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Frequently asked questions

I'm a resident and want ONTV service in my home. How can I get it?

Unfortunately, ONTV's channel guide service is distributed through special providers, such as Private Cable Operators, hotel and apartment management companies, and owners. If your cable TV service does not offer a guide or community channel, ask your provider to call us at 877-ITS-ONTV. We'll be happy to provide service.



I have a headend that uses Dish Network, Cband and DIRECTV. Can I use ONTV service?

Absolutely. ONTV doesn't care how you receive your programming because all the data comes from our servers to your unit through a phone or Internet connection.



Do I need a dedicated phone line or Internet connection?

Yes, this is the way that your ONTV unit will receive program and service data. Note, we are no longer adding new dial-up clients.



How do I change my channel lineup or edit my community channel?

How do I change my channel lineup or edit my community channel?



How many channels can I list?

You may list as many channels as you like; your listing capability is unlimited.



Can I change the way my guide looks?

Certainly. Just log into myontv.com, select your system (if you have more than one, click Colors and Fonts). From here you can modify the colors and fonts in every section of your guide. If you have the ONTV Media Pro service, you will see another option, Backgrounds. From here you can edit the background image or create as many as you want because each background will play for 2 minutes and rotate.



Do I need special software to access and manage my system(s)?

No. You may access and manage your system(s) from any Internet connected pc through a web browser by logging in to myontv.com.



I have had the ONTV service for some time. Do I still need to have the DIRECTV receiver connected to my unit for it to work?

t's not necessary to be connected to the DIRECTV receiver. Contact customer service at 877-ITS-ONTV to have your system automatically upgraded at no extra charge.



My guide is displaying "Expired Guide", what happened?

Your software has expired. This happened because our servers have not been able to automatically connect to your unit for updates. If you were not notified automatically prior to this happening, contact customer service to have your email address added to our system notification list. To resolve your connectivity problem, log into myontv.com and force an update by clicking Update Machine. You will be notified if your update was successful or unsuccessful. Contact customer service at any time for assistance: 877-ITS-ONTV.



Do I need to be a web developer to host a bunch of web pages to make my community channel work?

No. Our community channel is so intuitive, you can be up and running in two minutes or less. If you want unrestricted and unlimited design capability, then click Advanced Users under Community Channel. Here you can create and host your own web pages, which will play as your community channel pages.



What happens if something goes wrong with my unit?

Give us a call at 877-ITS-ONTV; we'll be happy to help you.



How long is the warranty on my unit?

As long as you are a subscriber to our service, our warranty covers you. Please visit our warranty info for more information.



What if my unit fails and I need my guide back up immediately?

Not a problem. We provide an emergency expedite service at no charge. Provide us with your UPS shipping number before 1:00PM PST, and we'll have a loaner unit to you the next day.



I have another provider for my TV guide service, and my system seems to freeze up on hot days, what can I do?

Why not switch to ONTV? Our systems are designed for headends, and boast the highest heat tolerance in the industry. In fact, our system's internal fans are rated 30% more heat tolerant at higher temperatures.



I have a dial-up phone connection. Can I use the community channel?

Yes, however, we are no longer adding new dial-up clients. Certain Internet features will not be available however, such as live weather and future services.



What other hardware do I need to make the guide work at my property?

You will need one audio-video modulator for each service you are using-channel guide or community channel. Everything else is provided with your system.



Can I add the community channel service?

If you subscribe to our channel guide service, adding the community channel service is free and easy. Order the Concierge community channel upgrade, and you will receive the community channel adapter. Connect this adapter to your unit and the output cable to your new modulator for this channel. When you are connected, contact customer service and we'll activate your new community channel.



Can I use your service and replace my hotel's printed guides?

Many hotel managers prefer our onscreen guides because they eliminate costly reprinting and can be changed in minutes. If you are a franchise operator, check the requirements on program literature. (Our service meets franchise requirements for almost all hotels and motels requiring in room guides.)



Can I advertise on my guide or community channel?

Yes. We encourage our clients to use our advanced Media Pro service for advertising purposes and generate additional revenue. Start by choosing the appropriate guide service. Then design and post your own background guide images and banners. To use the community channel for advertising, click Advanced User.



