[PlayitSimple]

When I first signed up with SD, one of the first things I noticed was that their program guide is light years ahead of Rogers piece of crap and it features one of the things I have wanted to see in an IPG, namely the logo for each channel displayed as you scroll through.

I have noticed though that there are many channel logos that are incorrect (outdated ones) and several channels like CBC News Network & CHCH don't have a logo displayed at all. Why doesn't SD update the guide with the correct logos, is this a software issue that can only be fixed when they issue a firmware update?! I don't understand the point of offering this feature with the guide when they don't bother to maintain the database and ensure the logos for all channels are the correct ones?!

Anyone know who to contact at SD to inquire about this, the customer reps. haven't got a clue and just give you the 'stock' reply they give to every question or complaint.

Thanks.

 

[dmoes]

I have noticed though that there are many channel logos that are incorrect (outdated ones) and several channels like CBC News Network & CHCH don't have a logo displayed at all. Why doesn't SD update the guide with the correct logos, is this a software issue that can only be fixed when they issue a firmware update?! I don't understand the point of offering this feature with the guide when they don't bother to maintain the database and ensure the logos for all channels are the correct ones?!
Thanks.

Yep Ive noticed too this includes the radio stations

Anyone know who to contact at SD to inquire about this, the customer reps. haven't got a clue and just give you the 'stock' reply they give to every question or complaint.

Thanks.

Try Ask Jim

 

[TJ77]

Yes, they can be update via software, but every resource they have is currently devoted to the 600 series.

 

[Moose57]

I can tell you that logo's are embedded into each firmware release, so when code is stable, logo's can get easily outdated quickly.
The logo is created using standard graphic tool and then compiled into a proprietary format for the OpenTV based EPG.

They do have the capability using the OpenStreamer, which is the engine behind the interactive products to be able to download and update them as they change.

They haven't done that so far and I have no idea if they ever will.

When I started doing the logo's on 5xx years ago, many didn't even have official logos, common with some of the foreign audio sources, so they had to be made up or best guessed.

Now there is no notification from the affiliates that their logo has changed. So unless someone is regularly on the hunt, it just doesn't happen.

I recall once emailing TBS for an 'official' logo to compile into the code and they didn't even answer me.
The US folks don't care about Canada at all.

Maybe the place to start is with the channel itself.
Write and pressure them to get SD to accept and update their logo.
After all, it's the stations brand at stake, they have a vested interest.

Since BTV IPG doesn't use logo's and SD is the only other DTH provider, then the little icons are seen by ~ 1M peeps.

Maybe the SD guy in charge of logo can get a win 7 MCE box and use the 3rd party channel logos of of that.
Buy even that is not a complete set.

I suppose their point of view is it's a lot of work for very little return.

 

[PlayitSimple]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I hope these are corrected, its annoying scrolling through and seeing the wrong logo displayed or worse having no logo displayed. If they are intent on keeping this feature with the guide (I hope they do because I like it), then this should be corrected- I don't think it would it take them very long to fix these?!

I sent off an email, hopefully they will reply. Here is the list of discrepancies I found:

The following channels in the guide have NO logo listed:

7 CHEK
10 CKPG
41 CHCH
92 CBCNN
182 NICK
196 DIY
216 WMOVIE
217 SUNDAN
303 GLBHD
319 HDSCR
331 CNNHD
364 AMCHD
365 HISTHD
366 OASIS
387 CANDHD
388 V HD
683 PENT
772 YOOPA

The following channels have INCORRECT logos displayed:

9 KNOW
13 CFJC
23 ACCESS
95 GRACE
126 NHLNET
141 HNN
144 HISTY
145 HIST W
146 DISC
160 A&E
163 SHOWE
164 SHOWW
172 TOONE
173 TOONW
177 GSN
183 ANIMAL
212 DIVA
237 DUSK
238 ACTION
241 MOREPX
277 CAVE
360 DISHD
361 A&EHD
720 CANSAV
721 V MON
723 V QBC
724 V SAG
725 V GAT
726 V SHR
730 RDI
751 RFO
753 CANEVA
758 MYSTERE (Name is also incorrect)
762 MUSIM
771 TOONF
773 CANALD
775 MUSIQP

 

[Moose57]

Just as I figured, all the missing ones are NEW channels.

