Program Guide from HDTV terrestrial signals

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  • storello
    Junior Member
    • Mar 2006
    • 18

    Program Guide from HDTV terrestrial signals

    I imagine there are not many of you receiving HDTV signals over the air, but if you do I'm wondering if you've had trouble with the programing guide. I have a Samsung SIR-T451 receiver that's attached to a roof antenna that's laying on the floor of my attic. Signal strength is pretty good for most stations but I added an in-line amp to boost the signal just a bit.

    My problem is that even when the signal is good the guide search on the receiver almost never downloads all the information for all the channels. Each station broadcasts this information so I don't know if the problem is with the broadcast, the receiver, or the signal strength.

    Any thoughts?
  • Chris D
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Dec 2000
    • 16877

    #2
    Hey, storello, welcome to the Guide! I have two HDTV satellite receivers (one of them a Samsung, sorry, don't remember the model) and they both work great displaying the programming guide here in the Seattle area.
    CHRIS

    Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
    - Pleasantville

    Comment

    • Karma
      Senior Member
      • Nov 2005
      • 801

      #3
      HI storello,
      My Hitiachi plasma receives TV Guide On Screen without problems (usually). I also have a Sony HD DVR which also has TVGOS which works well (usually). I am OTA and the stations are in Albuquerque, NM, about 50 Miles away.

      Overall, I would guess my up time with the guides is about 90%.

      Sparky

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      • storello
        Junior Member
        • Mar 2006
        • 18

        #4
        Thanks for the feedback. It's great to hear there at least some other folks out there getting HDTV OTA.

        Karma - when you have trouble with the guide is it all the stations or just some of them? Do you notice any signal strength problems at that time?

        I'm starting to suspect that the problem is with the broadcasts. There are several stations that seem to be far more troublesome than others. I just sent email to the worst offender. I'll be surprised if I get a useful reply but you never know.

        My ultimate goal is to replace the set-top receiver with a tuner that will install in my PC and give me DVR capability but I'm really disappointed with the lack of products. I've been waiting for over a year and nothing out there seems worthwhile yet. If I can ever get to that point I'll use a guide off the Internet, which I'm hoping will be an improvement.

        Of course there's so much junk on TV that I'm getting along quite well by leaving it off and watching DVDs from Netflix ;-)

        Comment

        • Karma
          Senior Member
          • Nov 2005
          • 801

          #5
          HI storello,
          My knowledge about how the guide is updated is not deep. As I understand, the guide is usually broadcast by PBS stations twice a day. We only have one PBS station.

          Twice in the past 5 months I have lost the entire guide from my Sony HD DVR. One of these times it took three days for the guide to start filling in. On another forum I found that this problem was experienced nationally. The other time I don't know the cause but it was not as serious. Generally, the Sony's guide has been reliable.

          My Hitachi TV lost it's guide about a month ago for the first time. I expected it to behave just like the DVR but it didn't. Instead, two days later the entire guide was back.

          I have never lost the guide from both at the same time. Now all this tells me that it's not entirely the stations fault. I think it is a combination of the station and my hardware. All I really know is if I wait long enough the guide returns. It makes me nervious, though.

          I have no idea if signal strength is a factor. My signal strengh indicators are barried so deep in the menus that I rarely check them. That, and the fact that I have never seen the problem actually occur. It always happens when I'm not watching like in the middle of the night.

          It's a mystery.

          Sparky

          Comment

          • Chris D
            Moderator Emeritus
            • Dec 2000
            • 16877

            #6
            Oh, Storello, I should mention that both HDTV satellite receivers are getting satellite TV from DirecTV in addition to the local OTA channels. So I'm not sure exactly where my receivers are getting their information for the programming guide, but it may actually come from (or be augmented by) DirecTV's database, not just OTA.
            CHRIS

            Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
            - Pleasantville

            Comment

            • storello
              Junior Member
              • Mar 2006
              • 18

              #7
              Sparky,

              The source for your guide is definitely different than mine. When I bring up the full guide it apparently polls all the stations and fills out the information directly from data that's streamed within the broadcast. I'm quite sure it works this way because:

              a) It states that it's "downloading" for about 2 mins the first time I bring up the full guide so it's getting all the information at that time.
              b) This information only spans 2 hours. If I check the guide after that it has to download again.
              c) The information that's missing is only on a few channels. I've never seen a case where all the information was missing.

              I agree that this stuff is pretty mysterious. I know I'm in the minority of people without satellite or cable but as built in TV tuners move toward digital in the next couple of year at least the numbers will increase. I'm not sure it's ready for the masses just yet, however.

              Comment

              • storello
                Junior Member
                • Mar 2006
                • 18

                #8
                One last bit of information in case anyone else is struggling with this. It turns out that the TV broadcasts are the problem. Apparently the standard for the program guide data was not included in the original broadcast specification so it's a hit-or-miss world until people start complaining.

                The amazing thing is that I was able to relay messages to an engineer at one of my local broadcasting stations through a mutual friend. I had never received program guide information from this station before the conversation, but a day after my email exchange the guide info started appearing and it's been good ever since :-)

                Now that I've got a taste of consumer power I'm going to start working on the other stations.

                Comment

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