Guide Data Outage - 2019 Summer Edition

Global guide related discussion. All Windows versions.
tired_runner

Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 8:42 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#61

Post by tired_runner » Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:08 pm

garyan2 wrote: Tue Jun 25, 2019 9:25 pm Clarify/Correct some information about EPG123 setup in this thread.

DRM recordings will still be playable... deleting your WMC database doesn't change your unique ID to access those recordings.
CableCARD activations will still be valid... no need to reactivate.
Recording requests, for the most part, are transferable between your old Rovi configuration to the new EPG123 configuration. This is especially true for US users.

EPG123 makes a backup of you WMC configuration making it possibly to completely revert back to Rovi if you desire.
Sweet!

Your software has been working out just perfect for me these past few days. The TV guide used to freeze when I used Rovi. Now it pops right up with your software. When I pull a synopsis of a movie or TV show, the picture with the synopsis actually matches it. It was common for Rovi to show synopsis of Die Hard while showing a picture of Keeping up with the Kardashians.

Just renewed for a year. Thank you very much for your software.

billmich

Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:52 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#62

Post by billmich » Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:13 pm

My guide runs out tonight, I had never seen it cut so close before. But at least with this thread, I know it isn't anything on MY end

SugarFree

Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:28 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#63

Post by SugarFree » Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:37 pm

Strange thing happened this morning. Maybe someone here can explain it? I did a manual update this morning, as I've done all week. No joy - still ends at 6 pm Sunday.

But. I tape Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow every weeknight. Last night, they showed in today's "to be recorded" list and in the guide - which was actually incorrect since tonight is the first Democratic Debate on that channel. I figured I'd just set a manual recording this morning. However, after I tried the manual update without success, my set recordings for those two shows tonight had gone. When I looked at the guide - it now listed the Democratic Debate! Which absolutely had not been there last night when I looked.

How is this possible? What's going on?

(Mystified) SugarFree

JohnW248

Posts: 786
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:23 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#64

Post by JohnW248 » Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:47 pm

Very strange indeed. The problem started on 6/19 according to my task logs and besides not getting the EPGL it also does not get the Network Metadata which happens earlier and is apparently in another file. It just says that Network Metadata is not available.

My schedule (one the working machines with data) runs out on Sunday the 30th as well.

Since this is now one full week with the problem it must be something major.

John

User avatar
davidhp

Posts: 181
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:28 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#65

Post by davidhp » Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:53 pm

I got a different error message when attempting a manual update this morning, "Client maintenance Complete" , no update to the EPG but not the same error message about the remote servers.

SugarFree

Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:28 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#66

Post by SugarFree » Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:01 pm

David, I've never gotten the server error. Just "error downloading guide - download was not successful.". That didn't change this morning, but a few *existing* listings (for tonight at least) did.

wifiwanderer

Posts: 111
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2014 4:43 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#67

Post by wifiwanderer » Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:16 pm

Tried manual update, got same error message, no noticeable changes to listings, which end 30 June 2019.

gbal

Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 10:06 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#68

Post by gbal » Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:38 pm

I'm having same issue with guide not updating (Failed to retrieve EPGListings).
The guide runs out on Sat. Jun 29th (in 4 days).
Has there been any official word from Microsoft indicating an issue or termination of service?

jimij1000

Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:55 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#69

Post by jimij1000 » Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:48 pm

I submitted a ticket to Rovi this morning and they actually sent me a reply with a case # and a support number to call them and I did. The tech said Microsoft is working on the issue, yada yada yada. I explained again to the tech while on the phone that this should be escalated as a sev1 outage. Let's see what happens.

mwpeterson

Posts: 101
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2016 11:55 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#70

Post by mwpeterson » Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:04 pm

All the people at Rovi can do is inform Microsoft about the issue, which they did last week. We never hear anything back from Microsoft.

