How does TiVo normally do channel lineup changes?

[jlib]

Last month TiVo turned off guide info for all the non-local HD channels for my Comcast distribution (Monterey Californa). They then turned on guide data for new channels to replace the old ones. Unfortunately, the actual change-over of channels at Comcast does not happen for another two weeks. So, as of today all season passes on those channels fail and they cannot be tuned even though they are all populated with guide data. The original channels are still tunealble but now have no guide data so are worthless unless one knows exact time of a show.

I verified with local Comcast Monterey that there is no current change in channel status and proposed changes aren't scheduled until the middle of November. Since I have never experienced a mass lineup change I am wondering is this the way TiVO normally handles such things? Wouldn't the correct procedure be to have data for both old and proposed channels to populate the guide?

TiVo said to email the lineup group via the webpage link but I never got a response (the link itself is setup more for incidental guide errors not for such a massive mistake that nobody will want to take responsibility for). This has caused a really big problem for me because I pretty much only record HD stuff. I suppose the next step is to call TiVO again. Has anyone ever been able to get through to someone in the lineup group directly? I only want to go through the misery of calling and getting passed around again if I will be able to get to someone with any power to do something. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to get this fixed in less than 2 weeks (if it will take that long I guess I won't bother since by then the new channels will come online)?

[rainwater]

Originally Posted by jlib

TiVo said to email the lineup group via at the webpage link but I never got a response (the link itself is setup more for incidental guide errors not for such a massive mistake that nobody will want to take responsibility for).

You should of been sent a case number back by email. Either way, you should call TiVo with your issue and if you have the case number it will speed up the process.

[andyf]

Really, it's Tribune (zap2it) who provides the data to TiVo. Everybody assumes some massaging is done at TiVo's end to match their database format and then it is sent to our boxes. I bet this is pretty much an automated process.

It's Tribune's fault in this case because they released the data to TiVo too early. Did you check on zap2it to see if a seperate lineup (old one) was created?

[jlib]

Originally Posted by andyf

Really, it's Tribune (zap2it) who provides the data to TiVo.

They (zap2it) have the currently correct old channels listed for Monterey zipcode (though only half of the HD ones Comcast actually sends out). Interestingly, TVguide.com has the currently incorrect future channels listed. Since I don't have a case number yet and webpage says it can take several days to receive one I an scrambling to setup SD season passes for the interim instead. It is just long enough of a time and large enough number of channels (16) to cause a big headache for me but too short of a time to expect it to be resolved soon enough to make it worthwhile to put any more effort in. Thanks, all, for the comments explaining how it works.

[BigRichJ]

Jlib:

Thanks for this post...I just moved to the Monterey area and was having the same troubles. At least now I know it wasn't my TivoHD box...

Rich

[ThatBozGuy]

Originally Posted by BigRichJ

Jlib:

Thanks for this post...I just moved to the Monterey area and was having the same troubles. At least now I know it wasn't my TivoHD box...

Rich

Same in San Jose

[bareyb]

Same in Cupertino. I tried entering the Los Altos Hills zip code and that has made no difference for us. The guide data is still missing even though it appears correct on the Tribune website. Maybe I'll give the SFO zip code a look... Sounds like at least one person has had luck with that...

[bareyb]

Originally Posted by bareyb

Same in Cupertino. I tried entering the Los Altos Hills zip code and that has made no difference for us. The guide data is still missing even though it appears correct on the Tribune website. Maybe I'll give the SFO zip code a look... Sounds like at least one person has had luck with that...

Upon further investigation, the SFO zip code won't work for those of us in Silicon Valley area. The channels are not the same....

At this point I think the best thing for folks to do is to put back in their correct zip code and wait for TiVo and Comcast to fix this. It sounds to me like it's going to "fix itself" on the 15th anyway.

Option 1: An easy and quick way to cover your "assets" is to use the "To Do List"and use the "Recording History" area to see which of your HD shows WON"T be recording for the next two weeks (it will say "Not Recording" and list the reason as "someone in your household changed the Season Pass that requested it" which really means, TiVo has no longer got the guide data... Anyway, find those shows and then use the "View upcoming episodes" pane to select another showing on the NON-HD Corresponding channel. I went all the way up to the 15th which is when this problem is supposed to fix itself.

Option 2: You can manually record all your shows one at a time on the HD channel and therefore get them in HD but with no Title listing in your Now Playing List. I prefer to have the Non HD version and have it listed in NPL (rather than a bunch of mystery shows that are listed as "Manual Recording") but YMMV.

[CharlesH]

TiVoJerry says they have gotten things straightened out for these SF Bay Area guide problem: this post

[bareyb]

Originally Posted by CharlesH

TiVoJerry says they have gotten things straightened out for these SF Bay Area guide problem: this post

Yep. It's fixed. I just re-ran guided setup and now my guide data is correct again.

TivoJerry: I am still missing guide info for SHOHD. Still shows "To Be Announced" not sure if it's still in the works but I thought I'd better let you know...