Amiko A3 - FTA 7 Day EPG Now Available for North America

[Titanium]

The Amiko A3 now has 7 day EPG for satellites 95w C/KU, 97w C/KU and 99w KU. Initially the EPG service is available for select channels on these North American satellites and the list of channels and satellites is growing!

I have been testing the EPG service on my personal A3 for the past month and very impressed with the seamless integration and simplicity of setting timers for viewing and DVR. EPG will be installed in the NA ROM shipped with all new STBs shipped starting 2/26/2014 and will be available to all North American A3 units very soon.

Thank you Joe and the Spark team for your hard work to provide EPG to the North American FTA market!

To learn more, visit your favorite Amiko reseller!

See screen shots and thread at: http://www.fridgefta.info/forums/showthread.php?tid=36221#axzz3ShFJdLyT

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Wow VERY cool! I think this is a first for any FTA receiver in the USA.

 

[jorgek]

Any KU band epgs?

 

[wallyhts]

Yes,

95w KU, 97w KU and 99w KU

 

[T134]

Any KU band epgs?

As of today there is EPG for select channels on 95W C & Ku, 97W C & Ku and 99W Ku. Since the majority of True FTA channels of interest to USA/CA hobbyists are on C-band the majority of EPG will also end up C band just because that is where the channels are.

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

That's really neat-o!
Progress!
Good work!
Well done!

There are more Amiko Mini HD SE's out there. How about us?

 

[Corrado]

How does it work?

 

[Titanium]

There are more Amiko Mini HD SE's out there. How about us?

Different chipset and development team for the mini HD SE. Don't know of any EPG plans for other model STBs.

 

[Babadem]

Very nice!

 

[T134]

That's really neat-o!
Progress!
Good work!
Well done!

There are more Amiko Mini HD SE's out there. How about us?

I designed the NA EPG deployment to work specifically with Amiko A3 and any future Android based FTA STB's from us. The system is not compatible with ALi based STB's like Mini HD SE. Mini's are excellent STB's especially for under $100 but they do have limitations on the programming and hardware end that you don't have with higher end boxes. They can often be much harder to do things for than something built on an opensource platform like Android.

Mini does have something else really cool coming that the A3 won't have but that is another story for a future time.

 

[richyrich]

These channels you are talking about; do they have a compensatory or applicable name you are withholding on purpose? Or are they subscription channels now being commercialized that are free to air in HD or are original channel broadcast formatted for carry (at the high bandwidth labeling)? Are these channels growing services that have the type of programming guides rely upon (with characterization of their additional benefits) CC (Closed captioning), SA (secondary audio), (DD) Dolby digital, AAC? Actor/actress names; date originally aired or produced; shows event or series number; the shows flow (progress)?

 

[Titanium]

The EPG data is the typical Current/Next with show title and episode description for 7 days. It is intended to fill in the EPG blank data fields for the majority of the NA FTA channels which do not include the data on the transponder.

Nothing secretive about the service list. It is a growing list of the SD and HD FTA channels on these three satellites and planned to expand to include additional FTA channels on other satellites.

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

I designed the NA EPG deployment to work specifically with Amiko A3 and any future Android based FTA STB's from us. The system is not compatible with ALi based STB's like Mini HD SE. Mini's are excellent STB's especially for under $100 but they do have limitations on the programming and hardware end that you don't have with higher end boxes. They can often be much harder to do things for than something built on an opensource platform like Android.

Mini does have something else really cool coming that the A3 won't have but that is another story for a future time.

O.K. I get it.
Walk down that red carpet and accept your 'Golden Dish Award'.
"Mini does have something else really cool coming..." ?????

 

[Cham]

A real milestone for FTA... Makes the A3 much more attractive... Internet service here is very poor but I suspect the data rates required to populate the EPG would be minmal.
Just need a downlink of this data on.. maybe.. 12115 on 97w... so internet wouldn't be required... (I know that is wishful thinking!)

 

[bobvick]

All I really care about on FTA are MeTV, Decades, and CTV feeds. Do you reckon that guide data for those will be forthcoming soon. I would like to be able to set timers on my A3 for a few shows on MeTV and just be able to use the guide.

 

[wallyhts]

I've heard a rumor that there will soon be a mail in rebate for the A3 I think its $25

 

[T134]

All I really care about on FTA are MeTV, Decades, and CTV feeds. Do you reckon that guide data for those will be forthcoming soon. I would like to be able to set timers on my A3 for a few shows on MeTV and just be able to use the guide.

MeTV and KRBK were both in the original test system but they gave me some problems so I pulled them. I think they will eventually go back in but can't say when. For CTV, I don't think we can get EPG data for channels in Canada. I know we don't have any as of now at least. Those would be low on the priority list since there are plenty of other channels that we already have EPG data access for that need to get put in the system first.

 

[spongella]

The Manhattan 1933 has an EPG program but it is always blank. Glad there is now an STB that gives you that information. Technology progressing for the better.

 

[N5XZS]

Can my Geosat Pro STB be upgraded to a new EPG or I just have to buy a new STB?

 

[wallyhts]

Can my Geosat Pro STB be upgraded to a new EPG or I just have to buy a new STB?

Yes it does support an EPG but satav does not want to make it work.

So yes you need to buy an A3