IPG Inconsistencies

[57]

I have a 9865 (NB3) running Navigatr firmware and I also utilize AnyPlace Web "Manage PVR", as well as RAPTV on my iPad. The Rogers IPG has never been very good, but most of the time it records most of my scheduled recordings. Since January 2016 (post Navigatr?) the IPG has become increasingly less reliable.  Here's a list of recent issues.

1. Before the change to DST the IPG was "incorrect" by one hour for all the scheduled recordings after the time change, as well as the programmes shown in the guide the following week. This is very confusing for people. It's also unnecessary since SARA firmware doesn't do this (I also have 8300HD PVRs.)

2. After the change to DST, programmes that were recorded on the PVR prior to the time change showed as being recorded at times different from when they were actually recorded.  Not only that, but the "recording time" would be different depending on which way you accessed the information. On the PVR itself it would be off by 1 hour. On AnyPlace it would be off by 5 hours. On RAPTV it would be off by 4 hours.

3. This week the daily recordings don't seem to be scheduling properly.  Only 1-2 days instead of 4-5. (And yes, I am aware that sometimes the guide "catches up" with these sorts of issues, but this week it hasn't and recordings have been missed because of it)

4.  I have a scheduled series recording for "Edwardian Farm" on TVO 2AM Tuesday.  The Navigatr IPG shows the programme as "Wartime Farm" with the description for an Edwardian Farm episode.  On AnyPlace or RAPTV it shows as "Edwardian Farm".  If I hadn't noticed, I would have missed recording it on my PVR due to a totally incorrect title on the 9865 IPG.

5. The PVR/AnyPlace/RAPTV uses "name based recording". The problem is that the names of the programmes are constantly changing.  This means that series recordings are missed even if one letter of the name of the programme changes. This has been going on for roughly 11 years now.  As an example, Mercer Report may become The Mercer Report.   "The Fifth Estate" has been listed about 3-4 different ways during the past 2 months!  Rogers, get your IPG provider to give us consistent programme titles. Or write proper firmware that would circumvent these issues. TiVo knows how to...

6. Many of the programmes have "generic" information in the programme description instead of what's actually airing.  For example instead of stating who the guest is on "Mansbridge One on One" it simply states that "Peter interviews Canadians"  There are similar examples for almost all interview programming and late night programming.  I do understand that this information is not always available, but it usually is and the IPG provider is missing information that's available in many places on the web.

7. Currently on Smithsonian Channel (540).  It shows TBA for the entire week.  This happens often on this and other channels..

8. For the Formula One race this weekend, there were several pre and post-race programmes. When I set these to record they showed properly on the 9865, however, on AnyPlace/RAPTV they showed totally incorrectly - as NCAA basketball or SportsCentre.  How weird is that?

9. The "new" tag that is supposed to indicate new programming is often not correct. It's often missing from new programming or it's shown as new when a programme is a repeat. (and yes I am aware that "new" is relative to that particular channel)

10. The user experience is totally different depending on which device, firmware, software, computer, browser you're using.  We should be able to see the same thing whether we're looking at the IPG or recordings at the PVR, from our computer, with our tablet, etc. However, the experience is totally different with different information showing. For example on the PVR, a programme description may show the year of production, while AnyPlace doesn't show it, or vice versa. Or the programme title/description could be competely different.  It's almost impossible for an average user to comprehend all these differences when someone like me with 14 years of heavy Rogers IPG experience and extensive experience on forums, has difficulty.

The above is but a short list of IPG problems. There are many more that I've recorded over the years, but I thought this would suffice to give Rogers some feedback regarding their IPG, which has become increasingly unreliable.  You're driving away your customers with these sorts of problems, without even mentioning Navigatr.

*** Edited Labels ***

[57]

As a follow up to my previous post, I just had a look at Anyplace and the correct information for Pre-Qualifying shows there. Also, the Race doesn't show the City of the event, just "Formula 1 Racing" for example, allowing for a series recording of F1 races.

Why do we using Navigatr have to put up with inferior and incorrect IPG information?  Why isn't the Navigatr PVR information the same as it is on Anyplace?

[57]

I'm interested in Automobile Rallying.  For example WRC and Canadian Rally Championship.  So, every week I check Anyplace to see if anything is coming up by searching for "Rally".

This week I checked and RDS (which is currently on free preview) has the CRC on Thursday at 1AM, however, I only knew this because I looked it up on my iPad app. If I view Anyplace on my computer, which I'm currently using, the description of the programme is not available - it only says "Rallye",  There is also a "Rallye" on Friday but it does have a description on the computer version.  I have no idea why the app and the computer version cannot contain the same information.

