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TWC Advanced Search Keyboard Needs Improvements

Started by Jack 1000, Sunday May 10, 2015, 04:22:15 PM

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Jack 1000

While there are some nice things about the Advanced Search on the newer boxes, here are some things that need improvement:

1.) The Cloud Search Returns incomplete results-For example today I searched for the classic series, "The Odd Couple"  All the cloud returned was episodes from the below average CBS remake.  Furthermore, for the remake, listings were not given for HD.  It was either SD, VOD, or nothing.  I could not find ME-TV's showing of The Odd Couple episode descriptions in the cloud search.

2.) Sports Data is incomplete in Cloud Search-I am a boxing fan.  If I filter by Sports, or even select "All" with the keyboard, HBO and Showtime Premium Channel boxing shows are often nowhere to be found.  If Boxing IS selected as a Genre or Event, I just get a bunch of VOD and PPV listings!  There should be a Theme called Boxing, and live fights forthcoming as a part of that theme.  This is one area where Searching by THEME, where live sports were included in the classic search was better on the legacy boxes.

3.) The cloud data often  does not synchronize with the Time Grid data. I had to go to the Time Grid to find my boxing shows.

4.) Replace the word Genre with the word "Theme." - Make the ability to filter the keyboard by Theme in a future software update.  Even if filtered by Sports category, the cloud search does not return all sports information.  

5.) Bring back the legacy search B button functionality in a software update to modern boxes! Customers should be able to go to the Time Grid, hit "B." and see the listings of all the titles of a show in a search.

6.) Create a Live Sports category somewhere within the cloud-based search, so that customers can see what live sports are playing now.
 

The testing shows in particular that live sports in many cases are not being picked up by the cloud:

1.) Live Boxing was on HBO and Showtime. (A simultaneous rebroadcast of Mayweather-Pacquaio.) Also on CBS Sports. Very limited sports search information was available. I found one listing on the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight on Showtime. But this was only after going to the Boxing Sports Category, where Mayweather-Pacquiao was still listed as a PPV. Selecting that. Than I had to bi-pass all of the boxing VOD shows and select "More Air times." There was one live listing for Mayweather-Pacquaio on Showtime. None for HBO.

In addition, there was no live listings in the Cloud Search for the live fight on CBS Sports for Saturday, May 9th 2015 in the afternoon.

2.) A future software update must have ALL information from a Genre or Theme when the search is applied. Consider having live shows for sports returned first in the search, followed by non-live shows, if I search for ANYTHING having the keyboard advanced search set to "All" and type in any program in the search, the search needs to be able to find it.

3.) Right now, the only way that a customer can be sure of seeing instances of a show and make sure they are returned to him/her is to go through the Time Grid and select what he/she wants to watch.

4.) Movies and VOD are returned by the Advanced Search with the best results. Series results are average and often do not return HD airings, and sometimes multiple listings of the same show on different channels are not both returned. (See my example of The Odd Couple, earlier in this thread.) Live Sports results are the worst. For the new keyboard advanced search for modern set-tops, I would assign the following letter grades:

Advanced Search Set Top Box Keyboard Search ability for the following:

Movies on Demand: A-
Premium Movies and Non-Premium Movies: B
TV Shows and Series: B-
Sports on Demand: C+
High Definition Content: C+
Live Network and Live Premium Channel Sports: D-

This evaluation may help for future updates for enhancements of the set-top-box Advanced Search. Thank you.

Jack
Cisco 9865 DVR with Navigator Guide