SageTV EPG says "No Data" for HD sub-channel

[Fluffdaddy]

Yep me again with another EPG question

HD OTA Sub-channel for PBS 55-2 shows "No Data" for this sub-channel. I manually added the PBS sub-channel because in 5 months it never did so on it's own. All the other sub-channels in my area (Phila, Pa) download just fine with all the programming data, but never PBS 55-2. PBS 55-1 downloads fine.

up until now it was no big deal because there was nothing on 55-2 that I wish to record................now there is.

Who do I contact to get PBS 55-2 added to SageTV EPG

thanks

[stanger89]

Does Zap2It list 55.2? Regardless, email support with all appropriate details so they can do what they can.

[Fluffdaddy]

Done. Sent appropriate details via the faq contact info. Will report back when and if

Thanks

[Fluffdaddy]

Worked like a champ

How too.


You will have to manually add the missing channels. Page 161 of the 5.0
manual describes this process.

You need to add the station ID for the analog counterpart. First make sure
that the analog station that matches up is not in the guide. Now add the
channel as before.

To get the station ID for a channel you can go to Zap2it's website.
http://www.zap2it.com/index You type in your zip code and then select local
broadcast listings. The channels you see listed here are the channels we
support. There are two ways to get the station ID. First you can hover your
mouse over the channel on the left side and look at URL that pops up below.
Or you just click on that channel and you can look at the URL in the address
bar in your browser. In the URL you will see "station_num=XXXXX". That 5
digit number listed there is the station ID. Example "station_num=12345"
will equate to a station ID of 12345.

Thanks,

George Oms
SageTV, LLC
support@sagetv.com
http://www.sagetv.com/

[rfutscher]

Originally Posted by Fluffdaddy

Worked like a champ

How too.


You will have to manually add the missing channels. Page 161 of the 5.0
manual describes this process.

The problem for me is "No Data". Which means that the channels are setup but there is no program data. If I follow the directions I will never get the third dialog box to enter the Zap2It ID.

You can not edit channel data so I would first have to first delete the channel and then reenter it. When I delete a channel the tuner stops working. To get it working I have to do a manual scan which puts the channel back in and I am back to where I started. Back to where I don't have program data but do have the channel listed.
If I were to somehow get the channel deleted I would have to wait a day or two for a new down load of data. This is how the channel data is wiped out, allowing me to start from the beginning again and get the third dialog box asking for the Zap2It number.

Originally Posted by Fluffdaddy

You need to add the station ID for the analog counterpart. First make sure
that the analog station that matches up is not in the guide. Now add the
channel as before.

In my area two local stations could not afford to operate both analog and digital. One is still analog only and one is digital only. I have never been able to get the program data for the digital station because there is no analog match.

Another problem is one station broadcasts two subchannels in the evening. There is a 22.1, a simulcast and a 22.2 HD channel. During the day they have three SD channels that replace the HD feed. The lineup is 22.1, 22.3, 22.4, and 22.5. Sage can not handle the missing channels and when you select a subchannel from the program guide you don't always get the correct program.

Another problem is channel 14 and 14.1. Zap2It has a listing for the analog channel but not for the digital. No big deal because the programming is the same, a simulcast. The problem is that Sage won't let me use the analog station number for the digital channel.

[cummings66]

So let me get this straight. If in my area I have channel 38 via analog and then 17.3 for the atsc version I need to use the analog channel 38 station id when I manually add the 17.3?

Even if the scan detects the proper numbers and also calls it by the psid? I must delete that scanned station and add it by hand then?

[rfutscher]

Originally Posted by cummings66

So let me get this straight. If in my area I have channel 38 via analog and then 17.3 for the atsc version I need to use the analog channel 38 station id when I manually add the 17.3?

Even if the scan detects the proper numbers and also calls it by the psid? I must delete that scanned station and add it by hand then?

The way I understand it, if the channel guide is not listed when you do a manual scan, Sage can not link the guide to that station. If Sage doesn't find the analog channel it also can't link the guide information to the digital station.

