Annoying guide information

Recently Rogers updated the firmware of the Scientific Atlantic HD PVR they sell to their customers. While the updates are greatly appreciated. I can now start watching a program it’s recording from the beginning not where it’s currently playing live, and when the show ends, the playback no longer stops. Some other annoying features still remain. The key one being how program titles are used to determine what gets recorded.

As an example, Survivor: Fiji (yes we still watch Survivor). When Survivor: Fiji first started being broadcast the PVR guide listed the title as Survivor: Fiji. Shortly after the name changed to Survivor: Fiji (HD), normally indicating a program shown in HiDef, which Survivor is not. The PVR did not recognize the title change and didn’t record new episodes, until I cleared the old record schedule, and added a new one for Survivor: Fiji (HD).

Survivor aired last night, as CBS did some schedule juggling to accommodate Final Four Basketball. Sure enough, the name in the PVR guide had changed again to Survivor: Fiji and the PVR failed to record this episode. Luckily we noticed this omission before it had aired on the west coast and were able to record off one of those channels. Failing that Rogers does allow you to rent Survivor episodes for 24 hours at a cost of $1.99, an outrage to me, seeming how the PVR they supplied me was set to record a show using guide data that they also provided me.

Programs that are HD, that have HD in their names have also changed to a name not including the (HD) moniker. It’s not always the same network either, programs like CSI:NY, Grey’s Anatomy, Prison Break (which we no longer watch), and Heroes, each on a different network.

I have called Rogers to complain, but so far nothing has happened. For now I’m hoping for another surprise firmware update that includes the HD status of a program in it’s description, not in the title.