A Plea To TV Stations For Proper PSIP/EPG Data

I know some TV stations and networks monitor this blog, so I'm hoping that someone that can do something about it will read it and act on it. (I know, I'm a dreamer, right?)

For some time now, many TV stations have had inaccurate, incomplete, or missing PSIP (Program and System Information Protocol) data. For me, this has been an inconvenience mostly, until now. I have an OTA PVR (HomeWorx HW-150PVR, for under $50) that is dependent on PSIP data for recording. I know some of the blame for inattention to PSIP goes to TV manufacturers (For example, my top-of-the-line in 2008 52" Philips TV only tells me what is on now, and only on the channel I am watching now!), but broadcasters should be doing what they can to keep their PSIP data accurate. Manufacturers are only following the specs for our ATSC standards, which stations are supposed to follow - but rarely do.

How To Get OTA Program Guide Info After The End of TVGOS TV Guide On Screen

 Breaking News:

If you have a TV or device that uses TVGOS (TV Guide On Screen) you are about to lose your program guide. ROVI, the creator of TVGOS, has announced the end of the service.This is a post from AVS forum on the subject:

Originally Posted by RobMeyer1  

I received a reply from KNME:
"Mr. Meyer,
We were instructed by the distributor for TV Guide to disconnect the
equipment which distributes the TV Guide information last week. For more
information, you may contact them as follows:
Call Gemstar/Rovicorp Consumer Electronics Product Support at 800-386-7380.
Email can be sent to ce_customer_support@rovicorp.com.
Thank you for writing and thank you for watching New Mexico PBS."
Looks like most of New Mexico will no longer get TV Guide.

I called the above phone #. The engineer I talked to confirmed that TV Guide is being discontinued. Approximately 20% of markets have been terminated as of Nov. 1st and the rest will be discontinued over the next 6 months!

Note that TV Guide itself is not being terminated, just the ROVI provided TVGOS.

Now, what are you going to do if you have a TVGOS device? Too bad a lot of channels don't use their PSIP, or under-use it. PSIP (Program and System Information Protocol ) is the program data transmitted by the TV stations themselves, using a small bit of their bandwidth to provide program listings for free. Some channels populate their guide out several days and include program details (PBS stations usually do it best), but most only go out about 12 hours with no description. The worst stations are the minor players, like LP stations. You're lucky if they display the station name / network, let alone program info.

Funny thing is, most cheap converter boxes have a better program guide than even the most expensive TV sets. (That's why my DTVpal converter is hooked up to my 52" HDTV!) Now, if $50 converter boxes can have a guide, then why not a $1000+ HDTV? It would only add about a dollar or two to the price of a new TV.

A couple work-arounds for no program guide: