TV Guide Channel in Mexico

[AriX]

It seems that in Mexico, the TV Guide Channel on provider Megacable shows cable previews and highlights much like the old Prevue Channel. I don't know what's going on here or why this is, but they even use some old TV Guide advertising music while playing ads. I don't know if this is a service that TV Guide (Lionsgate) provides for some reason, or if they are overlaying their own video feed over TV Guide's in order to achieve this, but it's quite interesting that at least in Mexico, TV Guide is still being used this way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIzbtMB4oV0

UPDATE: Huh. These videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39-HrvaS-3s, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrygoDD4tPs, seem to show that this is definitely a service offered by TV Guide, since it can be seen running on several different cable networks. Absolutely insane, I never would have guessed... TV Guide must just never have started the entertainment network in Latin America, and just... never stopped carrying the previews. I wonder if the TV Guide Network Windows NT boxes still offer this capability.

[Bolt96]

Wow!! That's interesting. Also that they're still called TV Guide Channel and the music they played almost sounded like what they used for the '99-'00 TV Guide Channel! If TVGN were more like that over here I wouldn't have such a problem with it today.

[LocalH]

Speaking of Prevue/TV Guide in Mexico, check these vids out:

Canal de Programación Prevue VTR Cablexpress (Octubre 1998) - Parte 1
Canal de Programación Prevue VTR Cablexpress (Octubre 1998) - Parte 2 y final

Talk about weird...A2-Blue styling, but I'm fairly certain that's not Amiga-generated (color gradations are too smooth for an OCS Amiga to generate, and I doubt there is a Mexico-only version of the software upgraded to make full use of AGA Amigas). It is possible that the gradients were softened by YouTube, however I'm still going to say it's not Amiga based - it just doesn't look like an Amiga to me.

[AriX]

Speaking of Prevue/TV Guide in Mexico, check these vids out:

Canal de Programación Prevue VTR Cablexpress (Octubre 1998) - Parte 1
Canal de Programación Prevue VTR Cablexpress (Octubre 1998) - Parte 2 y final

Talk about weird...A2-Blue styling, but I'm fairly certain that's not Amiga-generated (color gradations are too smooth for an OCS Amiga to generate, and I doubt there is a Mexico-only version of the software upgraded to make full use of AGA Amigas). It is possible that the gradients were softened by YouTube, however I'm still going to say it's not Amiga based - it just doesn't look like an Amiga to me.

Yeah, I saw that a while ago - quite interesting. Probably the Prevue Latino service that I keep seeing in these old articles. Quite odd that it doesn't scroll, huh? I agree, though, it really does not look like it is Amiga generated.

[curtjr4]

I believe it is a early WinNT system. I'm probably wrong, but that's what i'd guess. My only reason is since TVG entered Latin America later on most likely, so they were probably testing new generation systems down there. Just a wild guess, though

[swest77]

Maybe it's a later incarnation of http://web.archive.org/web/200708060308 ... hannel.htm

Speaking of which, I noticed someone removed the reference to Prevue Junior from wikipedia's article. It got changed to a Prevue Interactive reference. I'm thinking that's incorrect, but don't wanna change it back unless it was someone around here and they know better than I do.

[AriX]

Maybe it's a later incarnation of http://web.archive.org/web/200708060308 ... hannel.htm

Speaking of which, I noticed someone removed the reference to Prevue Junior from wikipedia's article. It got changed to a Prevue Interactive reference. I'm thinking that's incorrect, but don't wanna change it back unless it was someone around here and they know better than I do.

I doubt they're related - Prevue Junior is not shown showing a preview like TV Guide Mexico does, and TV Guide Mexico is obviously just the standard USA TV Guide hardware with a different video feed - Prevue Junior does not look anything like TV Guide ever has. I really think they have nothing to do with each other at all.

I was the one who changed the Prevue Junior section to Prevue Interactive... Feel free add something about Prevue Junior if you would like, but you stated that the Prevue brand name continued on through the Prevue Junior service, when in fact the brand name continued on through all of Prevue Interactive Canada's services. I don't believe that what I wrote was incorrect?

[swest77]

Maybe it's a later incarnation of http://web.archive.org/web/200708060308 ... hannel.htm

Speaking of which, I noticed someone removed the reference to Prevue Junior from wikipedia's article. It got changed to a Prevue Interactive reference. I'm thinking that's incorrect, but don't wanna change it back unless it was someone around here and they know better than I do.