 

Managing Guide

Channels

Create and edit your channel lineup at anytime and as often as you like through our web portal. Adding a channel is as simple as entering the channel number, selecting the network from a drop down selector and clicking on update. That's it. Do you have an in-house or custom channel not listed? Add as many as you wish by selecting custom/other and entering the name and description of your channel and clicking on update. When you are done editing your lineup, send the update to your unit or wait for the nightly update to send it for you. Listings: Unlimited Custom Listings: Unlimited, no additional charge Limits: Unlimited changes and edits, no additional charge Logos: Network logo identifiers Compatibility: TiVo®, Yahoo TV®, Zap2it.com® and other national listings ONTV is committed to 100% customer satisfaction. In fact, our warranty is one of the most comprehensive in the industry. For the first year, with our Standard Warranty, your equipment is 100% guaranteed. If your operating unit has any defects, we'll replace it at NO CHARGE. We even pay shipping.



Colors and fonts

Customize the appearance of your guide through your online account. Simply modify the color scheme of your guide to match that of your properties or companies color scheme. To enhance your look or to assist visually impaired audiences, you can change the font and font size of the program data, the channels and the time bar all independently.



Backgrounds

The main look and feel of your channel guide is generated by the background image. You can create your own background image in any graphic editor then upload as many background images as you wish. They will play in rotation, changing every 2 minutes.

Image size: 640 x 480 pixels (Standard definition 4:3 format), 1280 x 720 pixels (High definition 16:9 format)
Format: jpeg



Banners

Banners are smaller and appear as overlays in the top right area of your channel guide. You can create banners with any graphic editor, which will overlay your banner on the background image. Keep this in mind when designing your background. Upload as many banner images as you wish; they will play in rotation, changing every 1.5 minutes.

Image size: 500 x 65 pixels (maximum)
Format: jpeg



Movies

Video is the most compelling medium for attracting the attention of your viewers. And you have the ability to create or convert and upload full motion videos into your channel guide. Videos will automatically play between your logo and scrolling channel grid.

File size: 40mb or smaller
Length: 180 seconds (maximum)
Format: .mov (H264) Apple® Quicktime Pro®
Resources: Learn how to use Apple® Quicktime Pro®
to create your own videos. Or, have our service convert your video (MiniDV, BetaSP, VHS, DVD, AVI) for you.



Do you have an instruction manual?

We do, it always being updated, you may find it here.



Managing Concierge

Managing Concierge is extremely simple! Here's how.

First, you need to log in to your account. Then, you have a choice, use our simple default tool, or, if you're adventurous, you may select our advanced option. Navigate to the Community Channel section of the option menu. To use the simple tool, simply go to the message field, enter your message, start date and end date and submit. You're all done. Adventurous people, select "Advanced..." from the top of the page. Here you may add any url which you would like to display, ie a hosted Google Slides, a web site or similar. Add many more and we will play a show automatically.



How long does it take for a message to appear?

You may push your message by clicking on the Submit button and your update is on its way. If you forget to, don't worry, we will automatically check for new messages every 30 minutes.



Can I insert images or video into the messages?

Yes, but only on the Advanced option. If you're willing, the simple tool does accept image links and html code, but we dont recommend you trying this unless you are comfortable.



My weather isnt accurate, what do I do?

Contact us, likely the wrong zip code was set up on your sign up.



I have a blank screen on my TV, saying No Connection.

The Concierge channel is a web page, if your unit is not connected to the Internet, check this first. Once you have confirmed that the internet connection is working once again, log in and click on Submit and a refresh will occur. Power cycling the unit will also force a refresh.



Do you have an instruction manual?

We do, it always being updated, you may find it here.



Warranty

Managing Concierge is extremely simple! Here's how.

First, you need to log in to your account. Then, you have a choice, use our simple default tool, or, if you're adventurous, you may select our advanced option. Navigate to the Community Channel section of the option menu. To use the simple tool, simply go to the message field, enter your message, start date and end date and submit. You're all done. Adventurous people, select "Advanced..." from the top of the page. Here you may add any url which you would like to display, ie a hosted Google Slides, a web site or similar. Add many more and we will play a show automatically.



How long does it take for a message to appear?

You may push your message by clicking on the Submit button and your update is on its way. If you forget to, don't worry, we will automatically check for new messages every 30 minutes.



Can I insert images or video into the messages?

Yes, but only on the Advanced option. If you're willing, the simple tool does accept image links and html code, but we dont recommend you trying this unless you are comfortable.



My weather isnt accurate, what do I do?

Contact us, likely the wrong zip code was set up on your sign up.



I have a blank screen on my TV, saying No Connection.

The Concierge channel is a web page, if your unit is not connected to the Internet, check this first. Once you have confirmed that the internet connection is working once again, log in and click on Submit and a refresh will occur. Power cycling the unit will also force a refresh.



Do you have an instruction manual?

We do, it always being updated, you may find it here.



 
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