostic screens to see if I could see if any host channel had been detected. When I pressed the TV Guide button I got a message asking me to choose the right location from a list. After I did I got a channel lineup with no listings, but it's a start, so maybe tonight it will populate some data.

Paw Paw

05-30-07, 08:59 AM

Looks like success comes to those who persevere. Glad you are starting to populate the TVGOS data and were able to talk to a knowledgeable individual about your problem. Funny (not really) that TWC had to hand you off to a PBS engineer to get some straight answers.

Paw Paw

lostguide

05-30-07, 09:20 AM

For tonight's attempt, I've got the rabbit ears on the antenna input and the cable on the cable input and the TVGOS set to look at the antenna and cable. Given what the engineer said, I'm not expecting anything good to happen, but I might get lucky. Tomorrow, I'll try contacting the major PBS station and see if their engineers have the same story. And maybe start writing some letters.

Hey! I've got something! Before I submitted this reply, I decided to go back one more time through the diagnostic screens to see if I could see if any host channel had been detected. When I pressed the TV Guide button I got a message asking me to choose the right location from a list. After I did I got a channel lineup with no listings, but it's a start, so maybe tonight it will populate some data.

I hope you realize now that TWC strips TVGOS data from any signal that they send out on cable. I was told this by a station engineer and have verified it myself.

What you have now experienced is a working TVGOS system as it was originally designed (out the airwaves via PBS). You are getting signal, so at least now you know the path to achieve it. This does not mean that you will get listings. That depends on whether or not the TVGOS data was shipped to the station, but so far it looks good. I predict you will start getting listings by this afternoon--enjoy.

pjhollin

05-30-07, 01:00 PM

Good news - I got some listings overnight. First two days and eighth day, as I'm supposed to get. I'll get some more today or tonight.

I may experiment and remove the rabbit ears to see if they are rebroadcasting the TVGOS data over the analog PBS channel (97) on cable. If nothing new shows up, I'll reconnect the rabbit ears, although they look funny sitting on top of a 50-inch plasma TV!

Thanks for eveyone's help in this thread. Lots of good stuff here.

jobob3

05-31-07, 09:07 PM

I am another Houston victim of TWC. The Guideplus went out on both of my RCA TVs a few months back and I've been trying various things to restore it. A call to TWC confirmed that they are stripping the signal from the local channel that piggy-backs it onto their signal. I'm not sure how this is legal, but that's another issue.

Here is a funny thing. I also have an RCA DVD/HDD recorder and, while it doesn't have the GuidePlus, it does get some sort of signal, because it knows what it is recording and adds the Program name to anything I record (ie Gray's Anatomy). However, the Guide is dead on both TVs. It lists the channels, but all time slots are labelled - "No Listing."

I recently got some rabbit ears and tried them. First, I just unhooked the cable and wired the rabbit ears to the coax imput. No guide info the next day. Then I reset the TV settings to reflect that it was hooked to an antenna, not cable. The next day I had Guide listings, but only for the on-air broadcast channels, nothing for the cable-only channels. Next, I manually went thru all channels on the TV setup to 'turn them on' so the TV stops at each channel when just changing channels up or down. This had no effect and added no channel listings to the Guide.

I tried to go thru the reset instructions detailed in this forum, but they don't seem to apply to RCA TVs.

Some of you seem to have solved similar problems ... any more suggestions for me to try?

thanks, BDT

Paw Paw

06-01-07, 07:09 AM

Jobob3, I am not sure about you configuration but, based on your post, I would assume that you have only one coax input to your TV. I must also assume that you are using a set top box to receive your cable channels and can connect it to the TV via HDMI, Component or composet input. If this is correct you should be able to select a different channel lineup under the setup tab of the TVGOS system. (Something that talks about cable input even though you are using the rabbit ears) I am not sure what selections are available for your hadrware configutration and zip code but that is where I would start.

If you are using a CableCard and have only one coax input you may be able to pick up channel 8 PBS on 98 and get the listings. I know TWC Houston in the Spring area at least allows the time signal from PBS to come through on 98 since I have one TV that picks that up through a CableCard but I am not sure about the rest of the TVGOS data.

Hope this helps

jobob3

06-01-07, 08:18 PM

thanks for the info Paw Paw. I don't have a cable box, just the plain, old analog cable plugged into the only cable connection on the back of the TV. That TV also has red, white and yellow (composite?) connections on the front. Right now the cable is running through a DVD player and there is a VCR hooked to the front, composite connections. You are correct about the multiple channel lineups available at the Guide configuration screens. I have tried selecting 'No cable' and the option that represents the proper channel listing for TWC in my zip code, but neither seems to work. I suppose that I could select a lineup for my zip code that I know is not correct, but I don't see the point in that. Yesterday, I tried to have both the cable and the rabbit ears feed the TV through a splitter, but I didn't get any show info.

My other RCA TV has a cable connection, composite and S-video inputs and I haven't tried the rabbit ears on it yet, since all of the connections are harder to get to inside of a cabinet.

Any other thoughts??

HoustonPerson

06-02-07, 07:17 AM

Paw Paw

06-02-07, 08:42 AM

Jobob3, since you are connecting the coax direct to the TV and just receiving the NTSC stations (Channel 2 through 76) the TWC tech is probably correct that they are stripping the TVGOS. I would call or Email KUHT and see if they know if anything can be done. I emailed them once on another issue and received a nice reply. They may be able to give you some ideas.

To work with what you have here are some thoughts

As you found out you cannot “combine" the rabbit ears and the cable. However, you could purchase a manual COAX switch from Radio Shack for a few $$. This would allow you to have the Cable connected to the TV when you are using it and then manually switch to the antenna at night to update the listings.

You could use the tuner in the VCR to get your cable stations and hook the VCR up to the TV via a composite cable (red, white and yellow) so you could leave the antenna in the coax input. If you have only one composite input you could get a composite switch from Radio Shack to switch from the DVR to the VCR or possibly run the DVR through the VCR if the VCR has a set of composite inputs. This is complex but would work. I did it for an old set that had only one set of composit inputs,

In either case you need to setup the TVGOS for Cable. Even though you are actually getting your data from the antenna. KUHT carries the TVGOS data for all OTA and Cable stations and the TVGOS setup just tells your set which channels to display.

Good Luck

HoustonPerson

06-04-07, 10:51 AM

This may have been posted before?

Does anyone know if the "new" TV Guide Version 9 that is offered in a few of the new sets (like Mit's WD-57833 etc) will support the new CBS Digital Guide to be rolled out next year?

I have Sony product with Ver 8 guide system - and Sony tells me it will not work with the new CBS Digital Guide system; and there is no word yet on a upgrade path.

In talking with a factory Panasonic Rep, he told me the few Panasonics that have TV Guide Ver "9" will work with the new roll out of TV-Guide CBS digital service.

Please keep in mind this same rep, did not know that Panasonic's "info" button the remote is called "recall" and provides the same on-screen information as other TV's - he said Panasonic does not provide that information on-screen.

If anyone knows what is "required" to receive the new TV Guide Digital CBS downloads; please post it to this thread. Thanks

inteller

06-14-07, 09:22 AM

samhouston

06-30-07, 09:04 AM

Here's an email I got from Cox, FYI. The original post is in the Sony DHG-HDD500 forum here.
---------------------------------------------
Thank you for contacting our Cox Northern Virginia Online Customer Care Team.

We apologize for the difficulties you have faced with your Cable service, and for any inconvenience this may have caused.

In response to the concerns raised in your email: We have converted Channel 26 with the Gemstar embedded program guide back to an Analog signal at for the time being. If you power-cycle the CableCARD-enabled equipment (unplug, wait 30 seconds, then reconnect to power) and follow the initial setup procedures as detailed in your owners' manual(s), this should bring about restoration of the guide after midnight that same evening.

If this does not work, please feel free to contact me directly at 703 480 5280. I work Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Eastern Time. This number bypasses our call center and rings directly to my desk; I stand ready to assist you.

If you need additional information on other Cox products or services, please visit our web site at http://www.cox.com/fairfax. We hope that we have been able to provide you with the information you requested. If we have not, or if we can be of any additional service to
you, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

My name is David
Thank you for choosing Cox Communications, Your Friend in the Digital
Age!

Sincerely,
The Cox Northern Virginia Online Customer Care Team

Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Form Message
subject: Technical Support
detail: Digital Cable

Comments: I use three cable cards. In the Vienna area (22180) what channel numbers remain as analog while using the digital service? My cards, when inserted, state I have 343 digital channels and 3 analog channels. I need to know the channel numbers for these three analog channels for my Gemstar TV Guide On Screen system to work. Two months ago, Cox transmitted WETA 26 analog overlaid on the digital signal in my zip code. But now, WETA 26 is all digital. Please confirm the remaining analog channels and their assigned numbers while using the digital service via cable cards.

samhouston

06-30-07, 09:36 AM

This is what I understand after speaking with a Gemstar technician about digital simulcasts and TV Guide On Screen (TVGOS) data passage. As we know, TVGOS data does not reach all consumers depending on the cable company. TV Guide data is typically available on an analog channel already present on the cable into the home, but digital cable boxes and CableCARD TVs are unable to tune to the analog channel to allow TV Guide data to pass because the creation of the digital simulcast strips VBI-embedded TVGOS data from the analog signal. The Gemstar solution is requesting the cable company add an additional channel entry in the digital lineup to allow digital cable boxes and CableCARD TVs to tune to the analog channel which allows TVGOS data to pass.

This is what Cox did in my situation. WETA (channel 26) in the DC area was totally digitized around the end of May by Cox. Before yesterday, PBS had no analog on the digital feeds to my apartment with TVGOS data. Splitters cannot be used to get data to most TVGOS products. My understanding from Gemstar is all TVGOS products produced before 2006 must receive data and programming content via the same input (tuner, composite, or s-video), negating the use of a splitter to get TVGOS analog data. This is because splitters used to run the cable to the tuner of the CE product will not allow the firmware in the DVR or TV product to be configured to control the digital cable box or record from the cable box output. The only solution is hoping for the cable company to add back an analog channel (below 100) with the TVGOS data of the station being simulcast to the digital channel lineup for digital cable boxes and CableCARDs, thereby resolving the digital simulcast problem.

TV Guide is working with many cable companies to coordinate adding an entry for the analog version of the station with TVGOS data to their digital cable box and CableCARD lineups. This work around allows the product with TVGOS to find data on the analog version of the station. Besides Cox, this solution is being used by other major cable companies such as Comcast and Adelphia. I think this solution is transparent to us users and that’s great news. My problem and its solution is proof Gemstar can work with cable companies to help eliminate digital simulcast data passage problems. The bottom line is TVGOS data can be passed through digital cable boxes and CableCARDs using an analog channel in the digital channel lineup.

PrairieWind

07-14-07, 12:41 PM

It occurs to me that interest in and issues with TVGOS will increase as the 2009 analog deadline approaches. This thread, valuable as it is, is misfiled under Rear Projection Display Devices, and much info of general interest is spread across DVR and regional HDTV threads. The Gemstar site is pretty lame, and technical information is hard to get anywhere.

Should we restart this thread in a more logical category? (Moderators, take note).

Does anyone know if Steve Derby still maintains his TVGOS site at http://home1.gte.net/res18h39/tvgos.theabsolutenuts.com/ ?
This has a lot of valuable information and links, but it seems outdated. I would hesitate to apply his v8 service codes to TVGOS v9. This would be a great resource to take into the digital era.

We ourselves might note our TVGOS equipment and release level in our equipment profiles. (To save you keystrokes: Sony KDS-R60XBR2 TV with TVGOS v9).

That brings up CE vendors as a support service, but Sony's FAQs on the subject are just re-readings of their manual. Been there, done that.

I'll post separately an issue I have with TVGOS that prompted this note.

PrairieWind

07-14-07, 12:53 PM

[I sent this to Sony, but I'll post it here as well. If Sony sends a solution, I'll post it].

I have a Sony KDS-R60XBR2 SXRD RPTV with TVGOS v9.

My TV Guide Onscreen capacity is 425 channels. This is not sufficient to download all the Cable + OTA stations in my ZIP code. I cannot manipulate (turn "on"/"off") the 150 or so channels I actually want to view if they are outside the 425 channel window. How can I relax or work within this limitation?

Possible solutions, if I could do them, are:
1) Allocate more memory to channel space.
2) Delete (not just "turn off") existing channels to allow others to appear.
3) Manipulate the order in which channels are loaded into memory.
4) Completely erase (reset) the TVGOS channel memory and rebuild the channel list with more care.

