While the switch to digital television went fairly smoothly, there may have been one casualty for some people: TV Guide On Screen®. After analog TV broadcasts ceased on June 12, 2009, some people discovered that their On Screen-equipped televisions, set-top boxes, or DVRs stopped receiving updated program listings. Here are a few possible causes of the problem as well as possible solutions.

Your On Screen host station may have changed
TV Guide On Screen gets its program info from what's known as a "host station." This is a local station that sends information to your On Screen guide behind the scenes. Some host stations changed with the analog cutoff. If this happened in your area, you may stop receiving program updates because your On Screen-equipped component is essentially looking for it in the wrong place. If this is the case, resetting your On Screen device and doing a new automatic channel search should do the trick. Changing your zip code in the On Screen menu to 00000, turning the component off for about 15 minutes, then turning it back on and entering in your real zip code can also fix the problem.

There may not be a new digital host station in your area
Many people received On Screen data from analog host stations that are no longer around. In order for you to continue getting On Screen updates, you'll need a digital host station in your area. You can find info on local digital stations at www.rabbitears.info (TV Guide On Screen host stations will have an On Screen icon next to them.) If you don't currently have a digital host station in your area, there's nothing you can do except wait until one becomes available.

Your On Screen component may not support digital host stations
Not all components with TV Guide On Screen can receive program data via digital channels. The first thing you should try in this case is updating the firmware. If a firmware update doesn't fix the problem, then unfortunately, you would need to replace the component. However, we recommend contacting the manufacturer first to see if they can offer a solution.

Other things to remember
Make sure that your On Screen component is OFF and that your cable box (if you have one) is ON overnight, or whenever you're not watching TV. On Screen info is sent out from a host station via broadcast or cable, typically late at night or early in the morning. Turning your cable box off or On Screen unit on before or during this download will prevent it from receiving all or part of the programming info — resulting in the "no listing" blocks. And be patient. During initial setup, it can take On Screen units longer than 24 hours to download all of the program listing information.

Finally, keep in mind that if you have a DVR that can't get programming information for TV Guide On Screen, it may still be able to control most major brands of cable boxes and will likely have alternative ways to set recordings, such as VCR Plus+®.