[Ruidh]

I'm beginning to wonder how they can sell this crap with a clear conscience.


Of course, I have guide issues because Cablevision strips out the guide data. But I added an antenna to pull it in OTA. Now I'm trying to figure out if the box will ever pull in the guide data. I used the 753159852 over the "Change System Settings" screen trick to see where the TVGOS data was coming from. 1:0-13 was the result, but I'm having trouble interpreting this string. Someone else here had a 0:0 in their string. Anyone know how to interpret this string? Anyone know how to force the guide data from OTA?


So far, I'm finding HD versions of broadcast channels, but they are in weird places. For example, WPIX-DT which is normally 711 on Cablevision is 110.711 on the Sony box. I think I've figured out how to map this to the TVGuide screen, but it's odd.

 

[nascar24]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruidh I'm beginning to wonder how they can sell this crap with a clear conscience. Of course, I have guide issues because Cablevision strips out the guide data. But I added an antenna to pull it in OTA. Now I'm trying to figure out if the box will ever pull in the guide data. I used the 753159852 over the "Change System Settings" screen trick to see where the TVGOS data was coming from. 1:0-13 was the result, but I'm having trouble interpreting this string. Someone else here had a 0:0 in their string. Anyone know how to interpret this string? Anyone know how to force the guide data from OTA? So far, I'm finding HD versions of broadcast channels, but they are in weird places. For example, WPIX-DT which is normally 711 on Cablevision is 110.711 on the Sony box. I think I've figured out how to map this to the TVGuide screen, but it's odd.

Your cable company not carrying the guide would not be the fault of the unit, But looking at your string it appears to be getting the data from channel 13, It does take many of days for it to fill in as well. I would also be sure to have the analog version of the channel on as well. If need be start over by reseting the HDD500 and have it find the channel to pickup guide data over the antenna as if it is mapped to a station on your cable it will never get the data off your antennna.

 

[Daniel Tonks]

0:0 is the antenna input, 1:0 is cable. Make sure you're reading the HOST CHANNEL line since VBI CHANNEL doesn't appear to indicate anything useful (it merely seems to show the channel I was last on - although I think that before it locks onto a host channel it might show the last channel it checked for the stream).


Those weird channel numbers are how the digital cable system REALLY works, when you don't have the virtual mapping the cable company's boxes do (possible that having a Cable Card would change this).


The only way to FORCE it to look only on the OTA input is to tell the Guide during setup that you don't have cable. However this has a downside in that, while all cable channels will be available in the long list of channels and could be re-enabled, you WILL NOT be able to remap them to the cable input. I've already tried this.


With that said it had no problem locking on OTA PBS when I had both cable and antenna enabled, it just took a while longer. Also if you get nothing you might try a different zip code (I didn't even get the clock until I entered a different one).


Note that my cable company strips out the Guide info as well, since it was unable to lock onto PBS on cable (when I told it I had no antenna) but worked fine with PBS on OTA. Which is somewhat ironic, since they have that scrolling "TV Guide" channel as well. I don't know why Gemstar doesn't make them add the stream to the dedicated channel with their logo on it!

 

[Ruidh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel Tonks 0:0 is the antenna input, 1:0 is cable. Make sure you're reading the HOST CHANNEL line since VBI CHANNEL doesn't appear to indicate anything useful (it merely seems to show the channel I was last on - although I think that before it locks onto a host channel it might show the last channel it checked for the stream).

I tried telling the unit that there was no cable channel 13 yesterday, but the Host channel is still 1:0-13 and there's no guide data. Now there might be two reasons for this. One, bad OTA reception. Two, unsetting the cable version does nothing.


[/quote]Those weird channel numbers are how the digital cable system REALLY works, when you don't have the virtual mapping the cable company's boxes do (possible that having a Cable Card would change this).[/quote]


Another sore subject. Phone customer supprt said I could go to a walk in shop and the storefont said tech install only.

Quote:

The only way to FORCE it to look only on the OTA input is to tell the Guide during setup that you don't have cable. However this has a downside in that, while all cable channels will be available in the long list of channels and could be re-enabled, you WILL NOT be able to remap them to the cable input. I've already tried this.

The ones I had already remapped seemed to stay remapped when I told guide setup I only had an antenna.

Quote:

With that said it had no problem locking on OTA PBS when I had both cable and antenna enabled, it just took a while longer. Also if you get nothing you might try a different zip code (I didn't even get the clock until I entered a different one).