HoustonPerson

07-14-07, 04:42 PM

PrairieWind,

That seems "odd" with the 425 limit? I have a Sony HDD recorder with old version 8 and it has about 480 channels listed for my area. I have had this box for about 2 years, and with 3 updates over this period of time, it has gone from about 300 channels to the current 480 channels. So as far as I know, the number of channels shown are completely controlled by the TV Guide On Screen downloads.

You should be able to change the order of the channels to you hearts content, I can?

You should be able to completely delete the TV Guide set up by entering "00000" in the zip code. This would most likely be done after, resetting the TV (a soft reset), rescan the Sony's tuner channels from scratch, then do the "00000", and the enter you actual zip code. But go ahead and do the "00000" before the TV reset; since I do not have that TV, that may be all you need.

Keep in mind there have been dozens if not hundreds of cable company changes across the USA, and I have seen it take as long as 6 months for various areas to be "update" with more accurate channel listings via TV Guide.

Erik Garci

07-15-07, 01:09 AM

Does anyone know if Steve Derby still maintains his TVGOS site at http://home1.gte.net/res18h39/tvgos.theabsolutenuts.com/ ?
That's just a cached copy. I think tvgos.theabsolutenuts.com (http://tvgos.theabsolutenuts.com/) has been unavailable for over a year.

PrairieWind

07-16-07, 06:10 PM

... I have ... about 480 channels listed for my area. I have had this box for about 2 years, ... it has gone from about 300 channels to the current 480 channels. So as far as I know, the number of channels shown are completely controlled by the TV Guide On Screen downloads. ... You should be able to change the order of the channels to you hearts content, I can?

Thanks for your reply. I've learned a lot from your posts.

TVGOS stores listings in NVRAM (static memory) to survive temporary power failures or host-channel problems. NVRAM in any device is finite, so channel capacity is limited. Gemstar alludes to this in their FAQ for the GHD-HDD500 (found at http://tvgos.com/support/2004/default.asp):
Why are some of my broadcast or cable channels not listed on the "CHANNEL EDITOR" screen?

Answer: Presently, TV Guide On Screen does not list all channels in any given broadcast area. As a result, channels are selected primarily on a "majority rules "basis. Channels with the highest potential viewership are given top priority. Availability of program listings is another consideration.
I have had exactly 425 channels to edit since I got my set, whether setup for Antenna, Cable, or both. Perhaps your number is 480, lucky person! Of course those channels change as stations come and go, but the count is constant.

So if a station I want isn't popular enough, it won't appear in "CHANNEL EDITOR"; and if I can't see it, I can't change its position.

PrairieWind

07-16-07, 06:25 PM

I think tvgos.theabsolutenuts.com (http://tvgos.theabsolutenuts.com/) has been unavailable for over a year.

That was my fear, but thanks for the confirmation.

Hipnotiq

07-17-07, 11:48 AM

So if a station I want isn't popular enough, it won't appear in "CHANNEL EDITOR"; and if I can't see it, I can't change its position.
You can manually add any channel.

bwall23

07-17-07, 06:09 PM

You can manually add any channel.Will you then get listings for it? I have 5 new HD channels added in my area 6 months ago and TVGOS has no logo for them.

roblim

07-17-07, 09:45 PM

I have a Sony XBR2 and set up TVGOS (Glendale, CA Charter Analog ). The only problem is that channel 44 and channel 45 both show up as TLC in TVGOS. Channel 44 is TLC, but channel 45 is actually Discovery. I could not find a way for me to correct this error, did I miss a setting? Should I contact my cable company or is it futile? It's a small annoyance and feel lucky that my Sony displayed listings without a hiccup.

PrairieWind

07-17-07, 10:42 PM

I have a Sony XBR2 and set up TVGOS The only problem is that channel 44 and channel 45 both show up as TLC in TVGOS. Channel 44 is TLC, but channel 45 is actually Discovery.
In TVGOS setup->change channel display, can you find an unused (OFF) channel with the "Discovery" logo & label? If so, change its channel number (last column) to 45, and turn it ON. Then find the bogus TLC/45 and turn it OFF.

(This approach might also work for bwall23, maybe.)

You can manually add any channel.
Is this what you mean by manually adding a channel?

roblim

07-18-07, 12:00 AM

Thanks PrairieWind! I'll try it tonight.

bwall23

07-19-07, 08:45 PM

In TVGOS setup->change channel display, can you find an unused (OFF) channel with the "Discovery" logo & label? If so, change its channel number (last column) to 45, and turn it ON. Then find the bogus TLC/45 and turn it OFF.

(This approach might also work for bwall23, maybe.)Thanks, but that doesn't work. Appears the entries (with or without logo) are linked to some kind of ID (I assume like VCR Plus uses) and no matter what channel you assign them to, they only give schedule information for their ID. So, for example if you get Discovery HDTheatre on channel 922, but no entry for it and you modify another Discovery entry to tune to channel 922, the schedule information it comes up with would be for say Discovery Health or whatever Discovery program that entry corresponds to.

HoustonPerson

07-20-07, 08:49 AM

Thanks for your reply............................

I have had exactly 425 channels to edit since I got my set, whether setup for Antenna, Cable, or both. Perhaps your number is 480, lucky person! Of course those channels change as stations come and go, but the count is constant.

The actual count can and does change.

No that is not entirely correct, and I notice a lot of posts following yours are working on some wrong assumptions as well. I will try to get back to this later today, to explain further............short story is, it sounds like you have locked defective data grids........and will explain that later too.

Just hang tight till I have time to get the info together.

HoustonPerson

07-20-07, 08:54 AM

Will you then get listings for it? I have 5 new HD channels added in my area 6 months ago and TVGOS has no logo for them.

See my post above. I believe this is another "data Guide issue". I will attempt to answer the fix for this in a day or so.

PrairieWind

07-20-07, 01:46 PM

... it sounds like you have locked defective data grids ...
Now that sounds plausible, which is why I asked Sony for a safe way to reset TVGOS and clear its NVRAM data without destroying ISF calibration. Take your time to get good info; we have a host station issue here so I can't act on it immediately anyway.

dspadoni

07-20-07, 02:08 PM

Thanks, but that doesn't work. Appears the entries (with or without logo) are linked to some kind of ID (I assume like VCR Plus uses) and no matter what channel you assign them to, they only give schedule information for their ID. So, for example if you get Discovery HDTheatre on channel 922, but no entry for it and you modify another Discovery entry to tune to channel 922, the schedule information it comes up with would be for say Discovery Health or whatever Discovery program that entry corresponds to.
This is true. In Alexandria/Arlington, VA, the VBI stream for TVGOS is on channel 26 (WETA PBS). With a digital package, our local Comcast franchise remaps the analog feed of (digital) 26 to channel 92. I have to manually turn that on in the TVGOS channel editor. The PSIP data shows 92 as WETA; however, the TVGOS listing displays it as WMPT (the analog remap of channel 22) along with WMPT's programming data. Strange, but in the long run I don't care since I'm only concerned with reliable TVGOS data.

HoustonPerson

07-20-07, 03:17 PM

TV Guide ON-Screen service:

Generally, I am a very big fan of the TV Guide On-Screen service. One of the best benefits for us is the ability to get up to 13 different channels of information on the screen at the same time over a 1.5 hour time period. You can easily show “your favorite” channels on the screen at the same time. Most cable and satellite companies program guides pale in comparison and usually only allow 3 or 4 channels on the screen for a shorter period of time and you often have to go some place else (further search their data) to get your HD info.

This means with TV Guide looking at “your” most popular HD shows, with all the associated program info, and instantly deciding which ones to watch and which ones to record.

During the last several months many consumers across the USA have been having trouble with their TV Guide system.

Generally, there are two basic types of TV Guide systems: Display only, or Display/Record and even Display/Multiple Record. Obviously the “record” types are far more sophisticated form the “Display” only.

I have had experience with a Mit’s WD-52628 and Samsung HL-S5088. Both of those TV’s could be considered display type only; but you should be able to hook them up to an external recorder. Both the Mit’s and the Samsung have the same TV Guide Software ver 8; but each company integrates them differently to their tuners. AFAIK, the Samsungs have been bug free. For the first 9-12 months the WD-52628 and it’s cousins were in production they were riddled with software bugs. I have no idea if Mit’s has corrected those or not. The primary bug, was jamming up the Mit’s tuner with too many bogus duplicate channel numbers. I understand that some companies like Toshiba were making the products for a year or two, their integration of the TV Guide system with “their” tuner did not work at all? I have no idea if they work at all now?

The last two years I have had extensive experience with TV Guide On-Screen Ver 8 in the Sony DHG-HDD500. This is an HD OTA/Cable recorder, no longer in production. The Guide system in this box works “exactly” the same as the Mit’s and Samsung products, as well as other Sony products with built in TV Guide. There are no differences that I am aware of in the Mit’s, Sammy, and Sony version 8 systems. The integration to each company respective “tuners” is different! The Sony of course is pretty darn fancy; because you can do all the Tivo like stuff with it, time shift, chase live TV, watch one while recording another, etc. etc. etc.

I have no experience with Ver 7 or 9; but have heard they operate very similar? Ver 9 is rumored to be CBS digital ready; but of course that remains to be seen.

OK, so why have so many TV Guide systems gone crazy the last few months? For some of you this may solve a lot of the problems and perhaps complete cure your system, for others it may have no affect. Some of you have actually “cured” you system and do not know why?

Side note: Keep in mind a power outage may equal a soft re-set or partial re-set of your equipment; therefore you should not go back into your TV guide system until your device has automatically re-set its’ clock. For a correctly operating system this could take about 1-10 min.

During March and April of this year, across the entire USA Gemstar started implementing significant changes to their “data grid system”, even down to the “cell” (every 30 min block of time) level. The short answer is: The old grid formats are not compatible wit the new grid format. It took Gemstar about two months to get the entire USA implemented with the new grid format data. Each market area was done independently.

The problem is: parts or all of your old grid format structure is still in your device (say a TV set), and the new grid format data is attempting to overwrite. 99.9% of the time you will not be able to pick up on these differences. There are dozens of subtle clues……….but this is already too long.

The cure: Is out with the “old” and in with the “new”. This includes making “new” integration links between TV Guide system and your TV’s tuner (STB or Cable cards are included in this process too, and I am “not” an expert on those things)

I will talk about OTA set ups only; then you will have to figure out how to transfer that knowledge to a cable system if that is what you are using.

OK, the major components:
1. Your TV
2. Its’ tuner
3. The TV guide system - Before you begin go to channel set up, and scroll to the “last” screen and make a note of the number of channels. If this number changes……….then that means for certain you have defective data formats (old and new) in your device (TV set), which was the cause of most TV Guide anomalies you were experiencing. If these numbers do not change then you have had some type of re-sets (known or not known to you) since March of this year.

Generally, in most of these corrections if your equipment gives you a choice of a “hard” reset vs. a “soft” reset……….the “soft” is the best way to go at least at first. But ultimately “re-setting” your equipment is what you will be doing.

1. Basically, you will need to find out how to re-set your TV Tuner from scratch, clear out all the channels, and re-scan from ground zero. Some TV’s will require you to re-set the “entire” TV set to do that, others may let you do the tuner “only”
2. Then you will have to do a complete rescan and set up of the TV Guide system. When the question come up on the set up screen “is the data correct? (zip code and other stuff). You will answer NO, and even re-enter the data on the screen even if it is already there! If that does not work you can (should) be able to force the TV Guide to clear out by doing the process twice and enter “00000” for the zip code, and then do it again with the correct zip code

There are a few things we are doing here:
1. We are “forcing” the old TV Guide data format grids out of your device.
2. We are “forcing” your device (say your TV's tuner) to re-link to the TV Guide system.

I do know that different markets and different cable systems have significantly different number of channels. I am not really aware of specific limits on that number. My specific Sony box HDD500 is limited to 999 “placeholders”, so I think that means I could have that many in my TV Guide system too (I hope I never see that).

Caveat: Many markets are undergoing major changes in their cable systems (Houston Time Warner to Comcast) and with that come major changes in channel numbers so on and so forth. Whether that changes data grid formats in the immediate future I do not know? Also, many markets like Houston can have several different cable companies to choose from, and each of those companies can have many different services to choose from – this all affects how you are setting up your TV Guide system. In other words this may not be the last time you set up your system.

Over in the Sony Recorder thread – us peeps that have the DHG-HDD250 and 500; we have called this process 1,2, & 3.

