TVGOS Not Updating - Page 3

Checked the TVGOS host channel for my DVDR in the Philly area over Comcast cable. As it turns out, the host channel has changed again!! First it was broadcast over the CBS station (cable channel 3) and then the FOX station (cable channel 9), and even the PBS station (cable channel 12), but now the host channel is the ABC station (cable channel 6). So that means that in the Philly area, the local ABC station (WPVI) is now transmitting the TVGOS data. I don't know why you are getting the CW affiliate (channel 13) as the host channel, but I suppose that there might be more than one.

Even though the host channel keeps bouncing around, I have never lost the TVGOS EPG for more than a couple of days.

Checking the guide after leaving it off over 20 hours..
Over half the channels have no listings for tonight and latenight, while the rest do. Advancing ahead 24 hours, there are full listings present, up until Sun 12AM. Then, all 'no listings' again. Since there's no much on but repeats, I'll let it go one more time without resetting, to see if it'll go beyond Sun 12am.

Seems like Sun full day listings was a special case and not the norm...the last few days have been mostly "No Listings". Just this morning I actually did see listings for the full day, but for 6am tomorrow they are all blank.

I didn't realize that so many stations are broadcasting the signal. Thanks for the info.
I think I'll try changing the setting of the station and see if that helps.
The info is sent only once or twice a day isn't it...about 6am and midnight each day???

I've been hunting for my "new" Host Channel. I have DirecTV and used the TV Guide channel (237) for about 2 years before they apparently dumped the analog TVGOS. I have found a group of setup codes for TVGOS (I forget which forum or which message on this one) but the one I've seen here, 653159147, doesn't seem to affect my Panny DMR-EH55 at all. I wonder if these numbers are firmware version-specific. Certainly the Diagnostics one, 753159852, works fine, and the "VBI Scan Current Channel" one, 963214785, also works. I have another "System Reset" number, 653274147, which also does not work. Does anyone here have more info than I do on this? I have been forced to do the brutal Panasonic Ch. Up/Ch. Dn full reset to get a shot at resetting the TVGOS from scratch, which loses the full channel lineup, if I want to try to find the latest Host Channel.

BTW DirecTV Support (no surprise) also doesn't seem to know anything about TVGOS. Why doesn't there seem to be a best point of contact about TVGOS besides this forum? It's clearly not the signal provider (DirecTV for me) or MacroVision (no user support at all). The hardware mfr. support (Panasonic in my case) does have MacroVision's ear to some extent, but they still don't really have a solution for us.

Can anyone state with some expertise exactly what the user will need to do to get digital TVGOS to work with our devices? I don'tt know if my EH55 will be able to handle the digital TVGOS signal, nor what I'd need to do to make it work.

I am not sure whether all these stations broadcast the TVGOS EPG data all the time or whether they take turns.

It is my understanding the the recorder will continue to use the same host channel to download the EPG data, but will search for a new "signal" if the data cannot be found on the previous host channel.

I forgot, are you using a DVD recorder with TVGOS? AFAIK, on these recorders you cannot "choose" the host channel, but the system must find it itself by scanning all channels.

I believe that the system tries to download the EPG data twice or three times a day, but once the data are downloaded, it doesn't try again until the next day. The reason for this is that the EPG data cannot be downloaded while the recorder is on. The recorder must be off (on standby) for the EPG data to download, so if the recorder is on during a scheduled download, the system retries at the next scheduled download time.

I got this in email today from the __http://tvgos.custhelp.com/ site :


Subject: WTTW Digital Transition Problem 60565:Wide Open West - Chicagoland - Chicago [Incident: 081123-000020]

Response (Peter) 12/05/2008 01:22 PM
There was a problem with WTTW. This should be resolved Monday. Please let us know if the listings come back Monday.

Could it be the whole state? I live in Bowie, Maryland (20716), and I haven't had any TV listings since Monday. I have Comcast cable and the local PBS affiliate is WMPT. I have a Panasonic EH55 and two EH75s, and none of them have any listings at all. I reset one of the EH75s in hopes that it would find an alternate source. That didn't work, and even the auto clock set failed!

That old saying is true - you don't really appreciate something until you lose it. I want my TVGOS back! Where is the best place to complain about this?

You know, you guys are going to lose the analog data for good eventually, so you'd better be prepared. OTA will be in February '09 - cable could be now, or anytime in the future.

Wow, thanks for passing that along! Keeping my fingers crossed

But will they broadcast TVGOS digitally? My TV which supports TVGOS has a digital tuner so if they just move the broadcast to the local station's digital equivalant, I would expect to get it.

If your TV has a digital tuner and V9 of TVGOS then you do have a chance of getting TVGOS post 2/09.
What model/type of Panasonic TV do you have, and do you know the TVGOS version?
I have a '06 Panny LCD w/digital tuner but it doesn't have TVGOS.

