Australia Guide Integration

Ok it’s 2016 and time to reenergize this long term request to get Australian free to air and / or Foxtel guides integrated. All the old posts hint that it was progressing back in 2013 and discussion faded over time. What is the current status of data from rovi and is there any plan to get this sorted sometime soon?

Anything from 2013 was based on Rovi’s roadmap stating Australia support was right around the corner at the time. Over the ensuing year or two, that roadmap kept pushing Australia further and further out and now it is just not there. So figure 2015 is the year where we’re going “hey guys, did you forget to type Australia on the roadmap chart because we sure were expecting that in 2014.” Sometime in 2015 it was clear that was not happening anytime soon so we started researching options to do this independently of a third-party going direct to an Aus provider. We have a lead on one now, so it’s possible we will go down that path. It’s on the radar, but the original path got blown up by unknown factors at Rovi.

As background, there are basically two guide data providers in the world: Rovi and Gracenote/TMS. Gracenote does not have Aus either. So there is just no path under which this can be done at this time without appreciable Aus-specific surcharges and dedicated code specifically for this case – which applies to no other country in the world.

Thank you.

When is an Australin TV guide coming?

Hi guys just thought I’d throw this one out there and see if there is progress with Australian TV guides.
Thanks

Bump, surely there is something by now. Can we please get an update?

I’ve been getting by with custom app buttons & link to external guides for reference but direct integration would be so much better.

POTUS thinks Australia is great, excluding us from tariffs, great if we could now get a Guide after years of waiting.

Will, in a spare moment, might check this link out, as well as www.freepg.tv site.
https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2466464
doesn’t cover Foxtel.

Bumping this again.

Have you had a chance to delve into this again for us @Will_Price?
Appreciate your response & as always keep up the amazing work!

Out of curiosity for any other fellow Aussies would you pay an additional subscription fee for this feature?

  • Yes, I would pay extra for Australian TV Guide
  • No, I would not pay extra for Australian TV Guide

0 voters

Apparently there is some potential on this front. How important is “Foxtel” to AUS users? It seems they are a special case, but free-to-air channels seem to be possible.

I can’t speak for everyone in Aus obviously but I find Foxtel is more used by those of an older generation (45+) & those who are very much into their sports as Foxtel has the rights to majority of that coverage.

If we could get a Free to Air guide that would be amazing as it’s something that has been missing for our part of the world & a feature I think most had given up on ever happening.

@Will_Price Just bumping this again to see if there is any development on an Australian guide? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the prompt reply @Will_Price
How much response is needed to drive it as a feature?

I know a lot of users are unlikely to visit the forums but there has been interest in this topic in the past and I think most people thought it was dead in the water & given up all hope. I just think it’s a pretty standard feature that a large number of other countries have access to so why play it as a solely based on “users visiting the forums to vote feature”.

I can compensate for the percentage of users that visit the forum. I know how many actual people run the software in each country for instance. The point is to make clear that Silence = No Feature. I need to hear from AUS users to make this happen.

Thanks @Will_Price

Shoutout to the community then PLEASE VOTE!!! (Aus user or not haha :rofl:)

I have a better plan. Deleted the poll. If you want access to Australia guides, send a “Submit Bug” message to support asking to join beta.

If it works in beta, which it seems to in cursory testing, great. But someone who actually lives there needs to tell me how well it works or what it’s missing.