1. Soft reset the device
2. Rescan the device tuner from scratch
3. Re-Setup from scratch TV Guide System

Good Luck

bwall23

07-21-07, 04:00 PM

TV Guide ON-Screen service:
1. Soft reset the device
2. Rescan the device tuner from scratch
3. Re-Setup from scratch TV Guide System

Good LuckThanks for the very informative tutorial!

I have reset mine so many times it's rediculous.

Unfortunately, this does not help me in my situation as GEMSTAR is not sending the correct data (sending outdated data).

For my provider (Comcast) and my area (Sacramento), they have the channel mappings wrong and do not have listings for 5 new HD channels.

Comcast changed their channel lineup and added the new HD channels earlier this year. I can get correct listings online from Comcast, but that requires me to access their website from my computer.

I have also tried 6 different zipcodes with TVGOS setup in my area for Comcast and although the true channel lineup is the same in each one, TVGOS shows different channel lineups (some have channels I get listed where others don't and none of them have all the new HD channels).

I've found there's nothing I can do to fix this.
GEMSTAR website says contact TV manufacturer.
Mits refuses to do anything and says they will not contact GEMSTAR.
GEMSTAR doesn't want us to contact them as they don't reply to email or phone calls.
I went online to the TVGuide website and fedback the problem 6 times and never received a reply.

I'm back to channel flipping...

HoustonPerson

07-21-07, 07:50 PM

bwall23.

Your OTA (if you use that) should be 100% correct.

Keep in mind cable and sat companies do not like TV Guide On-screen, they feel it takes money out of their pocket (and in many ways it does).

Also, because both Time Warner and Comcast have been making major changes since the first of this year...........it would be at least six months after they have complete those changes before Gemstar would implement the changes (like the missing HD cable channels you have).

Try thinking of this in your mind: Above when I was talking about rescaning the TV Tuner from scratch, this also mean virtualy re-setting up your cable box and or cable card; that could be a lot of work. Basically you are attempting to get you TV Guide system (assumed to be inside your TV), to re-link to a re-scan, new set up on the cable box.

Basically, you are attempting to get the TV Guide system and your cable system to talk to each other as if both where New again. You will have to be creative to get this done. Because there was that major TV Guide Grid change last March/April, it may be preventing the correct link to the new stations from cable.

In Houston, this last couple of weeks Comcast has just began the major change of their system (from Time Warner). Everyone as far as I know is having a major big time issue trying to make the Guide system work again. I have already heard of those, that have lost channels (but are still in the guide), and new cable channels have been added (that are not in the guide). Remember, it is entirely up to Comcast to report those changes to Gemstar. The only way to really get that done, is to get Comcast to do it.

So the short answer for you:
There are two possible reasons you have old Gemstar data in you system:

1. Could be old grid data from last March/April comingled with new grid data (preventing the new channels from showing up in "placeholders"
AND/OR
2. Comcast has failed to send Gemstar the data they need to reflect it.

Hope that helps some.

bwall23

07-22-07, 02:27 PM

bwall23.

Your OTA (if you use that) should be 100% correct.

So the short answer for you:
There are two possible reasons you have old Gemstar data in you system:

1. Could be old grid data from last March/April comingled with new grid data (preventing the new channels from showing up in "placeholders"
AND/OR
2. Comcast has failed to send Gemstar the data they need to reflect it.

Hope that helps some.Believe me, it's #3 - GEMSTAR.

I have hard reset and wiped everything out. My TV just returned from a month in the shop and everything was reset, so I'm setting it up just like it came out of the box yesterday. There is no "old" data in the set, it's all been wiped clean.

To do a TVGOS hard reset, bring up the Guide, from the service bar select Setup, down arrow once to Change (don't press Select/Enter), key in 653274147 (don't press Select/Enter). Screen will go black and TV will reset and power off.

If you go online to the TVGuide website, you'll find that they update that way before they update the TVGOS data our sets pickup. I have "Comcast - Sacramento", but their channel lineup for that is outdated even on their website. If I pick a nearby zip for the online TVGuide.com and select "Comcast - Citrus Heights", it has the correct lineup for me. But, if I use that same zip and select "Comcast - Citrus Heights" in my TVGOS setup, I don't see the new channels I have that showed on their website. SO, GEMSTAR is at fault here for not transmitting the latest data for TVGOS.

HoustonPerson

07-22-07, 05:57 PM

Believe me, it's #3 - GEMSTAR.

I have hard reset and wiped everything out. My TV just returned from a month in the shop and everything was reset, so I'm setting it up just like it came out of the box yesterday. There is no "old" data in the set, it's all been wiped clean.

To do a TVGOS hard reset, bring up the Guide, from the service bar select Setup, down arrow once to Change (don't press Select/Enter), key in 653274147 (don't press Select/Enter). Screen will go black and TV will reset and power off.

If you go online to the TVGuide website, you'll find that they update that way before they update the TVGOS data our sets pickup. I have "Comcast - Sacramento", but their channel lineup for that is outdated even on their website. If I pick a nearby zip for the online TVGuide.com and select "Comcast - Citrus Heights", it has the correct lineup for me. But, if I use that same zip and select "Comcast - Citrus Heights" in my TVGOS setup, I don't see the new channels I have that showed on their website. SO, GEMSTAR is at fault here for not transmitting the latest data for TVGOS.

No telling really, 3 weeks ago On-Screen was perfect in Houston. Comcast changed everything now its "bombed". I been thru these major changes before.

We all know its changed it just a mater of who has dropped the ball. My experience has been once Gemestar knows about it, they are very quick (a week or two) in getting it corrected. As an example.........PBS here has major changes in line up for 8-0, 8-1, 8-2, and 8-3. In other words 8 days of programming for 4 PBS channels was incorrect, not even close. Add to that, some Big personel changes at the station put them behind a little; but within 2 weeks after the change, the data was reflected correctly with Guide On Screen. That is because the station realized the ball had been dropped with the personel changes, and it only took them a couple of days to have the corrections made at Gemestar.

Again, Comcast absolutely zero incentive to due this. If they make the correctiions it will be a long time in coming.

bwall23

07-22-07, 08:05 PM

No telling really, 3 weeks ago On-Screen was perfect in Houston. Comcast changed everything now its "bombed". I been thru these major changes before.

We all know its changed it just a mater of who has dropped the ball. My experience has been once Gemestar knows about it, they are very quick (a week or two) in getting it corrected. As an example.........PBS here has major changes in line up for 8-0, 8-1, 8-2, and 8-3. In other words 8 days of programming for 4 PBS channels was incorrect, not even close. Add to that, some Big personel changes at the station put them behind a little; but within 2 weeks after the change, the data was reflected correctly with Guide On Screen. That is because the station realized the ball had been dropped with the personel changes, and it only took them a couple of days to have the corrections made at Gemestar.

Again, Comcast absolutely zero incentive to due this. If they make the correctiions it will be a long time in coming.The Comcast lineup change here happened exactly 4 months ago and there have been no changes since then.

How could GEMSTAR update their online TVGuide.com website without being notified by Comcast of the changes?

bwall23

07-22-07, 11:16 PM

Where would this leave all the owners of CE products with built-in TVGOS v8 (and below) which are NOT upgradeable???

From their own press release (http://www.gemstartvguide.com/PressRelease/tabid/128/Default.aspx?CID=517)

Gemstar-TV Guide International Announces Review of Strategic Alternatives
July 9, 2007 (Los Angeles, CA) — Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMST), a leading media, entertainment and technology company, announced today that its Board of Directors has authorized the Company and its advisors to explore strategic alternatives intended to maximize shareholder value, which may include a sale of the Company.

From their Contacts page for TVGOS (http://www.gemstartvguide.com/ContactUs/CorporateCommunications/tabid/89/Default.aspx)
Maybe an email to Allison & Julie?

Allison Bennett, Director, Media Relations, TV Guide, allison_DOT_bennett_AT_tvguide_DOT_com
Julie Farin, Director, Communications and PR, TV Guide, julie_DOT_farin_AT_tvguide_DOT_com

HoustonPerson

07-24-07, 10:25 AM

How could GEMSTAR update their online TVGuide.com website without being notified by Comcast of the changes?

Thats a good question.

HoustonPerson

07-25-07, 07:36 AM

Anyone else having trouble getting the downloads, the last couple of nights in Houston?

All the major networks: 2-1, 11-1, 13-1, 26-1 all show "no listing" And just last night only a tiny amount of 8-1 came through. (Days 6,7, & 8 are "no listings" except for just a few stations?)

Is this due to the PBS problems and/or something wrong with the VBI?

OR

Has the entire grid changed again because of the Comcast mess? And everything has to be reset?

HoustonPerson

07-25-07, 09:45 AM

It may be that local Houston PBS 8-0 was off the air the last 2 or 3 nights; maybe doing new equipment? So maybe that is why we did not get the TV Guide downloads, or only partial downloads? Yes, I will leave the box alone for now.

LewE

07-26-07, 12:22 PM

Anyone else having trouble getting the downloads, the last couple of nights in Houston?

Is this due to the PBS problems and/or something wrong with the VBI?

OR

Has the entire grid changed again because of the Comcast mess? And everything has to be reset?
I have had the same problem (NO LISTINGS except for a few stations and even those aren't for the whole day) in Southern California using Time Warner cable so it isn't a Houston or Comcast problem. I have extended basic analog cable so digital channels do not come into consideration.

I was going to wait another few days until I run out of complete listings and then do a hard reset on my DVD Recorder (which uses TVGOS) but it sounds like the problem is with Gemstar; not the entities (PBS and local cable company) between us and it.

HoustonPerson

07-26-07, 05:45 PM

LewE

07-26-07, 10:43 PM

The TV Guide issue appears to be a nation wide problem, since Next Monday forward shows "no listings" for almost everyone. If you are using heavy duty scheduled recordings; it becomes an obvious problem.

Anyway, under HDTV Recorders - Sony DHG-HDD250/500, there are already a couple pages of discussion on this.

Thanks for the pointer to the other thread. My symptoms are exactly like those descirbed in that thread. It confirmed to me that the problem is with Gemstar and not PBS or the cable companies. It's too bad that there isn't a single thread for all discussion about TVGOS rather than it being spread among the threads for particular TVs or recorders.

I called Panasonic Tech Support (I have a Panasonic DMR-EH85 DVD Recorder) and they say that they aren't aware of any problems with TVGOS. They insisted that I perform a soft reset on my recorder and then call them in 24 hours (keeping the unit turned off) if that doesn't cure the problem. Only then will they escalate the problem to Gemstar.

Panasonic's tech support is sometimes good about TVGOS problems and other times, like today, is pretty much clueless. I'm sure this is because Panasonic has already stopped including TVGOS in its new units, so the tech support calls about it are just an annoyance they wish would go away.

HoustonPerson

07-27-07, 08:10 AM

Go to the HDTV Recorder thread - on the Sony DHG-HDD500, the problems with downloads may be resolved soon for most people.

LewE

07-27-07, 08:17 AM

the problems with downloads may be resolved soon for most people.
I have been monitoring that thread. I just checked my DVD recorder (since it is just after the first listings download of the day) and it wasn't even able to find the PBS station (Host channel) so it didn't get any new listings.

bwall23

07-27-07, 08:54 PM

I have been monitoring that thread. I just checked my DVD recorder (since it is just after the first listings download of the day) and it wasn't even able to find the PBS station (Host channel) so it didn't get any new listings.If you know how to get into the TVGOS diagnostics screens on your DVD recorder, try this code below instead of the code used to get into diagnostics.

Force host channel:
1) Tune to your host channel (usually PBS analog)
2) Go to the section in your guide where you would normally key in the diagnostic menu code(753 159 852). I can't help you here since all products have different ways to get there.
3) Key in code for FORCE HOST CHANNEL(963 214 785). This will force TVGOS to use the channel you're currently tuned to as it's host channel
4) Leave it off overnight to see if that helps

P.S. The code to reset TVGOS is (653 274 147)

You're Welcome :D

LewE

07-27-07, 09:28 PM

Force host channel:

When I posted the previous message it was after the first (2:20-5:20am) listings download of the day. I left the unit off until mid-afternoon and by then the unit had found the PBS station (i.e. the Host channel) by itself but still hadn't downloaded any listings or Promotions.

I have contacted Panasonic Tech Support and, as promised yesterday, they are escalating it to the next level. Apparently those are the people at Panasonic that deal directly with Gemstar TVGOS. They indicated I should hear back within 24-72 hours (they work 7 days a week).

