So I got a Macbook Pro a while back, and recently I got a tax rebate and decided to splash out on a nice 24″ monitor, and tv-card for my laptop. After reading lots about the options, the clear cut option seemed to by the Elgato EyeTV, I went for the DTT version, it’s a single tuner version which recieves free-to-air digital TV. Exactly what I was looking for.
The software has a brilliant interface, it’s easy to schedule recordings, has a nice full-screen interface etc. I like the software, it works well…apart from one thing.
Elgato don’t provide their own electronic program guide, they outsource this to different companies in different regions they sell their products. Unfortunately, in the UK this is outsourced to TVTV. I’d love to use the freely available radio times listings, or some other xmltv type source, but I don’t have that option. TVTV costs, but you get a year free. I’m guessing this kind of bundling situation is the only way they have any customers.
I have had two problems with them. Initially, I had a handful of channels, which had no data. I attempted to align the channels, to make sure my channels matched up with TVTV’s channels, I forced updates etc. Nothing. So I emailed TVTV’s support. About 5 days later I recieved a short reply suggesting it was EyeTV’s fault. (I’ve read several accounts that this is their default response to any support request) I emailed back explaining why I thought this was unlikely, I recieved a response saying the problem would be escalated and have heard nothing since. (4 days)
The latest problem, is that the TVTV data appears to be disappearing for all channels. As I scan forward, I notice more and more gaps, followed by no data for any channel after Sunday…worrying. Based on the usefulness of TVTV’s support, I’ve emailed EyeTV to see if they have any more useful ideas.
I’m not a happy bunny. I have a brilliant gadget, and it’s plagued with a problem which could have been easily avoided if Eyetv had gone with an open option such as xmltv rather than this partnering scheme. Oh I realise there’s payments involved, but it doesn’t enamour me to the company as a customer and potential future customer with experiences like this.
Copied below is my missive to Eyetv support!
—-
Due to the “company” you have decided to partner with, TVTV, rather than give people the option to use their own data through xmltv, or partnering with a company that is actually located in the 21st century (such as the radio times) my eyetv software is virtually useless unless I want to record what is on right now.
I have contacted TVTV and recieved the same response that many others have recieved, that it is the fault of the software (eyetv) and nothing to do with them.
I have no EPG data after this sunday (5 days time), and even when I did have two weeks worth of data, there was no data for a selection of 6 or 7 channels.
I have tried:
Forcing an update
Deleting the epgdb files (as suggested in your FAQs) and reinitiallisng the EPG
I am attempting to use the data provided through the DVB EPG but this is patchy and requires each multiplex to be tuned to to update the data, a not satisfactory experience.
I would appreciate a response to this issue.
Matt
Came across your blog while looking for this exact problem which, naturally, I have.
Shame about tvtv – I’ve not gone down the official support route yet (unlike you) but I cannot see how it can be anything other that tvtv’s problem. Everything I have tried gives me back the same information (ie little/no channel data after a day or two – plus the main terrestrial channels disappear completely after the current day).
Not much help, I’m afraid, other than to say I have reached the same impasse as you.
Hope you get a response.
Anthony
ps A clumsy workaround, bizarrely and ironically, is to schedule remote recording commands from tvtv’s website listings (which ARE complete).
Hi again
Just submitted a support ticket to Elgato – here it is:
Chaps
My programme guide from tvtv (UK) refuses to update either automatically or manually – I suspect this has been the case since I installed EyeTV for the first time 10 days ago. I also believe (having looked at recent comments elsewhere on the internet) that I am no alone in this.
As you know, this means that I have no easy means of scheduling recordings (more on that below).
For the record, I have tried every remedy suggested in the FAQs and troubleshooting database up to and including a complete uninstall (including all of the library/pref files) and starting from scratch.
Interestingly, when EyeTv was re-installed the tv-guide was forced to download new files (not just check for them) and the progress of this was shown in the indicator in the bottom right of the window. Subsequent tvtv updates just show the indicator looking for files. This would suggest that they exist on my hard disk but that EyeTV cannot see or display them.
As for my unsatisfactory workaround, I am using the tvtv web remote scheduling but this does not work properly either. Despite processing the job list as instructed (which, apparently, is supposed to send the schedules to my EyeTV automatically – ie ‘push’) I still have to get EyeTV to check with tvtv before it picks up the information.
Thanks for your help
Well at least you can get remote scheduling working!! Mine doesn’t work at all. When I try and force eyetv to pick up anything i’ve sheduled, I get a timeout message. Lovely.
I got a response from eyetv, who confirmed that quite a lot of people are having the problem, and it’s definitly tvtv’s problem.
Their other “helpful” suggestion, apart from using remote scheduling was to try manually scheduling programs, as this should still work. Which is all well and good, except I don’t know when there are programs on which I’d like to watch!
Whilst the email didn’t say this directly, the impression I got was that they were having trouble getting tvtv to address the problem as well! Maybe this will encourage them to go with a different solution in future releases of eyetv?
G’day again Matt
Got some good results from a guy called Leo Park at Elgato (you may have by now too). Two replies by close of play yesterday (Friday – bearing mind eight hour time difference): one to explain the problem and the other to say that (they hoped) it had been solved. Friendly too – nice to have real human beings at the other end.
I’ve pasted the relevant passages below.
Regards
Anthony
The first:
“We have been in contact with TVTV regarding this issue, and they are currently experiencing local service outages due to some server changes they’re currently performing. We’ve spent quite a bit of time helping TVTV in this matter, and expect their EPG service to be working as normal within 24 hours.
Please send us your TVTV account name so that we can follow up with TVTV if your service does not return in the next few days.”
And the second:
“Our engineers tell me that the service should be up and working again.
Please try to update your TVTV Program Guide again, in EyeTV. The Guide Preferences are one way to achieve this.
If your guide still doesn’t appear, then then you can also erase the EyeTVEPG.db, database from the EyeTV Applications Support folder, in Library/Application Support/EyeTV and setup the guide again. An easy way to do that would be to Auto Tune again, and then update the guide from the Guide Preferences.”