# No Guide Data after 1/1/07 - Please help



## Phil B (Sep 9, 2001)

My 5-year-old unmodified, unhacked TiVo has *stopped getting guide data*, even though it is *connecting ok *and *daily call is "successful"*. There are no other obvious symptoms and it plays and records ok. Clearly this is fairly specific to my machine otherwise forum would be littered with similar posts.

Details as follows:

It tells me it has "Only 6 days of programme Guide data remaining". I checked and it has no guide data after midnight Mon 1 Jan 2007.

I tried forcing a daily call a couple of times and carefully watched "Current call status:".

First time I forced daily call it reported "Dialling...", "Answered", "Connecting..", "Setting clock...", then went straight to "Hanging up" and "Succeeded" (without downloading or loading data). Guide data still only to 1/1/07.

Second time I forced daily call: after "Setting clock..." it showed "Downloading..." but only for a suspiciously short 5 seconds, before "Loading data" for over 10 minutes and again "Succeeded"  . But when I checked, STILL no new guide data past 1/1/07  .

I tried "resetting" and it started up ok (my daughter appreciated seeing TiVo guy sliding again), but guide data still only up to 1/1/07.

I've tried to explain in dispassionately clear detail, but you will appreciate that I am barely containing my own (and family's) panic. 

Please help.


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## Tony Hoyle (Apr 1, 2002)

See this thread: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=331931

Looks like an NTL problem.


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## Phil B (Sep 9, 2001)

Tony Hoyle said:


> See this thread: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=14
> 
> Looks like an NTL problem.


Thanks, but...

1) Your thread link doesn't work: takes me to TiVo UK list
2) I don't have NTL (neither cable nor phone)


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

The data that is downloading to others is correct - have you checked your account status?


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## Phil B (Sep 9, 2001)

ozsat said:


> The data that is downloading to others is correct - have you checked your account status?


Account status: 5 Lifetime

Any other ideas?


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

My only other idea is that you data has got corrupt - you may have to redo Guided Setup.

Guide data here runs for 20 days.


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## Phil B (Sep 9, 2001)

ozsat said:


> My only other idea is that you data has got corrupt - you may have to redo Guided Setup.
> 
> Guide data here runs for 20 days.


Can't remember if I've done that in the 5 years I've had TiVo. Will Guided setup mean I lose programmes in Now Playing, or even worse, season passes?


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## tartan_haggis (Jun 13, 2005)

It's not just me is it? Why is this problem affecting so many TiVo users??

My Toppy is on order and will arrive tomorrow ...


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## b166er (Oct 24, 2003)

tartan_haggis said:


> My Toppy is on order and will arrive tomorrow ...


What's a Toppy?


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## tartan_haggis (Jun 13, 2005)

I've ordered a Topfield TF5800 PVR, which is a dual tuner freeview PVR which allows you to connect a PC or Mac via USB to download recorded programmes, and lets you run TAPs (Topfield Application Programs) - an officially hackable product if you like.

Obviously it won't be as good as my beloved TiVo, but if I can't get guide data then TiVo's just a big doorstop.

I need something to record my favourite programmes over the rest of the festive period!! Amazing how attached I've become to TiVo. Good job I didn't buy that lifetime subscription though.

Don't know what the problem is with TiVo guide data, but I'm not the only user who is suffering since the start of December, so obviously it can't be down to the individual TiVo configurations - I certainly haven't changed anything recently. I'm on TalkTalk broadband, not NTL. I can ping internal and external IP addresses from TiVo, including the TiVo guide data server. But yet it won't connect - even though other users are updating fine.


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## b166er (Oct 24, 2003)

tartan_haggis said:


> I've ordered a Topfield TF5800 PVR, which is a dual tuner freeview PVR which allows you to connect a PC or Mac via USB to download recorded programmes


Sounds interesting.


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## tartan_haggis (Jun 13, 2005)

It's been around a while now - more info at
www.toppy.org.uk


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

Phil B said:


> Can't remember if I've done that in the 5 years I've had TiVo. Will Guided setup mean I lose programmes in Now Playing, or even worse, season passes?


SPs: No - not if you don't change the platform (ie: Sky to cable)

Now Playing: No


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## Phil B (Sep 9, 2001)

ozsat said:


> My only other idea is that you data has got corrupt - you may have to redo Guided Setup.
> 
> Guide data here runs for 20 days.


Thanks ozsat.
I did Guided Setup and now have guide data up to 16/01/2007, and as you confirmed my Season Passes and Now Playing are all still there. 

It looks like you were right and guide data was corrupted.
Do you think corruption was likely caused by a disk problem  or just due to a software glitch due to my TiVo being left running for too long (5 years)  .

P.S. For those who see this as evidence of TiVo's unreliability, I'd point out my TiVo identified that there was a problem over a week before it would have actually caused me to miss recordings. As it is, I've missed nothing. Although I would like twin integrated DvB tuners, I'll be surprised if tartan_haggis' shiny new Topfield PVR is this reliable over the next 5 years!