If I haven't gotten any satisfactory answers by Monday evening then I will perform a hard reset of the DVD Recorder then. Hard resets on Panasonic recorders wipe out all information from TVGOS including Channel Lists.

bwall23

07-27-07, 09:44 PM

If I haven't gotten any satisfactory answers by Monday evening then I will perform a hard reset of the DVD Recorder then. Hard resets on Panasonic recorders wipe out all information from TVGOS including Channel Lists.TVGOS Hard Reset does the same on my Mitsubishi DLP TV and also reboots the TV. I finally had luck contacting GEMSTAR (see my post 5 days ago on contacts) re: new HD channels available for over 4 months from Comcast not appearing in my TVGOS. They replied that their database team is adding them and it may take 2-3 weeks before I see the changes on my set. If you do use the contact, make the request nice & civilized and you will be surprised when you actually get a reply!

LewE

07-27-07, 10:14 PM

I finally had luck contacting GEMSTAR (see my post 5 days ago on contacts) re: new HD channels available for over 4 months from Comcast not appearing in my TVGOS. They replied that their database team is adding them and it may take 2-3 weeks before I see the changes on my set. If you do use the contact, make the request nice & civilized and you will be surprised when you actually get a reply!
Who did you contact (presumably through e-mail)? Was it Allison Bennett and Julie Farin?

I will wait to see what happens going through Panasonic's tech Support.

Were your responses from Gemstar just about not getting listings for new channels or did it address the wide-spread problem people are having of just getting listings for a handful of channels and only for partial days for even those?

bwall23

07-27-07, 10:53 PM

Who did you contact (presumably through e-mail)? Was it Allison Bennett and Julie Farin?

I will wait to see what happens going through Panasonic's tech Support.

Were your responses from Gemstar just about not getting listings for new channels or did it address the wide-spread problem people are having of just getting listings for a handful of channels and only for partial days for even those?See PM, It was only re: my problem of not seeing 5 HD channels since they were added 4 months ago. I also think it's not a good idea to contact them unless you've done your homework and are 100% sure it's a GEMSTAR issue, otherwise this contact will dry up and go away...

bwall23

07-27-07, 11:13 PM

It's too bad that there isn't a single thread for all discussion about TVGOS rather than it being spread among the threads for particular TVs or recorders.Totally agree. :(
What forum do you think it would best fit in, Industry Area (currently HDMI and IEEE1394 only)?

I made a suggestion here http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11147214

LewE

07-27-07, 11:32 PM

Totally agree. :(
What forum do you think it would best fit in, Industry Area?

After looking at all the possibilities, I think a new section in Industry Area for "Electronic Program Guides and Listings" would probably make the most sense. This could be for discussions about TVGuide OS as well as Tivo or any other possibilities such as Zap2it listings, etc.

bwall23

07-27-07, 11:38 PM

After looking at all the possibilities, I think a new section in Industry Area for "Electronic Program Guides and Listings" would probably make the most sense. This could be for discussions about TVGuide OS as well as Tivo or any other possibilities such as Zap2it listings, etc.Not sure that broad of coverage would fit there as they want industry reps involved and your suggestion would imply more than just GEMSTAR. Maybe a GEMSTAR forum (or whatever the name of the company that buys them) that includes all of their offerings?

LewE

07-27-07, 11:45 PM

Not sure that broad of coverage would fit there as they want industry reps involved and your suggestion would imply more than just GEMSTAR. Maybe a GEMSTAR forum that includes all of their offerings?
The current breakdown of discussion areas doesn't lend itself to including something like TVGOS.

It's like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole unfortunately. I think if the new group were "Gemstar TV Guide On Screen" that would be a big improvement over what we have now with different threads being started for each equipment manufacturer.

I just thought that opening it up to other Program Guides would be nice.

bwall23

07-27-07, 11:52 PM

The current breakdown of discussion areas doesn't lend itself to including something like TVGOS.

It's like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole unfortunately. I think if the new group were "Gemstar TV Guide On Screen" that would be a big improvement over what we have now with different threads being started for each equipment manufacturer.

I just thought that opening it up to other Program Guides would be nice.It would be REALLY NICE if they could include a rep from Gemstar in the Industry Forum and include all of Gemstar's products, but if not, I agree. Put it all in one place instead of spread all over the map. And then I agree with your idea for a forum/group with seperate threads for each type of Program Guide.

LewE

07-27-07, 11:55 PM

It would be REALLY NICE if they could include a rep from Gemstar in the Industry Forum and include all of Gemstar's products, but if not, I agree. Put it all in one place instead of spread all over the map.
I think the chances of Gemstar participating in such a forum are less than zero. They do not want to deal with retail consumers; only with equipment manufacturers. But, the benefits of consolidating the discussion would be immense.

bwall23

07-27-07, 11:59 PM

I think the chances of Gemstar participating in such a forum are less than zero. They do not want to deal with retail consumers; only with equipment manufacturers. But, the benefits of consolidating the discussion would be immense.Well, they are introducing TVGOS v9 in the new CE devices and utilizing CBS? as a host. Even though they may be up for sale, I don't see why they don't want to see feedback, even if it's inderect as this forum would be. AND I totally agree again, which is why I posted a recommendation/suggestion to consolidate all the TVGOS info into one group/thread.

LewE

07-28-07, 12:51 AM

Well, they are introducing TVGOS v9 in the new CE devices and utilizing CBS? as a host. Even though they may be up for sale, I don't see why they don't want to see feedback, even if it's inderect as this forum would be. AND I totally agree again, which is why I posted a recommendation/suggestion to consolidate all the TVGOS info into one group/thread.
In a perfect world, they would let those with earlier versions of TVGOS (I have version 7) upgrade to newer versions through firmware downloads. I don't expect that to happen either. :)

HoustonPerson

07-28-07, 08:03 AM

LewE

07-28-07, 08:54 AM

I have posted the details over in the HDTV Recorder section - Sony DHG-HDD 250/500 thread.

The five day outage was creating and increasing the number of "placeholders" due to the cable company changes (Comcast) in our area.
I got my downloads last night also, although I don't think "placeholders" had anything to do with it. I use Time Warner cable and am in Southern California. In the past, when there have been changes to the stations carried by the cable system, the only remedy has been to do hard resets and choose the cable line-up from scratch after not getting any downloads at all.

I will be interested to see if all the people in the other states had their problem clear up last night also.

On another note, I find it interesting that my Panasonic (with version 7.06.12 TVGOS firmware) gets its downloads for the next three days plus eight days out each night while the Sony thread indicates you get the downloads for different days each night (presumably for TVGOS firmware V8).

lauriej

07-29-07, 10:52 AM

hello

i have a hitachi that uses the tgos however for the last 3 days when i check the listings it says no data found. i have reset the tv i have tried different zip codes i tried to force the host channel but there is no channel listed. any ideas how i can get tv to find host channel again? i also have a rca that uses the guide plus system and that is showing some listings but not all.

HoustonPerson

07-29-07, 04:09 PM

lauriej,

Look at your day 8 in TVGuide Listings. If Day 8 is rolling in with correct data, then the problem will correct itself and there is nothing else to do. So far it seems most areas of the country are self correcting (cable could make this more complex)

If not then you will have to re-set up the equipment. To give yourself an idea of what is required for that go to the thread on HDTV Recorder Sony DHG-HDD250/500

lauriej

07-29-07, 04:30 PM

i have no channel lineup or listings all it says is no data can be found at this time.

just spoke with a murray from tvgos and it seems there is a problem in my area they have gotten many complaints about the guide not working in my area, so it seems they are escalatng this up to engeering as they had me go into the diagnostics and it seems to be problem with either the host station or my cable company.

ddartmouth

08-10-07, 10:34 AM

I also posted this on a Toshiba-specific thread but I thought the TVGOS thread might be more appropriate.

I have a Toshiba 32HL95 and my TVGOS more or less works fine.

The issue I have is that at some point about a month ago the TVGOS display size got smaller... now filling only about 85% of the screen instead of the whole thing.

Has anyone else had this problem or have any idea what I might do about it?

I have a 18 month old son who likes the remote controls so I wonder if perhaps he entered some sequence of commands that got it into its current state. I've tried resetting the TV to "factory defaults" but that didn't seem to make a difference. And the TV picture controls don't seem to have any effect of the TVGOS display.

When I enter the 753159852 sequence to get to the TVGOS diagnostic screens and look at the screen about the display it says:

Video DIM 960x540
Guide Area (71,27), (889, 513)

Those size ratios more or less correspond to what I'm seeing. I'd be interested in what other peoples 32HL95s have for these numbers.

Thanks in advance for any help.

WaltA

08-11-07, 11:04 AM

The issue I have is that at some point about a month ago the TVGOS display size got smaller... now filling only about 85% of the screen instead of the whole thing.

Has anyone else had this problem or have any idea what I might do about it?

Same here with my 27HL95, though it just happen today. It was "full size" as of last night, but as of today, it has shrunk too. :(

I would bet that this was an intentional change by TVGOS, sent out with their normal programming data.

Possibly, TVGOS is attempting to address that some older CRT based sets are slowly overscanning more and more as they age. Those users probably have complained that they were "missing" all the info near the edges. So, TVGOS resize the program guide screen to have some rather large boarders.

A big minus for us fixed pixel set (LCD, Plasma, etc) owners!!! :mad:

bwall23

08-18-07, 10:43 PM

TVGOS Hard Reset does the same on my Mitsubishi DLP TV and also reboots the TV. I finally had luck contacting GEMSTAR (see my post 5 days ago on contacts) re: new HD channels available for over 4 months from Comcast not appearing in my TVGOS. They replied that their database team is adding them and it may take 2-3 weeks before I see the changes on my set. If you do use the contact, make the request nice & civilized and you will be surprised when you actually get a reply!Well, it's been 3 weeks and I still don't see the new channels. I even completely reset TVGOS and started from scratch last night.

WaltA

08-19-07, 07:23 AM

I even completely reset TVGOS and started from scratch last night.

Does one have to do a complete reset in order to get lineup updates?

I spent hours sorting and customizing my TVGOS, I really hate to have to start that all over again.

bwall23

08-19-07, 03:53 PM

Does one have to do a complete reset in order to get lineup updates?

I spent hours sorting and customizing my TVGOS, I really hate to have to start that all over again.BUMP

I'd also like to know. I just tried it to see if it helped.

I agree, the old versions of TVGOS are not user friendly when it comes to editing channels. Wonder if version 9 is any better?

WaltA

08-19-07, 04:58 PM

I agree, the old versions of TVGOS are not user friendly when it comes to editing channels. Wonder if version 9 is any better?

At least for me, when I select my cable company, TVGOS uses the cable company's digital STB's channel numbers. I have to go thru them all, and edit each of them to the QAM's tuner's channel numbers (those numbers like 112-3). All that editing is a long, and tedious job.

Over the past months, my cable company has added several new HD digital/QAM "in the clear" channels not in my original TVGOS list. For example, TVGOS has the broadcast network HD channels, and some of the "first" cable HD channels like TNT-HD, but not any of the latest cable HD channels like A&E-HD.

So, to repeat my question, and to clarify it a bit, if TVGOS added A&E-HD to its list of channels for my cable company, will it just "show up", or do I have to reset and re-select my cable company all over again. Obviously, if A&E-HD is added, I assume it would be initially assigned to the STB's channel number and I would have to edit it to the QAM channel number.

Has any actually seen their TVGOS channel listing change or update on its own?

Paw Paw

08-20-07, 06:16 AM

We changed cable companies a few months ago and several channels were added to their lineup at that time. My TVGOS picked up the new channels without doing a reset. The only thing the TVGOS missed was the remapping of one channel that I had to do manually.

WaltA

08-20-07, 05:15 PM

We changed cable companies a few months ago and several channels were added to their lineup at that time. My TVGOS picked up the new channels without doing a reset.

You didn't have to go through the "pick your cable company" initialization step all over again, to force a reload of the new company's lineup?

Paw Paw

08-21-07, 06:46 AM

Yes I did have to repick my cable company. It had changed from Time Warner to Comcast. But I did not have to do anything else to get the new channels.

inteller

08-23-07, 01:46 PM

In a perfect world, they would let those with earlier versions of TVGOS (I have version 7) upgrade to newer versions through firmware downloads. I don't expect that to happen either. :)

hell they don't even have to do that. The entire upgrade could be sent across the air. it might just take a few days like it does when you initially setup your TV.

