# Problems with TIVO Roamio OTA Guide - Help!



## tlgrooms (Feb 19, 2015)

Hello,

I purchased my first TIVO, an OTA box and received it on Jan 15. On that date i noticed many of the channels (around 10) are incorrect in the guide or showing TO BE ANNOUNCED. I have tried through TV support both chat and email to get these problems corrected for over a month now and nothing has been done. They keep marking my emails as solved on their web site even though nothing has been fixed.

Is there somewhere else I can email guide problems to get them fixed? The main channels I bought it to record from are incorrect in the guide and it's basically useless except for setting up manual recordings with the wrong information.

I did get one rep to extend my 30 day trial another 30 days. I really like the DVR if I could just get the guide problems fixed.

Can anyone make any suggestions?

Thanks
Tim

Further info as to what I have tried:

I have reported guide issues at TIVO's site here http://www.tivo.com/lineup.html

I have had chats via the TIVO web site at least 4 times with 4 different people.

I have spoken on the phone with at least 4 different reps. Each taking some of my information down to request to be fixed.
They say usually 3 -5 days to get it fixed. It has now been 35 days and nothing in the guide has changed.

4 stations are really all that matter to me, the other 7 are Latino stations.
The ones that I would like to see fixed:

Correct Info Tivo Guide Shows
30.1 KKYK (MeTv) INCORRECT - SOUL OF THE SOUTH
30.3 KKYK (Soul of South)	INCORRECT - TO BE ANNOUNCED
30.4 KKYK (QVC) INCORRECT - TO BE ANNOUNCED
49.1 KKYK (MeTV) INCORRECT - TO BE ANNOUNCED

I primarily want to be able to record METV programs and both channels it is on 30.1, 49.1 have incorrect guide listings.

Yes, I have gone through guided set up many times checking for updates.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

It may be helpful to fully list what you have done to help solve so we do not repeat those as recommendations. It would be best to add that to the initial post, so we don't need to search for them.

Have you gone through guided set up again?

EDIT: Thanks for the detail. You probably saved yourself a dozen responses on this...


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## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

tlgrooms said:


> I purchased my first TIVO, an OTA box and received it on Jan 15. On that date i noticed many of the channels (around 10) are incorrect in the guide or showing TO BE ANNOUNCED. I have tried through TV support both chat and email to get these problems corrected for over a month now and nothing has been done. They keep marking my emails as solved on their web site even though nothing has been fixed.
> 
> Is there somewhere else I can email guide problems to get them fixed? The main channels I bought it to record from are incorrect in the guide and it's basically useless except for setting up manual recordings with the wrong information.


You can report guide issues to TiVo here. The wording is slanted toward cable lineup problems, but for "Cable or Satellite Provider" just enter your OTA broadcast station's call letters, and for "Provider Phone Number" just enter your broadcast station's phone number, preferably for their engineer.

I think you used to be able to report lineup errors directly to Tribune Media Services, but they're now known as Gracenote, and that site seems to be mostly promotional, although you could try submitting something to their video support contact here. (If there's a better link, it wasn't obvious.) Again, give them details about the OTA broadcast station with the lineup problem.

You could also try emailing zap2it at [email protected]. Their listings page still says "Tribune Media Services" at the bottom, but I assume they're now also operated by Gracenote.


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## jjcool (Sep 24, 2009)

I know there is an option when you call support on the phone to report guide errors as well. 
I too get my tv OTA, and I have noticed a good amount of errors with regards to what is now playing on some of the "sub channels". For instance, NBC here is channel 4, so channel 4.1 is our main NBC channel. 4.2, 4.3, etc are sub channels off of that channel. I have noticed that what they are broadcasting on these cub channels frequently doesnt match what the guide says it should be.


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## tlgrooms (Feb 19, 2015)

Well I just opened the TIVO ap from here at work and channel 49-1 which I have been trying to get them to fix has changed from TO BE ANNOUNCED to KTVVLD but it is still incorrect and is now showing Latino listings. It should be ME-TV. Wonder how that happened?