In order to create the links manually, you need to get the station's Zap2It ID for the analog channel and for each of the digital sub channels. Check the Zap2It site to get the IDs.

You also have to delete the channels that were entered by the scan that don't have program data. You then wait for a day or two for the old program data to expire. Other wise you never get the third dialog box where you enter the Zap2It ID.

You then manually create the channels. You do this for the analog channel and again for each digital sub channel. For this to work you must get the third dialog box where you enter the Zap2It channel numbers.

You then do a channel scan and if Sage can link the analog channel that you created, all the digital sub channels you created, the virtual channel numbers that the scan found in the program stream, and the Zap2it numbers you get the program guide. If any part is missing or wrong you see "NO Data" in the program guide.

[cummings66]

Few things confuse me, this is one of them. I'm totally lost here and don't have a clue as to why.

I don't understand why it needs to find the analog station when I'm looking at the digital. For example, 17 is ABC, 17.1 is the same. 17.2 is Fox, 17.3 is upn and 17.4 is a weather channel of their own. So how does finding 17 which is ABC then relate to UPN which is a sub channel and not even the same network?

This is what's got me confused. I know I deleted the stuff and then redid it all and now I have 17.3 and 17.4 and 6.2 and 8.2 with no labels. It didn't expire the data yet because I don't get the third box for them.

I wish the manual was a bit more clear on this, or Sage had a phone number for support. As it is I'm not impressed with their previous support answers as it takes nearly a day for each response, often just to ask for more info and then provide an answer that does not help. A phone could make that into a simple 2 minute deal instead of a 3 or 4 day ordeal.

Not ragging on you, just the support method. Yes, I'm still waiting for an explanation which I highly suspect will not clarify the mysterious workings of this sub channel epg bit, at least not in the first email.

What if I didn't have an analog tuner? In that case according to what you understand I would never have an EPG for digital channels. I have a hard time buying that and so I suspect the answer is more complex than anybody here understands.

So far I love how Sage works my new ATSC card, and once I get the EPG for it I'll be estatic. It's the process that's fun...

[Opus4]

Having the analog channel avalable on your lineup is not the issue in terms of whether EPG data is available for a HD channel; what's important is whether the HD channel is already part of the EPG data that SageTV receives from Zap2It or not (it has to do with the version of the data that SageTV buys from Zap2It, but I don't know all those details).

Anyway... you can manually add a HD channel & use the station ID as described above. But, if that OTA channel is not also included on some cable or satellite provider, there may not be any guide data available.

There was a series of posts about adding channels starting with this post.

- Andy

[rfutscher]

Originally Posted by Opus4

...... but I don't know all those details).

.......

- Andy

I don't think that anyone knows all the details and that is part of the problem. We get bits and pieces of information from a lot of different sources. Mostly in this forum from different replies that people have gotten from tech support / beta reports.

I have four channels that lack guide data. Nothing I have tried gets date for two of the channels. The third channel I just can't associate the data with the correct sub channel because the station never broadcasts all the sub channels at one time. The fourth channel is a simulcast and there is data for the analog channel but you can't use it for the digital.

Yet there are other channels that I have been able to add the Zap2It IDs and they work just fine.

Could all the information be gathered in one place and a procedure written? It would also be good to have a list of what doesn't work so we don't spend time trying to do the impossible.

[cummings66]

This is one of those things that begs a FAQ, or a HOWTO to be written up. From what Opus says my guide should be populated, it's listed in the lineup with zap2it with the channels, yet says no data.

Sometimes I think it's worth it if you could manually edit the properties file or at least look at it and understand what is happening in regards to the epg.

[cummings66]

Well, round one is over and I lost it. What tech support said was that I need to delete the analog listing for say 6 and then add manually the 6.2 using the 6 station id.