WaltA

08-23-07, 05:02 PM

Yea. I agree. One would think that even if it took an entire month for one's TV to slowly accumulate the entire, complete, download thru the TVGOS data scream, at least one would eventually get upgraded.

bwall23

09-08-07, 09:28 PM

HoustonPerson

09-19-07, 11:29 AM

Whick cities in the USA are currently receiving "Digital" TV Guide downloads via CBS?

Have those cities become permanent?

What version of TV Guide software must your device have (ie. ver9) in order to receive those downloads?

KHarper

09-19-07, 12:09 PM

How do you determine what version of TVGOS you have?

HoustonPerson

09-19-07, 01:21 PM

How do you determine what version of TVGOS you have?

1. Go to TV Guide Set Up screen.
2. Place yellow cursor on "Change System Settings" (do not press enter)
3. Enter these digits 753159852
4. Read the second line.........should be something like:
08.01.42/08.04..................etc.

The first 08 means it is version "8" in this case. The numbers after the "/" are the revisions to that version "8". There are of course zillions of pages you can "right arrow" and "down arrow" through for tons of information.

Just press "exit" to exit and clear the screen.

My understanding is version "8" and prior will not be able to recieve the digital downloads?

KHarper

09-19-07, 04:59 PM

So what ARE the "digital downloads", and what does CBS have to do with them? sorry, I didn't notice that was part of the issue on the version number until I got the recent reply.

HoustonPerson

09-20-07, 02:55 PM

try some google searches that should help

KHarper

09-20-07, 06:02 PM

I did some Google searches, and see that the change to having CBS affiliates carry the signal was back in April; I am in a pretty good-sized market, so I assume the change has been made here; I have all digital on my TV because I have a digital cable card in, and I am getting all programming updates (but don't know about updates to available channels, etc.) For what it's worth I've determined I have vers. 8 of TVGOS.

bwall23

10-07-07, 02:57 PM

TVGOS Hard Reset does the same on my Mitsubishi DLP TV and also reboots the TV. I finally had luck contacting GEMSTAR (see my post 5 days ago on contacts) re: new HD channels available for over 4 months from Comcast not appearing in my TVGOS. They replied that their database team is adding them and it may take 2-3 weeks before I see the changes on my set. If you do use the contact, make the request nice & civilized and you will be surprised when you actually get a reply!The new HD channels finally showed up sometime in the last 2 weeks (not sure exactly when it happened). They were added to the bottom of my channel editor and were turned off.

ls067

10-09-07, 11:09 AM

TVGOS worked great for over a year with no real issues. Now all of a sudden I notice that I only have listings for one day. Every day I have the listing I need for that day but the other 7 days say no listing. On occassion there may me a couple of pieces of info for a few days but that doesn't happen much. I have also noticed that I used to receive my listing by OA FOX29 but now I get them from the cable FOX29. Seems it just swithed hosts on its own. Any body else have this issue?

optivity

10-10-07, 07:31 AM

1. Go to TV Guide Set Up screen.
2. Place yellow cursor on "Change System Settings" (do not press enter)
3. Enter these digits 753159852
4. Read the second line.........should be something like:
08.01.42/08.04..................etc.

The first 08 means it is version "8" in this case. The numbers after the "/" are the revisions to that version "8". There are of course zillions of pages you can "right arrow" and "down arrow" through for tons of information.

Just press "exit" to exit and clear the screen.

My understanding is version "8" and prior will not be able to recieve the digital downloads?I have a Pioneer PRO-150FD with TV Guide software version: 09.01.46/00.00... w/build time 2/21/07 08:45:11

During setup the software seems to recognize my local CATV digital cable provider, however many of my HD channels do not show up in the program guide.

The TV is cable ready w/CableCARD and receives every channel I subscribe to. The TV Guide will show program guide information for the analog feed of CBS (e.g. channel 6) but not for the digital tier of the same station: CBSHD (e.g. channel 1806).

Is there a newer version of the TV Guide software available? How does one obtain and update newer software versions?

lrrodr

10-21-07, 02:27 PM

bwall23

10-21-07, 05:35 PM

I want to get TV guide On Screen to work for my mitsubishi wd-62825 TV. I have TV using a cable card with Comcast which works fine. I have looked for instructions everywhere to figure out how to set this up. I see no menus on TV. There is nothing on Mitsubishi site or anywhere on internet. Is there special setup or software needed. Do I need to contact Comcast? According to the Owners Guide here (http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com/img/220545), your TV only has Channel View (page 55). It does not have TV Guide On Screen.

chrisbr66

10-24-07, 01:37 PM

I have a wd-62825 and tv guide on screen is supported. You need to contact Mitsubishi tech-support and have them send you the latest firmware update that will allow your set to have TVGOS functionality

capthtz

10-24-07, 03:07 PM

bwall23

10-24-07, 09:47 PM

How do I reset my TVGOS on my Mitsubishi? I want to set it up from scratch. I tried typing in the numeric codes described in other posts but the directions didn't direct me to the same screen to enter the code. I moved across country a couple weeks ago and my TV still hasn't updated my channel display on my Guide screen.

I would appreciate any help. Thank You.

TomYMMV, but this worked on my Mits WD-57831:
To do a TVGOS hard reset, bring up the Guide (remote, GUIDE button), from the service bar select Setup, down arrow once to Change (don't press Select/Enter), key in 653274147 (don't press Select/Enter). Screen will go black and TV will reset and power off.

Also try going to GUIDE SETUP/CHANGE LINEUP and select NO MATCH, exit GUIDE, reenter GUIDE SETUP/CHANGE LINEUP again and it should start at the beginning.

capthtz

10-25-07, 10:08 AM

Thanks a lot! This helped tremendously. How come Mits customer service didn't know this? I followed the reset directions exactly and when I woke up this morning everything was back to perfect. Once again, Thanks

Tom

videobruce

11-25-07, 08:32 AM

I changed my zip code. That "Change system settings" under Setup didn't show untill the next morning (18 hours later). There were only 'Change channel display' & 'Change default options'. Is that normal??

Next, after that entry finally showed, there is no "Confirm Your Settings". Do you have to wait for that also?

sharonf

11-25-07, 12:59 PM

The clock on my 62HM94 continuously shows the wrong time and I am unable to correct it. When I go in to correct it under settings it says that it gets the correct time from the TV Guide....which doesn't work and never has. It seems that there should be a manual way to set the time if you are not using TV Guide. Any ideas?:mad:

WaltA

11-25-07, 01:17 PM

The new HD channels finally showed up sometime in the last 2 weeks (not sure exactly when it happened). They were added to the bottom of my channel editor and were turned off.

Yea, I just got several new channels added automatically too. ;)

I have an older version of TVGOS that doesn't have the "sort by channel number" option. So, I have to manually sort mine, which is a BIG pain.

Anyway, I noticed two new channels this week. They were at the end of my listings display, and thus, out of numerical order (which is what caught my attention). I went into channel edit mode, and found almost a dozen new channels have been added sometime over the past month. Good thing these two were added with a default set to display them otherwise I would have never known it was time to edit again.

For me, included in all the new channels were A&E HD and TBS HD, which were two I was hoping to get.

So, I guess the answer is, new channels are dynamically added, without the need to go reset or re-select the lineup.

PaulSantangelo

11-25-07, 06:48 PM

Hi All:

I am having issue with the TV Guide on Screen feature of my hitachi and decided to perfroma search here.

I'm hoping this is the right place to post this type of question, please let me know.

My cable provider is Cox in New England:confused:. I was wondering if anyone in that area is recieving updates. I reset my TV, set the TV Guide back to defaults and now has been searching for time as well as listings for the holiday period. :eek:

Has anyone else seen any issues with TVGOS?

Is there a place to call for support?

Thanks
-paul

videobruce

11-25-07, 10:56 PM

I have an older version of TVGOS that doesn't have the "sort by channel number" option.What version has this feature??

WaltA

11-26-07, 10:18 AM

Has anyone else seen any issues with TVGOS?

Is there a place to call for support?

I could not get TVGOS for a very long time. Then, my cable company added a second PBS station, and from that station, I started to finally get TVGOS.

If you aren't getting at least one station which carries TVGOS data, I don't think there is anything you can really do. I know I tried my cable company, originally thinking their equipment was, unintentionally, filtering it out, I just hit a dead end.

It is really simply "hit or miss" in getting at least one station that supports/provides TVGOS data.

WaltA

11-26-07, 10:27 AM

What version has this feature??

I am not too sure what version it is, but the 2006 model year Toshiba 'LX196 HDTV sets have the sort feature. Below is a copy from their manual (sorry, it is that bad even in the manual!). Please note that selecting "more" at the bottom of the Channel Editor menu, gives you "Grid Options". Under "Grid Options", there is the "re-sort numerically" option.

http://i5.tinypic.com/6wpyng7.jpg

PaulSantangelo

11-26-07, 12:12 PM

I could not get TVGOS for a very long time. Then, my cable company added a second PBS station, and from that station, I started to finally get TVGOS.

If you aren't getting at least one station which carries TVGOS data, I don't think there is anything you can really do. I know I tried my cable company, originally thinking their equipment was, unintentionally, filtering it out, I just hit a dead end.

It is really simply "hit or miss" in getting at least one station that supports/provides TVGOS data.

Sorry I should have been more specific... I was getting the data, but after an upgrade, there is no longer any data... I setup the guide as it was before, but three days over the weekend, the guide is still searching....

any ideas?

WaltA

11-26-07, 02:56 PM

PaulSantangelo

11-26-07, 05:59 PM

Any, sorry, I missed your point that it was working, but stopped after a firmware update.

I wonder if you need to do a TVGOS Reset? Go to TV Guide/then Setup/ then down to Change System Settings. (dont click on it, just highlight the Change System Settings option). Then with your remote, type in 653274147.

No problem, I did try that, I'm now doing a force load, on channel 5 PBS which might be where the data in coming from according to the un-official TVGOS site.

videobruce

11-27-07, 07:30 AM

WaltA; Wow. Surprising only Toshiba has that. One would think it would be a TVGOS across the board feature, not dependent on the manufacture.

Now what they need to do is extend the sorting options to include Network, OTA, Cable & alphabetically.

PaulSantangelo

11-29-07, 09:05 PM

No problem, I did try that, I'm now doing a force load, on channel 5 PBS which might be where the data in coming from according to the un-official TVGOS site.

Hi All:

TVGOS is still not downloading to my set. Is there anyone in New england with Cox cable that can tell me if downloads are happening?

Thanks
-paul

WaltA

11-30-07, 03:37 PM

WaltA; Wow. Surprising only Toshiba has that. One would think it woild be a TVGOS across the board feature, not dependent on the manufacture.

Is it only Toshiba? Other 2006 models don't have it? I don't know either way, myself. :confused:

Which makes me also ask, do any 2007 or 2008 models of TV's even offer TVGOS anymore? Is it dead? :eek:

videobruce

12-01-07, 10:23 AM

Samsung (AFAIK) & Mits still offer it. They are the only two that have 2 RF inputs.

chrisbr66

12-07-07, 04:08 PM

Not sure what this is going to mean for the TVGOS service

//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071207/tc_nm/gemstar_macrovision_takeover_dc_9

videobruce

12-07-07, 04:40 PM

Doesn't look good. :mad:

WaltA

12-07-07, 04:46 PM

My apologies to Bruce, but I think that Mitsubishi is the only manufacturer who still offers TV Guide On Screen. Therefore, is the only customer still paying TV Guide to support it.

BTW, Mitsubishi has announced they are replacing TV Guide On Screen, with TV Guide Daily. TVG Daily is an abbreviated version of TVGOS, downloading and displaying only the next 24 hours of programming info. I guess, that makes the initial download faster, and new users don't have to wait the dreaded 48 hours for it to start working.

So.... I believe Gemstar will at least, for the moment, support TVG Daily program info since that is a brand new contract for service.

PaulSantangelo

12-07-07, 05:58 PM

Hi All:

TVGOS is still not downloading to my set. Is there anyone in New england with Cox cable that can tell me if downloads are happening?

Thanks
-paul

In case anyone cares, I am now recieving tvgos updates, A week ago I called our PBS affiliate in Hartford and left a message about the issue. After a week I called Hitachi, they told me to upgrade my firmware on the TV. Anyway the next day I started recieving the updates. Not sure if Hitachi made a phone call or PBS did something. I did not perform the update!