With a list that big, that might just drop the feature all together, but I hope they don't.

It makes the info box look pretty, just the way I laid it out.

 

[TJ77]

I believe the logos are (mostly) up to date with the 630, but can someone confirm that. I'm still waiting for mine.

 

[PlayitSimple]

With a list that big, that might just drop the feature all together, but I hope they don't.

That's the thought that crossed my mind as well when I saw the size of the list I had compiled. I hope they don't get rid of it as I like having the logos in the guide, I am a visual person so for me the logo (which is the visual representation of the brand) is how I identify each channel in my mind. I don't think this will take them that long to update, heck if they want hire me I'll do it and I love doing mundane tasks like this.

I noticed that for all the channels that have re-branded they have updated the channel name in the guide and the programming info is correct so how hard is it to update the logos?!

 

[PlayitSimple]

Got a reply from SD today, it looks like they will be getting rid of this feature soon, no more channel logos in the guide.

 

[TJ77]

I think if they were going to get rid of the logos, that they'd be gone in the 630, and they are not.

 

[Moose57]

The SOB's, what a bunch of lazy turds!
I think I mentioned that a few posts above.

The one simple feature that differentiates their 5XX & 6XX from most other boxes in Canada and they can't be bothered to support it.

Even if they never did it live with Openstreamer and it looks like they can't figure it out, so I won't hold my breath for Mosiac and much of the interactive OpenTV goodies they could do as the apps are now shrink wrapped off the shelf items ,they could at least say every 6 months release a bug fix/feature creep/new logos update until they orphan the 630 for the next grand hoopla and abandoned us again.

You know, it's not that much to ask.
And I can say that as having done it for a few years, it's no big stinkin' deal!

 

[osmosis]

It looks like the 630 has the logos downloaded with the guide.

I noticed that after the 630 was first activated and an initial guide was downloaded, there were no logos. It was only after the guide was completely downloaded did the logos show up.

 

[PlayitSimple]

Got a reply from SD today, it looks like they will be getting rid of this feature soon, no more channel logos in the guide.

Just a followup and a final wrap up on this thread,

The logos have now been removed from the guide (at least on the 209, which is the receiver I have). This sucks, I really liked this feature, I guess they can't be bothered to take a few minutes and update the database with the current logos.

 

[NB Josh]

I still have them on my 505, but not my 317s.

 

[MSM]

Logos

If you look at the thread describing software release 0.FE for the 5xx series, you will find that the primary "feature" of the release is the removal of the logos from the Guide and program banners. This is probably an indication that they plan few (if any) future firmware updates for the 5xx receivers and related products (such as the 209, 219 etc.). As Moose says, it seems that maintaining the logos is too much trouble for Shaw, and doesn't justify pumping out featureless firmware updates.

The good news, as stated somewhere in the same thread, Is that the 630 and 605 logos come with the Guide data, and can be updated every day (that they choose to send corrected logos).

For further infoormation, go peruse the thread - this is just a summary from memory. (RTFM)

 

[PlayitSimple]

The good news, as stated somewhere in the same thread, Is that the 630 and 605 logos come with the Guide data, and can be updated every day (that they choose to send corrected logos).

Interesting, so isn't this possible with any other model receivers?! I believe the 219 is a fairly newer model so why can't the logos come with the guide data for this one as well?! Would this require a software upgrade or is it built into the chip on the receiver?!

 

[MSM]

As I understand it, the Guide data for the 6xx receivers is new to Shaw Direct and completely different from the Guide used in the older receivers. (The aborted enhancements for the 5xx and other older receivers was supposed to update them to the new guide.)

 

[ae_collector]

I really thought that once the 605/630 were out and working reasonably well, Shaw D would have released new software for the 505/530/209/319 that would have given us a few of the easy to do upgrades that were promised. Some of the upgrades must have been easy to accomplish....

 

[987654321]

SD announced months ago that the 505/530 development had completely stopped - just call them DSR500 - Take II