# TiVo OTA - No Guide Info



## PrimeRisk (Dec 16, 2002)

Long, long time TiVo customer, but 1st time TiVo OTA experience for the holiday season. The Mrs. and I gave the folks a TiVo OTA for Christmas and went to setup the unit. Setup went fine, channel scan found the channels, but we're not getting any guide information for the channels. 

From what I can figure out, the OTA channels are coming through repeaters in the city. The original channels have guide information have no signal, but guide info. The repeater channels have no guide information, but have signal.

Example:
Local NBC (KOAA) Station runs 2 channels: 5-1 (Frequency 42) and 5-2 (Frequency 47). These channels are repeated 3 miles away from my folks place as 5-1 (Frequency 19). These are the only channels we can pick up (from the repeater).


The signal is beautiful, but the guide says nothing but To Be Announced. I have manually selected the 5-1 (Frequency 42) and 5.2 (Frequency 47) channels so we can see what is in the guide, but that work around is worthless for setting up recordings and Season Passes. Is there a way to get TiVo to understand that [email protected] is the same as [email protected]?

In addition, there more repeated channels on the same tower according to AntennaWeb.org, but TiVo Doesn't seem to know anything about them at all. Can I manually tune to the listed frequency? I don't seem to be able to get the TiVo to tune there. 

Overall, the Roamio OTA is awesome with exception of the OTA functionality itself which is currently virtually useless.


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## davefred99 (Oct 31, 2004)

Good luck getting TIvo to fix it for you. I have an open support ticket that is almost 4 months old with exactly the same issue. my channels are repeated from local low power repeaters and just like you I can see the program data listed but on the wrong frequencies. I have the originals listed as dummies so I can at least see the data but then I have to rescan and load the locals with no data available. It sucks to set up recordings because you have to do it by time and channel only and no program data is listed on the recordings just the channel number and time/date.
I have figured out a work around but it requires a separate PC running NextPvr and Plex media Server using an HDHR OTA Tuner. This kinda defeats the purpose of TIvo though.


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## meadota (Mar 11, 2013)

If I'm not mistaken, to get KOAA guide data properly, try using a Colorado Springs or maybe even Denver Zip Code instead of your (I'm guessing) Pueblo Zip Code to receive the appropriate guide data.

You can keep trying to put in ANY Zip Code you like until you get the correct guide data.

Good luck


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## PrimeRisk (Dec 16, 2002)

Meadota,
This is not an issue of not being able to get KOAA guide data, it is an issue of getting it for the repeater channel where I actually receive the signal. This has nothing to do with using a different zipcode. See the attached pic that shows the channel with 2 entries for each. The ones with guide data are the ones I can't receive, the ones without guide data are the ones available on the repeater. What is so very frustrating is that TiVo KNOWS these are the same channels as it identifies them as KOAA, not the actual channel identifier of the repeater, but won't list guide data for the channels coming through the repeater.










https://goo.gl/photos/CRHEDksxEsu5uAUT9


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## cp2k (Mar 16, 2004)

PrimeRisk said:


> Meadota,
> This is not an issue of not being able to get KOAA guide data, it is an issue of getting it for the repeater channel where I actually receive the signal. This has nothing to do with using a different zipcode. See the attached pic that shows the channel with 2 entries for each. The ones with guide data are the ones I can't receive, the ones without guide data are the ones available on the repeater. What is so very frustrating is that TiVo KNOWS these are the same channels as it identifies them as KOAA, not the actual channel identifier of the repeater, but won't list guide data for the channels coming through the repeater.
> 
> 
> ...


In this case Meadota is correct. TiVo relies on guide data provided to them by their providers, and often that data varies from zip code to zip code. The easiest way to determine what channels you will receive on TiVo is to go to zap2it.com and input the zip code.

It is just a matter of identify the proper zip code for you. Your zip code might not get you the data for the real channel 19 repeater, but a neighboring zip code likely will.


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## davefred99 (Oct 31, 2004)

cp2k said:


> In this case Meadota is correct. TiVo relies on guide data provided to them by their providers, and often that data varies from zip code to zip code. The easiest way to determine what channels you will receive on TiVo is to go to zap2it.com and input the zip code.
> 
> It is just a matter of identify the proper zip code for you. Your zip code might not get you the data for the real channel 19 repeater, but a neighboring zip code likely will.