=paul

optivity

12-07-07, 07:35 PM

Given all of the missing channels and inaccurate program information with Gemstar's TV Guide On Screen™ system this statement:

"For the consumer, (this deal) is all about discovery, making it very easy to find stuff (and) to acquire it, doing an automatic download," Macrovision Chief Executive Fred Amoroso said in an interview. Amoroso would remain CEO after closing of the deal, expected by early in the second quarter.

I want to take this movie, store it in my PC and then play it ... in my daughter's bedroom TV," he said."

seems like wishful thinking to me. :D

videobruce

12-08-07, 10:27 AM

My apologies to Bruce, but I think that Mitsubishi is the only manufacturer who still offers TV Guide On Screen. Therefore, is the only customer still paying TV Guide to support it. None needed.
Too many manufactures, too many model numbers and too many model years to keep track of. :(

Samsungs' best year was last year, Mits best years were the last two years and Toshibas' best were 2 or 3 years ago before all the 'good useful' features were dropped in favor of a bunch of BS marketing crap. :mad: True, there were improvements, but at what cost?

AFAIC; they all went backward. :mad::mad:

videobruce

12-08-07, 10:33 AM

Macrovision shares dropped 25 percent after the company said it would raise $800 million in new debt to finance the deal, while Gemstar slid more than 17 percent as its shareholders thought the deal price was too low.Even the yuppie types don't like it. Macrovision said it would combine its anti-piracy technology with Gemstar's interactive television program guide, which is used by cable and satellite operators, to make protected TV shows, films, photos or music available on many more devices. Just what we need, more copy protection. :rolleyes:"I want to take this movie, store it in my PC and then play it ... in my daughter's bedroom TV," he said. Sorry, you can't. M$, Phoney all baloney & the MPAA won't allow it. :mad:

Here is a better link;
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iHRkYIHBzddds-3PuMO0uu_Kg-EQD8TCTHN00

videobruce

12-08-07, 10:41 AM

The orginal concept is good. The lack of a faster processor (which is probably the manufactures fault) so you don't have to wait a cpuple of seconds for the command to show on the screen when navigating the guide. That is what ruined it coupled to the fact there is little to edit the list and no way to put anything in order except doing it manually, one at a time.

It takes me at least an hour ot two to completely edit the list, remove unavailable or unwanted channels, correct the channel numbers and sort the list correctly.

Ok, what happens with V9 and CBS next year???????

bbjm

12-27-07, 10:59 AM

Anyone in Ontario with Rogers, having problems with no updating "no listings" I have up until Monday at 6pm and Tues-Wed-Thurs of next week have all been not updating. Just no listings for the days.

Checked diagnostics and host channel says the same 0xC.

videobruce

12-27-07, 11:04 AM

Same problem in states side.

HDTV Sparky

12-27-07, 11:29 AM

The missing TV guide listings seems to be a nationwide problem. Doesn't matter if you receive the guide info via antenna or cable.
So for now, don't do any resets....just wait and see what happens.

bbjm

12-27-07, 11:38 AM

Thanks.

HDTV Sparky

12-27-07, 08:34 PM

This was posted earlier today by TUSTINFARM in the HDTV RECORDERS forum:

I emailed TVGOS technical support this morning about the nationwide outage (had their email address from a previous issue) and received the following response:

"There was a known database issue, now resolved. You should start to see listings for day 8 on 12/28/07. It will take three to five days for up to eight days of listings to be displayed. The amount of time it takes depends on the version of device you own."

This is VERY encouraging, so hopefully the nationwide outage of listings will be over in the next day.

crackdowncrash

12-31-07, 02:10 PM

I there anyway to reset TVGOS without actually getting into it? As of yesterday my TV (Samung hls5688) has stopped allowing me to enter TVGOS. When I hit the guide button, nothing happens.

If I try to go to TVGOS Setup or TVGOS though the menu nothing happens. This has had other negative effects as my tv uses the TVGOS channel icons on it's regular display so now I have no idea what channel I am on. I feel like somehow TVGOS got corrupted somehow, but I haven't found a way to reset it that doesn't involve actually being able to execute the program.

wbertram

12-31-07, 11:57 PM

Try unplugging the set for a few minutes. When you plug it back in, the TV will go through the reset/reboot process. This may help with the problem.

Paw Paw

01-01-08, 06:40 PM

Does anyone know of any Digital to Analogue converter boxes that will pick up and use the dgital TVGOS signal?

crackdowncrash

01-02-08, 12:26 AM

Try unplugging the set for a few minutes. When you plug it back in, the TV will go through the reset/reboot process. This may help with the problem.

My problem is detailed a little more in this thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12647789#post12647789

I tried the unplug/reset routine and while it initially gives me back my OSD functionality it does not fix the TVGOS problem. As soon as I switch my input the tuner, everything goes belly up. I lose my OSD until the next unplug.

My TV stores all the TVGOS information in non-volatile memory, which is confirmed by this site.

http://www.tvgos.com/support/2004/faq/setup.asp#7
http://www.tvgos.com/support/2004/faq/recordings.asp#9

I have also noticed in the past that I don't lose listings (at least on short term unplugs).

My best guess is that somehow/someway the memory for TVGOS got corrupted. I feel like if I just had a way to reset it or clear it I would be fine, but there doesn't seem to be a way without being in the interface (which I obviously can't get to).

videobruce

01-02-08, 10:48 AM

I believe you have to do a full reset and dump everything.

crackdowncrash

01-02-08, 01:17 PM

I believe you have to do a full reset and dump everything.

Ah, I read your thread where you took apart your HLS5088, that was very interesting. I noticed that the communication for TVGOS happens over the I2C bus.

Since my TV is extremely similar to yours, how would you recommend performing a full reset with the following caveats:

1. I have done a Factory Reset, EER Reset and User Reset through the Service menu to no avail.

2. I am currently unable to get into the TVGOS interface.

3. The unplug wait a while method doesn't seem to fix it either.

Is there something special I can do to reset? Looking at one of your pictures of the digital board it appeared like there was a button on the right side of the board (near the scaler). Do you have any idea what that is for?

Also is the Gemstar software resident on the Digital board or somewhere on the front control panel? Is the memory Battery-backed or is it flash for the config settings?

Thank you for your help. (I realize you may not know some of these answers, but any help will be much appreciated.)

I don't like the idea of replacing the digital board unless I understand the problem (as to not have it happen again).

videobruce

01-02-08, 10:58 PM

Ah, I read your thread where you took apart your HLS5088, that was very interesting. I noticed that the communication for TVGOS happens over the I2C bus.I didn't take apart anything. If you were referring to one of my older "What's Inside" threads, that was taken from the service manual.

crackdowncrash

01-03-08, 01:36 PM

I didn't take apart anything. If you were referring to one of my older "What's Inside" threads, that was taken from the service manual.

Yeah I guess I was talking about the What's inside thread. Does the service manual say anything special about how to do a reset? (It should be the same manual for my tv).

WaltA

01-03-08, 02:27 PM

As of yesterday my TV (Samung hls5688) has stopped allowing me to enter TVGOS. When I hit the guide button, nothing happens.

I sure hope that when a station decides, for what ever reason, to stop offering TVGOS data, they don't send out a final "disable function" command. :eek:

BTW, any word yet on what will happen to TVGOS come Feb 17, 2009 (just over a year from now)???

lfox

02-14-08, 12:38 AM

dspadoni

02-14-08, 02:19 PM

I just found this thread and have read previous postings back for about a year. Very interesting. I work at a CBS station and our analog and digital signals have the Gemstar inserters in place. I am sure they are sending analog data (and have for years at our station) but do not know what they are doing with the digital one. It is ready when they are.

Here are my questions:

Is earlier TVGOS hardware capable of updating to Version 9 if the TV was originally delivered with an earlier version? Can TVGOS send the update themselves when they are ready? I have an LG HDTV that is about a year and a half old. I am on Charter with a cable card but also have an off air antenna that receives the digital stations. It has the built in DVR and TVGOS works reasonably well with a few channel gaps.

Does TVGOS have the capability to receive new logos for new channels that have hit the air since my TV received its factory installed TVGOS software?

Will my TV receive data from the CBS ATSC digital feed or is it too old?

Has anyone found a non manual way to sort the channels by channel number rather than alphabetically with versions prior to the version 9?

As to the viability of the system, CBS is committed to distiribute the data and it seems to me that version 9 would be a pretty good system. I expect TVGOS will survive for a good while longer.

lfox,

As far as most contributors on the Forum can predict, legacy devices (TVs, DVRs) with older TVGOS versions (8 and 7) will not be able to get the guide data off a digital channel. This specific topic, what could happen after Feb 17, '09, and potential work-arounds/solutions, has been discussed and debated ad nauseum, for example, on the Sony DHG HDD250/500 thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=537711).

This is both a hardware and firmware limitation. No one seems to know if these units can be updated to TVGOS ver. 9, but it's not clear that would help since the device's hardware may be limited to searching for the correct VBI stream on an analog channel. Of course, those of us with legacy devices would love to be proven wrong on all of that.

New logos for new channels should appear properly if they're included correctly in (I think) the PSIP data for those channels.

With TVGOS ver. 8 (which I have on both my Panasonic HD plasma and Sony HD DVR) there's no way I know of to auto sort the channel line up in the listings, either numerically or alphabetically.

Hope this helps.

WaltA

02-14-08, 03:25 PM

This is both a hardware and firmware limitation. No one seems to know if these units can be updated to TVGOS ver. 9, but it's not clear that would help since the device's hardware may be limited to searching for the correct VBI stream on an analog channel. Of course, those of us with legacy devices would love to be proven wrong on all of that.

The only hope, at least to me, is that when I go into Debug mode in TVGOS, there is a currently unused (no data) menu entitled "ATSC". The hope is that this menu, and any code behind it, will come alive if and when some station starts to broadcast TVGOS on their ATSC channel.

However, there would need to be lots of new code, since it would be a very different way to capture the data because digital channels have no VBI.

BTW, what is ver 9? Is that the new quicker-to-initially-download, 3-day-listings-only, version of TVGOS that Mitsubishi has on their new TV's? And I think that Mit is the only remaining user of TVGOS, no?

sharonf

02-14-08, 05:29 PM

lfox

02-14-08, 09:01 PM

Thank you for the info.

dspadoni

02-15-08, 02:18 PM

BTW, what is ver 9? Is that the new quicker-to-initially-download, 3-day-listings-only, version of TVGOS that Mitsubishi has on their new TV's? And I think that Mit is the only remaining user of TVGOS, no?

Sorry, but I honestly don't know; I've only seen it mentioned on other threads.

dspadoni

02-15-08, 02:24 PM

I have had my TV for over three years now and the TV Guide has never worked. On top of that the time posted on the TV is wrong and there is no way to change it. When I try to go in and change it I get a message saying that the TV gets it's time from TVGOS. However, since that has never worked that's obviously not true but I still can't go in and manually change the time. I would never again buy a set with TVGOS. It has been complelty useless to me.

Your TV needs to get both the TVGOS data and the clock date/time data from a local analog channel (usually your local PBS or ABC station) either over the air through an antenna or from your cable provider. Maybe none of your local stations provide it, or your local cable operator is not passing through. Also, satellite TV providers are all digital, so they don't carry it, either.

WaltA

02-15-08, 02:28 PM

I have had my TV for over three years now and the TV Guide has never worked.

My first TVGOS device, a DVR, didn't work at all too, for a very very long time. I tried everything to make it work; direct cable connection, connection thru my STB, rabbit ears, etc.

Then, my local cable company added a second PBS station, one too far away for me to get with rabbit ears, and suddenly I had working TVGOS!

It wasn't really, IMHO, a device problem, but rather I was just unable to get any TV station which carried the EPG data (and my cable company had dozens of OTA stations from both Philly and NYC), until that second PBS station came along.

I don't know what I will do come Feb 2009. I have gotten so use to having the TVGOS EPG. I just can't envision having to go back to channel surfing hundreds of possible stations, attempting to find a program to watch. And then, an hour later, having to do it all over again! :eek:

johnerickson

02-17-08, 08:20 AM

videobruce

02-17-08, 09:37 AM

1. Where do you get the data from? OTA or cable?
2. Have you contacted the station regarding this as it sounds as it isn't on your end?

Frank papaeliou

02-27-08, 08:50 PM

Normally you get it from Toshiba but if you have the ability to copy files to SD or CF then you ask a forum member really nicely and provide your e-mail address in a PM. :D
I have a Toshiba 62HM15 do you still have the 1.5.2 software update? Can you email it to me.
Thanks

BriS2K

03-17-08, 12:54 AM

I'm missing 1 channel from my listing - Peachtree (WPCH). It used to be TBS, which appears but has no programming listing, but Peachtree doesn't even appear in the TV Guide listing...

