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 ***

[TimMcCree]

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@57 wrote:

Believe it or not, what the "new" modifier indicates is that it's the first time that a particular programme is airing on that particular channel, so it could be "new" by that definition, although it probably isn't, just wrong.

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As far as I know, reruns of Lois & Clark have never aired on CTV Sci-Fi (or Space as it was once called), and the channel didn't exist when that show was on.  So it's wrong.

But how can a mistake like this be made in the first place. 

How can anyone with half a brain mistake an episode from a 1993 show for an episode from a 2021 show.     Is finding out the facts about the show too much like work!?

[OLDYELLR]

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@TimMcCree wrote:

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But how can a mistake like this be made in the first place. 

How can anyone with half a brain mistake an episode from a 1993 show for an episode from a 2021 show.     Is finding out the facts about the show too much like work!?

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I've been a fan of Heartbeat on TVO for years. It ran on British TV from 1992 to 2010, 18 series, up to 26 episodes each.  On TVO they were all "new" originally, then repeated, but I've seen ones marked "new" that I don't remember seeing and vice versa. TVO's rationale for the "new" modifier isn't consistent. Since it's on at 9 pm on Fridays, repeating at 11 pm, I now just record them all and know soon enough if it's new for me or not. 

[TimMcCree]

This is a totally different situation.  Because I'm talking about two different shows.

Superman & Lois is the current show, which runs Tuesday nights at 9:00 on CTV Sci-Fi here in Canada and on the CW in the U.S.

Lois & Clark ran on CTV here in Canada and ABC in the U.S.  And this show has been over since 1997.

So how can anyone mistake one of these shows for the other? 

[57]

And again, the Formula 1 listings are incorrect for Practice Friday, Qualifying Saturday and the Race Sunday.  They are an hour late for each event.

Anyplace has the correct time for the race on Sunday, however, it's incorrect for Practice and Qualy.

[Bplayer]

@57 Is this on legacy cable only or on Ignite as well? The scheduled times on Ignite match with Zap2It:

Friday FP3 starting at 8:45

Saturday Quali starting at 8:55

Sunday race starting at 7:55

[57]

This thread is regarding Legacy Digital Cable and the Guide on the PVRs. The main "events" for all 3 days start at around 8AM, according to TSN and F1.

https://www.tsn.ca/live/schedule

https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2021/Azerbaijan.html

So, the Friday and Saturday times on Rogers are too late to catch the start of the action.  This is the first time I've seen AnyPlace (and IgniteTV according to you) be incorrect.  My issues have always been with the Guide on the Digital Cable PVRs which is often incorrect while AnyPlace has been correct in the past.

Edit - As of this morning, the race is shown at the correct time on the Guide and Anyplace. One other item to mention is that in the past the race has usually aired on TSN5. This week everything is on TSN2. This is obviously a TSN issue, however, I don't understand why they cannot be consistent in their selection of their 5 channels regarding F1.  It's just stupid to move it around all the time when they have 5 channels to choose from.

[Bplayer]

The schedule for all the F1 events on the weekend were corrected sometime last night on Ignite, but is still on channel 2. No action needed by me and all scheduled recording are now accurate.

[57]

Yes, AnyPlace is now correct.  The Guide on my PVRs is still incorrect for Friday and Saturday, FP2 and Qualy. Everything is now back to "normal" with the PVR guide being incorrect for some airings and AnyPlace being correct. 😉

I have set my PVR Guide to record SportsCentre which airs before FP2 and Qualy.  I just hope the PVR Guide doesn't change to the correct times as that would mess things up. 

[OLDYELLR]

My recording for Qualifying at 8:55 began half-way through Q2, but I'd also scheduled Pre Quali. I see Sportsnet announcing the Race on Sunday for 6:30 am ET, so check your scheduled recordings. I wonder if the guide provider got the time zone wrong.

