Digital Cable Subscribers: What is your guide?

[Bolt96]

If you are a subscriber to digital cable, chances are you probably have some sort of built in interactive television guide. I am curious to know the various forms currently out there, so what type of guide do you have?

There seem to be two mainstream guides right now; TV guide interactive, and the older SARA guide. My area's cable co. has recently decided to upgrade from the SARA guide (which has served us for many, many years) to the TVGI guide, which personally I dislike.

[AriX]

Passport, Sara, and i-Guide (formerly TV Guide Interactive) are the main digital cable IPGs across the US (not including things like TiVo and FiOS). However, in the rest of the world, none of these guides are very widespread.

Here in Philadelphia, we have the i-Guide - which is, of course, the descendent of Prevue Interactive, and functions a lot like it.

[woddfellow2]

I do not have cable or DBS any more, but apparently Cox Communications in Tulsa has this now (Passport?). We did have TV Guide Interactive until 2002, and I vaguely remember Prevue Interactive with TCI Digital Cable circa 1998...

[WeatherSTARIII]

I used to have Digital Cable, but we later switched to DirecTV in 2008. Anyways, I do kind of remembered TCI offering Prevue Interactive too since we used to have the same cable company in our area. Insight Communications later took over the system in my area between 2001-2007. I can't remember whether or not back then if they were still using the TV Guide Interactive IPG after when TV Guide bought out Prevue. I still have the manual for it that showed the IPG features. I might scan and upload it if anyone is interested.

[AriX]

I used to have Digital Cable, but we later switched to DirecTV in 2008. Anyways, I do kind of remembered TCI offering Prevue Interactive too since we used to have the same cable company in our area. Insight Communications later took over the system in my area between 2001-2007. I can't remember whether or not back then if they were still using the TV Guide Interactive IPG after when TV Guide bought out Prevue. I still have the manual for it that showed the IPG features. I might scan and upload it if anyone is interested.

Sorry, I can't help but correct

TV Guide did NOT "buy out Prevue." United Satellite Video Group (Prevue) bought TV Guide from News Corp and rebranded themselves, becoming TV Guide, Inc.

[WeatherSTARIII]

I used to have Digital Cable, but we later switched to DirecTV in 2008. Anyways, I do kind of remembered TCI offering Prevue Interactive too since we used to have the same cable company in our area. Insight Communications later took over the system in my area between 2001-2007. I can't remember whether or not back then if they were still using the TV Guide Interactive IPG after when TV Guide bought out Prevue. I still have the manual for it that showed the IPG features. I might scan and upload it if anyone is interested.

Sorry, I can't help but correct

TV Guide did NOT "buy out Prevue." United Satellite Video Group (Prevue) bought TV Guide from News Corp and rebranded themselves, becoming TV Guide, Inc.

Ooops... thanks for reminding me.

[LocalH]

Charter recently migrated us from SARA over to Passport. Now they just need to get rid of these damn slow 4250HDC boxes and upgrade to something that can actually output the box's UI in HD, like the 8300HDC.

[JFR_SneakPrevue98]

I have TV Guide iGuide which allows whatever channel you're watching in the upper-righthand corner. Can't think of the software version right now.

[AriX]

I have TV Guide iGuide which allows whatever channel you're watching in the upper-righthand corner. Can't think of the software version right now.

That particular feature relies on your cable box hardware, and older STBs like the DCT 2000 and DCT 1000 (not including Pre-Quod) can't take advantage of it. The software version is probably A28; no one is really using anything older than that anymore.

[JFR_SneakPrevue98]

I have TV Guide iGuide which allows whatever channel you're watching in the upper-righthand corner. Can't think of the software version right now.

That particular feature relies on your cable box hardware, and older STBs like the DCT 2000 and DCT 1000 (not including Pre-Quod) can't take advantage of it. The software version is probably A28; no one is really using anything older than that anymore.

Yup it is the A28. Not sure if you know this or not that on the DCX series the firewire is broken.