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Search party out on Foxtel EPG

Foxtel's A-Z Search function on its EPG hasn't been working properly for some time.

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Foxtel’s A-Z Search function on its EPG hasn’t been working properly for some time.

Some readers are even suggesting it hasn’t worked since it was added to the EPG last November.

A Foxtel spokesperson has told TV Tonight, “Foxtel is aware of this issue and is looking at resolving via an automatic software update in the coming weeks.”

Some other readers have also notes some drop out issues with Series Links.

If you have had any issues lately let’s hear it….

59 Responses

  1. same issues re series link drop outs in the last few weeks and search function not working for months.
    they have been saying for months that the epg will be fixed. still waiting.
    i get pixelation and dropouts, always at an important part of dialogue of course, but the regular one is at the end of the ABC news opener every night.
    it happens on the last item of the opener in the same place every time time.

  2. Thank goodness – I thought I was alone in not having the search function awol, and series links going missing. For such a premium price, we really do deserve better.

  3. As mentioned before there are ways around your problems,i would suggest using those alternatives until things are fixed.Someone was talking about the IQ,you can get access to a Box for $100 outright.With no monthly fees good deal.Gotta Love My Foxtel

  4. Can I add to the complaints list the pop up in the top left corner of the screen promoting the Olympic Games that popped up today every time I change the channel?

  5. damon funny you say that about pixelating at crucial moments. The loss of recording a few seconds here and there is an issue, primarily I notice it on the FTA channels.

    I tape the 7pm project everynight, i enjoy it so what, sue me.. anyways, every night with out fail during the final comments before the end, it pixelates, and skips a few seconds. Every night!

    It’s more annoying when it actually matters like it’s a crucial part of information in a mentalist or something.

    Series links drops out more often these days, and often will just be all the channel 10 series linked shows. Generally just them, but it does happen to others.

  6. Series link dropped out a couple of times. A-Z hasn’t been working since the “upgrade” and i’m sick and tired of it pixelating on programs I’ve recorded at really critical moments in shows.

  7. I have had ‘series link’ dropouts too, as well as the ‘series link’ button not even showing up even tho the show is on every week at the same time. A-Z has never worked for me.

  8. Rhys, it certainly is possible to record direct to a dvd/hdd machine from the iq settop box. I do it all the time.
    The program which will be recorded on the dvd/hdd machine is the one you have selected on the IQ box to play / view / watch while recording to IQ.

  9. Just seen this and thanks David & all the previous viewer comments because I thought *Oldtimers Disease* had truly taken over my memory and it must be my fault that my favourite Series links had been dropping off like flies for several weeks, I now go and check them every few days.

    A-Z Search function on its EPG hasn’t been working properly since the change over……..

  10. Mikeys- IQ is not free for existing subscribers, not even for new ones. I am an old subscriber and to maintain my package but just get IQ will cost me an additional $10 per month. If I were to become a new subscriber with my current equivalent package then I would be paying $14 per month more than I am now, so IQ is not free. Unless you know a way around this……….

  11. Person on the phone explained that it was a planned outage of this EPG search function and that t would be out for a few months. He didn’t know why this was being done, however (intriguingly) when I questioned that if it was planned why weren’t we notified. He said we have been notified and when I asked via which method he said it was via the help channel (999). So I am expected to watch Channel 999 to get Foxtel updates !!!!! So this supports what Baggygreen has said.

  12. Thanks David and Ellie for bringing this up. Foxtel seem to think that just because they are only player in the market that they pick and choose what services they are prepared to offer.

    I also called re the function directly after my IQ2 got upgraded late 2009. They seem to all be reading from the same script – ‘it will be fixed in a few months’. No if I miss a program I am trawling through the paper guide (I know) or the EPG Manually.

    I have also had series link drop out on me with on Come Dine With Me mid week – going back to just recording the omnibus on the weekend. Also got part record on some series when it does not tape the show plus my programmed run over time.

    IQ2 are also much more sensitive to freezing than any of the other models.

    I hope this blog starts some action on Foxtel to get the sh*t together. I have been a subscriber since day 1.

  13. Thanks for this article Mr. Knox. Would you be able to phone up Foxtel’s
    PR division to ask what’s happening about all the issues readers have brought up and get a response, instead of getting a bland comment back by EMail only, along the lines of ‘they’re aware of the issue and are looking into it, to resolve it ASAP’. In other words, they don’t want to spend the money it’d cost to fix this problem.

