I have an OTA tuner for my Hopper. I live in Indianapolis and am about to lose my CBS and FOX. CBS in Indy is Channel 4, but has a repeater on Channel 29. I can only pick up Channel 29 OTA. Is there a way I can (or Dish could) make the Channel 29 OTA info show Channel 4 EPG data? Or can the Hopper pull OTA data from the TV broadcast data?
Hopper and OTA EPG question
- Thread starter Ray_Clum
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The Hopper gets its data from the Rovi data service, not from the TV broadcast data.
I would put in a special request with a call to Dish retention or tech support for them to map the channel 4 data to the OTA repeater, you might get lucky.
I would put in a special request with a call to Dish retention or tech support for them to map the channel 4 data to the OTA repeater, you might get lucky.
It would be even better if the repeater on 29 doesn't change the Transport Stream Identication embedded in the data on 4. I know our receivers do use a little of that OTA data, such as the TSID, to determine whose channel you are tuned to and what guide info to add. So, if the TSID is repeated along with the programming, then the channel 4 guide data should show up automatically even though the OP is tuned to channel 29.
Don't quote me on any of that, though. Hazy memory.
Yes and no. Dish maps the guide data that they get from Rovi, to the OTA channel in the guide, using a database of TSID (Transport Stream ID) codes being broadcast by the stations. So, if the repeater is broadcasting the same TSID as the originating station, then the guide data will get mapped to both stations. As an example, WOSU (PBS 34 Columbus) has a translator in Mansfield, Ohio that broadcasts on channel 18. This translator station and its subchannels appear as virtual channels 034-01 through 034-04 in my guide, and I get guide data for three of those channels. Dish stopped updating their OTA subchannel guide database before 034-04 started broadcasting, so that channel does not have guide data from Dish.
If you are not already getting the guide data from channel 29, you would probably be better off contacting the engineer at that station, and ask them to broadcast the same TSID as channel 4. That way, as long as Dish is still providing guide data for channel 4, it will also get mapped to your channel 29. (If the station does make that change, you would still need to re-scan your locals on the Hopper after that, to get the guide data to appear.)
So this is the station’s response... looks like I need to reach out to tech support...
Ray –
You are partially correct. The TSID for WTTK is different than the TSID for WTTV, as required by the FCC. Because the TSID’s are assigned by the FCC, I cannot legally change them.
Over the air, WTTK does transmit guide data which, in fact, is different than WTTV because 29.3 carries Cozi TV and 4.3 carries Comet TV. For 29.1 and 4.1, the guide data is the same.
The problem you are observing is that the Hopper box gets its guide data from Dish Network, not over the air as intended by the framers of ATSC. So, in order to get the Hopper to have guide data for WTTK, Dish would have to be persuaded to carry separate guide data for WTTK.
As an experiment, you can verify this by connecting your antenna directly to your TV and tuning to WTTK 29.1. You will find that WTTK actually does have guide data.
Thanks for your inquiry. Hope this helps. Feel free to reply if you have further questions.
Ray –
You are partially correct. The TSID for WTTK is different than the TSID for WTTV, as required by the FCC. Because the TSID’s are assigned by the FCC, I cannot legally change them.
Over the air, WTTK does transmit guide data which, in fact, is different than WTTV because 29.3 carries Cozi TV and 4.3 carries Comet TV. For 29.1 and 4.1, the guide data is the same.
The problem you are observing is that the Hopper box gets its guide data from Dish Network, not over the air as intended by the framers of ATSC. So, in order to get the Hopper to have guide data for WTTK, Dish would have to be persuaded to carry separate guide data for WTTK.
As an experiment, you can verify this by connecting your antenna directly to your TV and tuning to WTTK 29.1. You will find that WTTK actually does have guide data.
Thanks for your inquiry. Hope this helps. Feel free to reply if you have further questions.
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