Canadian OTA Guide Help (zap2it listings discontinued)!

[dre.c]

Well... It looks like Tribune Media has discontinued their zap2it labs service, which means no more xmltv guide data for us Canadians using OTA!

http://xmltv.org/wiki/

Any word on when Snapstream.net will include Digital Antenna data for Canadian customers? We need it badly.....

Any alternatives? I'm currently using a buffalo lineup, but it's missing CTV (40-1) and CityTV (53-1). Any way to use the analog guide data and map it to US digital channels? (Hell, is there any way to add these channels manually???)

Help! I'm about to go TV-free once my guide data runs out....
/ac

[thess]

I believe some people have gotten together and bought a consumer package from Tribune, charging about five bucks a month to distribute the xml data.

[dre.c]

Yeah... Schedules Direct (http://www.schedulesdirect.org/) offers it at $15/3 months...

But frankly, xmltv / zap2it was a pain in the first place. I've been waiting for a while (it seems like years, but it's probably only been a year and a half) for digital listings from snapstream.net for Canadian customers... it's been promised, but it never shows up....

The guide data for the missing channels exists -- CTV (40-1) and CityTV (53-1) offer identical programming to the analog equivalents (Ch. 9 and Ch. 57 respectively), so getting their service provider to at least include them in the buffalo lineup would be a good start....

If I'm going to start paying for guide data, I might as well look at Media PC or Sage (no, that's not a threat -- it's just an economic reality... I could pay for guide data indefinitely, or I can see where else I can spend my money)....

/ac

[rtriffo]

I totally agree. It makes a lot more sense for snapstream to gather the OTA data and merge into the global download than for each user to do this independantly.

Please Snapstream, hear our crys, feel our pain.

[Fonceur]

Actually, I don't think using Schedules Direct would work, as per their contract they can't allow access for commercial applications...

[dre.c]

Well, to be honest, I haven't read the terms & conditions, but I've read enough to know that it works with xmltv -- so whether you're *allowed* to or not, Schedules Direct *should* work....

That being said, I still don't want to go that route
/ac

[Canachi]

I agree too!
I posted this few days ago:

The official Beyond TV 4 issues thread states "OTA HDTV lineups / listings are not available for Canadian users", According to this, I assume that BTV is working to integrate it to their system.
The problem:
it's been almost 2 years (posted date) and NOTHING!

We paid the same US$$$$!

If any canadian is thinking to buy BTV, DON'T DO IT!

Juan

[dre.c]

Upon reflection, I guess I kinda missed the point...

If we can't use Schedules Direct (legally), then BTV users have no means to get complete Digital / OTA schedule data... Which kinda makes a PVR pointless.

In short, I guess it means we're screwed.
/ac

[Fonceur]

Have you tried looking at the customized lineup of the HDHomeRun to see if you couldn't use it to remap your Canadian OTA channels to some cable ones? I don't have access to OTA or HDHR, so don't really know the detail/feasibility...

[dre.c]

I don't have HDHomeRun, so I'm not sure what it offers or how it helps here.... In any event, part of the problem is that although *Analog* data is available for Canadian's Digital data isn't -- even though for the Canadian channels, the program schedule is identical (for Toronto at least) between Analog and Digital.

So, if there was at least a way for me to map the Analog guide data to digital channels, I'd be set -- as it stands, I don't think there is (the ability to edit the guide data is 'greyed out'). There's a note in BTV Admin saying:

You cannot edit the "Name" or "Callsign" information for the channels in this lineup because it is connected to a SnapStream.Net account and your cable provider has already provided this data

...which is a pity, because editing the channel information (ATSC Major and Minor numbers) is *exactly* what I need to do.

/ac

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by dre.c

I don't have HDHomeRun, so I'm not sure what it offers or how it helps here....

I didn't say to go out and buy a HDHR... To use the HDHR, people are using a customized OTA lineup mapped to a cable lineup... Which is what you are asking for... Now weither it would actually work on a real OTA tuner... Try:

http://www.snapstream.net/configure/...eupWizard.aspx

[Canachi]

"In short, I guess it means we're screwed"

EXACTLY, that's the point!

Why should we pay to get OTA listings? We already paid to BTV.
Honestly, if you live in Toronto, just rent a HDPVR from Rogers. With the money that you save not buying BTV and a TV card (and other company to get OTA listings) you can rent the box for more than 1 year.

Now, if OTA listings are available for canadians... maybe BTV would be a good choice.

[Canachi]

Fonceur:
Thank you very much. I know you are trying to help and I really appreciate that, BUT that's not a solution to our problem.

EDIT: Never mind, it IS a good solution, Founceur you are a genius!

PLEASE UPDATE THE FAQS, Life would be so easy...

[dre.c]

Fonceur: I think this just might work for me -- How/where did you get this link? I can't figure out how to navigate to the Custom Lineup Wizard from within Snapstream.net!?!?!

/ac

[tscales]

I doubt the 'can't be used commercially' would apply to individual users. I suspect that means that Snapstream couldn't bundle it. What is it for if it isn't for a user?

I think you're find.