I give up - Microsoft won

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mlcarson

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I give up - Microsoft won

#1

Post by mlcarson » Sun Aug 09, 2015 5:38 am

The Rovi EPG cutover finally made me a believer that WMC is dead. I had all kinds of channel/missing guide data issues - got them resolved only to have the same issues reappear. The final nail in the coffin is even on guide data that exists -- it's so crappy as to be worthless. Most older series rather than having an episode synopsis simply has a a description of the series with no individual episode summary at all. The old Zap2it guide always had actual episode information. My old Tivo guide still has this same information. This doesn't appear to be a Rovi bug but rather working as intended.

I started adding up how much time this Rovi craziness is taking up and am running projections on how much time will get eaten up moving to a new solution and a new Tivo Roamio with a lifetime subscription isn't a bad deal. In the past, I always thought I could build an HTPC better than a Tivo but with WMC ultimately going away, not being supported in W10, and now having crappy guide data -- it's just no longer better or cheaper than buying off-the-shelf hardware. I just ordered a Tivo Roamio and will put a 6TB HDD in it and that'll be my new DVR.

Mediaportal, Emby, or NextPVR could make for a nice HTPC but it won't be a better DVR given cablecard's DRM. Maybe Silicon Dust will have a good product in a year but until then it'll be beta quality software. I'm very technical and have been working with HTPC's for a decade but just don't see the point now. The content providers are doing everything in their power to make the PC a second class citizen in streaming. Blu Ray's just seem to work in an appliance but are always a pain on the HTPC. My gaming hardware is definitely not the same as my HTPC hardware so there's no synergy there. The Roamio replaces most of what I was using the PC for and is something that anybody can use. I guess I just want something that works rather than a hobby now.

Congratulations Microsoft -- one less WMC user.

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DavidinCT

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#2

Post by DavidinCT » Tue Aug 11, 2015 2:28 pm

Well, right now, it's full of bugs and they are fixing them one by one, I have seen from a few missing channels and news shows not recording to everything working fine in about 2 weeks.

Change products if you want and check back in like a month or 2, I bet most problems are resolved.
-Dave
Twitter @TheCoolDave

Windows Media Center certified and WMC MVP 2010 - 2012

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STC

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#3

Post by STC » Tue Aug 11, 2015 3:33 pm

Let us know what you think of Roamio Cable TV PQ. I thought it was poor. The same on a Mini and different TV.
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volfan6415

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#4

Post by volfan6415 » Tue Aug 11, 2015 4:40 pm

I'm just glad the switchover occurred during the summer and not during the spring or fall when I record a lot more shows. The WAF factor would have been terrible if these bugs had popped up then.

blueiedgod

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#5

Post by blueiedgod » Fri Aug 14, 2015 4:56 pm

I hope when you were learning to walk, talk, write, ride a bike, drive, or anything else, you did not just give up after you failed at first.

I am skeptical about OP. Joined July 14th, 2015, and "quit WMC" first week of August.

mlcarson

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#6

Post by mlcarson » Fri Jul 22, 2016 11:05 pm

It's been almost a year since I switched off from WMC. The Roamio didn't have any PQ issues that I could notice that weren't in the original Comcast stream. I came back here every couple months to see how things were progressing. You don't have to login here except to post so was on the forums way before my join date. It took many months for EPG123 to make its debut and is just now reaching a 1.0.0 release. Windows 10 support came a bit sooner but seems like people have had some issues with it along the way. The Tivo has been trouble free until now. There's an issue now where recordings won't work because of something that Comcast has done to a couple of their H.264 channels but it's being worked on. This affects one channel that I actually watch -BBCA- and only on the Roamio (not the TivoHD). Rovi purchasing Tivo was depressing but hasn't affected the guide data yet.

I think Tivo was the right choice last year and still remains the best option but it's a tougher call for anybody considering a switch. The price has went up a lot because of the Bolt and nobody knows for sure what Rovi's plans are. I do know for sure that WMC is a dead end since development has stopped. The SiliconDust DVR seems to have fizzled/flopped. Something might come of Apple TV or Android TV but I'm not holding my breath. Tivo added Plex support last year so my old HTPC is now a Plex server. This gives me everything I was using WMC for in a pretty trouble free package and I don't have to have a PC at any of the TV's.

gary94080

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#7

Post by gary94080 » Sat Jul 23, 2016 3:06 am

I have been checking in on SiliconDust regularly and I fear that you may be correct. I understand that there may be problems in getting SD-DVR working with protected content but their lack of communication on the issue, for me, seems to point to the possibility that they may have given up and just don't want to address it yet.

Channels also seemed promising but things have gotten quiet there as well.

bob_p

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#8

Post by bob_p » Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:57 pm

Before the Rovi acquisition of TiVo was announced, it looked like TiVo could be the best choice for a "whole home DVR" replacement for WMC and extenders - especially if they produced a 6 tuner version of the Bolt, allowing one cablecard to support 6 tuners, along with the other TiVo functionality (major streaming services, Plex, ...).

Until Rovi and TiVo make it clearer what they plan to do after the acquisition has been completed, there's a cloud hanging over TiVo.

The SD DVR software seems like a better fit for new SD customers. They still don't have DRM support or live TV buffering, and have made several major design decisions that are likely to discourage many WMC users. As a Kickstarter supporter, while I'm disappointed in how long it's take for them to get version 1 released and how far short it is from what use with WMC, if the first release generates enough tuner sales to keep SD in business, then I hope they'll be in a better position to provide better support for WMC users with a subsequent release (since most of their current HDHR Prime customers are using WMC).

Wookie06

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#9

Post by Wookie06 » Sat Aug 06, 2016 4:35 pm

The title is exactly how I feel. I upgraded the Windows 7 machine on the last day of the free Windows 10 offer. I think the straw that broke the camels back was my 360 all of the sudden not being able to connect to my PC. At this point I don't have cable and rarely feel the need to watch OTA broadcasts. I was already to use it for the last Superbowl but CBS streamed the game for free over their app. Right now I'm setting up NextPVR to try to at least justify my tuner card and antenna.

gary94080

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#10

Post by gary94080 » Sat Feb 04, 2017 7:42 pm

as we approach the current guide blackout on Feb 6, I think there will be a few more people giving up.

two more days and it is back to the days of manually programming recordings.

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STC

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#11

Post by STC » Sat Feb 04, 2017 7:57 pm

EPG123.

Seriously. Get on with other things in life.
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gary94080

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#12

Post by gary94080 » Sat Feb 04, 2017 8:19 pm

STC wrote:EPG123.

Seriously. Get on with other things in life.
the guide isn't my only issue. I have the problem with the Comcast conversion to h.264

viewing recordings on Xbox 360 has been a problem. it locks up if I fast forward too many time. the only thing to do is shut it down.

viewing on the desktop, I don't seem to have the lock up issue. I think there was one person that did. I do find the poor picture quality when you fast forward annoying. I get a blobby picture for a split second until it gets corrected.

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