Media Center EPG Cutover

Global guide related discussion. All Windows versions.
Locked
digitalmediaphile

Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2015 10:20 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

Media Center EPG Cutover

#1

Post by digitalmediaphile » Tue Jul 07, 2015 10:26 pm

Introduction

The Electronic Program Guide (EPG) for Windows Media Center is a menu-based system providing regularly updated menus displaying broadcast programming and scheduling information for current and upcoming programming. The EPG is updated on Windows Media Center via new video data packages it requests from its supporting Microsoft services. These services are being updated to be compatible with new data providers.

More information

These service updates impact users in the US, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. New data providers will be powering the EPG experience in these markets beginning on 7/7/2015. After this date, Windows Media Center clients in these markets will be downloading new data packages.

While every precaution has been taken to ensure this transition is smooth, users may see differences in their EPG experiences, including the following:

• Your channel lineup may change with the new package, requiring you to go through TV setup to download the new lineup.
• Some lineups may no longer be available in the new package.
• Depending on your location, some channels will not have metadata in your guide. This presents as "no information available" in the guide, however you will be able to tune and watch that channel.
• Depending on your location, you may have more channels in the guide than you had before the transition.

Additionally, users should take the following actions to preserve their existing recording schedules:

• You should reset your currently scheduled one-off recordings. They will function as expected going forward.
• Certain series will stop recording the show even though that series will continue to show in the recordings list. You will have to "stop" recording the series and set the recording again. This may result in two instances of the series record showing side by side; the series instance of existing episodes already recorded and the series instance for the new recordings going forward. Both will function as expected.
Feedback and issue reports can be submitted to https://connect.microsoft.com/site1145/Feedback.

------------------------------------
Info above supplied by Microsoft to me (Barb Bowman, MVP Windows Experience), on 7.7.2015

/moderator edit:
Rovi is working with Microsoft directly on all Windows Media Center related issues. The official path of support for WMC issues is to log a feedback report within the Microsoft Connect site
https://connect.microsoft.com/site1145/Feedback
Microsoft will triage the problems there, and report any lineup or data accuracy related issues to Rovi for you.

North Americans can go to http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/tv-listings to view the same data that is provided to Media Center.


User avatar
mcewinter

Posts: 999
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:33 pm
Location: Chicago

HTPC Specs: Show details

#2

Post by mcewinter » Tue Jul 07, 2015 10:52 pm

Thanks for the heads up :thumbup:

Thanks for joining :thumbup: :thumbup:

User avatar
STC

Posts: 6808
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:58 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#3

Post by STC » Wed Jul 08, 2015 2:03 am

Yes thanks for the info. It sounds like a whole lot of yuck to sort through :(

Let's see if my small local cable co continues to get listings...
By the Community, for the Community. 100% Commercial Free.

Want decent guide data back? Check out EPG123

User avatar
spanner

Posts: 269
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:36 pm
Location: Corbett Oregon USA

HTPC Specs: Show details

#4

Post by spanner » Wed Jul 08, 2015 3:20 am

I think we will be very lucky if this goes smooth

kmp14

Posts: 138
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 7:23 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#5

Post by kmp14 » Wed Jul 08, 2015 2:57 pm

Cant believe this topic isnt blowing up, this sounds like it will be quite a mess.

User avatar
spanner

Posts: 269
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:36 pm
Location: Corbett Oregon USA

HTPC Specs: Show details

#6

Post by spanner » Wed Jul 08, 2015 3:35 pm

So I'm not quite sure on this. Do we need to run TV setup again after 7/7 to see the new guide data, or just wait and see if its working ?

3rob3

Posts: 548
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 8:48 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#7

Post by 3rob3 » Wed Jul 08, 2015 3:48 pm

While it is nice to see someone from Microsoft talk about the EPG, and it is at least some assurance the EPG will continue for a while, I have a bad feeling about this. This could be their next step in getting people off of WMC by providing a terrible EPG that will make it not worth using anymore. Hope I am wrong.....

User avatar
Doctor Feelgood

Posts: 331
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2012 12:37 pm
Location: NJ

HTPC Specs: Show details

#8

Post by Doctor Feelgood » Wed Jul 08, 2015 3:58 pm

Ooof - was already anxious since Cablevision is re-arranging the lineup at the start of August - now it sounds like I may have two rounds of angry family members as I try to get things straightened out!

