Randynoble....I have sent you a private message via this forum to contact be directly to discuss the Tampa Bay broadcast TVGOS situation.
Everyone else: A number of months ago it was suggested to make a VCR tape of the local TVGOS analog host. I failed to do that, but found in my old archives a lengthy tape made of my same host several years ago. I tried to use it to restore grid to my one ailing OTA Sony 250. No go....I could not find any info packets in the broadcast, so naturally, that was filtered out during the passage through the VCR. The same 250 has gotten the correct time from a digital only source (CBS) and advertising, but getting the grid is hopeless. I even tried to tie it to a DTVPal+ which receives TVGOS for our area, but again no luck. Our local prior analog host has gone off the air, so our area is Out-Of-Luck if you loose the grid. Thankfully my other Sony 250 continues to update its grid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stewd2 /forum/post/16172271
Hello I am new to this forum. I have a Sony DHG-HDD250 I have lost my host channel and tv guide list connection 03/30/2009. I have tried to do the g test and I cannot get any vbi packets. I live on Long Island New York and wonder if anyone else is having the same problem or can direct me to another host channel where I can download vbi packets.
I'm not from your neck of the woods, but based on rabbitears, WCBS (OTA 2.1) should be passing TVGOS. If you are using cable only you could try the G* test on WCBS. If it doesn't pass, hook up a antenna, perform "auto add antenna" channel scan, and try the G* test on channel 2.1.
Thanks for help will give rabbit ears a try if no updates happen by tomorrow.
Main host here is analog CFTO-Cable 13 Toronto. Also getting supplementary listings from analog hosts CKCO-Cable 40 Kitchener and WNED-Air 17 Buffalo.
Days 1-5 are being completely 100% filled.
Days 6,7,8 are sporadic with only random channels filled up to 8 PM EDT Day 8. No discernible pattern.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HoustonPerson /forum/post/16172218
MySonyBox is still on .05, and i was only able to get ads, and clock via Digital CBS OTA............and that was a joke for 2 weeks, until Macrovision got the analogue PBS back "on", with software corrections to make my Sony functional again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by teeitup /forum/post/16172782
I'm not from your neck of the woods, but based on rabbitears, WCBS (OTA 2.1) should be passing TVGOS. If you are using cable only you could try the G* test on WCBS. If it doesn't pass, hook up a antenna, perform "auto add antenna" channel scan, and try the G* test on channel 2.1.
Thanks for help will give rabbit ears a try if no updates happen by tomorrow.
We have two '500s, each on a different Comcast franchise... one on the shoreline system in our Madison home (Branford/Madison/Guilford system) the other in our Hamden condo (New Haven/Hamden system). Both lost Host info etc about two weeks ago, but we regained it on the Madison unit several days ago (still no go on the Hamden setup).
RE: the working (Madison) unit, analog CPTV CH 14 was the Host Channel before lossage. Subsequently, a Host was found on digital CPTV CH 24.1 and the new grid has filled.
Here's the interesting part: the Host has migrated toCH 83.0, an otherwise unused channel. The "753..." diagnostic shows clockset also from that channel. Interestingly, CH 83.0 was never included on the channel list (neither manually selected or from auto-scan), so I'm not quite sure how the system found it. IIRC, the TVGOS manual mentions that a Host channel cannot be selected if it is disabled/not listed it in the CH+/- list... and this channel was not included in the list.
BTW, 24.1 and 83.0 each now show VBI PASS indications from the G* test.
PS: Chatted with Comcast and sent them a link to the TVGOS "Delivering Data to TV Guide Consumer Electronic Devices" (SCTE 127 Specs etc) in hopes it might expidite recovery (perhaps they've misplaced their copy... sigh!)
PPS: I would not expend too much energy trying to revive a system with "voodoo magic". I'm gonna' go out on a limb here and suggest that maybe (just maybe) some of our units show no Host data simply because there is no Host data to find just yet. Thumping the unit on the chest in countless different scenarios (hmmm was it "G*, G*, 953..." or "G*, reset, rest 24hrs, leave on 24 hrs G*, G*..." that worked for the guy in Hoboken?) may have been fruitful simply because the Host data was gone but has now resumed transmission and not due to some cryptic dance steps we perform (doh!) If you feel the need to release some energy, hammer on the cable operators to get their stuff together.
Quote:
Originally Posted by teeitup /forum/post/16173737
How long did you have it unplugged while connecting the battery backup? Does anyone know if you can safely unplug the DVR for any amount of time without losing your grid? I would like to install a UPS but afraid to unplug the DVR.
Finally got a host channel (29, PBS) on one of my 2 500's. The other one still shows blank. 29 is the digital PBS here, but it maps to 8.1. Maybe there is some hope after all.
It's on the TV Guide Service Menu (instructions to activate here ) ). Find the clock info screen by going right, down, down, right and looking for the Clock Set Channel (or something like that).
Right after running the G* test you might get some hex codes. But after a day or two the raw station number shows up (39 in the Seattle area, aka Digital CBS at 7.1)
I cycled power on my setup without thinking so I could reset a DVD player. Lost the time on the recorder right before 'Lost' was to come on!
I tried the VBI search on the host channel and got a wrong time. It wandered a bit after a couple of hours. But then I tried the G* factory test with the digital host channel selected. After packets started receiving (it took longer than usual, 20 seconds or so) and exiting the guide (I may have powered off), the correct time popped right up. Good news, G* test saves the day! Bad news, I missed recording Lost.
OTA in Seattle, and totally digital TVGOS now with CBS (PBS stopped last month)
I don't even want to turn mine on today........at the very least it may only be down to 4 day schedule...........or it may have murdered itself again.
My wife did manage to get it to freeze last night (to be expected with no resets, multiple attempts to digital, and the it's own automatic reconfigure back to analogue-so it does have conflicts-and the error tracker recorded them).
She was chasing American Idle live - fast forward, rewind, pause; all at the same time of 9PM when the prescheduled show to be recorded was changing channels from 26-1 to 2-1. I took the remote out of her hand - set it aside and got it un-froze a couple of minutes later.
I have almost lost track of all the TV Guide changes in Houston since the first of the year.
1. About third week of January - total crazies
2. After Full factory reset (about Jan28th) it worked 100% perfect until March 9th; then total crazies - was lucky to get digital clock - but never seemed to last more than 5 days? Otherwise a brick. This also included a full Factory reset about Mid March with still no analouge available and attempting digital for about another week.
3. Then last Friday the unit reset itself back to analogue (no full factory reset for this-so it does contain errors-hence the freeze). Generally, appears to work ok with one freeze so far; but as of yesterday - only a 5 day schedule (only one day of the last week did it have a 6 day schedule)
I am leaving it off for a couple more hours this morning to let it finish this mornings set of downloads - maybe that will make it a little happier?
For those of us that are OTA only and have no interest in Cable or Sat - our choices are basically nil. The Tivo HD XL is the closest to the Sony Box; but it cost $1,000 and has its own drawbacks; extra cables to run and clumsy interface, and the "spy" feature is not too nice - why does everyone have to "spy"?
There is the DTVpal PSIP thingy.........it's just not ready for prime time IMO, and with PSIP don't think it ever will be?
There is build your own - just not for me.
The handwritting says HD DVR OTA will not be here much longer. And now that the Cable, Sat, and Wireless companies have full control of the FCC we may not have high quality HD OTA much longer. Broadcasters are finding better ways (more profitable) to get the signal out than OTA because of the FCC regulations.
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