I doubt they're related - Prevue Junior is not shown showing a preview like TV Guide Mexico does, and TV Guide Mexico is obviously just the standard USA TV Guide hardware with a different video feed - Prevue Junior does not look anything like TV Guide ever has. I really think they have nothing to do with each other at all.

I was talking about the "Canal de Programación Prevue VTR Cablexpress" one, not the WinNT-based Mexican TV Guide Channel software. The pictures on the archived prevue.com page look like Photoshop mock-ups, so there's no telling for sure. But they do bear a resemblance to what's in those videos. Almost makes me think the videos are recordings someone made of their STB's Prevue Junior IPG pulled up (assuming the software was updated to include PIP previews the way it's doing in the videos).

I was the one who changed the Prevue Junior section to Prevue Interactive... Feel free add something about Prevue Junior if you would like, but you stated that the Prevue brand name continued on through the Prevue Junior service, when in fact the brand name continued on through all of Prevue Interactive Canada's services. I don't believe that what I wrote was incorrect?

My mistake.

[AriX]

I was talking about the "Canal de Programación Prevue VTR Cablexpress" one, not the WinNT-based Mexican TV Guide Channel software. The pictures on the archived prevue.com page look like Photoshop mock-ups, so there's no telling for sure. But they do bear a resemblance to what's in those videos. Almost makes me think the videos are recordings someone made of their STB's Prevue Junior IPG pulled up (assuming the software was updated to include PIP previews the way it's doing in the videos).

Obviously, I don't know for sure, but they really don't look alike other than the fact that they both look like Prevue Grid. Keep in mind that these recordings are from 1998, while the Prevue Junior page is from 2004-ish. Also, from a marketing standpoint, if the Prevue Junior could play previews, I think they would promote it that way on their website. But I really don't think Prevue Junior is something that runs in the set top box - it just doesn't make sense. Why have something at the headend that distributed data that was then rendered on each and every cable box (without interactivity!) if you could just make a channel that each and every cable box received? Less expensive, less complexity, etc. Plus, in both the "Canal de Programación" video and in the Prevue Junior image, you can clearly see that there is a Prevue Channel listed in the listings. Why would they use a scrolling, locally rendered list if they could just tune to a channel to do the same thing? In addition, the page is called "prevuechannel.htm". Prevue/TVG had interactive scroll guides since the early 90s. If they were to do something like Prevue Junior on a cable box, they would surely give it interactivity.

[MZSLV]

Hmm, looks interesting when you are looking if Prevue was only on America, it's obvious most of channels has its international versions, lemme tell this for you know this.
TV Guide has introduced in January 1995 as "Prevue Latino", for example in my experience here in Mexico they used the blue Scrolling grid at 1996 through Channel 2 from Megacable Los Mochis. It was wonderful and a bit creepy because when each Preview ends the video turns black and waiting for the next one. Those idents were playing at :00 and :30 of every hour, and static logos for :15 and :45 of every hour.



They never showed "Prevue Tonight" "Family Vue" etc. I guess those blocks was for the original american version. But were introducing local advertisings.

In 1997, Prevue Latino has changed its blue scrolling for this one similar to Prevue Junior as you saw these videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYLZuIA5asQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9heFAKlcB5I
(They are from Chile, in 1998)
Before getting new previews of the month, Prevue Latino crashed every month and display an error.
I know Prevue has changed to TV Guide channel (May 1999), and kept its Prevue jr interface until were replaced by the platinum grill during mid 2000.
In my city when Megacable Los Mochis has started the Digital Service in 2007, the platinum grill has finally arrived, but weeks later TV Guide were crashed fatally and to cover the error, they brought back the Prevue jr look, just took less than few days.
Now these days, TV Guide runs on WIndows NT, Channel 2 and on Megacable of my City.
Too bad i don't find more videos of Prevue Latino, but good finding more of its original US version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIzbtMB4oV0
Yes, i uploaded this video.
Take note i'm the uploader of this video, and TV Guide is offered in not only here, in most of Latin American cableoperators.
Is distributed by Accion Group and DLATV (Digital Latin America)

Well, i know is not enough thought, but that's my story how TV Guide has arrived here.