Media Center not receiving listings past 6th December?

fats19760 · 30-12-2012 6:17pm

None of my MC EPG listings go beyond 2012 whatsoever, here in the UK.

fats19760 · 30-12-2012 6:48pm

For all Google Chrome users you can use Sky Guide for Chrome to access Sky Guide, and then record programs manually or simply remember the channel number to flick over. Logitech Harmony remotes can be programmed to remember a series or commands and as an alternative to the old MCE remote control. Therefore you can teach it 5 - 0 - 1 for Sky News, etc, etc.

fats19760 · 30-12-2012 6:49pm

It's not an ideal solution but its what I'm doing, and hopefully they will sort things out soon.

marcusarillius · 01-01-2013 6:29pm

I found that it was showing nothing from midnight last night.
Now every time I launch media center it says guide out of date in less than 3 days and click to download.
I do, and after a while it finished but only shows now and next for all the channels.
then when I close media center and launch again it does the same, guide out of date in less than 3 days and the process repeat.

Any solutions?

fats19760 · 02-01-2013 1:53pm

MS are definitely aware of the problem as the reports of this issue are stacking up at the;-

Bug Report Center

but nobody has come up with a solid suggestion as yet, the best ideas yet I have found is that the new TOS are not ready for release yet as MS plan to tap into the Pay-Per-View movies market similar to Google Play and Apple. If you go to settings-TV-guide-about you may see exactly when the listings seized to function on your PC.

The only other solution for the moment is to try another service such as;-

MediaPortal

though I have not tried this myself to offer any criticism or praise.

Alun · 02-01-2013 1:57pm

fats19760 wrote: »

MS are definitely aware of the problem as the reports of this issue are stacking up at ....

They might be aware if there is actually anyone actively monitoring that site, but given the almost total lack of comments from MS on this topic, and many others, in recent months would suggest otherwise.

fats19760 · 02-01-2013 2:07pm

Alun wrote: »

They might be aware if there is actually anyone actively monitoring that site, but given the almost total lack of comments from MS on this topic, and many others, in recent months would suggest otherwise.

Probably not, it is entirely possible that they will not do anything, since W8 users now have to pay for additional TV services. So people would simply be tempted to rollback to earlier OS. So they might just let it permanently expire.

I'm still using MCE2005 and still very happy with it, but it doesn't help MS greedy purse strings at all. However, I'm going to hold on for a bit longer before conceding the fact that they will not do anything whatsoever.

Doubt.It · 02-01-2013 10:05pm

All the trouble to fix Windows Media Center when the listings went in Ireland, and now this. Gagh! And I've just bought a four-way LNB for the satellite dish to bring multichannel to several rooms. Those new cable runs will not now be ending at Windows PCs.

Well I've found one workaround that is good, though not perfect. It took some time and it didn't get all the channels, but it's the best solution I've found short of abandoning Media Center altogether. Instructions here. All I'll add is that you must run the program as an Administrator.

kenmc · 02-01-2013 11:52pm

right, so given that MCE seems to be a dodo, what are the options available then? My wife is already talking about asking the landlord can we install a sky dish :eek: Rather do a DIY jobbie myself if he'd let me, I've installed Sat dishes before it's trivial, but any of the boxes I've played with have had horrible EPGs and crappy recording ability, whereas MCE was very usable - the only M$ product that was ever good. We've no phone line, so would need to keep UPC for the broadband and probably phone, so don't really want to go and have 2 direct debits now, would be happy to drop the UPC tv and just go with some good free satellite and dvb-t solution (assuming the landlord was agreeable), but the emphasis is on good, with a usable UI etc, hence we wouldn't be bothered upgrading the UPC package, as I know from having worked on those boxes, they're crap, and the guide is rubbish.
Any thoughts?

Alun · 03-01-2013 10:53am

I wouldn't give up all hope just yet, MS have now at least acknowledged the problem on the MS Connect site ...

Posted by Microsoft on 1/2/2013 at 6:03 PM
Thanks for contacting us. We are currently investigating the issue and will send update once resolution has been found.

fats19760 · 03-01-2013 12:26pm

Alun wrote: »

I wouldn't give up all hope just yet, MS have now at least acknowledged the problem on the MS Connect site ...

Well, Alun, at least they did acknowledge you. Somewhat good news.

Doubt.It · 03-01-2013 9:17pm

kenmc wrote: »

right, so given that MCE seems to be a dodo, what are the options available then?

Well the instructions I linked to above use a free program called EPG Collector that can be used to grab channel data from other sources. I can't claim it's an easy solution, but at this stage I have most listings back.

