Alternative service up?

It's in Alpha test if you're feeling brave.

 

Can the required changes be done via your network card or do you have to pull the drive?

Automan.

 

I re imaged my drive, but I believe it's simple to adjust your existing one if you have a network card.

Dial up is still being developed but expected to be operating by June 1

Alek

 

PM sent. Not sure if we can post details here yet.

 

The forum for the AltEpg service can be found here: http://www.tivoland.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=12

It may be better to join the discussions there rather than duplicating here.

 

Can one find ones TiVo service number from TiVoWeb (or Telnet ?) as I am at work at the moment and can't fully register without service number ?

 

It's on the tivowebplus info page.

[also PM sent with other method]

 

Sorted, thanks to Mikerr.

 

Carl PM sent

 

I am now on the AltEPG

Quite easy to do but the process I used, like Carl's required a Clear & Delete Everything.

No CBS Channel data though at the moment

Automan.

 

Having to do a Clear and Delete Everything is totally and utterly unacceptable on my main Tivo. I have eight years worth of thumbs data I do not wish to lose and around 200 Season Passes and Wishlists not to mention many recordings still to watch.

These were all in the original list of channels for which EPG data was due to be provided by the AltEPG project.

I have a non used Tivo I can use to test the AltEPG except that my communal aerial now turns out to have a signal so bad that I can't get any Freeview channels at the present (something has clearly happened to it as this was not the case two years ago when I alst tries to use the aerial socket) but until the AltEPG can go through Guided Setup without a Clear and Delete everything it is not Fit For Purpose in my opinion. Of course I'm sure this requirement comes from South Africa or Australia where they had purchased Tivo overseas with channel lineups and SPs that had nothing to do with the new owner. However I am equally sure that our boffins should be able to tweak the setup process so that a forced Clear and Delete Everything is not a requirement in order to use the AltEPG.

 

That is only the method Carl & myself used.

Tools do exist to backup recordings and wishlist etc which you may already have (should your drive fail).

I myself was not worried about the contents so went for the wipe

Automan.

 

Clear and delete is advised, but not absolutely necessary.

Guided setup is necessary though, but you won't lose recordings, or wishlists.

Existing SPs won't work because they're tied to tivos database IDs.
Back them up with the tivoweb module - a modified restore tivoweb module might appear soon.

 

Fantastic...just what the Dr ordered.

I seem to remember exporting my analogue season passes (years ago) and changing ID's to FreeView channels and reimporting. All worked fine season passes for BBC1 analogue now recorded BBC1 FreeView.

 

Thanks to all concerned for saving our Tivo's from another trip to the tip

Automan.

 

Yes, but all guide data shared the same database IDs in the now "legacy" ( ) system,
that's why you could change sky/freeview/cable lineup and retain SPs created on any.

Wishlists are stored as text search matches, so transfer ok.

 

Thinking about this, modified restore would probably not work.

It would work fine for programmes/season passes that are currently being transmitted ie change old ID for new AltEPG ID, but what about programmes/season passes not currently being transmitted eg TopGear BBC2, there would probably not be a new AltEPG ID assigned yet.

Unless of course the AltEPG crew could take a couple of peoples season pass files and assign AltEPG ID's in advance.

 

I have no problem with re-running Guided Setup. I have done that in the past when moving my Tivo between Freeview, cable and satellite program sources but all in the same London tv region. But none of my Season Passes or thumbs or wishlists were ever lost due to re-running Guided Setup.

What is the reason that the same TMSIDs could not have been retained? Presumably because a different ID exists in the originating EPG source and it seems like too much of a hassle to have a table to convert those to TMSIDs and/or not a sustainable long term solution?

I have been thinking of moving mainly to Wishlists instead of Season Passes for a long time on many programs due to the additional flexibility of making full use of the +1 channels regarding any clashes. I suppose this is now the moment. However there are programs such as Doctor Who and many Channel Four and Five shows that several months later (i.e. beyond the 28 day rule) turn up on More4, E4, 5USA, 5* etc where it is essential to use a Season Pass to avoid recording programs you have already seen. Unless someone can find a way of extending the 28 day rule to work forever? Of course there is your own Blocklist module/application but in my experience this does not work completely reliably and in this case would necessitate all the episodes of a program you have already seen being added to the Blockist text file.

However what about Thumbs data if I don't clear and delete everything? As those TMSIDs will now be orphaned in terms of future recording but the genres to which they are related will still exist will all my historic Thumbs choides still inform Suggestions going fowards? It is certainly going to be very annoying to have Thumb everything all over again including programs that one doesn't want to ever be recorded such as all forms of Football Program and most Reality Tv programs.