Missing guida data (Prime, MaoriTV)

[CheshireCat]

Updated response from Sky/Prime:

Prime's listings are not available on TiVo's EPG (electronic programming guide) as at this time TiVo does not measure ratings data. This information is important for a free-to-air broadcaster as we need these ratings to put a value on PRIME's TV commercials.

We expect that this feature could be available in 2012 when we will review this decision at that time.

This seems to me to be an invalid response, since I don't see how Prime would get ratings data if I use a standard Freeview decoder or a TiVo. It makes no difference as they still have no way to tell what I'm watching. Secondly, this did not seem to be an issue to TVNZ and they also broadcast commercials.

In my opinion, this is not a valid reason but merely an excuse for anti-competitive behaviour as they try to prevent TiVo from competing with MySkyHD - and it will backfire as it net result will be that TiVo viewers simply stop watching Prime.

I feel that TiVo users should make as much noise as possible to Sky, and consumers shows like Target and FairGo, so have this brought to light and fixed in less than the 3 years Sky are proposing.

[MrGadget]

Refer http://skytv.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/sk...ted=1259017555
Seem they must be getting a few queries - answer is now a standard text;

Question
Will Prime's listings be available on TiVo's EPG?


Answer
Prime's listings are not available on TiVo's EPG (electronic programming guide) as at this time TiVo does not measure ratings data. This information is important for a free-to-air broadcaster as the ratings are needed to put a value on PRIME's TV commercials.

We expect that this feature could be available in 2012 when we will review this decision at that time.

2012?? Really... I see a Tui billboard...

[CheshireCat]

Of course, no ratings data is gathered if you view Prime on analogue or any other digital decoder, either, so this is a total red herring. Ratings data is gathered by monitoring equipment as a selected sample set of viewers (none of whom use TiVo). Strange how noone else is bothered by this.

[lucas_nz]

I note that Prime have now put an answer on their FAQs page now:
http://skytv.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/sk...hp?p_faqid=893

I've submitted a question via their website asking them to review this decision before 2012.

You're right, the more people that query them about it, the sooner we are likely to see change.

[CheshireCat]

I've just heard today that Prime have also ceased to provide an EPG feed for PrimeTV to the University of Auckland's UniSat system (which is effectively a huge scale PVR for students and staff on specific courses to use for recording course material). Fortunately they have some skillful coders who can screen-scrape the info from the Prime TV website instead...

As far as for myself, I've simply stopped watching Prime now as I can't be bothered to go and find a TV guide and set up time-based recordings. There's enough available in the other channels to fill my available time anyway.

[Skolink]

As far as for myself, I've simply stopped watching Prime now as I can't be bothered to go and find a TV guide and set up time-based recordings.

You aught to use that UK S1 TiVo you have for sale

[CheshireCat]

If I had sufficient time, I'd be playing with the S1 and so on. However, I have 2 small offpring and another imminent so no free time to play (and precious little to watch TV, hence using a Tivo to maximise the chance of something good being on when I do).

What would be really good would be if there were some way to modify the S3 TiVo to make it grab Prime EPG data from one of the community sites but continue to get all other EPG data from the official source. Since I don't know anything abut the EPG ingest format though I wouldn't know where to start on this one - and see the above comment on availability of free time.

With regard to the University data feed, further investigation reveals the problem is that htey are somehow encrypting the satellite EPG feed that was being used, so the uni cannot read it by their current method and are having to use a new method to obtain it.

[CheshireCat]

I took a look in the online guide today, and was amazed.

Prime and MaoriTV EPG data is now available on the TiVo!

It is only a few days in advance rather than the full 2 weeks, but this is still a big win. Finally, I can bother to watch Prime again (and being able to skip the excessive advertising helps, too.

Props to TiVo (and Sky & MaroiTV, I suppose) for getting this working.

[Skolink]

Good news indeed. Sadly though it makes my Series 1 TiVo a little more reduntant.