Guide Updates - Download Issues

Did you try rerunning TV setup from settings?

[HTPC Specs:]

viewtopic.php?p=38443#p38443

We (Ceton) did reach out to our MS contacts regarding guide data for UK users last night. I haven't heard anything back though - especially with the holiday, I fear it may be a day or two.

Thank you for doing this; it is much appreciated. Let us hope that it produces a favourable result.

I've just driven from North Wales, where my media centre had no guide data beyond today, to a friend's house in Manchester. He has guide data for freeview (beyond new year) but not for freesat.

Almost certainly what your friend was seeing was the 7-day EPG that is broadcast as part of the Freeview signal. All Windows 7 systems can receive this in the UK.

Clearly the issue is only with FreeSat. I have configured EPG Collector to do the job for the time being. Still quite shocking to get to this state.

No, the issue is with Freeview too. Win7 can receive the EPG that is broadcast as part of the Freeview signal (you may need to enable it in Media Center if you previously disabled it). You do not need to use any additional software (such as EPG Collector) for Freeview, although additional software may provide additional functionality (such as better support for series recording). I have no experience of Freesat.

My real concern is the complete disregard for users shown by Microsoft support. If you're not going to continue with the EPG listings then an announcement would be appropriate. If you are continuing with them, then an apology for the loss of service is in order.

Agree 100%

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

My uk freeview htpc was still getting regular channel guide data but not for any of the hd channels. To fix this I have had to use epg collector for now. Hopefully MS will fix this soon as EPG collector is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut - very steep learning curve too!

CJ

[HTPC Specs:]

Happy New Year!!!

[HTPC Specs:]

MC is no more dead or alive than it was yesterday or last year.

Actually, I think the end of vendor support does make the product that little bit more dead. Means there is now no way any new user is going to start using Media Centre as the learning curve just became that bit steeper.

Clearly the guy that does the EPG listings for the UK was of Mayan descent and never took the red pill, so when the Mayan matrix shut down on December 21, he wasn't unplugged from the matrix so he ceased to exist. Since he normally made listings about 10-12 days in advance, it should be no surprise that he only created listings through December 31.

I like this theory.

I've been thinking of upgrading my tv pc box to Windows 8 (I'm on Vista). Is the EPG issue in Windows 8 as well?

I noted the suggestion to enable the EPG feed from the Freeview signal (if it was disabled). How can you do this and is it available for Vista?

Other suggestion was EPG Collector. I've downloaded it, but it looks painful. Any pointers as to how to set it up?

Any help would be really appreciated.

For those of you using FreeSat, here is what I did to get guide listings again.

• Install EPG Collector from http://sourceforge.net/projects/epgcollector/
• Run "EPG Center" and go to File->Change Collection Parameters... and select the file installed at "C:\Program Files (x86)\Geekzone\EPG Collector\Samples\Collector\UK - FreeSat.ini" (default location)
• Ensure on the "Output" tab that "Import the data to Windows Media Centre directly" is selected with an import name of "EPG Collector". Also ensure that "Flag all programmes as part of a series is chosen"
• On "Lookups" tab ensure that Movie Lookup and TV Series Lookup is enabled
• On "Advanced" tab ensure that "Use FreeSat Huffman tables to translate compressed EIT text" is selected
• Go to File->Save... to save these settings
• Go to Run->Collect EPG Data... to gather the data but ensure Media Center is not running at the time. This may take 10 to 15 minutes.
• Next we have to set each channel to use the EPG Collector listing information. Unfortunately I could not seem to do this in GuideTool. Therefore you need to go into Media Center and edit each channel and go to "Edit Listings".
• You will then find an entry for each channel that EPG Collector has found suffixed by "-EPG Collector". Select the appropriate channel and save these settings.
• Once you have done one channel you should see listings present and can then do the same for the other channels.
• Having ensured that all the channel listings are working correctly then set up a scheduled task to run EPG Collector at a time when you think Media Center will not be running. I picked 1.30am.

Hopefully that will help some others and if you have any issues I'll see what I can do to help. Having seen the guide data gathered in this way it seems to be better than the MS data. However, it is only 1 week in advance rather than 2 unfortunately but much better than nothing!

Does anyone have any advice for setting up EPG Collector for the Freeview HD channels? I get a guide for the other channels I assume straight from the tuner but nothing for the HD channels. I'm using a BlackGold 3620 if this makes any difference.