  14. Firstly, thank-you so much David for following this up for me, I really appreciate it!!!!

    Unfortunantly, when I rang up I was also told it would be fixed in the next couple of weeks and this was in late December. It’s just pathetic that there’s an issue like this and it can’t be resolved. At the very least you would think that Foxtel would somehow inform customers about the problem, rather than leave them in the dark or provide them with unrealistic dates when they’ll be fixed….

  16. I’m getting Foxtel on a 1 year contract and will definitely be ditching it due to this current unreliability with their iQ recording system (as the iQ2 recording system is the main reason I got it), but they should make every single channel available in HD and just increase all their subscription costs – it starts at $42 a month (they could increase it to $50 – 60) for the most lowest priced, most basic package and then it goes up in $16 increments (they could increase it to $20 – 25), for sports and movie channels.

  17. Yes, the same as others my series link drops out fairly frequently, so have to restart the box to get them back.

    In general the whole next generation thing has been very underwheming. Most of the new HD channels are just showing up-converted programmes not native HD. isuggest I never seem to make any use out of, and I never seem to get the option of record a programmed when watching it’s advert.

    Then the new channels are nothing special. I was most disapointed with sky news local, just constantly repeated news in a small window. I’d have thought they could at least get this full screen, as well as all the other sky news active screens.

    They messed around with channel numbers, so now you have news, docos, then more news. It doesn’t make sense. Move the doco channels to the 300’s.

    They got rid of the excellent BBC HD which showed all native HD with some excellent docos, to replace by UKTV HD which is mostly upconverts and hardly any docos.

    Finally there are still many channels that are still not widescreen. In particular the discovery/ animal planet channels. This is unacceptable for doco channels which should be shown in high quality. Even the new channel Nat Geo Wild was not widescreen!

    So in general they can do a lot better, but I will still pay for Foxtel as I have no alternative!

  19. It seems to be by the responses,is if you get a new machine the problem will be solved.Perhaps just keep sending them a e-mail(instead of ringing up and tell them you want a new box).Do you guys ever turn your’s off when not in use and let it stand in standby,because doing that would be a good idea.Back to the e-mail Hang on to that e-maiI and send it daily i know in the past with the normal box they were very happy to give you a new one if something was wrong with it or give a new remote if it did’nt work properly
    Just for fun tomorrow i will check mine and see if it works i think it will

  20. I am getting both the no A-Z search and my series links dropping out. I read on the Foxtel Website that the series links are going haywire because of some backend upgrades to the Foxtel database, in which they said will take “several weeks” to fix. Not good enough Foxtel. My Foxtel is worth about $160 a month so I expect decent service. Other than those two issues (and no One HD or FTA HD on satellite), my Foxtel has been pretty good. Thanks for bringing up this topic David.

  22. I’m still only on the basic digital package, and one of the reasons I haven’t upgraded is there are sufficient glitches on that platform – and feedback on iq has been mixed. Honestly, I’m not certain upgrading to iq would make any sense to me – I have a dvd recorder with hdd, and timeshift function. So, the series link would seem to be the only advantage to iq, and if that isn’t working properly then Foxtel can forget about getting the extra monthly fee out of me.

    On a related subject, can anyone who has iq tell me – is it possible to record direct to a dvd/hdd machine from the iq settop box. The reason I ask is that I’m aware the iq box only has so much storage room, and one of the advantages of recording to a dvd/hdd machine is that I can edit programs and dub to disc if I want a permanent copy. I wasn’t sure if the iq setup would still allow me to do this. Yes, I’m aware the box office titles have record blocking signals which is fine, but otherwise I see my current set up as a great way of getting some hard to find movie titles on dvd.

  23. I would always use the A-Z function so it’s been a pain in the butt not being able to access it, also my series link drops out pretty much every week aswell. Pull your finger out Foxtel. I also just saw an ad saying that during the Winter Olympics Viewer’s Choice English Premier League won’t be available. Not good enough.

  25. Foxtel, compensated, you make me laugh. Wonder how I’d go if I half delivered on my payment the way they half deliver their service. gotta love monopolies. Anyhow, my series link has definately been dropping out – no surprise there. @Joey – demand a new IQ. I had the same issue (new box fixed the problem) it just gets worst & worse. Its known to Foxtel that these boxes die so dont put up with that ‘turn it on and off’ rubbish.

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