What is WMC EPG file "prefs.xml"on Vista HP 32-bit/OTA?

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SilverTX

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What is WMC EPG file "prefs.xml"on Vista HP 32-bit/OTA?

#1

Post by SilverTX » Sun Aug 23, 2015 2:32 am

Is the fix for missing EPG by Roki as simple as editing a "call file" for the new source? What does this file do? (See the file copied below). Can I "fix' it?
///C:/ProgramData/Microsoft/eHome/EPG/prefs/prefs.xml

I don't have enough programming knowledge to know if this is the problem or how to fix this file if it is, but surely someone at MS does! Somebody at Microsoft needs to answer this question (and fix the missing EPG problem).

After spending more than one month trying to find a way to get Media Center EPG to download Roki instead of Zap2it, maybe this is the reason why those of us running Vista HP 32 bit cannot get rid of Zap2it. If this file controls the task of downloading the EPG from whatever source, then it is still set to calling Zap2it to get an updated guide. I see in the file (below) that only Zap2it information is contained in the file so why can't Microsoft send out an update or other fix to direct the guide source to Roki instead?

FYI, I also tried using "Microsoft Fixit Center" which I downloaded a couple years ago (and used for other problems several times successfully) but it had no fix for the WMC EPG problem.

I thought briefly about just editing the enclosed file by replacing the name Zap2it with Roki in the file and then trying again to download/reload, etc., the Media Center Guide but I realized this file also contains other information such as "HEADEND" (probably a reference number for Zap2it, not Roki) and since I didn't want to make a bigger problem, I am seeking help here online.

I can still watch TV on my PC but just don't have any EPG! Currently, I'm still getting "No Data Available" (from Zap2it) but I can do "Manual Recording" of one show at a time but no series recording and it's very tricky to make sure I'm on the right channel before I manually input the time(s) to record. That makes it very time consuming; I have to find an online TV schedule such as TitanTV to look up days, times, and reviews and then set the Manual Recorder for every one-time recording.

My PC is HP Pavilion Media Center TV PC, running Vista Home Premium 32-bit, Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1600 NTSC/ATSC Combo video card with Over Air Antenna (OTA). I download all updates, including the SP2 pack when it came out, and have had no real problems with Media Center until this disaster caused by the switch in EPG provider. I tried all methods available within Media Center Guide and suggestions from online forums to download new EPG but it always defaults to Zap2it.

I bought this PC in 2007 because it had the built-in Media Center capability and would allow me to watch TV while I did other computer work on the PC and paid quite a higher price to get that function (WMC being already loaded and as part of that current Vista version). I recently read that a few months later (late 2007 or early 2008?) that Microsoft quit providing preloaded WMC and required new computer buyers to download it. I don't know if this (different versions of Vista) has anything to do with why some users (predating or postdating the change) have different outcomes trying to download the new EPG by Roki.

Here's the file, copied from my computer Drive C: - (Note: Please excuse the format of the file; when I copied it from the Word document, I didn't know how to keep the file format intact but that didn't change any of the file information.)

<?xml version="1.0"?>
-<lineups xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" copyright="Copyright Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved." originalCreator="MCE 2.0" client_version="2.0" schema_version="1.1"> -<lineup sources="1949568286"> -<sources> -<s language="en" restricted="True" unmapped="False" schemaversion="1" id="0" currentversion="2908506714" regiontuningcode="US" hnt="HEADEND_NETWORK_TYPE_LOCAL_ANALOG_ANTENNA" supplierinfo="Powered by Zap2it" suppliername="Zap2it" supplierid="1" headendname="Digital Terrestrial Lineup" headend="B75001-"> <copyright>© 2015 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=8430 </copyright> </s> -<s language="" restricted="False" unmapped="False" schemaversion="" id="1" currentversion="0" regiontuningcode="" hnt="HEADEND_NETWORK_TYPE_UNK" supplierinfo="" suppliername="" supplierid="" headendname="" headend=""> <copyright> </copyright> </s> </sources> <tuneRequests ct="0"/> <presets ct="0"/> -<channelRename> <cr defaultServiceId="234166670" newName="K31GL-D4" oldCallSign="K31GLD4" oldName="K31GL-D4"/> <cr defaultServiceId="234166667" newName="K31GL-D1" oldCallSign="K31GLD1" oldName="K31GL-D1"/> <cr defaultServiceId="ATSC-1191-19-1" newName="1191-DT" oldCallSign="1191-DT" oldName="1191-DT"/> <cr defaultServiceId="ATSC-1111-19-1" newName="1111-DT" oldCallSign="1111-DT" oldName="1111-DT"/> <cr defaultServiceId="ATSC-KTVTSTA-11-1" newName="KTVTDT (Special Temporary Authority)" oldCallSign="KTVTSTA-DT" oldName="KTVTDT (Special Temporary Authority)"/> <cr defaultServiceId="28455498" newName="KTVTDT (KTVT-DT)" oldCallSign="KTVTDT" oldName="KTVTDT (KTVT-DT)"/> </channelRename> </lineup> </lineups>

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Crash2009

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#2

Post by Crash2009 » Sun Aug 23, 2015 10:41 am

There have been a few guys that got Rovi working using "TV Pack". Look around a bit, I seem to remember seeing a link to the file around here somewhere. (try searching TV Pack here at TGB) Vistaar has written a bunch of posts related to fixing this.

found it, here you go.....

TV Pack 2008 (x64 and x86) http://digiex.net/guides-reviews/guides ... guide.html

http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 869#p93869
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TvPack2008.JPG

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Vistaar

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#3

Post by Vistaar » Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:35 pm

SilverTX wrote:My PC is HP Pavilion Media Center TV PC, running Vista Home Premium 32-bit...all updates, including the SP2 pack...I bought this PC in 2007
Welcome SilverTX, your PC is almost identical to mine. I don't know the answers to your specific questions, but I'm pretty sure that you are barking up the wrong tree. Since you bought the PC in 2007, there is no chance that TV Pack 2008 came with it, nor did Microsoft ever distribute TV Pack via Windows Update. I'm not aware of anyone running Vista without TV Pack who is able to get the new Rovi EPG data. On the other hand, the "VISTA WMC Stuck on Zap2it" thread contains posts from several people (including me) who were able to get Rovi data after installing TV Pack. However I have a few bones to pick with the installation instructions someone posted 7 years ago:

Clean install of Vista with SP1? Not necessary! Most of us successfully installed TV Pack on fully-updated Vista installations. The only issue that has been reported (aside from the quality of Rovi data) is a "wake from sleep" issue that so annoyed pioneering TV-Packer SteelWill that he has since moved on to Windows 7. (It's conceivable that the issue could've been avoided by going the "clean install with SP1" route, but we don't know that for a fact.) Oh yes, and a Linksys extender was reportedly broken not by TV Pack itself, but by the cumulative update for it.

Download RAR files of PlayReady v1.2 and a couple of obsolete patches? Wrong again! I actually got Rovi data without installing PlayReady, but later decided to install v1.3 directly from Microsoft. Here's the 32-bit version: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download ... x?id=21772. As for patches, simply check for updates in Windows Update.

Before installing TV Pack, you should at the very least create a restore point because it reportedly cannot be uninstalled. If you are familiar with imaging software (I use a Macrium Reflect CD), then creating an up-to-date image is an even better idea. However I don't think I will be reverting to the image I created on July 26 because I'm very happy with TV Pack.
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Rovi.JPG
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