I have Freeview HD also from a Blackgate card on Windows 7 and this worked for me:
1. Install EPG collector
2. File - Create collection parameters
3. Select 'Fresat.ini' - I know I am on terrestial but need that as base
4. On 'Tuning' - 'Any available Tuner'. Then under DVB terrestial 'UK' and your local transmitter under 'Area' in my case Mendip. Then there is a little faff. For Mendip there are six frequencies available. I selected the first one. Then collection type 'EIT' and 'ADD'
5. Select the sattelite line initially added in 'Selected scanning frequencies' and select 'Delete' so only the DVB terrestial one is there
6. Go to channels tab 'Start scan'. After a while the channels might show. If they don't (and they didn't in my case for the first frequency) go back to step four and select the second frequency on the list and 'Add' delete the first one and try the channel scan again. Once you have the channels listed then this stage is complete
7. On 'output' tab check the box for 'import data into WMC directly' and the one 'automatically map epg data to channels' - i did NOT give it any import name
8. On 'Advanced' tab select the box 'use freesat Huffman tables...'
9. File 'Save as' then save
10. Run ' Collect EPG data'
11. Fire up WMC and data is now available. I use 'My Channel Logos' and found I needed to re-run this but that was the largest downside.
12. Turn off auto download on WMC so the two systems don't clash

Working well for me now

asm495 - thanks for the very clear instructions, that's really helpful.

When I run the collection process, I get a message "the collection process has completed with exit code 3. The initialisation file has a parameter error." I've tried googling the error code, but its pretty generic. Any ideas?

I've also got EPG Collector working for Freeview HD.

I did as above except:

My relay wasn't listed as a transmitter, so I had to go for "All" and looked up the frequency of the HD mux (you can see it if you edit sources in the channel editor on WMC).

I only added data from the ahD channels, leaving WMC to pick up the SD channels.

[holidayboy]

asm495 - thanks for the very clear instructions, that's really helpful.

When I run the collection process, I get a message "the collection process has completed with exit code 3. The initialisation file has a parameter error." I've tried googling the error code, but its pretty generic. Any ideas?

If you upload your "EPG collector.ini" file then we can probably help figure it out.

The file is in c:\programdata\geekzone\epg collector by default.

Hi , i followed the guide for Freeview HD for my Blackgold card above and it's an excellent guide.

Only trouble is there's still 'no data available' for the four HD channels in WMC. They're the only ones i actually record stuff from!

Any ideas what i'm doing wrong regarding the HD Channels? Thanks.







(tried attaching the epg ini but kept getting the extension is not allowed error)

Make sure that the HD channels are shown when you do a scan in the Channels tab and make sure that the epg data collection is finished as this can take about 10 minutes

CJ

[HTPC Specs:]

Sat here reading through all the posts on this problem. I was hoping that there would be a simple reason such as I've broken my Media Centre guide. It appears it's not that simple.

Hope MS sort out the guide soon. I don't really want to start 2013 sorting out a new TV recording set up at home.

I'm using vista 32bit, with xbox360 extender fyi

[holidayboy]

Hi , i followed the guide for Freeview HD for my Blackgold card above and it's an excellent guide.

Only trouble is there's still 'no data available' for the four HD channels in WMC. They're the only ones i actually record stuff from!

Any ideas what i'm doing wrong regarding the HD Channels? Thanks.







(tried attaching the epg ini but kept getting the extension is not allowed error)

I don't think epg collector can get freeview hd data as its encrypted,although I do remember reading something on the support forums about freesat huffman tables so I may be wrong. I'll dig around later if nobody jumps in.

You can zip any file and then attach it to avoid the file type issue.

I have Freeview HD also from a Blackgate card on Windows 7 and this worked for me:
1. Install EPG collector
<snip>
Working well for me now

Thanks for the information CJ. I've been trying DVBGuide which captures the EIT too, but needs a manual loadmxf into media centre, which didn't work for me. However EPGCollector did work, and has probably saved me the cost of a divorce lawyer!

Hi , i followed the guide for Freeview HD for my Blackgold card above and it's an excellent guide.

Only trouble is there's still 'no data available' for the four HD channels in WMC. They're the only ones i actually record stuff from!

Any ideas what i'm doing wrong regarding the HD Channels? Thanks.

I'm guessing you may have missed step 8 from CJ's process, which decodes the HD listings, ie.
8. On 'Advanced' tab select the box 'use freesat Huffman tables...'

HTH

I'm new to EPG Collector, thanks for the info above. Just had a go using CJ1045 method any it works well (except for C4HD for some reason..?) Anyway, does anybody have it running for both DVB-T and DVB-S? Do I just combine the two approaches above, or will I end up with some conflicts? Would be good to have guide info for some channels MS never bothered with! Does anybody know What are the additional steps to those outlined above (i.e. CJ1045 method)?

Thanks.