[mythtv-users] ongoing DataDirect problems?

John Biundo johnbiundo at sbcglobal.net
Mon Jan 9 06:29:42 UTC 2006


Michael T. Dean wrote:
> In the interest of fair time...
> 
. . .

OK, let me put it this way.  Anybody thinking about setting up a MythTV 
box should, BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE, evaluate zap2it.  Here I am, 
having spent lots of $$$ and DAYS OF TIME building and setting up my 
box.  However it's severely limited by the fact that I can't get 
listings from zap2it.

Yes, it's my fault for not checking this before I invested so much.  I 
can only claim ignorance, and I think it's probably the norm, especially 
considering that zap2it BY AND LARGE seems reliable (as evidenced by the 
lack of complaints on this board similar to mine), for most people to 
just assume that if they live in a large metropolitan area, zap2it is 
going to have their listings.  Again, I take responsibility for not 
researching that in advance, but hopefully this serves as a warning for 
others who happen to be looking in this direction.

If they DON'T have your provider, then you're probably going to be in 
the same boat as me, which is WAY UP THE BROWN CREEK without a paddle. 
Good luck trying to get any info out of the zap2it folks.  I've tried 
every means I can think of to contact them, with absolutely NO reply. 
I've been patient and polite.  I've e-mailed, posted, PM'd, etc.  Not a 
word out of them.  They do lead you to believe that they're listening by 
setting up a forum where you can post your problems with the data, but 
providing NO RESPONSE for 2 weeks?

So I'm stuck trying to figure out a workaround, and believe me it isn't 
pretty.  If you're not a SQL wiz, then forget it. Even then, it seems 
part black magic so far.  And the worst part is, even if I get this all 
working, I suspect that my provider listings, which apparently just up 
and disappeared a few weeks ago, may just as suddenly reappear, 
rendering all this work a colossal waste of time.  I really only wish 
they'd reply and let me know whether I should wait for them to fix a 
minor problem, or that I'm on my own and should keep on plugging with my 
hacks.

And as far as their "generosity" for providing this data for free, I'm 
sure there are tons of grateful MythTV'ers out there, and I wish I was 
one of them, but I'd gladly pay a few bucks a months for this service. 
Especially if it gave me the right to bitch and demand that things get 
fixed.  The fact that they DON'T charge frankly worries me.  Their 
profit model is not very clear to me, which makes me nervous that they 
may either just pull up stakes one day, or shut down their free service 
without an adequate replacement in sight.  What then?

Anyway, just wanted to clarify my earlier rant.

John



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