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## tlgrooms (Feb 19, 2015)

L David Matheny,

Just sent questions to both Gracenote and zap2it to see if they can help out. Thanks for the info. I'll keep you posted as to what they say.


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## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

tlgrooms said:


> Well I just opened the TIVO ap from here at work and channel 49-1 which I have been trying to get them to fix has changed from TO BE ANNOUNCED to KTVVLD but it is still incorrect and is now showing Latino listings. It should be ME-TV. Wonder how that happened?


The computer rule "garbage in, garbage out" always applies. Maybe the local stations are providing incorrect information to TMS / Gracenote. You could also try calling the local broadcast station(s) involved. I guess you should talk to the engineer.


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## tlgrooms (Feb 19, 2015)

What's really aggravating is that the guide info is correct if I hook my antenna directly to my TV, at least for 49.1 ME-TV. Not sure about the others.


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## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

tlgrooms said:


> What's really aggravating is that the guide info is correct if I hook my antenna directly to my TV, at least for 49.1 ME-TV. Not sure about the others.


That would be the PSIP guide information, which is an entirely separate thing, although if it is correct, the station should at least know what they should be sending to TMS / Gracenote (if each station does actually send the information; I'm not sure just how it works).


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

What does zap2it have for your zip code?


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## tlgrooms (Feb 19, 2015)

Zap2it is showing pretty much the same thing as the TIVO. It even shows that update to 49.1 which shows latino programs incorrectly.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

tlgrooms said:


> Zap2it is showing pretty much the same thing as the TIVO. It even shows that update to 49.1 which shows latino programs incorrectly.


And when you tune to 49.1, it is actually MeTV?


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## tlgrooms (Feb 19, 2015)

Yes 49.1 is broadcasting ME-TV. When I first told Tivo about this they didn't even know there was a station 49.1 in the Little Rock area.


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

As suggested earlier by someone else, you should contact zap2it directly.

BTW, everything I see on the web says that TMS _*bought*_ Gracenote and made it "part of a recently formed business unit called Tribune Digital Ventures". No name change.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

lpwcomp said:


> As suggested earlier by someone else, you should contact zap2it directly.
> BTW, everything I see on the web says that TMS _*bought*_ Gracenote and made it "part of a recently formed business unit called Tribune Digital Ventures". No name change.


This is why I don't trust the internet. This says Gracenote is a subsidiary of Tribune: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gracenote. Then this says Tribune merged with Gracenote under the Gracenote name: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribune_Media_Services . Maybe I'll stick with Tribune since TMS is easier to remember. Now, where's my Kleenex?


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## lpwcomp (May 6, 2002)

You left the ® off of Kleenex®.

It's not really the internet that is the problem, it's Wiki.

Try this instead. That's the article that I quoted. OTOH, that article is from a year ago. OTGH, the official Gracenote website says that it is a subsidiary of Tribune Media Company.


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## tlgrooms (Feb 19, 2015)

Well tried to contact Gracenote, Tribune, Zap2It, and ME-TV. No one from any of them even responded to my emails and request for assistance. Tivo did again. It has been 42 days and counting since I first requested help through Tivo. Guess it's about time to give up. Tivo did give me an extra 30 days to decide about keeping the service but since they can't fix their guide (which is why I am paying them $15 a month) might as well drop them.


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## Bucket73521 (Apr 29, 2017)

I just bought a TiVo roamio ota with life time subscription connected and followed setup, pretty simple. Guide has approximately 60 channels in list. Some show 70 signal strength but no picture, 20 - 30 have no signal. Several have program to be announced and the three connections, power, antenna cable, Ethernet cable,. Connected Friday and ran channel scan. I would like to see what I get and set to record before I scroll and find a program to watch live. Reminds me of the sixtys.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

First step would be to uncheck channels that you don't/shouldn't receive. Second step for channels that you do receive but which have no guide data (TBA), submit a lineup issue to TiVo so they are added to your lineup for the guide data.

Scott


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## V7Goose (May 28, 2005)

Unfortunately, the current state of the TiVo/Bad Rovi company and their idiot decisions about what crap they are stuffing in the channel lineups makes if very difficult for most new users to start using a TiVo product. 90% of that crap in your lineup does not actually apply to you, and the TiVo setup absolutely does NOT properly identify and select any channels that you do receive.