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

Just one of those things - usually disk errors are visable on screen - and often you can hear them.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Phil B said:


> Although I would like twin integrated DvB tuners, I'll be surprised if tartan_haggis' shiny new Topfield PVR is this reliable over the next 5 years!


I'll be surprised if its as reliable as a Tivo over even the next month.  

What a pity Tartan Haggis didn't try rerunning Guided Setup first.


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## tartan_haggis (Jun 13, 2005)

Given that the daily call is failing, I did not want to try GS as this could render my TiVo useless if it can't connect to the servers.

Now that the Topfield is here, I might give GS a go. For the record, no the Topfield isn't as good as TiVo!! But at least I can still use it without paying £10/month just for the guide data, and record two programmes at a time while still watching a third. The user interface is rubbish compared to TiVo, but if you install the iGuide TAP (Topfield Application Program) then it looks OK. 

TiVo has unrivalled reliability, but unfortunately totally useless without guide data.

I'll try GS and let you know! If it works, then I guess I'll be left with the best of both worlds


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

tartan_haggis said:


> But at least I can still use it without paying £10/month just for the guide data, and record two programmes at a time while still watching a third. The user interface is rubbish compared to TiVo, but if you install the iGuide TAP (Topfield Application Program) then it looks OK.


But a second Tivo complete with a Lifetime Sub could have been yours off Ebay for less than the price of a Topfield. 

And by networking them both and using Sanderton's conflict resolve feature you could also have overcome the recordings clash issue........................................

I will be interested to hear how you get on with re-running Guided Setup.


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## tartan_haggis (Jun 13, 2005)

Well, GS worked! So I am now blessed with both TiVo and Topfield - at least I could carry on recording stuff in the meantime.

Funny how a number of us on here had the same problem ... our TiVo's couldn't all have corrupted surely??


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

tartan_haggis said:


> Funny how a number of us on here had the same problem ... our TiVo's couldn't all have corrupted surely??


Perhaps some kind of end of year database change that impacted on those of you who had databases that were already partially corrupted in some way. Or perhaps your boxes rebooted at some point in the past while the Tivo was in the process of Reindexing after the Daily Call and hence corrupting the database which then became gradually worse over time....


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## Phil B (Sep 9, 2001)

tartan_haggis said:


> Well, GS worked! So I am now blessed with both TiVo and Topfield - at least I could carry on recording stuff in the meantime.
> 
> Funny how a number of us on here had the same problem ... our TiVo's couldn't all have corrupted surely??


Glad Guided Setup worked for you too. :up:
I'm genuinely interested to hear how you get on with your "Toppy" (PS you need to add it to your signature).


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## PaulWilkinsUK (Mar 20, 2006)

Hi All,
Just noticed that my daily call crapped out on 30th Dec. I have guide data till 18/1.
Should I also try Guided Setup ???


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## PaulWilkinsUK (Mar 20, 2006)

PaulWilkinsUK said:


> Hi All,
> Just noticed that my daily call crapped out on 30th Dec. I have guide data till 18/1.
> Should I also try Guided Setup ???


Just did a test call. it says its "dialled" ok and then sits taking an age to connect then says number unavailable... Hmmm


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

PaulWilkinsUK said:


> Just did a test call. it says its "dialled" ok and then sits taking an age to connect then says number unavailable... Hmmm


Time to re-run Guided Setup? You keep all your thumbs, Season Passes and Wishlists when you do this.


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## tartan_haggis (Jun 13, 2005)

Phil B said:


> Glad Guided Setup worked for you too. :up:
> I'm genuinely interested to hear how you get on with your "Toppy" (PS you need to add it to your signature).


The Topfield is good in so far as it supports a fair degree of customisation which includes being able to override the standard "now and next" screen, guide data, now playing etc. out-of-the-box (rather than having to hack it like TiVo) - and also supports direct USB access to the filesystem. Obviously lets you record two channels at once - and supports picture-in-picture. While two channels are recording, you can also watch a third channel on the same multiplex - and potentially a fourth channel using PiP. And it comes with a 250Gb disk (or 160Gb if you go for the other model) as standard.

Bad bids are that the software is flakier than TiVo - I've had to reboot a couple of times after some strange behaviour. And the user interface is not as intuitive.

But overall, I'm quite pleased with it. Next step is to connect a Linksys NSLU2 box to the USB port so that I can connect the Toppy to my local network permanently.

TiVo has been given the task of recording my CCTV camera using a manual season pass - which actually is a pretty good option.

I miss the simplicity of the TiVo user interface and it is more reliable - except when the guide data screws up ;-)


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## Gaspode (Jan 25, 2002)

Has anyone else that had to rerun guided setup checked there data has been updating since ? ie is it now getting new programs again ?


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## Phil B (Sep 9, 2001)

Gaspode said:


> Has anyone else that had to rerun guided setup checked there data has been updating since ? ie is it now getting new programs again ?


I've had no further problems since redoing GS on 28 Dec. Guide data currently until 28 Jan.


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