DTVPal / TV-Guide / Panasonic DVR

[Buy_The_Tie]

I have a Panasonic E-85 DVR, which I have been using for several years now to record SD Analog broadcasts.  It has a built-in TV Guide On-Screen (TVGOS), and I believe it gets its TVGOS data from our PBS station, Channel 10.  

With the upcoming transition to digital TV, I have purchased the Dish Network DTVPal converter box.  The DTVPal is a pretty slick little box.  It can be put in a mode whereby it "looks" like a Scientific Atlanta cable box.  That is to say, you go ahead and configure the DVR as if it is using a Scientific Atlanta cable box, and via an IR Blaster, the DVR can change channels on the DTVPal.

I have all of this magic working.  the DVR successfully controls the DTVPal, and I can record digital TV on my Analog DVR (SD Only though).

Here's the rub.  The DTVPal doesn't seem to want to pass the TVGOS data on to the DVR.  I believe (from reading other threads here) that the TVGOS data is now coming from CBS 58.1.  The manual for the DTVPal has you set your actual zip-code into the DTV Pal, and an el-fakeo zip code into your DVR.  I've tried to contact the folks over at the Dish Network, and they have been less than helpful.

Has anybody out there gotten the DTVPal to pass along TVGOS data to their analog TVGOS device?  There is a monster thread over in another forums, and I haven't found any success stories over there either.   (monster DTVPal thread)

If you have had a TVGOS success story using your DTVPal, I would really be interested to find out how you got it to work.

Another odd thing I noticed this morning...  The Panasonic DVR clock automatically changed to the correct time (end of daylight savings time), and in fact, is accurate to my atomic clock to within one second.  Somehow, the Panasonic is getting time data.  I'm grateful for this, but a bit puzzled.

[Buy_The_Tie]

Anybody else even have one of these DTV Pal boxes?

[Will]

I have two of the TR-40.  I like them alot!  Sorry, I haven't used them in the manner you're asking about, as I have nothing that uses TVGOS.

I'm anxiously awaiting the DTVpal DVR, formerly known as the TR-50.  It's supposedly coming within a month.  We'll see...

Will

[Buy_The_Tie]

I sent an e-mail off to the TV Guide people:  Ce_customer_support@tvguide.com

(This e-mail address came from this website )

The response I got to why my DTVPal isn't passing TVGOS data on to my analog DVR:

Our digital inserters are installed but we are not transmitting Echostar data yet.  We hope to have this live before the analog shut off.  At this time, having a DTV Pal setup you will not get listings.  Please hook it up closer to the shut off date.

Now, I consider myself to be a pretty smart guy, I interpret this to mean:  "We have space in the digital television signal allocated, but the actual data that supports your DTVPal (and its bogus zip codes) is not being transmitted yet.  Please try this again later."

Is that how you would read the response?

[Will]

Is that how you would read the response?

Yes, pretty much.  But I'd read it as "We're not promising anything."  See the word "hope" in the response.

[Buy_The_Tie]

Ooh, Ooh, Oooh.

I just got back from a snowmobile trip, went to the TVGuide on my Panasonic DVR, and lo and behold.... I had all sorts of digital channels with the proper channel numbers on them to drive my DTVPal converter box.

And...

I even had some guide data for a couple of Milwaukee Locals:  Fox (6.1), PBS(10.1), and PBS World (36.3).

Funny..... the guide data is coming across on CBS, yet no data for them yet.  Let's hope they get more data populated soon!

[ArgMeMatey]

Another odd thing I noticed this morning...  The Panasonic DVR clock automatically changed to the correct time (end of daylight savings time), and in fact, is accurate to my atomic clock to within one second.  Somehow, the Panasonic is getting time data.  I'm grateful for this, but a bit puzzled.

Just wondering what your source is:  Over the air?  Time Warner?  

I have a Panasonic DVD recorder with an ATSC/NTSC tuner that does not seem to be receiving any time signal.  It's not clear to me if it's looking in the wrong place, unable to find anything, or if MPTV is no longer sending their analog time signal.  

I am wondering if I could put this DTVPal box on a directional coupler and use Ch. 10 bandpass filters just to get the time signal to my DVD recorder and keep it off the TW cable.

[Buy_The_Tie]

Fits and starts.

Right after I got some initial data, then there was nothing.

Now, recently I got more guide data through the DTVPal.

Maybe Gemstar is getting their act together?

Time will tell.

[Emmanuel]

I have a Sony DHG-HDD500 stand alone HD-DVR. It has a ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner inside. I also have a Sony KDL32XBR6 TV with the same tuners. I have Time Warner Service without their cable boxes. My QAM tuners worked great until Feb. of this year. Needless to say... My TV guide on both units will not display the programs and clock. I reprogrammed both units and no change. I called Time Warner and was transfered 3 times. The last person I spoke with was a Tech. with no clue. His statement was "You could never receive the TV guide menu without our cable box." I quickly thanked him for his time and got off the phone. Can someone shed some light on what's going on. My wife is getting on my "last nerve" about her programs she would like to record in HD with the Sony DHG-HDD500. I hope this is the correct page to put in my comment. I'm new to this forum stuff even though I've been in the A/V industry for 22yrs!!!! Thank you.

[midnightshow22]

Yes, pretty much.  But I'd read it as "We're not promising anything."  See the word "hope" in the response.

Yep, I can do better than Hope. They lost me right there.

[Robin1]

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