I can't get channel 6 to be deleted, all you can do is deselect it so I can't use that station ID. In any event I don't like this solution as it means I can't use analog and digital stations so in essense one of my cards becomes useless leaving only the ATSC card and video inputs on the Haup. card.

I don't get it because I get for example channel 8 and 8.1 which are the same thing, yet I can't get 6 and 6.2 which are the same thing. Both are in the local lineups for cable as well as off air locals so I'm in the dark.

I asked tech support to give me a step by step example using the 6 and 6.2 to get it working. I just do not understand it. It should work, yet doesn't.

[Opus4]

Are you sure they said to delete the analog channel? I don't think you can delete the pre-existing channels that are automatically part of the EPG data, except perhaps by removing the analog lineup completely.

But, you can remove an added HD channel by clearing its remapping. Before re-adding the same channel, though, you'll have to wait at least until after another EPG update that should remove the channel & its ID from the database.

- Andy

[Fluffdaddy]

I just notice getting the station ID for a channel by going to Zap2it's listing and "hovering your mouse over the channel on the left side and look at URL that pops up below.Or you just click on that channel and you can look at the URL in the addressbar in your browser. In the URL you will see "station_num=XXXXX". That 5digit number listed there is the station ID".

no longer works for me................anyone else notice this?

thx.

[wheelrandolph]

Originally Posted by Fluffdaddy

I just notice getting the station ID for a channel by going to Zap2it's listing and "hovering your mouse over the channel on the left side and look at URL that pops up below.Or you just click on that channel and you can look at the URL in the addressbar in your browser. In the URL you will see "station_num=XXXXX". That 5digit number listed there is the station ID".

no longer works for me................anyone else notice this?

thx.

Doesn't work for me ANYMORE either. I did notice that if I ask for local (antenna) listings it has 3 and 3.1 with guide info for BOTH. I don't see why it can't have data for 3.1 in Sage epg.

Randy

[Fluffdaddy]

Originally Posted by wheelrandolph

Doesn't work for me ANYMORE either. I did notice that if I ask for local (antenna) listings it has 3 and 3.1 with guide info for BOTH. I don't see why it can't have data for 3.1 in Sage epg.

Randy

Yeah this sucks. I no longer have the station ID # written down. I don't understand why sage does not auto download all my HD sub-channels. it does fine with 95% of my local sub-channels. just not the 2 PBS HD sub-channels I need/want............ Just my luck.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by Fluffdaddy

I just notice getting the station ID for a channel by going to Zap2it's listing and "hovering your mouse over the channel on the left side and look at URL that pops up below.Or you just click on that channel and you can look at the URL in the addressbar in your browser. In the URL you will see "station_num=XXXXX". That 5digit number listed there is the station ID".

They changed their grid layout design -- use the link above the grid for the old style grid.

- Andy

[Fluffdaddy]

Thank you

[cummings66]

Originally Posted by Opus4

Are you sure they said to delete the analog channel? I don't think you can delete the pre-existing channels that are automatically part of the EPG data, except perhaps by removing the analog lineup completely.

Yes, I'm positive they said to delete the old analog station. I told them you can't do that and their responce to me was to ask again if I did it. I told them again that I can't delete that analog channel and to tell me how. I suspect it'll take a week to figure this out.

In essence what they want to do I think is to use the analog channel 6's station id on the digital station 6-2 so it can have a guide. Of course if this works then I lose analog station 6. It's a no win situation.

This is where a phone would help, 2 minutes tops and the issue would be solved.

[cummings66]

Well, the official answer from tech support is finally in. After confering with the developer George says, it can't be done. If you have an analog station and a digital station it seems you're screwed according to George.

So, I don't believe him. It's got to work because as I pointed out I have analog 8 and digital 8.1 and both have EPG's that work. 6 and 6.1, 13 and 13.1, and 17 and 17.1 all work fine. This is the Columbia - Jefferson City area for MO.

Now, for the real tech support, why do you guys think it works for some but not all. From what I can see the subs beyond the .1 seem to have problems getting a good epg, what are your observations?