[opendtv] Re: PSIP, cable guide info, and Zap2It

  • From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2007 13:23:09 -0400

John Shutt wrote:

> The problem with using PSIP is that you either need a dual
> tuner card/stb or must put up with losing your picture every
> so often as the ATSC tuner scans all the available OTA channels
> for EPG information. Tuners could do the channel scanning/guide
> harvesting while the STB is "off", but if the box is never
> turned "off" it would never have the opportunity to refresh the
> "master" EPG. Further, only 12 hours of EPG data are mandated
> by A/65, so a 2 AM channel scan may not cover the flowing day's
> prime time line up.

The end result is that for me, PSIP is utterly useless. Assuming the
stations bothered to include their schedule, which in itself is a big
assumption, trying to find what will be on tomorrow, to set the
recorder, is very time consuming and invariably bears no fruit.

Ideally, stations would transmit several days ahead, and ideally,
receivers would store the data when they are idle. As long as both are
not done routinely, the system is only useful for those watching in real
time.

> At one point very early in the ATSC process, it was suggested
> that PBS stations (presumably being 'neutral' in the ratings
> wars) would carry program information for all OTA stations in
> the market, easing the task of OTA viewers keeping a current and
> complete program guide. Unfortunately that was never
> implemented, and I'm not sure that is even possible today given
> the way A/65C is worded.

That would have been nice, or a TV guide that actually still had useful
info in it, or SOMETHING. If PSIP clocks are routinely screwed up, and
program info is missing or very inconvenient to access, one has to
wonder what good it is.

Bert
 
 
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