The digital signals are being carried by the local CBS affiliates, so you'd have to be sure you can receive that.

My Panasonic EH55 DVR has V9 of the TVGOS firmware, and I'd assume that it has a digital tuner. I'm not sure how I'd know for sure, other than that I'm connected to DirecTV and am using a GLink IR Blaster to change channels on the satellite receiver from the DVR.

Yesterday I reset the DVR, and my analog TVGOS signal from the TV Guide Channel (237) came back. Still don't know if I can use digital TVGOS for sure, but the EH55 DVR apparently did not detect anything on CBS. It doesn't look like there's a source for digital TVGOS on DirecTV, or rather that my DVR could see it.

I'm looking at my setup (753159852) pages and I don't see an obvious TVGOS version number. I see a Host Version field with value 0164-7310. Is that it or is it something else? My TV is a 2006 Panny TH-58PX600U digital high-def.

Thanks,

I get the hi-def version of cbs (and all the other local hd stations) with my basic cable (no cable box) so I assume the digitial signal would come over that, right?

Thanks,

The TVGOS version will be on that first screen. It should be the second line down and may read something like 09.02.27
That means version 9 TVGOS.
Also note for the host channel on digital TVGOS it will be the physical channel and not what the virtual channel number might be. In my case my Sony TV with Digital TVGOS says host channel 32 which is the real channel where my local OTA channel 4.1 resides. 4.1 is CBS in my area.

Now that you mention that model number I remember that Panasonic's top of the line Plasma TVs had TVGOS while none of there LCDs did.
I would think if or when digital TVGOS is available in your area your TV should get it. I'll try and find a link to Rabbit Ears which lists which areas have digital TVGOS.
http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=tvgos Courtesy of Trip in VA

The EH55 DVDR does not have a digital tuner. It is strictly analog and therefore cannot tune any digital channels or receive any digital data via it's tuner.

It has V9. I briefly had a 50PX600U, so I know for sure.

The only thing I'm thinking is, that if it's able to receive the data from a DirecTV tuner, without using an OTA antenna like some people have said they've been able to do (according to the manual, you can do that - but not everyone can get it to work - maybe it's the tuner model or it's software. I've never heard of anyone here ever getting it to work with a digital cable box, although they're just now starting to insert the signal digitally I think, so we'll see), then it must have some kind of circuitry built-in to convert it, maybe like what the DTVPal is supposed to do. So maybe it's possible for it to somehow do that with digital OTA, also.

Of course, the Pal method doesn't work so far, so if it is supposed to do that, who knows if it'll ever even work right. That could be on the host channel's end, though.

It sure would help put people's minds at ease some if Macrovision/TVGOS would just be more specific about this whole thing, but they've been really vague.

Yes, I see the number now and it's v9. Now if someone will just broadcast something, I should be good

Thanks,

I recently sent a question about this exact situation to MacroVision. They've promised a prompt answer, but we'll see.

In case some folks here missed it, MacroVision support is at http://www.macrovision.com/support/8...link_id=topnav

I sure hope that there will be a DTVPal-like product in the near future for us analog tuner types.

I have a Toshiba 62MX196 with TVGOS. For the last 2 years that I have had the tv, I have had the TV GUIDE perfectly except for the last month. Since then, I haven't had it at all. I am in TN and on basic digital cable without a cable box. I have went into the setup of it and verified settings. It even gives me an option to choose between 2 different services. The first lists my cable company by name and has (10341) after it. The second option is directly below it, lists the cable company name, then says Digital (21656). There is also a 3rd option which says "no match". I have tried all 3 of these on different days, but have not been sucessful in retoring the guide. It does say on the screen that the tv has to be OFF to update guide and it is done at 2:28AM.

Here is where I will really throw the monkey wrench into the situation. For well over a year now, my QAM tuner (in the open cable), has been out. I assumed it was due to change in cable lineup, but found I was wrong since I bought son a new tv and he is gettting HD channels and I am not. When I check signal strength of digital channels on my tv, it pulses from 0 to 89 and then back to 0. I brought his tv in L. R., connected it to my cable, and he is getting a solid 88-89 on signal.

Anyhow, I have been waiting for 10 weeks for tv to be repaired thru extended warranty, but nothing has been done. Retailer is talking to me about exchanging tv tomorrow after I have had trouble getting repaired thru extended warranty. The TV Guide has become very important to me since I have gotten used to it so I want to make sure the new one will have it too. I just want to verify that the TV Guide will still work in my area before holding out for the perfect replacement tv that has it.