SugarFree

Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:28 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#71

Post by SugarFree » Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:14 pm

gbal wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:38 pm Has there been any official word from Microsoft indicating an issue or termination of service?
THERE IS NO TERMINATION OF SERVICE! The last time something this bad happened we got down to 2 days of guide before it was fixed. MS has escalated this and is working on it. No point bugging Rovi - there is nothing whatsoever more they can do that they haven't already done.

When MS fixes it, it will be fixed.

JohnW248

Posts: 786
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:23 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#72

Post by JohnW248 » Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:42 pm

davidhp wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:53 pm I got a different error message when attempting a manual update this morning, "Client maintenance Complete" , no update to the EPG but not the same error message about the remote servers.
Client maintenance Complete isn't an error message, go to the Task Viewer and look at MCUpdate and you'll see several listings and the last two on your system for that period should show "Starting Client Maintenance" and then "Client Maintenance Complete". That operation is a data base clean up that runs on a count basis to pull out data out of the guide. You'll have entries preceding the Client Maintenance that will have error downloading guide, etc.

The Client Maintenance is a normal operation, if you run a forced manual update with the -uf switch it will force a guide download (if one is available) and then run the Client Maintenance. The clean up routine can take a half hour or more.

jimij1000

Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:55 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#73

Post by jimij1000 » Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:54 pm

SugarFree wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:14 pm
gbal wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:38 pm Has there been any official word from Microsoft indicating an issue or termination of service?
THERE IS NO TERMINATION OF SERVICE! The last time something this bad happened we got down to 2 days of guide before it was fixed. MS has escalated this and is working on it. No point bugging Rovi - there is nothing whatsoever more they can do that they haven't already done.

When MS fixes it, it will be fixed.
Sugarfree I agree with you but Rovi has a contract with MS and MS has a duty to support it's products. Even if MS will be ending guide support at some point, MS should stand behind their products. Some MCE users have paid the 10 bucks to add MCE to windows 8/8.1. I did as I have MCE on about ten different machines. Also, the fact that MS has not provided a means to escalate a potential production outage from it's userbase is just shameful to say the least. So if the only way we as end users can get MS's attention is to bug Rovi that's what I will keep doing. I know people who work at Rovi, but I haven't gone that route yet. As I recall there were very few issues when Zap2it was the guide provider. Lastly, I worked in the VOD (video on Demand) industry several times over the last ten years and MS just doesn't care.

My 2 cents

SugarFree

Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:28 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#74

Post by SugarFree » Wed Jun 26, 2019 5:44 pm

> So if the only way we as end users can get MS's attention is to bug Rovi that's what I will keep doing.

Not only will that not work - it will ultimately backfire on us all.

1. Rovi is NOT responsible for our guide.
2. Rovi is under NO obligation to report our outages to MS. That they do is a kindness on their part.
3. Once they've been told about an outage and have passed it on, continuing to "bug them" will likely only make them wash their hands of us. Then what will we do, since WE have no way to contact MS!

If the guide has problems, someone here will have reported it, AND stated that Rovi has been notified, and that they've notified MS. That's it. No more can or should be done. Either they'll fix ir or they won't. If they do, it'll be fixed WHEN IT'S FIXED - and there's nothing more you, or anyone else can do.

You have a beef with MS? Understandable. Take it up with them, not an innocent 3rd party.

MY 2 cents

jimij1000

Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:55 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#75

Post by jimij1000 » Wed Jun 26, 2019 7:19 pm

SugarFree wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 5:44 pm > So if the only way we as end users can get MS's attention is to bug Rovi that's what I will keep doing.

Not only will that not work - it will ultimately backfire on us all.

1. Rovi is NOT responsible for our guide.
2. Rovi is under NO obligation to report our outages to MS. That they do is a kindness on their part.
3. Once they've been told about an outage and have passed it on, continuing to "bug them" will likely only make them wash their hands of us. Then what will we do, since WE have no way to contact MS!