[OLDYELLR]

From your description I did find this rally (in French). As for the free preview,that's news to me. From my spreadsheet of channels I can view with VIP,  that's  a subscription channel for me (Ch 617). I would never have known it was on free preview. Is there some way to get notified when channels are on fer preview?

More to the point, since the demise of Speed Channel, There is very little motorsports available on cable other than NASCAR, IndyCar and F1. You have to subscribe to extra cost channels like beIN Sports.

[57]

Dr.Dave does a pretty good job of highlighting free previews on various providers over on Digital Home. There are several threads and when a preview is posted for one provider, it's often (but not always) also available on Rogers.  If it's something I don't get and I'm interested in, I check it out on Rogers.

https://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/12-television-industry-channels-providers/211698-national-free-prev...

Rogers have a free preview link, however, it's so often out of date I've not bothered looking there recently:

https://www.rogers.com/consumer/tv/free-previews

Hey Rogers, how about updating the free preview link monthly as discussed in the following thread?

http://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/TV/Free-Previews/td-p/411335

[OLDYELLR]

If you scheduled recordings of Formula 1 racing on TSNH5 for Saturday and Sunday earlier in the week, you'll now find that Sunday's race is now Sports Centre and you'll have to reschedule it on TSN3H or TSN4H.

[OLDYELLR]

Thanks a lot TSN and Rogers.

From the beginning of the week I had recordings of the Japan F1 qualifying and race scheduled as per the IPG. Saturday I watched the qualifying recording and the race recording for this morning's race was still as per the IPG. But I should have checked again Saturday night, because this morning when I went to play the recording all I saw was tennis. I discovered that TSN had switched the race from TSN1 to TSN3 at the 11th hour. All I could catch was the last half of the race live. This kind of stuff has been happening for months on and off.  I realize Rogers can't do anything about it when TSN makes a last minute switch, but why couldn't TSN substituted the tennis for one of the redundant Sports Centre reruns on one of their other channels?

I urge everyone to contact help@tsn.ca to provide details of your concern, call 1-833-TSN-HELP (1-833-876-4357), or tweet @TSNHelp.

[57]

Again, either TSN changed things at the last minute or Rogers got F1 Practice incorrect today.  I recorded TSN5, but it was on TSN2, so I got several hours of tennis instead of F1.  What a pain this is. I checked Qualifying and Race for the rest of the weekend and it looks as those are OK if TSN doesn't change things again.

[thm655321]

Guide is wrong (Formula 1 related)

Came over from Bell about a year ago and never had the following issue with Bell.  Just today on the guide I recorded the only TSN channel that the guide said was showing the F1 practice from Mexico.  And what did I get?  A tennis match.  This is not the first time it happens time and again.  I never had the issue with Bell, when it said F1 it recorded F1.  Who can I complain to about this?  I phoned Rogers about this before and they blamed TSN, figures.  The only reason I even have cable is to get F1 coverage, if it won't record reliably I will go back to Bell for TV and internet.

[OLDYELLR]

The fault must be with TSN pulling these 11th hour switches. There's nothing Rogers or the customer can do if the recording is already set, other than monitor the IPG and catch the change. So far so good the Mexican GP Qualifying is still at 1:55 p.m. on TSN5, but it won't hurt to check closer to the time.

Last Sunday I recorded the USGP on both TSN and ABC just in case TSN screwed it up and I was pleased to see ABC ran the same Sky feed with no commercials. TSN seems to insert commercials just when crucial action is happening. Tomorrow's Mexican GP is also on ABC (Ch 522) and I would suggest recording that as  well or instead.

[57]

European Rally Championship is shown on AnyPlace on Friday, November 9 at 10PM on Discovery Velocity (245). It's also airing again on Saturday, November 10 at 4AM, 11AM, etc.

When I went to programme it into my PVR, those timeslots are showing Wheeler Dealers...  I wonder if this will change by Friday?

[57]

As mentioned in my post above, the 9865 PVR's IPG was incorrect earlier this week.  Sometime this week the name must have changed to the appropriate title for European Rally Championship, unfortunately, I had it set for Wheeler Dealers and it didn't record. Luckily it's on again at 5PM today so I set it as a single recording (see why below).

I checked the PVR's listings for next week when it airs again and the title is again incorrect, showing Wheeler Dealers at say 10PM Friday and subsequent airings I assume since the PVR IPG only goes out one week.

[User14]

Today I was informed of another IPG inconsistency.  It appears that there is no quality control related to the Rogers guide for the customer experience.  Maybe Artificial Intelligence is being used to find the descriptions of the programs.  I am told (by my wife who does most of the recordings) that this happens all the time. 