As I said, I have tried the first option for TV Guide setup which was 10341. I am going to assume that was analog. It hasn't worked in a month. I have tried the 2nd option which said digital (21656), but hasn't worked either. I am assuming my cable company is still supporting it, but since my QAM is out, I cannot receive it. I even stopped by my cable company Thursday and asked about it. The tech said he had heard of no issues, but the receptionist said I was about the 4th or 5th customer to ask about this in the last couple of weeks. She was supposed to have the main engineer to call me about it but still haven't heard.

Does anyone know of a list that shows which newer HDTV"s have TVGOS? I don't know how I can search for it, considering most retailers don't have anything that will list by it. Thanks.

There might be more (maybe some Mitsubishi's?), but the only newer TV's that have digital TVGOS that I know of for sure are some of the top-of-the-line Sony LCD's (jjeff here has one, and he says it's working fine. He can chime in and tell you more about them).

I imagine you're going to see more and more models with it as time goes on.

Yes the Sony LCDs from the V4100 and up have digital TVGOS. Note it's only 24 hours worth, not 8 days like on some analog TVGOS devices. If you get a look at the remote the easiest way to tell if it has TVGOS is there is a GUIDE button at about 10 o'clock from the circular ring key. So the Sonys that would have TVGOS would be: V4100, W4100, Z4100 and also the newer XBRs(the ones with 4 HDMI inputs).
Note the wholesale clubs seem to have a different numbering scheme than the retail stores but if you can get a hold of the remote it should have the GUIDE button.
AFA Plasmas you might want to check and see if the Panasonics still have TVGOS. As mentioned above they had it a few years ago anyway.
Also as far as your old TV finding the TVGOS, I think your choices are more to tell TVGOS whether to list the digital channels or not and your cable TV lineup. I believe your TV would still check out every channel trying to find the signal no matter what setting you used. If your TV had issues with QAM then that certainly could have been why you weren't getting the digital TVGOS.

I just found this link and it looks like Sony and 4 other mfgs. are listed for digital TVGOS, maybe Panasonic dropped it??
http://www.macrovision.com/support/9...link_id=topnav

Hey, thanks - that's good to know that Pioneer has it, in case I ever upgrade. After having my Elite, I honestly don't think I could ever live with anything else - but the analog TVGOS on this thing has always been pretty useless, even when it was getting data.

The EH-55 only has an analog tuner so after 2/19 it is effectively a tunerless DVDR. Also after 2/19 it is unlikely that analog TVGOS will be carried by any channel -- analog TVGOS will probably no longer exist. So, the real question is, can the EH-55 process a digital TVGOS signal received through a line input from an external digital tuner controlled by the IR blaster.

I've seen no indication it will be able to do so. I've not read a single post by anyone who has hooked up a CECB to their EH-55, and controlled by IR blaster, claim to get digital TVGOS data filling in the table. Let's not forget the line inputs are all analog, the EH-55 has no digital inputs. How is one to get a digital feed into the EH-55 in the first place.

I think the only hope for TVGOS on legacy DVDR's with IR blasters is the DTVPal CECB -- if it ever works as advertised.

Yeah, as I thought about it, the Pal has the digital tuner, and it probably goes "through" that first. I was thinking the signal just passed through clean, but then I remembered that putting it in TVGOS mode wasn't necessarily the same as the pass-through mode (they are completely separate features on the Pal, and put into effect separately). So at least with the Pal it does look as if the conversion circuitry is actually integrated in with the tuner.

I was going to correct my post, but you beat me to it with your response.

The only thing is, how do you explain some of these people who claim they are getting the TVGOS data from their DirecTV tuners with the EH75/55V, without using an antenna to get it OTA, like the above poster and a few others I recall have said? They can't be imagining it. And, like I said, the manual does claim you can do that. With Dish I'm only getting an "on and off" signal, but no data - but with Direct it's supposed to work the conventional way.

If it is true, it has to be an analog TVGOS signal coming from the sat box. The EH-55 is still being fed through it's analog input from the sat box. It can't get a digital signal. TVGOS would have to be sent from the sat box in the analog VBI. So if true, DirecTV is either sending along the analog TVGOS from the original carrier signal or the sat box is doing the digital-analog TVGOS conversion ala. DTVPal.

The Pal is suposed to identify the digital TVGOS signal coming in through the digital tuner; process it to convert it to the analog equivalent and insert it into the VBI of the analog output it sends to the legacy devices. It just doesn't work yet.

Makes sense. I didn't even know they could do that with satellite tuners and service (wonder what the situation is with Dish?).

Then those lucky suckers are probably going to continue getting it after February. Someone in another thread just said that only his older, RCA Direct receiver will work with it, so it apparently does have something to do with the model number as far as getting it to work. According to the manual, it's supposed to work through the line inputs, too.

If a tuner that old is doing an A/D conversion, they would've had to upgrade it to do that through one of their satellite-sent, software updates, I would think.