SD Guide Data gap when unused for a few days

Beta Community Apple Beta
#1

I’ve had a weird issue with the SD guide data a couple of times recently. I think the pattern is that I don’t use Channels for a few days, and I’ll notice the top shelf will only show channel logos/names, not actual programmes, suggesting that the previously cached data has now expired.

That in itself isn’t a problem, as it appears the SD guide data refreshes when I load the app… however, the last couple of times it’s only done it from midnight the next day, leaving a gap and making it impossible to actually use the guide to start viewing a channel.

As I look at the Guide page right now, I have the channels down the left, current time being 22:30pm on the left hand side of the screen, Sun 00:30am on the right hand side… and all the guide data starts around about Sun 00:00am onwards only with no data at all until then.

Using the On Now page, I can get into viewing a channel… this doesn’t help get the data though, still no programme data at all, even if I kill the app and re-open it.

I’ve submitted a guide data diagnostic within the app.

UK SiliconDust data being used btw.

#2

Strange one…

You can try to click and hold your hdhomerun on Settings tab and click Refresh Device

#3

Sorry - only just spotted your posting and it’s 20 past midnight now so the problem no longer exists :frowning2:

I did try switching to DVB data (which was complete of course), then back to SiliconDust (which still had a gap), but never thought of trying a refresh.

I’ll try a refresh if I see it happen again.

#4

Hello I have had the same issue a few times recently. I will try the refresh if it happens again (uk guide data)

#5

Had this problem again tonight just now. I note this is again a Saturday going into Sunday. This time the grid is empty from now Sat 11:30pm through till about Sun 1:00am (last time it was midnight the listings re-appeared from (we have transitioned to GMT+1 for British Summer Time though since my earlier report in March so that might explain that?).

A hold on the HDHomeRun and choosing to Refresh Device didn’t do anything.

I also tried deleting the app, reinstalled, and grid still had a gap till 1am.

(This is now release v2.1.31 btw now I’m no longer on the beta)

1 Like
#6

Try instatv or other hdhomerun apps at the same time?

#7

@Bethnalgarth also reported this recently along with some screenshots.

Seems like there’s a bug somewhere which is

  • only in UK
  • only on Saturday nights
  • affects both Channels iOS and tvOS
  • affects most channels (although it looked like some still had data?)
  • does not get fixed by refreshing device

Some open questions:

  • does quitting and restarting the app help
  • are other hdhomerun apps affected at the same time
  • for the channels that still show data, is it epg data or SD data (does it have show images)

There was a report that when the app first launches the data flashes for a second and then goes away. I would be curious if anyone can reproduce that behavior by quit/restart the app.

If other apps still see data on Saturday nights, then the bug must be on end. Though I’m struggling to see what we could be doing that would only trigger problems at a specific time every week.

#8

I’ve finally been around at this specific time of the week to check this out tonight.

To confirm the above, your list of symptoms is correct with the following exception that it affects ALL channels (I think a few channels still having an EPG entry is only where there’s a very long film on which spans a few hours)

In answer to the open questions:

  • quitting, restarting, refreshing device, reinstalling the app, all doesn’t help
  • the other HDHomeRun apps ARE affected … looks like that might hint at the root cause not being anything Channels side!?
  • the channels still showing some data is only partial where there are long films on and it’s SD data

I’ve been unable to reproduce the ‘data flashes for a second’ scenario.

Back to the key point above; the problem DOES affect HDHomeRun app on OS X and Windows. Basically it looks like some of the channels show EPG data, but in actual fact when I compared what the HDHomeRun app had against each channel that had something showing, I found that the programmes shown were programmes that start after Sunday 1am (when the problem resolves itself across the board).

The EPG data seems to start to go missing around 9pm so I think there’s literally up to 4 hours of data going missing from Sat 9pm UK Time to Sun 1am UK Time (both GMT+01). So I guess this is a Silicon Dust data bug or a less than seamless transition between each week’s EPG data given it affects the SD native apps?

#9

Yes this sounds like an issue on SD’s servers. It is affecting all apps which use their data API.

Do you mind emailing [email protected] with a brief description of the problem. I will ping them again as well.

#10

This issue appears to be fixed now.

#11

Agreed! All working here tonight - no gap this Sat/Sun! :+1:

#12