If the guide has problems, someone here will have reported it, AND stated that Rovi has been notified, and that they've notified MS. That's it. No more can or should be done. Either they'll fix ir or they won't. If they do, it'll be fixed WHEN IT'S FIXED - and there's nothing more you, or anyone else can do.

You have a beef with MS? Understandable. Take it up with them, not an innocent 3rd party.

MY 2 cents
Well I'll agree to disagree with you. Microsoft and Rovi have an obligation to support their respective products. The guide data is provided from Rovi to Microsoft which Microsoft paid Rovi for. Microsoft then in turn, is responsible for what ever conversion is needed for all MCE users to pull the file(s) to maintain the guide on all MCE instances. If the end user experience is bad then both company's look bad. Check the About Guide Listings and notice the "Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation"

Rant over for me. Let's hope they fix it.

sam68

Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2019 7:17 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#76

Post by sam68 » Wed Jun 26, 2019 7:38 pm

I would like to try fixing the guide not updating by running Client maintenance with the -UF command. Can anyone tell me step by step, how to do that?
thanks

mwpeterson

Posts: 101
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2016 11:55 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#77

Post by mwpeterson » Wed Jun 26, 2019 7:45 pm

sam68 wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 7:38 pm I would like to try fixing the guide not updating by running Client maintenance with the -UF command. Can anyone tell me step by step, how to do that?
thanks
Doing a forced update won't help. The problem is on Microsoft's end.

SugarFree

Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:28 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#78

Post by SugarFree » Wed Jun 26, 2019 7:51 pm

> Microsoft and Rovi have an obligation to support their respective products.

Yep. Rovi compiles a guide that MS and other companies buy. Rovi is responsible for it being correct, and for pushing it onto their customers servers. Neither of those things have anything to do with us, since Rovi has fulfilled its every obligation - to its customer, which isn't *us*.

The guide IS correct, and MS receives it daily. That's it. What MS does with that file once Rovi sends it to them has NOTHING TO DO WITH ROVI.

You buy new tires for your car. The tires are perfect. Your mechanic installs them incorrectly. What does the tire manufacturer owe you? Absolutely nothing. What part of that aren't you getting?

jimij1000

Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:55 am
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#79

Post by jimij1000 » Wed Jun 26, 2019 8:17 pm

SugarFree wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 7:51 pm > Microsoft and Rovi have an obligation to support their respective products.

Yep. Rovi compiles a guide that MS and other companies buy. Rovi is responsible for it being correct, and for pushing it onto their customers servers. Neither of those things have anything to do with us, since Rovi has fulfilled its every obligation - to its customer, which isn't *us*.

The guide IS correct, and MS receives it daily. That's it. What MS does with that file once Rovi sends it to them has NOTHING TO DO WITH ROVI.

You buy new tires for your car. The tires are perfect. Your mechanic installs them incorrectly. What does the tire manufacturer owe you? Absolutely nothing. What part of that aren't you getting?
You make assumptions the files received from Rovi aren't in error.
I've pushed and pulled guide data for multiple large cable operators to STB's over the years. The file(s) from Rovi whether it's pushed or pulled, (pushed from Rovi to MS or pulled By MS from Rovi) there is a plethora number of things that can go wrong in the process.

1. MS receives the file(s) regardless of push/pull and the data in the file is incorrectly formatted or corrupt and an MS (built in) check of the file(s) flags it as bad and won't complete the rest of the process for end users to be able to do the pull to each mce instances.
2. The file(s) are good from Rovi but any necessary next steps in conversion fail, the file(s) is flagged as bad and won't let the rest of the process complete.
3. The process of receiving the file(s), conversion of the file(s) and the automated check of the converted file(s) fails.
4. Should I go on?

20 years in IT and 10 in the cable industry.

rickmktg

Posts: 67
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2016 7:05 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#80

Post by rickmktg » Wed Jun 26, 2019 9:27 pm

Hammer MS via your social media accounts. DM @MicrosoftHelps on Twitter.
Moved to W10 and NPVR in December 2019. Bye.

Locked