No that will not work, I have been fighting with Tivo support for 3 months now on exactly the same issue. You can find the Channel Id and info that way but it will I repeat will not work because the channel Id also has to be mapped to the proper available channel frequency. All you can do is enable the closest channel to see the data but it will not allow you to program a recording and it will just be a d dead channel. You can watch the channels that are scanned live or even set up a recording but only using Channel/Time and Date no program data will be available and the only thing listed in the recordings will what channel and what time period.

It sucks because every other PC based PVR like MCE or NextPvr allows you to use your own guide data and an EPG source like Schedules Direct to map each individual channel to the proper local channel. Tivo has not been helpful at all even though I have explained to them in great detail that it can not be that hard to make a custom EPG/Guide table if everyone else can do it. I think there programmers just do not want to be bothered with OTA customers unless you live in a big city. I no longer think TIVO really wants to cater to cord cutters, we are not there target audience. I doubt that they are even really that interested in the consumer market instead I think they want to move more in to the commercial/cable markets.


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## PrimeRisk (Dec 16, 2002)

cp2k said:


> In this case Meadota is correct. TiVo relies on guide data provided to them by their providers, and often that data varies from zip code to zip code. The easiest way to determine what channels you will receive on TiVo is to go to zap2it.com and input the zip code.
> 
> It is just a matter of identify the proper zip code for you. Your zip code might not get you the data for the real channel 19 repeater, but a neighboring zip code likely will.


cp2k,
I see what you are getting at. What I am trying to do is search for the following repeaters:

K19DY (KOAA - NBC)
K13ZI-D (KKTV - CBS)
K28KC-D (KRDO - ABC)

The repeater is located in 81212 (Canon City, CO) and this is the zip that TiVo was setup under. I have gone to zap2it.com and searched the zips for surrounding communities, but I cannot find one that lists any of the above mentioned repeater stations. Depending on the zip, I can find some of these source stations repeaters such as K30AA and K30JMD for KOAA, but none of the ones I've listed.

I did try 80840 as you cited before editing, but alas it doesn't have these repeaters either. Do you know of any way to search for the actual station identifier in Zap2IT.com so we can find out what zip it thinks it is in?


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## davefred99 (Oct 31, 2004)

PrimeRisk said:


> cp2k,
> I see what you are getting at. What I am trying to do is search for the following repeaters:
> 
> K19DY (KOAA - NBC)
> ...


You can go directly to the zaptit site and search but you will probably not find your repeaters listed there either. You will find the parent channels listed along with there parent call signs and frequencies. The data will be the same but its only helpful for looking up whats playing not for setting up Tivo.
Like I said I just enabled the parent channels in Tivo as dummy channels just for guide data but to watch them I have to tune to the duplicate repeater channel that Tivo finds when you do a secondary scan.


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## cp2k (Mar 16, 2004)

davefred99 said:


> No that will not work, I have been fighting with Tivo support for 3 months now on exactly the same issue. You can find the Channel Id and info that way but it will I repeat will not work because the channel Id also has to be mapped to the proper available channel frequency.





PrimeRisk said:


> cp2k,
> I see what you are getting at. What I am trying to do is search for the following repeaters:
> 
> K19DY (KOAA - NBC)
> ...


I tried for awhile last night, and while I can find several of their translators in various zip codes I can't find the channel 19 one.

In my market ALL of the dozen or so repeaters are listed, with guide data. It just takes some work, and being nice to the TiVo support representatives.

Here is the procedure I followed to get the two translator stations that weren't available added.

I went to the TiVo Report a Lineup Issue form, filled out the information with the REAL channel number and explained that it was a duplicate of an existing channel.

So in your case go to that for, choose "missing channel" and then list 19 and its information. In the notes box I would put that Real Channel 19 (virtual 5.1) is a translator station rebroadcasting KOAA (Real Channel 42, Virtual 5.1) in your area and should be listed in your lineup with the same guide data as KOAA.

