Invalid ICE guide data

[markb]

I have been getting invalid/inconsistent ICE guide data lately. E.g. late yesterday my wife complained that Days of our Lives (don't ask!) on 9 did not record that day and was also not scheduled for today. I checked the ICE guide for today and it had a yellow exclamation. On checking the guide data in my Topfield 7100+ I found Days shown for 2 to 3pm and an invalid entry for the cricket for 2.30 to 3pm on the same channel. Presumably this is why the yellow exclamation was presented. The ICE site guide was correct and only showed Days from 2 to 3pm, no cricket. I disabled ICE, restarted, and checked the FTA guide on my PVR which was now ok. Then enabled ICE again, restarted, and found the ICE data still showing the invalid cricket entry.

Something like this, with different programs but with conflicting start/end times, happened about a week ago also as I described here http://www.itopfield.com.au/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3814&PID=37309&title=now-next-comes-and-goes#37309. Brisbane, Topfield 7100+, Jan 2010 firmware. Looks like an error in the Brisbane ICE data to me?

[Madeleine IceGuide]

Hi

The cricket changed on Monday and Tuesday but it looks like your guide was displaying the old and new guide info simultaneously.
I've spoken to customer support and they believe this problem relates to a bug in the old Topfield firmware.

They advise to update to the November 2011 firmware, which you should be able to do directly on your box.

Cheers

[markb]

Madeleine, I updated to that Nov 2011 firmware about the day it was released for the 7100+ but had massive problems with ICETV (like nearly everybody else who has tried these latest firmwares on their 2400/2460 and 7100+) so I put the previous (Jan-2010) version back. Read about my experience and the moderators comments at http://www.itopfield.com.au/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3753&title=23-november-2011-firmware.

[Dave at IceTV]

The only IceTV related problem in the Nov 2011 firmware is that it stops downloading reservations if you leave it on 24/7.  The trade off for turning the Topfield off and on once a day is that all the other IceTV related bugs are fixed (like the one you are experiencing now where the Topfield does not update the guide and reservations when the guide changes).

If things do get corrupted on the Topfield the solution is:
- Old firmware needs a factory reset!
- Nov 2011 you can just press the red button while in the IceTV menu, and reboot the Topfield.

[markb]

Dave, my problem was that I could not get timers to download at all on that new firmware, at least for the few hours I tried. Then the advice from the moderator (jpp) to me on that thread was "The short of it is that it has proven unreliable wrt timers getting through so I am recommending that unless you are experiencing reboot issues, you stick with the Mar 2011 FW" (he was erroneously referring to the 2400 reboot problem and the 2400 Mar 2011 firmware btw, but his point was that the new firmware was unreliable for timers).

Given your advice, I may try the new firmware again. Can you please clarify a couple of points you make. When you say "turn off" the Topfield, do you mean switch it off to normal standby mode, or do you mean fully power it off once per day? Also, what is the "IceTV menu" Do you mean press the red button when I am in the IceTV Guide display, or when in the IceTV configuration screen?

[Dave at IceTV]

With older firmware I have seen the 24x0 sometimes take 3 hours before it first downloads the timers. Generally with the Nov firmware the timers download 15 minutes after first getting the guide.

When I said "turn off" the Topfield, I meant switch it off to normal standby mode. Just a quick off and on via the remote control is all that's needed.

I meant to press the red button when in the IceTV configuration screen.

1. Clear the EPG cache by doing the following: Go to "Menu > Settings > IceTV" and press the Red button and answer Yes.
2. Press the power button on the remote control to switch it to standby.
3. Press the power button on the remote control to switch it back on.

You should have a full guide 1 minute after turn on. Then 15 minutes later you should see the timers in the reservation list.