If you do not already KNOW what OTA channels you should have available, start by connecting your antenna to a TV and doing the channel scan there WITHOUT using the TiVo. Write down all the channels that the TV can display, then use that list to find them in the TiVo. Make sure no other channels are selected in the TiVo channel list. Once you finally get it set up properly, you will find that it is a great product (and not like the "sixtiys" at all).


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## RoamioPete (Apr 3, 2017)

Strange, when I got my Roamio OTA here recently, my setup was super slick and easy. It found all the channels our town offers, within an hour or so the guide data and all other info populated and once I learned how to edit my channel list, I was good to go. Been up and running with no issues since (going on 2 months)


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## Bucket73521 (Apr 29, 2017)

HerronScott said:


> First step would be to uncheck channels that you don't/shouldn't receive. Second step for channels that you do receive but which have no guide data (TBA), submit a lineup issue to TiVo so they are added to your lineup for the guide data.
> 
> Scott


 Thank you for this info. Guess someone missed the conflict. Display channel 5 physical channel 18 ABC 30 miles los k18hx at 295°.
Display channel 10 physical channel 18 PBS 42 miles los k18iz at 125°. The ABC has a strong signal 68 with peak 72. PBS is weak at 28 peak 32. With one antenna pointed at 295° I get ABC. With one antenna pointed at 125° I still don't get pbs, execpt the occasional blink I believe is called pixelation. I'm not trying to receive that PBS channel. My PBS channel display 12, k19aa physical 19 only 6 miles at 195° with 37 nm (db). K18hx has 16.6 nm as compared to k18iz with 4.0 nm. These numbers are from tvfool at my location. South West Oklahoma.


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## V7Goose (May 28, 2005)

RoamioPete said:


> Strange, when I got my Roamio OTA here recently, my setup was super slick and easy. It found all the channels our town offers, within an hour or so the guide data and all other info populated and once I learned how to edit my channel list, I was good to go. Been up and running with no issues since (going on 2 months)


I am very happy for you, that you got LUCKY. I can assure you that many of us have seen extreme issues!

When I run Guided Setup on my Bolt (same results with old S3 boxes too), my channel list has a total of 205 entries, of those, 33 are autojokingly selected by TiVo setup, and of those 33, only 10 of them are channels that I actually receive. There are 6 other channels that I actually do receive that are NOT selected during setup.

So 23 BOGUS channels ARE selected by this stupid software, and 6 REAL channels are NOT selected. And this is the state we are in TODAY, after I have spent the last 7 months and gone through more than 26 open case problems with Bad Rovi (actually, some of the lineup problems existed even prior to Bad Rovi , but they got exponentially worse in October), plus repeated contacts with the TiVo Executive team and certain other individual TiVo technicians just trying to get more than half of the real 16 OTA channels added to the available lineup at all! And I still have one with totally wrong Guide data, and six that all show the wrong channel names.

Those are significant issues in my book.


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## Bucket73521 (Apr 29, 2017)

V7Goose said:


> Unfortunately, the current state of the TiVo/Bad Rovi company and their idiot decisions about what crap they are stuffing in the channel lineups makes if very difficult for most new users to start using a TiVo product. 90% of that crap in your lineup does not actually apply to you, and the TiVo setup absolutely does NOT properly identify and select any channels that you do receive.
> 
> If you do not already KNOW what OTA channels you should have available, start by connecting your antenna to a TV and doing the channel scan there WITHOUT using the TiVo. Write down all the channels that the TV can display, then use that list to find them in the TiVo. Make sure no other channels are selected in the TiVo channel list. Once you finally get it set up properly, you will find that it is a great product (and not like the "sixtiys" at all).


I got it, did that , also did the thumbs up option, selected favorites. I have 28 channels in my guide 3-1 nbc, 3-2 mytv etc. My 9-1 CBS has the to be announced along with all sub, 25-1 FOX same. I thought that was the reason for monthly subscription. I may have wasted several hundred dollars . I do realize that most prime time is weekly at same time same stations. But the sub stations are a bit different and a lot of sports. Would like to scroll ahead and set to record. Some channels like the subs for NBC 3-1 do have programming. Not NBC but the subs,. 3-2, mytv, and 3-3 laff. Out of the 28 in my guide that I actually get a picture only 7 don't have (to be announced). Mytv, laff, CW, This TV, and a couple others.


