Gemstar Guide Plus: has anyone either been able OR unable to download new listings?

[computer]

Very bad news, i wrote to rovi and here is the answer

It appears you are using AMD / ATI Guide software to get TV listings from the internet.

Due to contractual differences with AMD/ATI, this service is no longer available.

If this is not the case and you are using an On Screen Guide built into a TV or DVR please reply to this email with the following information:

Zip Code:

Device Make and Model Number:

Cable Provider or OTA(antenna):

Set up if Cable (Cable Ready, Cable Box, Cable Card):


Regards,

Rovi CE Tech Support


I just wrote to AMD and ask them to fix the contractual problem with Rovi

Thanks for the info. Did you happen to ask Rovi/ATI just WTF millions of users are supposed to use now? How did you write them, email address?

 

[schlum]

Here are the 2 places i find the email address on their website

http://www.rovicorp.com/company/11088.htm
http://support.amd.com/us/contacts/Pages/global-technical-support.aspx

I strongly suggest that everybody complaign to AMD instead of Rovi because there is no relation with us. We bought the card from AMD/ATI so they are the ones who makes publicity on their box about Gemstar. We have to put pressure on them to restore the communication with Rovi and fix the conflictual problem.

I mentionned that i saw other people on internet who was also complaigning about the termination of the service but i have no idea of how many. Just here this thread has been read by over 60 peoples in a few hours. I am surprise because ATI cards are at least 7 or 8 years old

 

[computer]

Here are the 2 places i find the email address on their website

http://www.rovicorp.com/company/11088.htm
http://support.amd.com/us/contacts/Pages/global-technical-support.aspx

Thanks.

I strongly suggest that everybody complaign to AMD instead of Rovi because there is no relation with us. We bought the card from AMD/ATI so they are the ones who makes publicity on their box about Gemstar. We have to put pressure on them to restore the communication with Rovi and fix the conflictual problem.

Is "Gemstar" still on the boxes of new ATI AIW cards? Mine is old, AIW 9800 Pro.

I mentionned that i saw other people on internet who was also complaigning about the termination of the service but i have no idea of how many. Just here this thread has been read by over 60 peoples in a few hours. I am surprise because ATI cards are at least 7 or 8 years old

ATI/AMD is still making video cards, and AIW and TV tuner cards, are they not? At the very least many thousands are still being sold each day. So what do those cards use in place of GuidePlus or Gemstar?

I'm only guessing that a million or so cards with TV tuners have been sold over the years. Who knows how many, but all of the owners are pissed off now, and ATI/AMD has, should have, the obligation of providing a replacement. Yes there are numerous forum threads on the net about this.

 

[computer]

After submitting the form at the AMD website, this is shown on the page: tech.support[at]amd.com . So that may save others from having to fill out a "life history" on the form.

 

[bearbone]

I sent a message to AMD and received this reply:

Dear James,
Your service request : SR #{ticketno:[8200412357]} has been reviewed and updated.
Response and Service Request History:
There is no contract dispute with the providers of Gemstar, the software is simply end of life like the ATI MMC software it shipped with. The MMC software was last updated in late 2006.
You should be able to use 3rd party online TV listings in your region. Your local cable/satellite provider will typically have a TV listing of the channels they carry on their web pages.
Titan TV and Zap2it are popular sites providing listings based on Zip codes.
Gemstar listings have never been guaranteed, simply provided as is with the ATI MMC software.
In order to update this service request, please respond, leaving the service request reference intact.
Best regards,
AMD Global Customer Care


Essentially, we are out of luck for downloads.

 

[davidjsexton]

I got pretty much the same reply
------------------------------------
The ATI MMC software that used the Gemstar grid listings was discontinued in late 2006. There will be no updates to this software or the Gemstar listings. This product is end of life. The contracts with Gemstar ended in 2006 and most regions stopped getting updates by 2007.
You should be able to use 3rd party listings software online similar to what was provided in the Gemstar grid.
Your local cables/satellite provider will typically have a TV listings grid available on their web pages.
Titan TV and Zap2it are popular web based TV listings available by Zip Code.
In order to update this service request, please respond, leaving the service request reference intact.
Best regards,
AMD Global Customer Care
--------------------------------
It is almost as if they don't even know what the product does. It is not just a listing service, but the scheduling capabilities is where the power resides.

Seems like a cheep out to me. I have always thought the Guide Plus was by far the best of the programing listing / scheduling software. It is fast, concise, etc. Titan TV works but......

So what if it is End of Life, It is not as though we are asking for drivers for Windows 2008 or Windows 7, or as they say "updates to the software".

It is a contract issue as they say in the response - "contracts with Gemstar ended... ".

The hardware still works, they do not have to develop anything - all they have to do is keep access to the server going.

Shame on AMD. :thumbsdown:

Fool me onece, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[bearbone]

Maybe everyone using Gemstar TV Guide Plus should boycott AMD products until they re-establish listings for us again. They are probably trying to save some money with their processor war with Intel.

 

[bearbone]

I bought my ATI card in March, 2006. If Gemstar wasn't updating then or was about to quit, the AMD/ATI was false advertising selling TV tuner cards they knew were going to soon no longer function. I would never have bought mine knowing that. AMD has opened themselves up to a massive class action lawsuit.