I've got a Pioneer 5010FD.

WaltA

03-17-08, 07:08 AM

Have you gone into Channel Edit, and searched thru all the possible channels? At least for me, when they add a new channel, it appears at the very end of the list (currently over 500 channels for me to choose amongst). That's a lot of scrolling when I am in Channel Edit!

Plus, with TVGOS, there is a limit of only 120 channels which can be selected/displayed. TBS/WPCH doesn't happen to be your 121st?

HoustonPerson

03-17-08, 07:27 AM

I have noticed on the HD DVR thread Sony DHG-HDD500 - that some cities may have started sending out the "digital" downloads for TVGOS via the local digital CBS stations.

So far the local CBS station in Houston has not been able to confirm that?

We do still receive the "analoge" download via PBS; but it will turn off next February.

Does anyone know what is happening in their town?

lfox

03-17-08, 09:09 PM

WaltA

03-18-08, 07:12 AM

I can confirm that the CBS station in Reno is sending TVGOS data on both its analog and digital signal. It was not mandatory that CBS affiliates sign up to distribute the TVGOS data so not all cities may go along. Also each station would set its own time table to install the equipment if they signed up. Reno has been up for months.

My set has not only the analog NTSC tuner, but also the digital ATSC/QAM tuners too.

What I don't know, is if my TVGOS will "automatically" start using the digital tuners when the time comes. My gut feeling is 'no', and that would be quite a disappointment.

From what I understand, only TVGOS ver 9 (http://www.tvguideonscreen.com/resources/) can do this, and I have no idea on how to tell what ver of TVGOS one has. Plus, if one doesn't have ver 9 right now, how does one go about upgrading to ver 9? An update from the manufacturer? Does TVGOS automatically upgrade by way of some "over the air" download?

dspadoni

03-18-08, 03:59 PM

My set has not only the analog NTSC tuner, but also the digital ATSC/QAM tuners too.

What I don't know, is if my TVGOS will "automatically" start using the digital tuners when the time comes. My gut feeling is 'no', and that would be quite a disappointment.

From what I understand, only TVGOS ver 9 (http://www.tvguideonscreen.com/resources/) can do this, and I have no idea on how to tell what ver of TVGOS one has. Plus, if one doesn't have ver 9 right now, how does one go about upgrading to ver 9? An update from the manufacturer? Does TVGOS automatically upgrade by way of some "over the air" download?

There's been some recent discussion in the Sony DHG thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=537711) on getting TVGOS data from digital channels. These Sony DVRs use TVGOS ver 8. The reports in the thread show mixed results for now, but do indicate that when the time comes, ver 8 may be able to get guide data from a digital host.

I know of no discussion on whether devices with ver 8 can be automatically upgraded to ver 9. There could be device-related hardware/firmware limitations that might prevent that (don't quote me on that; I'm just guessing).

To find out what exact version you have, in the TVGOS screen, highlight the SETUP menu, press the down arrow on your remote (do not select any of the options), enter the following numeric sequence on your remote: 753159852. This will bring up a data screen. Use the left arrow on your remote to move to the data screen that shows your TVGOS firmware version number (you'll see the original factory installed version followed by the latest downloaded update).

A great resource is this fact sheet (http://www.spiffspace.com/sonydvr.html) maintained by a Sony DHG thread member. A lot of the info is specific to the Sony, but there's also a lot of good info generic to the TVGOS, including the instructions I outlined above.

videobruce

03-18-08, 10:55 PM

Does anyone know what is happening in their town?Doesn't really matter to me since I will switch to CFTO ch 9 out of Toronto for the data. ;)
Nice to live in Buffalo, NY with Canada a stones throw away................ From what I understand, only TVGOS ver 9 can do thisBut, there isn't any equipment that has that, is there?

dpfonts

03-24-08, 01:20 AM

I have been using TVGOS for a couple of years in the Long Island, NY area getting the signal OTA using my Panasonic DMR-E500H DVD Video Recorder.

Recently, I changed to Verizon FIOS and I'm not able to use the TVGOS and the FIOS at the same time. After getting FIOS connected a week ago, I disconnected the FIOS box and reconnected the OTA antenna and the TVGOS still works as before. Is there any way I can add the FIOS box, maybe using a RF Modulator or a switch and be able to use both TVGOS and FIOS? If this is possible could you detail how I would set this up.

videobruce

03-24-08, 07:55 AM

How is Verizons' FiOS feed into your DVD recorder?
You need to get your Hosts channel analog signal into the device that has TVGOS.

dpfonts

03-24-08, 11:09 PM

Right now I am set up the way I have been for the last two years using the OTA antenna. The FIOS box is not hooked up to the TV because I don't know how to hook it up.

videobruce

03-24-08, 11:20 PM

The FIOS box is not hooked up to the TV because I don't know how to hook it up.Your paying for FiOS TV and it's not hooked up?? :confused:

dpfonts

03-24-08, 11:42 PM

I only had it hooked up on Monday, March 17, 2008 and I got two other FIOS boxes hooked up for two other TV's.

evernight

04-21-08, 10:38 AM

Hiya, folken. It's been a while since I had any trouble with my Sony DHG-HDD250. It even handled Daylight Savings Time off/on this past year. Recently, though, I had a weird glitch where all my HD channels dropped off TVGOS. They still show up in the edit list, so I've restored all but one channel manually out of the 600+ choices in the Greensboro, NC area, but I'm left wondering:

1) Why the heck did this happen?
2) How can I prevent it from happening again? (manual channel editing is a pain)
3) (For those with a similar setup) What is the proper designation for ABC45 from TWC? I have multiple listings for WXLVH, but the one I picked states "No Listing" after switching it in overnight. I haven't been able to find WXLV-D, which would be consistent with the naming convention, though maybe I'm overlooking it. Anybody have a working listing for ABC45? I'd like to have this resolved by Thursday at 10pm :)
4) Is there any logic to how the channels are listed on the edit page? The fact that there's no way to order them is my biggest pet peeve with TVGOS, though maybe this has been addressed in firmware.

Thanks!

videobruce

04-21-08, 10:48 AM

That sounds as what happened to me.

Last week three of the four network affilates dissappeared. Only the CBS affilate showed. I went into the menu and they weren't there. Not, turned off, but not there.
It took me some time to scroll through the whole list, but I found them, or at least something close enough well above channel 400 in the list.
This never happened before.

Does that sound as what happened to you? Were they the networks, or just cable HD channels?

WaltA

04-21-08, 03:54 PM

Even though there may be lots of choices (600+ for you), only 125 of them can be selected/active at the same time, and one of those set active has to be the channel on which you are getting the TVGOS data.

If your cable company gives a channel lineup update to TVG, they will in turn send that out with the TVGOS data. If that means dropping some channels from the lineup, then those channels become unselected, though if ANY service/lineup is still offering the channel, it is still available for re-selection manually.

I am not sure what happens if an update would cause your setup to exceed 125 selected channels.

Are different lineups available for your cable company? Could it be that you have one selected that isn't quite the lineup you pay to receive? I mean, you have their analog channel lineup selected, but you are actually watching/paying for their digital channel lineup?

The newer versions of TVGOS have a "sort by channel number" option in the channel editor. I don't, and fully understand what you mean of what it is like without the feature.

bwall23

04-21-08, 09:58 PM

evernight

04-22-08, 12:02 PM

Sorry I didn't respond to these earlier. I kept this up and refreshed the page, didn't realize it had gone to page 66! I scrolled through to the bottom of my list again and found the other WXLVH I had noticed. I had picked the other because the channel was wrong on the one I didn't select, blank on the one I did. Lesson here: pick the one with a channel, even if it's the wrong channel. After I switched to the selection with the wrong channel and switched it to the proper setting, it picked up listings right away.

But this is significant and instructive, thanks:

Even though there may be lots of choices (600+ for you), only 125 of them can be selected/active at the same time, and one of those set active has to be the channel on which you are getting the TVGOS data.

If your cable company gives a channel lineup update to TVG, they will in turn send that out with the TVGOS data. If that means dropping some channels from the lineup, then those channels become unselected, though if ANY service/lineup is still offering the channel, it is still available for re-selection manually.

I am not sure what happens if an update would cause your setup to exceed 125 selected channels.

Are different lineups available for your cable company? Could it be that you have one selected that isn't quite the lineup you pay to receive? I mean, you have their analog channel lineup selected, but you are actually watching/paying for their digital channel lineup?

I don't have nearly 125 channels at any given time, but TWC changes their lineup with alarming regularity. I imagine I'm getting hit every time that happens to some degree. Random channels pop-in frequently, though I've not had the drop-out problem that I've recalled. And I certainly am getting a different lineup than what TWC officially thinks I am. Not any extras, mind you, it's just different channels. Very few TWC customers with HDTVs up to the past year had tuners in their sets, evidently, as all the techs I talked to insisted I must be using their DVR or cable card. The DHG has its own tuner, as you know, and my WEGA has another. I'm on Basic cable, which pretty much means the OTA channels. On my local TWC's website, the lineup for my HD channels starts at 500. On my box, I've got MyTV HD on 89.4, ABC HD on 93.45, etc, up to 116.15, which is PBS Kids, by far the channel most likely to be on when I get home, what with a five-year old in the house.

Point is, Time Warner really has no idea what sense everybody else's tuners make of their streams. I've even got a channel that occasionally picks up other people's OnDemand selections.

I'm glad this problem didn't take much to resolve, but as crazy as the TVGOS sometimes can be, part of me is hoping they can't get the digital listings working for next year, so I'll have an excuse to build a proper HTPC. Off to research MythTV....

srh888

04-28-08, 03:07 PM

How about item 4 of the previous post:

> 4) Is there any logic to how the channels are listed on the edit page? The fact
> that there's no way to order them is my biggest pet peeve with TVGOS,
> though maybe this has been addressed in firmware.

I don't understand how the currently unsorted list makes sense to anyone. If there are 125 channels, no one wants to go through and sort them all. Has anyone done this??

So is there a way to sort by the channel number? I mean something like all other guides have. Channel 3 is the first followed by 4... then up to higher numbers. Honestly, what else makes any sense as a default?

WaltA

04-28-08, 04:57 PM

If there are 125 channels, no one wants to go through and sort them all. Has anyone done this??

Well, I am such a fool. ;)

Its up to 125 max, out of hundreds! It took me about an hour to do a manual "bubble" sort to them into order. To make it even more difficult for myself, I sorted them by digital cable converter channel number, and not by the actually QAM channel-subchannels numbers used. This way, the channels are in the same order on TVGOS as they are on the EPG supplied by my cable company.

So is there a way to sort by the channel number? I mean something like all other guides have. Channel 3 is the first followed by 4... then up to higher numbers. Honestly, what else makes any sense as a default?

The newest version of TVGOS has a channel number sort option, under the channel editor.

I would guess that since TVGOS uses the same list to support multiple lineups, there really isn't any single initial/default sort that would work for all lineups. If I look thru the 600+ available channels, they tend to be grouped by network affiliation, but that isn't 100% either.

lfox

04-29-08, 10:42 PM

I have sorted my list to include off air and cable channel numbers. It is a pain and I have had cable channel lineup revisions that undo about half of my work.

My latest strategy is to move my active list to the bottom of the order so new channels at least end up near the ones I have sorted which will cut much time out of a resort of a new lineup. It should work though I have not tried it yet. (all inactive channels would stack above the active list)

26kick

06-08-08, 09:14 PM

Hi, I've read pages and pages here because my TV Guide On Screen is missing several channels in the line up. I can tune to the channels with my TV (Pio 5080HD) but they don't show up in the TV Guide.

Do I undersatand correctly that I can add those channels manually? Or can I start another auto search that might find them for me?

Also, it appears that I've got many more than 120 channels turned "on" in the editor, over 300 I think. Do I have to manually turn some off to get the channels I want?

The channels I want are Discovery HD (#846) and Food Network HD (#840) for example, so they're huge channels, popularity-wise.

I'm using a cable card.

Thanks in advance for any help in understanding this.

WaltA

06-08-08, 09:47 PM

Do I undersatand correctly that I can add those channels manually? Or can I start another auto search that might find them for me?

Also, it appears that I've got many more than 120 channels turned "on" in the editor, over 300 I think. Do I have to manually turn some off to get the channels I want?