Alun · 03-01-2013 10:37pm

I'm using EPG Collector too, pulling in the Sky listings rather than the Freesat ones, as they contain Series Link info. I had some trouble linking the listings to some channels, as the relevant listings just weren't appearing in the list, but assigning a dummy EPG Collector listing to the channel, and then relisting the options, the appropriate listing then appeared in the list and could be assigned. Odd.

Anyway, it's all working OK now, and I've set up a scheduled task to download them at 2am which is also working well.

I don't actually think MS have completely abandoned it, as they've at least now acknowledged my report (and all the others), so it would appear it's just a monumental cock-up occurring at the most inopportune time possible. I'm in two minds as to whether I'll stick with EPG Collector or revert back to MS listings once (if!) they reappear. It's nice having a 14 day EPG, I must admit.

HLF · 03-01-2013 11:05pm

It's BACK...:)

Alun · 03-01-2013 11:06pm

HLF wrote: »

It's BACK...:)

Yes, just noticed ... listings until 17th December!! Only for the UK though, still nothing for Ireland.

Libera · 04-01-2013 12:23am

Here's hoping....response from Microsoft on one of the UK reports:

"Microsoft is aware of the issue with the Electronic Programming Guide for Windows Media Center in the UK and Ireland. We have identified the cause and have already deployed a fix for the UK. A solution for Ireland is in the works and we will issue an update when the issue is resolved.

We apologize for the inconvenience to Windows Media Center users in these countries."

Doubt.It · 04-01-2013 12:27am

Good God. When you think of the sweet tax deal we're giving these people, and they treat us like this...

fats19760 · 04-01-2013 12:32am

Mine's fixed - in the UK :-)

kenmc · 04-01-2013 12:35am

Yay.Well Yay-ish.
Anyway, what do ye map your TV3 listings to in GuideTool? I ended up with a portugese TV3 for the last few weeks. Although it doesn't really make any difference I suppose what the guide for that channel says

Still, be nice to know what shows they've gone and bought in from ITV.

edit: sorry meant to say I'm on UPC analogue cable , so there's nothing available "over the air"

Doubt.It · 04-01-2013 1:31am

I didn't remap the Irish channels, they were always the same as before. I guess the listings come over the air.

Libera · 04-01-2013 11:02am

Irish guide is back.

McAlban · 04-01-2013 11:37am

Seriously?? Thats Great, In Work now. But seriously sick of missing TV that I couldn't record.

desaparecidos · 04-01-2013 12:26pm

The one good thing to come out of this is the fact I was forced to retune and use UK listings. They seem to be higher quality, flagging HD programmes etc.

scorn · 07-01-2013 1:05pm

The Register seem to think it was all their own work - even though it was already a known issue in Microsoft at the time they contacted them...

Article here

Wheeker · 07-01-2013 6:41pm

desaparecidos wrote: »

The one good thing to come out of this is the fact I was forced to retune and use UK listings. They seem to be higher quality, flagging HD programmes etc.

I switched to the UK listings also, but haven't noticed any HD programmes flagged. I only have a DVB-S tuner but still receive ITV-HD & C4-HD. Utilising Guide Tool I have selected various guide data providers, can you tell me which Guide Data provider you are using?

I left my Irish channels as In-band guide data, though I notice that there are no colour-categories in these listings & no HD flagging for RTE2-HD. Can you get Irish guide data from UK Guide Data providers that would it solve this?

Seapoint · 08-01-2013 2:23pm

@ Wheeker: If you look HERE you'll see the HD channels that are on S or S2
CH4 & ITV are still on S

Ush1 · 01-04-2013 10:01am

I'm having some trouble with windows media center 8 and the epg.

I select to get the latest guide and it says it downloads successfully. Even in the guide info says it has the guide for the next two weeks but lots of stations say no data available intil I turn on the station it will update but usually only has the next couple of programmes.

Also when I turn on the next day almost all yhw channels are no data available again until I select each one. Any ideas?

Wheeker · 08-04-2013 3:24pm

The default MC guide listings can be a bit patchy alright, especially for some of the Freesat channels. It would seem for some of your channels you have in-band "now & next" guide data only i.e. taken from the actual satellite signal rather than from any downloaded guide data.

First off I would check what listings each channel has, (from memory) in the guide right click on the channel & "Edit Channel"-> "Edit Guide Listing" this should tell you which Guide listing is currently being used & there may be others you could select instead.

Otherwise, you can go the route I went to get full guide listings by downloading GuideTool. This is a free software that enables you to edit the guide listings for all channels, also useful for batch channel renumbering etc. I've pretty much got full guide listings for all channels now. There are other paid-for software & guide data provision routes you could go, but GuideTool did it all for me for free:D

Media Center not receiving listings past 6th December?

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