Do the same for the other stations. You likely won't get a response to them, but you can check the status of your ticket in the support tab on your account. If they need more info they will contact you. I've done this for a local ABC station that operates a translator that carries their signal and that of a sister station. It took about a month, but slowly I would get messages that new channels had been added and the guide data would be available.


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## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

davefred99 said:


> You can go directly to the zaptit site and search but you will probably not find your repeaters listed there either. You will find the parent channels listed along with there parent call signs and frequencies. The data will be the same but its only helpful for looking up whats playing not for setting up Tivo.
> Like I said I just enabled the parent channels in Tivo as dummy channels just for guide data but to watch them I have to tune to the duplicate repeater channel that Tivo finds when you do a secondary scan.


I receive one PBS station from a repeater, and it does appear in Zap2it's listings. The distant station and the local repeater both show the same virtual channel numbers, but they have different call letters and (not shown by Zap2it) different physical RF channels numbers. If you report to Zap2it or TiVo that you can in fact receive some station, they should add it to the listings for your ZIP code.

Oops! I see that cp2k already explained.


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## davefred99 (Oct 31, 2004)

L David Matheny said:


> I receive one PBS station from a repeater, and it does appear in Zap2it's listings. The distant station and the local repeater both show the same virtual channel numbers, but they have different call letters and (not shown by Zap2it) different physical RF channels numbers. If you report to Zap2it or TiVo that you can in fact receive some station, they should add it to the listings for your ZIP code.
> 
> Oops! I see that cp2k already explained.


I just spent more than an hour online discussing my channel lineup issues with a Tivo channel specialist. The bottom line is they have no clue as to how to fix it as they sub all this lineup stuff out to a cloud lineup company and have now way to tell what is or is not being done. The best they could do is give me a phone # for them but it is not for retail customers and I just get a voice mail box to have them call me back. I tried several times to get it escalated to a supervisor but they just said no one inhouse works on this and they will forward my issue to there outside contract company and ask for an update.

I am just posting my situation here to hopefully help the original OP resolve his issues and inform everyone else that it is not a simple fix according to Tivo.


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## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

davefred99 said:


> I just spent more than an hour online discussing my channel lineup issues with a Tivo channel specialist. The bottom line is they have no clue as to how to fix it as they sub all this lineup stuff out to a cloud lineup company and have now way to tell what is or is not being done. The best they could do is give me a phone # for them but it is not for retail customers and I just get a voice mail box to have them call me back. I tried several times to get it escalated to a supervisor but they just said no one inhouse works on this and they will forward my issue to there outside contract company and ask for an update.
> 
> I am just posting my situation here to hopefully help the original OP resolve his issues and inform everyone else that it is not a simple fix according to Tivo.


Was the "cloud lineup company" Gracenote? I think they took over as TiVo's schedule provider when they bought Tribune Media Services (or whatever happened). I don't know that it resolved anything, but you may as well read this short thread: Problems with TIVO Roamio OTA Guide - Help!

And even after talking to a "Tivo channel specialist" you may as well also report your guide issue to TiVo here: http://www.tivo.com/lineup.html. 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. And you could email [email protected]. Good luck.


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## davefred99 (Oct 31, 2004)

L David Matheny said:


> Was the "cloud lineup company" Gracenote? I think they took over as TiVo's schedule provider when they bought Tribune Media Services (or whatever happened). I don't know that it resolved anything, but you may as well read this short thread: Problems with TIVO Roamio OTA Guide - Help!
> 
> And even after talking to a "Tivo channel specialist" you may as well also report your guide issue to TiVo here: http://www.tivo.com/lineup.html. 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. And you could email [email protected]. Good luck.


The company did not identify themselves as Gracenote , Just Cloud services or something like that. 
As to the links you listed I have already done that months ago and the specialist said he sees all of it listed in my support notes but can not explain why it has not been fixed. He was nice and I was curtious but I did tell him this needs to be resolved once and for all. If Tivo can not fix it I will just move on to a different solution. Maybe Tablo or maybe just a dedicated HTPC/PVR solution running Kodi , not sure yet as I am really hoping Tivo will step up because it really is the best DVR solution even if it does not do everything the WAF is high.


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