[57]

TSN had the correct information all week. Rogers corrected IgniteTV andAnyPlace by Thursday and also corrected the Guide information on the Legacy Digital Cable PVRs for the Race. They never corrected the PVR Guides for P2 and Qualy on Legacy Digital Cable, but I always check TSN and F1 Websites and act accordingly - which in this case meant starting recordings early.

I don't know where Rogers get their guide info, but they usually manage to have AnyPlace and IgniteTV correct by the time things air, but often have the Legacy Digital Cable PVR guide incorrect, which I don't understand.

We can only hope that the guide changes coming on June 15 (reported in another thread, link below) correct these problems which have been reported in this thread for years.

https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/TV/Upcoming-Update-Reprogramming-Your-PVR/m-p/481216#M53312

[57]

This weekend Formula 1 isn't as messed up as last time. On Sunday, the PVR IPG has Formula E in Mexico, instead of F1 in France. AnyPlace is accurate.

I have not noticed anything different as of June 15th per discussions on that topic above...  I was hoping the PVR IPG would use Anyplace or IgniteTV information, but I guess that was too much to ask.  For example, TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin still has generic information instead of what's actually airing (CH2, 8PM, 11PM, 5AM weekdays). Similar situation for some other programming I watch regularly.

[paullj]

Very frustrated with your guide.

1. I have complained 4 times, our guide does not show what is actually playing. Example July 7th, TSN5 showed Ultimate Fighter is playing, when Copa America semi final was actually on (the one I wanted to watch and missed 1/2 the game). Each complaint was told it would be resolved, but seems on going.

2. Why have you removed from all channel the year of the program from the program synopsis? It is useful for consumers, I want to know watching a movie is it original or a remake, or what year an episode is, because some TV shows have some type of time line that follows.

3. Why is it that if I turn off/hide you ROD and Call display channels they return within a few hours? Only these channels return, if I was interested in them I would not try and get rid of them

[57]

This week the IPG has been horrible.

The Agenda – TVO, 8PM, 11PM, 5AM

The name of this programme changes from day to day. Sometimes it’s “The Agenda Interview” and sometimes it’s “The Agenda Interviews”.  This is not just because it’s the summer since that doesn’t even coincide with the proper name of the programme which is “The Agenda In The Summer”.  The rest of the year it’s “The Agenda With Steve Paikin”.  I had to set two new series recordings this week.  The descriptions for the Agenda are almost always incorrect, generic or useless.

Professor T – PBS, Sunday 12AM and other times

The name of this programme changes from day to day now and it’s not just because they’ve started airing the latest British version.  Sometimes it’s “Professor T” and sometimes it’s “Professor T.”  It was difficult to spot the difference until I noticed the missing period and had to set an additional series recording to catch all the airings.

Formula 1 – TSN, Usually TSN5, but it varies.

The names of the Series that I had set for a couple of years have changed from “Formula One….” To “Formula 1….” leaving me to wonder why they hadn’t come up automatically this weekend until I spotted the minor difference in the name.  Of course, as is typical for most auto racing, the programming names are not correct in some instances for the weekend and some are missing altogether.  I always check TSN’s website and also AnyPlace which is usually correct, but not always.

Mayday – Discovery 6AM.:

I have a series recording set for “new” and this programme started recording this week.  Unfortunately, it appears that the “new” modifier is incorrect as the programming was from 2005/6, etc.  The descriptions of that “new” programming is also incorrect as it refers to a 5-part series, which Mayday is not.

The above are just a few of the IPG issues for me this week.  The IPG has become almost useless without double checking names, programme info, other listings on the web, etc.

[57]

Last week I missed the F1 Practice on Friday, even though I had set it to record earlier in the week.

Tip:  For those who have set a single recording and have missed it due to a last minute time change, I have the following suggestion:

Instead of setting a single recording, set a series recording for "any time".  In this way if the time changes, the programme should still record. Of course, if the name changes, this won't help, but it will cover any "last minute" time changes.   You'll have to remember to delete the series recording once you've watched it.