For the current series "The Circus"  https://www.sho.com/the-circus-inside-the-greatest-political-show-on-earth

the IPG described it as: 

"The Circus Barcelona. The Ballet from Spain; Flamenco dancer Rocio Aragon; the Great Albert, a juggler; Mme Smith's elephants; and the Spanish comedy mule. Host: Bert Parks."

Bert Parks passed away in 1992. Maybe someone can explain this gaff. Maybe it was a prankster commenting on the Trump regime.  

[57]

The IPG often has "information" regarding the wrong movie version or programme. If a movie has been released  a number of times over the years, then the IPG can often give information regarding the incorrect version.  For example "Journey to the Center of the Earth" has aired a number of times and often Rogers give information regarding the incorrect version.

What's really funny is when they used to air soft porn on TMN and the title was similar (or identical to)  to a "real movie" and they used to give the real movie description.  I always think about the people who recorded that and see porn instead.... 😉

[Square]

My guide is terrible today!   1st)History channel shows Curse of Oak Island from 8 to 10pm, while Zap2it and History own web page shows Pawn Stars from 9 to 10pm.

2)  Paramount Network and Zap2it shows Cops from 10 to 11pm as 2 new episodes, while Rogers Guide shows no relevant info!  

[jays77]

Sunday there was a show listed called Run for Your Life. It was described as a documentary profile about Fred Lebow,  a Jewish immigrant from Romania who founded the New York Marathon.  In reality Run for your Life is a movie about a woman and her children trying to escape an abusive husband.

[OLDYELLR]

Checking my scheduled recording for new episodes of Suits yesterday, the description looked suspiciously like last week's episode. this usually happens when there is no new episode, but a rerun, or something else. Indeed, when I checked the IPG, Suits had a generic description, no "New" flag and not flagged to record. However, checking online resources like epguides.com and Zap2it and elsewhere, they all shewed a new episode. So I selected the episode with the generic description to record and it was indeed a new episode, just not flagged. This seems to be happening more lately. I'm done with catching up in ROD, which has become more and more buggy and full of commercials. 

[jays77]

Just a heads up for anyone who watches or has Ransom scheduled for recording
Sat. 16 March, Global does not list it as "New" but CBS does.

[RedBerry11]

Had ticket since January 31rst still not fixed. Known issue. Anyone with cable in Ottawa region with cable should be refunded for failure to provide service.
I beleive it is attempt to sell BETA IGNITE that will never run properly until fiber is brought to the door like Bell.

[57]

Each year I love to record and watch the Tour de France.  Each year I have to set a single recording every day instead of a series recording for "Tour de France".  This is because the programme title contains the stage number which changes daily, obviously.  Why can't Rogers (and their IPG provider) give us a guide that allows for Series recordings of such an event.  The stage number should be in the description, not in the title.

The same is true for Formula 1, which has the location in the title (on digital cable).

My understanding is that IgniteTV's IPG does this properly? Why can't we with digital cable get a proper guide?  There are, of course, many other issues that are listed in this thread starting at post 1, but this title issue bothers me a lot.

On a side note, last Sunday I had a series recording set up properly for Endeavour on Masterpiece (WNED, PBS, 525, 9PM).  It was listed to be recorded but didn't record (I check my scheduled recordings almost every night when I set up my new recordings).   It had recorded the previous two episodes properly.  There wasn't even a rebroadcast that I could catch. I've deleted the series and set up a single recording for this Sunday, which rarely fails...

[OLDYELLR]

I'm currently recording and watching the Tour on my SA8300HD. I see each first airing of each stage called "Tour de France: Stage: [number]" and flagged 'new".  Of course I can't schedule all new episodes to be recorded as a series (SARA doesn't use that term anyway), but if the names were all exactly the same, I could choose to record all "first run", like I do for other shows. I presume that's what you would like to do. To do that, all the stages would have to be named the same. Of course the stage number would need to be in the description to tell them apart. With my SARA IPG I don't see that description until I press INFO, but with Navigatr  (and Ignite?) the description appears for each show selected in the guide. So it appears that the IPG show names are meant to accommodate any STB, even SARA and DTA50.

Another thing.  Races sometimes run long, so you have to go back and extend recordings to be safe even if you could just schedule them as a series for the whole 3 weeks or season.  Even shows with a consistent name can be delayed by sports events running overtime. I record 60 Minutes, but have it set from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm for that reason.

[57]

---

@OLDYELLR wrote:

Another thing.  Races sometimes run long, so you have to go back and extend recordings...

---

Yeah, I'm recording the morning airing of TdF and always extend "live" sporting events by at least an hour.