EPG should warn about repeats

I got annoyed (for the umpteenth time) last night because I had planned
my evening so as to be free to sit down and watch the latest nightly
episode of the 2006 (Poker) World Series on Challenge. The EPG had
given the same generic information as on the three previous nights when
different events from this year's championships had been shown so I
didn't suspect anything until the programme started and I found out
that it was a repeat of the previous night's programme.


I even rang Ofcom this morning and asked if they have any jurisdiction
over Sky or the originating channel who presumably provide the blurb
for the EPG to prevent people being conned into thinking that a
programme is not a repeat - but they said not.

Anyone else ever get mad about this? It's not just Challenge and I
would hope that it could be outlawed. They must realise that a repeat
dressed up as a new programme only alienates viewers. Who makes these
EPG decisions?

Stan

Stan The Man wrote:

I got annoyed (for the umpteenth time) last night because I had planned
my evening so as to be free to sit down and watch the latest nightly
episode of the 2006 (Poker) World Series on Challenge. The EPG had
given the same generic information as on the three previous nights when
different events from this year's championships had been shown so I
didn't suspect anything until the programme started and I found out
that it was a repeat of the previous night's programme.

I even rang Ofcom this morning and asked if they have any jurisdiction
over Sky or the originating channel who presumably provide the blurb
for the EPG to prevent people being conned into thinking that a
programme is not a repeat - but they said not.

Anyone else ever get mad about this? It's not just Challenge and I
would hope that it could be outlawed. They must realise that a repeat
dressed up as a new programme only alienates viewers. Who makes these
EPG decisions?

Stan

It's the generic cover-all descriptions that get me. Something like
UGTVGold, the series Harry Enfield and Friends or such and you're
taping them, but the epg says something like "Harry and guests Paul
whitehouse and Kathy burke perform some sketches" for every single
show with no way of telling which actual show it is. MTV's showing of
South Park usually has "More fun with Stan and the Boys"... well,
thanks, how informative!

--
Paul (Need a lift she said much obliged)
-------------------------------------------------------
Stop and Look
http://www.geocities.com/dreamst8me/

"Paul Heslop" wrote:
MTV's showing of
South Park usually has "More fun with Stan and the Boys"... well,
thanks, how informative!

This also means that on Sky+ it assumes they are all the same
episode and will not set up a series link. It would be nice if it
even gave you the option with a "warning: repeated programme"
or something.

Al

Al Reynolds wrote:

"Paul Heslop" wrote:
MTV's showing of
South Park usually has "More fun with Stan and the Boys"... well,
thanks, how informative!

This also means that on Sky+ it assumes they are all the same
episode and will not set up a series link. It would be nice if it
even gave you the option with a "warning: repeated programme"
or something.

Al

yep, though in UKTVgold's case it's almost definite they're repeats
:O)

--
Paul (Need a lift she said much obliged)
-------------------------------------------------------
Stop and Look
http://www.geocities.com/dreamst8me/

Stan The Man wrote:

I got annoyed (for the umpteenth time) last night because I had planned
my evening so as to be free to sit down and watch the latest nightly
episode of the 2006 (Poker) World Series on Challenge. The EPG had
given the same generic information as on the three previous nights when
different events from this year's championships had been shown so I
didn't suspect anything until the programme started and I found out
that it was a repeat of the previous night's programme.

Even the Tivo EPG often doesn't realise when a programme is a repeat
and so I suppose it's mostly down to the broadcasters not passing on
the right information to the EPG providers.

These days it would make more sense to assume that everything is a
repeat unless it has a special "new" flag in the EPG.

--
Digibox problem? : A reboot solves 90% of these.
The Sky Digital FAQ: http://tinyurl.com/8vef5
UK TV overseas: http://tinyurl.com/6p73
BBC/ITV reception trouble? ; http://www.astra2d.com/
----
Only the truth as I see it.
No monies return'd. ;-)

In uk.media.tv.sky on Fri, 24 Nov 2006, Al Reynolds wrote :
"Paul Heslop" wrote:
MTV's showing of
South Park usually has "More fun with Stan and the Boys"... well,
thanks, how informative!

This also means that on Sky+ it assumes they are all the same
episode and will not set up a series link. It would be nice if it
even gave you the option with a "warning: repeated programme"
or something.

Perhaps first-run programs should he a different colour in the Sky Guide
- mind you, there wouldn't be very many of them...
--
Paul 'Charts Fan' Hyett

"Jomtien" wrote in message
...
Stan The Man wrote:

I got annoyed (for the umpteenth time) last night because I had planned
my evening so as to be free to sit down and watch the latest nightly
episode of the 2006 (Poker) World Series on Challenge. The EPG had
given the same generic information as on the three previous nights when
different events from this year's championships had been shown so I
didn't suspect anything until the programme started and I found out
that it was a repeat of the previous night's programme.

Even the Tivo EPG often doesn't realise when a programme is a repeat
and so I suppose it's mostly down to the broadcasters not passing on
the right information to the EPG providers.

These days it would make more sense to assume that everything is a
repeat unless it has a special "new" flag in the EPG.



Indeed. But even defining whats a repeat isnt straightforward. What about
the CSI being shown for the first time by Channel 5. Is that a repeat? Its
been on Sky One before. And, once pretty much everything is flagged as a
'repeat' that would give you no more info. Plus of course *you* might not
have seen it before!

Anyway, the original issue is definitely Chellenges problem, not Sky's who
are not and cannot be responsible for the EPG content of other channels.

What would be far more useful, which is rarely seen, is a simple numeric
listing in addition to the blurb, such as I am told you get on the net by
people who download these things, eg CSI Series 4 Episode 2. This would be
the solution to the OPs original problem , much more so than simply saying
'repeat'...might be a repeat of a different series or a repeat of a series
that you havent seen.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

Paul Hyett wrote:

Perhaps first-run programs should he a different colour in the Sky
Guide - mind you, there wouldn't be very many of them...

I like MTV's "All New Cribs" being used when it's only, say, the third
repeat. That's before we get the "All New Best Of" when it's about the
twelfth repeat.

Regards

Mark

Hi,

In article ,
Al wrote:
This also means that on Sky+ it assumes they are all the same
episode and will not set up a series link.

That's not true. Series linking has nothing to do with the text in the EPG
description.

Andy

"Andy Hawkins" wrote:
Hi,

In article ,
Al wrote:
This also means that on Sky+ it assumes they are all the same
episode and will not set up a series link.

That's not true. Series linking has nothing to do with the text in the EPG
description.

Andy

Explain to me why the planner refuses to do a series link for South
Park on MTV? It's on twice a night for pity's sake - you would
have thought it could spot that it was a series.

Al