From Multichannel news... not sure if this will fly well or not but I guess it is good use of a sub channel...

Broadland Properties’ KAXT, a low-power class-A station serving the San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose market, will use a multicast subchannel to deliver an electronic program guide with data from Tribune Media Services. The station’s “All Channel TV Program Guide,” available on channel 1.1, offers 24/7 access to information available on over-the-air programming from local broadcasters.

http://blogs.nbmedia.com/elogic_100000410/files/2010/04/kaxt.jpghttp://www.multichannel.com/blog/BIT_RATE/31001-Scrolling_TV_Listings_Hit_San_Francisco_Airwaves.php?rssid=2 0092

Wow! That's awesome!
I love it when stations made an effort to give antenna customers a "cable like" TV experience, but without the cost. We could only wish for a similar buisness approach here in Canada.

With the remap to channel 1.1 it almost seems like it is the main channel, but when you realize that KAXT-(CA) is multicasting 15 sub-channels :o, it kind of makes sense.

As well, if properly done, there is an opportunity ad revenue, stationary or dynamic, on the channel; much like the cable operators scrolling analogue guides usually have.

I agree with alebowgm. I think it is a very good use of a sub-channel and innovative as well.

15 subs, what the heck are they showing?

If they're all SD video the bandwidth for each would be horrible narrow so the Picture Quality would be garbage! OTOH if several of those streams are data-only or low-res screens like that program guide then 15 is possible but really pushing it!

Sorry.
Three channels are audio only. The rest are family/local/shopping/religious/cultural stations ranging from 0.8Mbps to 2.75Mbps according to rabbit ears.
Nothing for the PQ-phile.

Regardless, nice find alebowgm. I hope it finds it's niche (San Fran area has 26 stations), with possibly moving elsewhere. It would be nice for smaller American border stations to provide this service including Canadian listings to attract viewers. I don't see a Canadian broadcaster picking this up.

Hi all,

I haven't read all 26 pages in this thread, so forgive me if this is a repeat, but I did see some posts discussing limitations of Zap2it for people who are trying to get listings for both US and Canadian channels on one customized channel list (GTA area residents pikcing up Buffalo, for example)

Anyone who uses Zap2It knows that you set your postal or zip code to get the channels that it recognizes as broadcasting OTA in your area. The problem is, if you use your Canadian postal code, it will often not show all the U.S. channels you can pick up or vice versa.

What I discovered, is that if you use a postal code to begin and add the local stations you want (I only add the HD stations, for example) and SAVE, then change your location using a Buffalo zip code (e.g. 14201) and manually add the Buffalo channels you want and SAVE, then swithc back to your Canadian postal code...

PRESTO - full channel listing including all the channels you want from both sides of the border.

Maybe this is already common knowledge, but I saw a few posts that seemed like they were having this problem.

Here's another suggestion....My Tivo also uses postal code - a single one... Same problem - I live in Markham. I used a St. Catherines Postal code to get the local Canadian stations and the Buffalo ones.

Here is my dilema, I have 2 LG LCDs with built in ATSC/QAM TUNERS big screens, 1 has the tv guide and the bigger one doesn't. This drives my wife nuts, and am looking for a way to rectify this problem

Is there a tuner I can get to hook up to the tv to get the guide for the channels coming in via OTA

Check the site for firmware update for the TV. Else a WMC or SageTV DVR will have guide data.

Check the site for firmware update for the TV. Else a WMC or SageTV DVR will have guide data.
I need a standalone tuner with EPG, not something to hook up to the computer. Just a direct from antenna to tv

Like I said, my LG has a built in tuner, but no EPG

lima20:

Your wife needs one of these:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=1118293&postcount=192

By the way, I have the Samsung. I love its Electronic Programming Guide. I might be persuaded to part with it if you're interested. I'm planning on building an HTPC so I might not need the Samsung anymore in the future. PM me if you want to discuss.

EDIT: A moderator removed my list of models that I suggested and instead inserted a link to another forum message where another list of external ATSC tuners is provided. The list I provided specifically contained tuners that have Electronic Programming Guides. I don't know if the tuners that the moderator has redirected you to all come with EPGs. You'll want to do some double-checking (this forum is a good place to do it) before buying

For those wanting a tv grid of channel listings for locally available Vancouver area channels, try the following link:

http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCGrid.do?method=decideFwdForLineup&zipcode=v5g1m2&setMyPreference=false&lineupId=PC:v5g1

The grid has K24ICD (ie the translator for KBTC), which I requested that they add a month ago. The grid combines analog and digital, whereas the other sites (e.g. Canada.com) allows you to view analog separately from digital listings.

I told them a month ago that we can't get 33 KWPX (ie ION), but no action on removing that one yet.

^^^^
The Zap2It service allows you to make up your own list from available channels. If you don't want 33 KWPX included, there's nothing to stop you from removing it.

I just played around with zap2it and it works quite well. I could edit the list of channels I receive and it makes a great tv listings guide.

I had to say I was in Hamilton instead of Kitchener because it didn't list all the stations I can actually receive. I must have a pretty decent setup. :D

Another good thing about zap2it is that they will add missing OTA channels to your postal or zip code.

I've had zero luck with TitanTV or TVguide, but zap2it fixed M8Z3M1 to my liking within 2 weeks.

For those with missing channels, did you even contact them (and be polite with them :-) )?

^^^^
I have on a few occasions nudged them into adding new channels. I've also got them to stop using the same ID for SD & HD versions of the same channel. Prior to that, if there was a SD channel in their list, you couldn't select the HD one. You'd get SD instead. That was bad enough for channels with identical content on both, but on others, such as Discovery, which had different content, you'd be out of luck on the HD channel. It took an exchange of several emails, before they corrected that one.

I have a junk LCD from 2005 but when you get OTA
channels it shows the guide perfectly and even describes
what the episodes will be about and even gives the address
to some of the stations. Now I hear newer HD sets
have a crappy guide for OTA or no guide at all, is this
true or are their some good LED or plasma sets that
still have a good guide?

My Toshiba XF only shows the guide data from the PSIP data for the current channel. Unfortunately, this data is junk for most Toronto local stations. Some TVs might use this or other sources to provide a grid style schedule, but, again, the quality of that data may be less than ideal. (Which is my concern for PVRs like the DTVPal which are based on that data.)

How does one go about adding channels to the on screen TV guide, that I can tune to and watch, but do not appear in the guide?

Thanks!