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## Bucket73521 (Apr 29, 2017)

Actually I used tvfool and rabbitears info to select tower call letters and locations . If you search rabbit ears info for KJTL t has three translated towers. The main tower is further and the one I aim my antenna is closest. The other two are approximately 35 miles from me. The Fox channel 18 (15) KJTL Wichita Falls TX. NM 24.3 same Fox from transmitter k32ic (32) with NM 39.7 show up in TiVo guide as 18-1.
All total 18-1 are k32ic, k20jb, k33hg. And ktjl. So I chose 18-1 k32ic with thumbs up and in favorites. Select 18-1 with remote get picture with peak 72 signal strength. To be announced and also with all four sub channels.
Guess everything with TiVo roamio ota is great except the paid for guide that is missing. 
Do you know how to contact support that can either fix or refund for guide info.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

Bucket73521 said:


> Out of the 28 in my guide that I actually get a picture only 7 don't have (to be announced). Mytv, laff, CW, This TV, and a couple others


Open a case with TiVo on the ones that are showing TBA or submit a lineup issue.

Report a Lineup Issue

Scott


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## Bucket73521 (Apr 29, 2017)

HerronScott said:


> Open a case with TiVo on the ones that are showing TBA or submit a lineup issue.
> 
> Report a Lineup Issue
> 
> Scott


Scott I'm using an antenna. Report a Lineup Issue link is for cable issues.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

Bucket73521 said:


> Scott I'm using an antenna. Report a Lineup Issue link is for cable issues.


You can still report OTA issues here even though it says Cable or satellite provider (I'd put probably put OTA or antenna for that field). You can always just open a ticket with TiVo as well giving them the details on the channels/stations you are missing guide data for.

Scott


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## Bucket73521 (Apr 29, 2017)

Thank you for your patience with me!! In the select cable or satlite provider, I entered antenna. Then entered program To be announced. But finally got to submit. Should hear something in the next week or two. I'm guessing in about three weeks I'll be told they don't know how to fix. That we are sorry you are having these problems.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

Bucket73521 said:


> Then entered program To be announced. But finally got to submit.


You did provide them with the detailed information on the channels that you have TBA on correct? Your response above is not clear with regards to that.

Scott


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## Bucket73521 (Apr 29, 2017)

I submitted channel number 3-1 NBC call letters, kfdx, and frequency 43, k43ks with sub, mytv, laff. For all channels with the tba. Guess I'm the only TiVo roamio ota subscriber in this viewing area. Thanks for your help.


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## Bucket73521 (Apr 29, 2017)

Not any help from TiVo support. The recommendation was to force connect twice. Reboot, then force connect. All that accomplished was a waste of approximately a hour of waiting for the device to perform it's functions. I'll have my roamio two weeks tomorrow. Guess a phone call is in order. Dread spending hours on hold losing connection then being told nothing they can do!


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## Bucket73521 (Apr 29, 2017)

Called TiVo support, and was told should be resolved by the end of this month. I believe I finally figured out what the difference between display channels and physical channels. I have display channel 5-1 phisical channel 18 k18hx and display 10-1 phisical 18 k18iz. 5-1 is 30 miles away with los and NM 16.8, 10-1 is 42 miles away with los and NM 4.2.
How can I block 10-1 so I'll be able to receive 5-1?


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Bucket73521 said:


> Do you know how to contact support that can either fix or* refund for guide info*.


There's a 30-day money-back guarantee; beyond that you'll need to work with support on a fix.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Bucket73521 said:


> How can I block 10-1 so I'll be able to receive 5-1?


Physical channels represent the frequency on which a channel is actually broadcast; display channel is how it is presented to the user for selection.

Have you accessed your Channel List to review what channels are selected or not, and which of these two is currently selected? See this post for info on editing the channel lists.


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