That I just don't understand. Why would a different zip do anything different? Is it going to try a different channel or just try again to lock in to some data?

Quote:

Note that my cable company strips out the Guide info as well, since it was unable to lock onto PBS on cable (when I told it I had no antenna) but worked fine with PBS on OTA.

Any you did nothing special to encourage it to try to get the data from the antenna?

 

[Ruidh]

Well, I was amazed to get guide data last night. I think that fiddling with the setup last night got it to rescan to look at the antenna. I never did touch the zip code, just turned the cable off, didn't like the result and turned it back on.


Too bad the rescan dropped all of the


Now I'm hoping Cablecard will get me the rest of the channels. I'm very keen on getting the PBSKids schedule for my daughter.

 

[Daniel Tonks]

Quote:

That I just don't understand. Why would a different zip do anything different? Is it going to try a different channel or just try again to lock in to some data?

Sometimes not every zip code is mapped. So if it locks onto a channel but nothing happens, it's possible that your particular zip code/range isn't specifically mentioned in the data stream, so you won't get any guide listings since cable company channel mapping is done on a zip code basis. Obviously yours did eventually find something.


Quote:

I tried telling the unit that there was no cable channel 13 yesterday, but the Host channel is still 1:0-13 and there's no guide data. Now there might be two reasons for this. One, bad OTA reception. Two, unsetting the cable version does nothing.

Once it's found it I think the only way to get it to search again is to change your zip code.


Quote:

The ones I had already remapped seemed to stay remapped when I told guide setup I only had an antenna.

Probably only until new mapping data comes through.

 

[nyjklein]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruidh Well, I was amazed to get guide data last night. I think that fiddling with the setup last night got it to rescan to look at the antenna. I never did touch the zip code, just turned the cable off, didn't like the result and turned it back on. Too bad the rescan dropped all of the Now I'm hoping Cablecard will get me the rest of the channels. I'm very keen on getting the PBSKids schedule for my daughter.

A Cablecard will get you the rest of the channels and will get your digital cable channels mapped to their "normal" channels (e.g. CBS-DT will be 702). BUT you will most likely lose your guide data since cablevision now re-broadcasts the PBS stations (channel 13) which carries TVGOS in digital which effectively "overrides" the analog 13 once the cablecard is inserted.


This was what happened to me with my Sharp Aqous TV. Good luck.


Jeff

 

[Ruidh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nyjklein A Cablecard will get you the rest of the channels and will get your digital cable channels mapped to their "normal" channels (e.g. CBS-DT will be 702). BUT you will most likely lose your guide data since cablevision now re-broadcasts the PBS stations (channel 13) which carries TVGOS in digital which effectively "overrides" the analog 13 once the cablecard is inserted. This was what happened to me with my Sharp Aqous TV. Good luck. Jeff

We'll see on Monday. I only got the TVGOS once I added an external antenna and redid the TVG setup. It never got it from the cable version of 13.

 

[Ruidh]

Brief update. Cablevision tech came today to insert the Cablecard. He didn;t understand that he was putting it in a PVR and not a TV. He said they (Cablevision!) had never installed one in a PVR before and they were surprised it worked. Great professionaliism.


Of course, all the customization I had pout into the guide screen was lost with the boatload of new channels added. We'll see how much guide data I get overnight.


It sure does a crappy job of recording all episodes of a program.

 

[sonyman1268]

I just realized that Cablevision does not support TV Guide On screen, and just hook up a OTA and would like to know how many days it would take for a complete listing to appear on my unit. (Hdg-Hdd500)

I was just asked at Midnight if I wanted to allow an update, myfirst since I only the correct time at this moment. How long should I allow for the update before powering back up my unit.

 

[Ruidh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonyman1268 I just realized that Cablevision does not support TV Guide On screen, and just hook up a OTA and would like to know how many days it would take for a complete listing to appear on my unit. (Hdg-Hdd500)

Five days. If today is 1, the TVGOS alwys gives data for days 1,2,3 and 8. So, in five days you would have 8 days of program data.


[/quote=sonyman1268]I was just asked at Midnight if I wanted to allow an update, myfirst since I only the correct time at this moment. How long should I allow for the update before powering back up my unit.[/quote]


Hmmmm. I haven't seen that yet.

 

[Opinionated]

I almost bought the HDD250 this week and was pretty certain I would buy it next week. Then I saw this thread.


I also have Cablevision. I was planning to just use it with a direct cable connection, no cablecard, and just for clear qam channels.