 

[computer]

I bought my ATI card in March, 2006. If Gemstar wasn't updating then or was about to quit, the AMD/ATI was false advertising selling TV tuner cards they knew were going to soon no longer function. I would never have bought mine knowing that. AMD has opened themselves up to a massive class action lawsuit.*

It is almost as if they don't even know what the product does. It is not just a listing service, but the scheduling capabilities is where the power resides.**

Seems like a cheep out to me. I have always thought the Guide Plus was by far the best of the programing listing / scheduling software. It is fast, concise, etc. Titan TV works but......

So what if it is End of Life, It is not as though we are asking for drivers for Windows 2008 or Windows 7, or as they say "updates to the software"..***

The hardware still works, they do not have to develop anything - all they have to do is keep access to the server going.

I too got a similar......condescending intelligence-insulting reply:
---------------------------------

>"...the warranty at no time covered software, it was for the
>video card or TV tuner only."​

*I was not implying that the warranty did cover software. The point is if your product is still under warranty; you advertise and promote "Gemstar GuidePlus" with your TV tuner products which is now irrelevant, useless, null and void for your TV tuner products!

Retail boxed ATI TV tuner products are STILL BEING SOLD, and, being advertised/promoted and sold WITH Gemstar GuidePlus, and under warranty. What do you expect those "victims" that purchased said products to do in lieu of Gemstar GuidePlus, other than a sheet of paper or a TV Guide magazine!?

If you no longer bundle retail TV tuner products with Gemstar GuidePlus, then what do you use instead?

>"Guide Plus was simply a TV listing included with the
>discontinued software. You can substitute TV listings
>from a variety of online TV listings including your local
>cable/satellite providers listings"​

**There's nothing "simple" about it! It is.......WAS an incredible simple one-click solution for instant TV listings spanning a week, searchable with advanced search and SAVED searches, and reminders with RECORDING capabilities! Comparing that to a frickin' sheet of paper or webpage is insane!

>"ATI MMC software and the All in Wonder and TV Wonder
>Products they shipped with have been end of life since mid 2006."​

*** ??? According to your website, that is NOT the case, you/ATI still make them. The AIW and TV Wonder products are still part of your regular website with no mention of EOL nor discontinued! Two at random:
http://www.amd.com/us/products/pctv/all-in-wonder-cards/Pages/all-in-wonder-cards.aspx
http://www.amd.com/us/products/pctv/tv-wonder-tuners/Pages/hd-550-pci.aspx
----------------------------

I haven't heard back from them. A-holes. As you said David, they just thought they would be a-holes and block access to their servers. They should be hacked....or worse. To insinuate that a go*damn sheet of paper or "TV Guide magazine" is the equivalent to GuidePlus is the most asinine crap I've heard in a while.

So just WTF are we supposed to use in place of what they've trashed?

 

[FreonP]

I can't see why Rovi would discontinue this service, even if AMD stopped paying them for it. The software doesn't need updating and it can't cost Rovi much for users to download the data. After this experience with Rovi, would you buy a TV or DVR with Guide Plus? For all we know, that TV/DVR manufacturer's contract with Rovi will end in a year or so and Rovi will stop allowing owners of that manufacturer's products to access Guide Plus listings. I think we need to point out to Rovi that users who have had this experience with ATI products are unlikely to depend on Rovi to continue providing listings for any other products that they are thinking about buying in the future.

 

[bangonet]

I have been having same problem for a couple of weeks I think it sucks like when Microsoft disabled online games server and was selling the games up to that point and after probably. TVguide or whoever bought it should provide an online link especially if GuidePlus+ enabled TV's are still working it wouldn't be such a problem especially since computer users helped pay for it as much as the TV buyers I have a cablecard in my HDTV that is supposed to have a guide but cable company won't support that either. I don't think the crappy TitAnTv app will let you do half what guideplus would do. But anyway hardly anybody has analog cable anymore and I know GuidePlus doesn't work too good with OTA HDTV for example won't do the subchannels. Most cable companies will be phasing out the analog pretty soon so your AIW won't be any good for scheduling or changing channels just could maybe watch through S-video or composite inputs with junky SDV DTV set top box hooked up to computer. One thing they should do is make a IR blaster to work with guideplus and cable box and let us send away for one free and obviously keep the listings online.

 

[bangonet]

All-in-Blunder Guide Flush-

 

[traveler100]

Sad to see Gemstar go. Gemstar Guide+plus came with my ATI radeon TV card on my desk top but I used the software on all three of our laptops for convenient guide access without flipping to various TV inputs to get to a cable guide which is much less user friendly. My hope is its a URL address change again, and once the new one is identified we can all be happy once more:-(

It is sad the ATI tech's responded as if they had no idea of how the software interfaced with their hardware. Shame on them for not being more customer service oriented. Letting the $ getting in the way of good service and that will cost them $$$$$ is the long run. My hope is that enough users will make that squeaky wheel get some attention.

 

[rabrittain]

I wish that I knew who was responsible for this problem.

eff you, you effin' effers.