If I understand you correctly, auto search is something that your TV's tuner does, and has nothing at all to do with TVGOS.

Is TVGOS really displaying the daily show info, for the shows on over 300 channels? I mean, if you scroll thru the shows (using channel up and down), you actually get show listings displayed on over 300 of them?

When in edit, you can change the station's channel number. So, you can find regular SD Discovery station, and set its channel number to 846, and SD Food station to 840. I believe they both show the same shows, but just in HD.

At least for me, when TVGOS adds new channels, it adds them to the end of the list. They might be pre-enable or not. However, that happens very infrequently.

videobruce

06-09-08, 08:43 AM

Anyone heard of the current CBS/Gemstar/TV Guide status?

26kick

06-09-08, 12:44 PM

WaltA

06-09-08, 01:08 PM

Thanks WaltA,

I believe I do have listings for that many stations. Should I not?

What I'm wondering is that as it did it's search for stations, if it missed some of the ones that I want. I called Pioneer and they gave me a reset code. With the "settings" button highlighted in TV guide, don't press enter and press:

653274147

He said the TV should turn off and TV Guide will be reset and search again for stations. He also said that when using a Cable Card, there is no limit on how many stations will be displayed.

There is a documented limit of 125 active stations, for listing details, in TVGOS. Or so I thought. I guess they might have increased that limit in the newest version, or as you speculated, the limit is different if you have a CableCard installed.

TVGOS does not do any kind of search for individual stations.

All a master reset will do (the 653274147), is have TVGOS search for more/different lineups. Lineups are nothing more than predetermined settings for enabled/disabled (active/not active) for stations show listings, and the channel number assigned (and you change all that, when in manual editing mode). It will not add any more stations to the master list you see when you are in manual editing mode. So, if you don't see stations you want now, when in editing, doing a master reset will change very little.

In other words, if you have already selected the right lineup for your cable system. After reseting, I bet you will end up selecting the exact same cable system again, and with that, see no difference.

26kick

06-11-08, 01:48 AM

There is a documented limit of 125 active stations, for listing details, in TVGOS. Or so I thought. I guess they might have increased that limit in the newest version, or as you speculated, the limit is different if you have a CableCard installed.

TVGOS does not do any kind of search for individual stations.

All a master reset will do (the 653274147), is have TVGOS search for more/different lineups. Lineups are nothing more than predetermined settings for enabled/disabled (active/not active) for stations show listings, and the channel number assigned (and you change all that, when in manual editing mode). It will not add any more stations to the master list you see when you are in manual editing mode. So, if you don't see stations you want now, when in editing, doing a master reset will change very little.

In other words, if you have already selected the right lineup for your cable system. After reseting, I bet you will end up selecting the exact same cable system again, and with that, see no difference.

Exactly right, no difference. :(

I'm not sure what my next move is but giving up On TV Guide and going with the HD STB is a strong possibility.

Thanks for the help!

ed_in_tx

06-22-08, 11:44 AM

I've been fussing with the TV Guide that's in my new Sony TV for a week now. I am on OTA antenna only. I set up the TV a month ago when I bought it and all seemed OK then. Now on some of my channels I have out of town channel ID and info in their place along with incorrect program descriptions. The TV Guide seems to override the PSIP data that is sent out by the individual channels. When I tune to local Ch5 an NBC affiliate the Info banner says "KENS CBS" KENS 5 CBS is in San Antonio. I am in Dallas. Another one - Tune to Ch4 should be KDFW 4 Fox, but the info says KAMR (Amarillo) NBC! I have tried setting it up again a couple of times and the Zip Code is definitely entered in properly. Anyone else have erroneous listings?

WaltA

06-22-08, 12:28 PM

My Toshiba is even worse. There is no way to manually label the channels. It is TVGOS or nothing. Which means if/when I loose TVGOS (Feb 09?), I will have no way to label or relabel my remaining stations.

The lineup you are selecting only sets up the defaults.

If the OTA lineup you get offered for your zip code is the wrong one, try a different zip code. If the only OTA lineup you get is for San Antonio, then use a zip code for Dallas.

If that doesn't work, then it is time to go into edit. Like I mentioned, all the lineup gets you are a set of defaults. For example, go into edit, and turn 'off' the listings for KAMR, and turn 'on' the lists for KDFW. With that, of course, set the channel number for KDFW's listings to be channel 4.

Yea, if you need to do a lot of manual editing, it can take a lot of time. For me, I have to change all my cable company's STB channel numbers, to their "real" digital QAM channel numbers. That can easily take over an hour, and yea, it is tedious.

ed_in_tx

06-25-08, 09:08 AM

The lineup you are selecting only sets up the defaults.

If the OTA lineup you get offered for your zip code is the wrong one, try a different zip code. If the only OTA lineup you get is for San Antonio, then use a zip code for Dallas.

If that doesn't work, then it is time to go into edit. Like I mentioned, all the lineup gets you are a set of defaults. For example, go into edit, and turn 'off' the listings for KAMR, and turn 'on' the lists for KDFW. With that, of course, set the channel number for KDFW's listings to be channel 4.

THANKS for the tips. I get a mix of OTA Dallas, San Antonio, Amarillo, Texoma stations displayed. All from my 75201 Dallas zip code!

I finally did a full reset of the TV last night and started from scratch. Went through the setup, selected Antenna only, it scanned in all the OTA channels, entered in the zip code for Dallas 75201, turned it on this morning it asks for Dallas Broadcast and I checked YES and entered it in, and the guide and its associations are just as messed up as it was before! I tried to edit using the on-off for each one, but they all won't stay set that way for some reason. I turn ON the Dallas station, turn OFF the wrong ones, but when I return to normal and check it they don't all stay set that way, some do, some won't. For example I turn ON Ch5 KXAS NBC, then go back and it's OFF again!

I went to TVGOS web site and there is no way I see to report problems directly to them, have to go through the manufacturer. I called Sony the other day, they don't know what to do either other than a full reset.

tc1

06-25-08, 10:17 AM

I first started with TVGOS 2 years ago. For 2 months it drove me crazy till I found a small site that explained how it worked. I had no trouble after that and love it. Just tried and that site no longer exists. I did come across a "training manual" (never could find one back when needed) from LG-Zenith. Wrong manufacturer but checked the first few pages and the basics of how it works are there which is what can allow you to figure it out. The instructions for entering the diagnostics mode are the same as for my Toshiba. It is not complicated just Hard To Find info! The underlying logic makes a narrow set of assumptions which if met in your area and by your choices it will work beautifully.

HTH:)

http://www.spiffspace.com/TVGOS_Training_Manual.pdf

tc1

06-25-08, 10:29 AM

Another thing that caused a headache was that I did not know that it probably will take 8 days to fully populate because of the way it works. I just checked and that is in this manual. I kept thinking it would complete all at once, NOT!

ed_in_tx

06-25-08, 12:07 PM

I did come across a "training manual" ... http://www.spiffspace.com/TVGOS_Training_Manual.pdf

THANKS for that tc1.. I saved a copy.

ed_in_tx

06-26-08, 08:52 AM

An update on my TVGOS problems after the reset two days ago. Still as messed up as ever. Nothing was resolved doing the reset. This morning, it is showing KAMR NBC (which is in Amarillo 500 miles from here) on both of my local OTA Ch 4.1 (actual KDFW Fox 4) and Ch 5.1 (actual KXAS NBC 5)! Not too good.

tc1

06-26-08, 10:14 AM

I do not understand what you mean by "both of my local OTA Ch 4.1"? You can't have more then one local on the same ch. Did you read the manual that you saved? Even though it is from LG once you get into TVGOS that is the same on all to my knowledge. Go in to channel edit. Your actual channels should be somewhere in the list of all possible channels. Turn those on. Turn off any other channels such as Amarillo that do not apply. DO NOT TURN OFF THE CH THAT YOU RECV THE TVGOS DATA FROM! This is usually the local NTSC PBS station.

ed_in_tx

06-26-08, 11:30 AM

I do not understand what you mean by "both of my local OTA Ch 4.1"? DO NOT TURN OFF THE CH THAT YOU RECV THE TVGOS DATA FROM! This is usually the local NTSC PBS station.

Both of my local OTA channels Ch 4.1 and Ch 5.1 show KAMR NBC in the Info banner.

I have tried repeatedly to edit the list, by turning OFF the unwanted channels, making sure the locals are ON. but for some odd reason especially on the low VHF channels 2-6, will not always stay edited. As I mentioned before, I can go in and turn ON Ch 5.1 KXAS, exit, then check the channels, and it won't be there. Go back and it's OFF again! Frustrating. As far as I can tell, when I press "Guide" to exit, it is supposed to save those changes. I see no other "save" function before I exit Guide.

Isn't TVGOS supposed to automatically display the Broadcast channels in a given area, especially since it asked me during setup to confirm the area "Dallas Broadcast 291" as I recall it asked during the setup? It works on some channels fine. But others TVGOS is in error.

From the TVGOS Training Manual "An antenna may also be connected to the ANT IN input on the TV for local Over-The-Air [OTA] HDTV signals. In this case, it is critical that users do not delete the Host channel from their cable channel list (usually analog ABC)." From that I take it they use ABC network affiliates, not PBS.

tc1

06-26-08, 01:14 PM

It has been over 2 years since I slayed the dragon so YMMV! :)

It was and is my analog PBS station and info at that time that I found indicated that as "usual" but not always. Don't know if my Toshiba TVGOS will even work after Feb 09 with no more analog broadcast. :( Use the diagnostic mode to determine the ch that it is currently using.

"Both of my local OTA channels Ch 4.1 and Ch 5.1 show KAMR NBC in the Info banner" Can't answer that though does sound like TVGOS err. However on mine I can tell it to "tune Channel" to any channel I want for this TVGOS line of info.

When I go to channel edit, actually "change channel display" in TVGOS setup on my Toshiba, by highlighting the line and pressing enter I get -

channel - on/off I think this is really station id, i.e., "KAMR", for the info
service - air/cable
tune channel - (ch you want to tune for this station ID)
position - (sequence position for display of this line of info)
DONE - saves change to this line
cancel - don't save

" Isn't TVGOS supposed to automatically display the Broadcast channels in a given area, especially since it asked me during setup to confirm the area "Dallas Broadcast 291" as I recall it asked during the setup? It works on some channels fine. But others TVGOS is in error. "

You have to use channel display edit to correct exceptions. I think it makes that decision is made by looking at the ch that were found during the last channel scan that you did and that you did NOT turn off. I am speaking of the normal ch scan done on all new TVs now irrespective of any TVGOS capability. Come to think of it you might go back and do a completely new channel scan. The TV scans for signals it can tune to. TVGOS gets all station prog info available in that area from one of those signals. TVGOS then will turn "on" display for all channels matched (and "on") in the TV channel scan. Keep in mind that TVGOS supposedly has a record of all possible broadcasts/cable systems in your area. That info must then be matched to the actual channels your specific location/service TV really gets. This is my understanding not factual knowledge <<insert legal stuff here>>

ed_in_tx

06-26-08, 01:50 PM

Hi tc1, I appreciate it. When I did the full reset the other day, 1st thing I scanned in the local OTA channels and all that was fine, no errors. Darn TVG thing's got me baffled because it won't always save changes, unless I am doing something wrong. Pretty much straight forward. The method you describe is pretty much the same, including "Done" at the end. And it will be there OK until I exit TVG and come back, and things may or may not still be set the way I saved them. Maybe a defective TVGOS chip? I remember when I was in the VCR service biz, I replaced a few "Gemstar®" marked ICs that had the VCR+ stuff programmed into them. Pretty odd behavour that it's doing. I did get into the diagnostics menus and found the line where I had received data and all seemed OK. I did not decript the host channel info I will go in later and look for that see what it's looking for network-wise. I get all the networks fine, and about 22 NTSC and 31 Digital OTA channels. I dunno about this thing...

It has since changed again today and I haven't been into any of the settings or opened any menus, just watching TV, actually satellite, my old BUD on CNBC through Video 3 input. I just went back to "TV" to watch local news and noticed the change since this morning. My Ch 5.1 which was oddly the same as 4.1 earlier today, has now changed all by itself to show KENS CBS which is in San Antonio. I may do a reset again, and when it asks to set up TVGOS, I will select No and "Don't Ask Again". Maybe then I can at least see the standard channel ID and program info.

Good question about what happens when NTSC goes away Feb 17 next year. One would hope they have that issue covered!