Are you guys all saying that the TV Guide absolutely doesn't work with Cablevision? (Is it even legal for them to filter it out). What about other PBS channels if 13 is filtered out? An OTA is not practical for me except if maybe an indoor one would work.


Is there any other way to record except for manually being there and pressing the record key? Is there a simple timer/channel function like on a VCR.


I don't know whether to be upset or to feel lucky I didn't buy it on Tuesday.


I still would love to have one that works.

 

[Ruidh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Opinionated I also have Cablevision. I was planning to just use it with a direct cable connection, no cablecard, and just for clear qam channels.

Good news there. The HD locals are unencrypted but are mapped in funny places.

Quote:

Are you guys all saying that the TV Guide absolutely doesn't work with Cablevision? (Is it even legal for them to filter it out). What about other PBS channels if 13 is filtered out? An OTA is not practical for me except if maybe an indoor one would work.

Absolutely dosn't work with Cablevision. 13 isn't filtered out. The guide data which is somehow sent encoded in the vertical blanking interval is not transmitted on Cablevision's system. I was able to get guide data with an inexpensive set of rabbit ears on top of the unit. The picture on the antenna 13 was way too staticy to watch, but it was sufficient for the gude data to get through.

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Is there any other way to record except for manually being there and pressing the record key? Is there a simple timer/channel function like on a VCR.

There is timer/channel function. In addition, with guide data, you can search by program name. It won't record all showings of a show title.

 

[Opinionated]

Thanks Ruidh


I have VCR's which get their Date/Time settings from the local PBS channels. Why would this go through but not the data for TV Guide?


If channel 13 data is not transmitted is that also true for channel NJN data?


And one more, trying not to be a pest, how far in advance can you set the VCR like timer. I figure if it's no worse then programing a VCR then maybe the TV Guide is not even worth the hassle if I pretty much know what I would record anyway.

 

[Ruidh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Opinionated I have VCR's which get their Date/Time settings from the local PBS channels. Why would this go through but not the data for TV Guide?

It's a mystery. The date set itself just fine.

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If channel 13 data is not transmitted is that also true for channel NJN data?

No idea. I didn't try a NJ zip code. I'd be surprised if was transmitted on NJN.

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And one more, trying not to be a pest, how far in advance can you set the VCR like timer. I figure if it's no worse then programing a VCR then maybe the TV Guide is not even worth the hassle if I pretty much know what I would record anyway.

You can set it to an arbitrary future date or to a weekly day and time.

 

[Opinionated]

Thanks. Makes me wonder why all the excitment about the TV Guide data. I don't really need it to tell me, for example, LOST is on Wed at 8 on ABC. If I can set date, time and channel all is well.


With all the experience recording with a VCR nothing much will change except that I will be recording and watching in HD.

 

[Ruidh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Opinionated Thanks. Makes me wonder why all the excitment about the TV Guide data. I don't really need it to tell me, for example, LOST is on Wed at 8 on ABC. If I can set date, time and channel all is well.

Well, if you're like me and have been using a TiVo for the past 5 years, it's quite a step backward without guide data that the system is advertised to come with. I'm used to telling my TiVo to record House, and I expect that when Fox shows a few episodes on Monday, like they did this month, the TiVo will grab those episodes as well. This Sony box dosn't even do that.


But if your point of comparison is a VCR, then this unit is much, much more capable.

 

[Opinionated]

I understand what you are saying and agree with you. But this isn't like Tivo. Wish it were.


So what's left is looking through the guide, when it works, and pointing to something to record (and considering the misses I read about on the forum it does a poor job of that sometimes) or simply filling in time and channel. Between those two choices, I don't see much difference. Except that maybe with the latter you are more likely to actually have it record.


I guess the time data- at least- must get through somehow or nothing would work.

 

[Ruidh]

Well, so many people ave VCRs that depend on the PBS date and time service that Cablevision *had* to make sure that worked. Cablevision has much less interest in making sure TVGOS works since it's mostly TVs which use it and Cablevision wants them to use their gude on 14 or on the iO box where their ads show up.

 

[davidNJ]

Well, rats - I just found this forum and thread after I purchased a Sony HDD250. I live in NJ as well and it looks like there's no way to get the guide data over cablevision and when you switch to OTA, the channel reception is sub-par.


Is there anything I'm missing here? If not, I'm going to get an RMA number from Sony and replace this doorstop (I know it's not Sony's fault...).


I wish they would allow for an ethernet connection so I could just pick up the guide over my cable modem connection... sheesh... this is progress???