# 'Info Not Available' on EPG



## Kevin (Mar 27, 2002)

On my E* Model 3900 reciever's EPG, I am getting alot of 'Info Not Available' blocks instead of programming. I usually can get info for the next two shows on each channel, then it displays 'Info Not Available' after that. It takes a LONG minute or two (it seems long because you have to stare at the EPG, you can't close it) for the 'Info Not Available' to go away and then it replaces it with shows. I asked E* about what I can do about it, and they said to reset the reciever by removing and reinserting the smart card. I did that but the problem still exists. I know its not a major problem, but it bothers me nonetheless. I pay at least $80 a month for E* and I should at least have a fully-functional EPG for that price. Is anyone else experiencing this problem or is it just my reciever?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Nope - that's a problem that we all face...the receivers don't have enough memory in them to hold more than that...you think 2 hours is bad on the 3900 - on my old 2800 I'd be lucky to have a hour worth of data for each channel.


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## Kevin (Mar 27, 2002)

I notice that if you hold down the Guide button while you're in the EPG, the "absent" programming comes up faster. It worked better before my 3800 was upgraded, but it still works to some extent. I dunno...


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## snagel (Mar 24, 2002)

Same thing happens to my 4900 upgraded version receivers 2 ea. I called a week ago and then again this week. It seems to get alot worse at night. 
I find it alot easier if I never have to use the darn guide. So I just quit watching tv. 

On the serious note. If they don't get it fixed soon I'll get rid of DISH altogether and go to DTV or cable. I am sick of them.
I talked to a tech the other night that actually admitted that they were having all kinds of problems with the 4900 receivers since the last upgrade. He said that alot of people were complaining about only having around an hour and a half of epg.
My receivers are about 80 - 85 % saturated with the information not available during the first half hour and about 90 - 95 % for the remaining 1 hour on the epg.

He said that they were supposed to do a software upgrade real soon for the 4900.


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## RJS1111111 (Mar 23, 2002)

The old receivers just don't have enough memory to hold much guide information. The newer receivers do. I may go out and
get a model 301 receiver, to fix this problem, as well as to allow
me to get programming from all four orbital slots.

It seems to me that DISH Network is generally good for subscribers who most want value pricing, whereas DirecTV is generally good for subscribers who most want the best- performing feature-laden receivers.

Unfortunately, the merger is pretty much putting an end to that choice we now have. So, for now, DISH customers, keep whining about the pitiful old receivers, and DirecTV customers, keep crowing about how much you spend on equipment and monthly fees. Maybe the merged entity will turn out okay after all.


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2002)

yea the 4900 receivers are horrible. Since the upgrade to the dish interative I have had freeze ups where all I get is a blank screen with garbled mess and then have to pull out the smart card and reinsert it.
Last week I set a program to record on my vcr and the receiver did not set the vcr to record it even though I set it right.
I am getting annoyed with their recievers and if RCA which makes great DTV recievers I will get when when RCA makes them for Dish. My friend has DTV and he was able to go many hours with the reciever and it was fast, and he has one of the older recievers, the menus were much better, yet his girlfriends brother has dish and has nothing but problems, he is thinking why did I not choose DTV


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

Uh, the 301 doesn't hold more than a hour or so of future program information either. Apparently, the code for storing the guides on Dish equipment also stores the information for "unavailable" channels, including out of market stations.

The only receiver at the moment that can hold a full guide (and beyond) is the 501.


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## Kevin (Mar 27, 2002)

Tonight (March 30th) there was no programming info at all for any of the channels on E*. I reinserted the smart card and then all the programming info came up. Did anyone else notice this too?


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2002)

Pulling the smart card, a hard reboot and a switch test 3 times each did not work on mine. 
It is DISH'S software, and they know it. 

If the receivers do not have the memory to sufficiently handle the problem, then I wish they should never have added the interactive application to these receivers.

DISH also stated that the 301 may work faster for now , but that is because it does not have the DISH HOME interactive added to it yet. So go figure, eventually they'll screw everything up.


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## jegrant (Mar 24, 2002)

What I would like, on my 4900 (which currently does have the DISH Interactive upgrade with Channel 100), is if it could FILL UP with guide data when I turn it off. Since I leave it off all night, why couldn't it just keep itself full of the latest guide data? Is it doing anything else of importance?

Then, at least when I turn it on and want to watch something, it would have (hopefully) at least 90 minutes of data stored so that I didn't (at least immediately) see any dreaded INFO NOT AVAILABLE in my guide.

What would be even better, is if it could filter guide data according to the current favorite list I am viewing in the guide. That way, I could simply make sure it was on the correct list before turning it off, and it could not only fill up with guide data, but throw out anything not on my list, so that I have a longer term guide of the channels I like.

I realize there isn't a ton of memory available for this purpose, but obviously there is some memory, as I have been able to go into the future on the guide for quite a while, and be able to move back and forth between then and the current time without having to re-download anything.


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