User avatar
pittsoccer33

Posts: 58
Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2013 1:48 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#9

Post by pittsoccer33 » Wed Jul 08, 2015 4:36 pm

I will stick my neck out and say I'm more optimistic. If the new provider is the same as the Xbox One source, then it seems likely that guide data will continue longer.

User avatar
pittsoccer33

Posts: 58
Joined: Thu Feb 07, 2013 1:48 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#10

Post by pittsoccer33 » Wed Jul 08, 2015 4:39 pm

spanner wrote:So I'm not quite sure on this. Do we need to run TV setup again after 7/7 to see the new guide data, or just wait and see if its working ?
My assumption is that nothing will happen until your PC goes looking for more days worth of schedules.

User avatar
spanner

Posts: 269
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:36 pm
Location: Corbett Oregon USA

HTPC Specs: Show details

#11

Post by spanner » Wed Jul 08, 2015 5:22 pm

I am getting page not found when I follow the OP feedback link

3rob3

Posts: 548
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 8:48 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#12

Post by 3rob3 » Wed Jul 08, 2015 5:49 pm

pittsoccer33 wrote:I will stick my neck out and say I'm more optimistic. If the new provider is the same as the Xbox One source, then it seems likely that guide data will continue longer.
I always assumed Xbox One used Zap2it (or whatever it is called now) also. Do we know that it uses something other than what WMC uses?

Ed 

Posts: 808
Joined: Sat May 24, 2014 3:14 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#13

Post by Ed  » Wed Jul 08, 2015 6:12 pm

3rob3 wrote:This could be their next step in getting people off of WMC by providing a terrible EPG that will make it not worth using anymore. Hope I am wrong.....
Microsoft doesn't care about WMC users enough to hatch that dastardly of a plot against them.
pittsoccer33 wrote:I will stick my neck out and say I'm more optimistic. If the new provider is the same as the Xbox One source, then it seems likely that guide data will continue longer.
It's most likely this; or just another third party provider that was cheaper for them than Zap2It.
3rob3 wrote:I always assumed Xbox One used Zap2it (or whatever it is called now) also. Do we know that it uses something other than what WMC uses?
XB1 uses Rovi for guide data.

User avatar
STC

Posts: 6808
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:58 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#14

Post by STC » Wed Jul 08, 2015 7:43 pm

If I get time, I may rerun MC tuner setup tonight and see what transpires.
By the Community, for the Community. 100% Commercial Free.

Want decent guide data back? Check out EPG123

User avatar
STC

Posts: 6808
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:58 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#15

Post by STC » Wed Jul 08, 2015 7:55 pm

Thinking about this, wouldn't performing a fresh tuner setup (that pulls in a new block of guide data) force a recompile of scheduled recordings?
That may negate having to check and tweak each individual show which would be arduous to say the least...
By the Community, for the Community. 100% Commercial Free.

Want decent guide data back? Check out EPG123

User avatar
spanner

Posts: 269
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:36 pm
Location: Corbett Oregon USA

HTPC Specs: Show details

#16

Post by spanner » Wed Jul 08, 2015 8:25 pm

STC wrote:Thinking about this, wouldn't performing a fresh tuner setup (that pulls in a new block of guide data) force a recompile of scheduled recordings?
That may negate having to check and tweak each individual show which would be arduous to say the least...
I am going to give this a try a little later today. I took a photo with my phone of my series recordings just in case

User avatar
spanner

Posts: 269
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:36 pm
Location: Corbett Oregon USA

HTPC Specs: Show details

#17

Post by spanner » Wed Jul 08, 2015 9:06 pm

I just ran TV setup again. At first it only recognized four of my 6 ceton tuners so I used the ceton diagnostic to reset tuners then discover tuners. Went back to TV setup and now was able to run setup with all 6 tuners. So far I cant see any changes other than I have to disable all the channels i dont use again. Went to about guide in the task menu, says guide good through the 20th and powered by zap2it just as it did before. I have portland comcast digital. As far as i can tell there have been no changes yet, but will look deeper.

mdavej

Posts: 1477
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:52 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#18

Post by mdavej » Wed Jul 08, 2015 9:26 pm

spanner wrote:I am getting page not found when I follow the OP feedback link
Should work if you log in to your Microsoft account. Worked for me.

Thanks for testing. I wonder if they've postponed it.

User avatar
STC

Posts: 6808
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:58 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#19

Post by STC » Wed Jul 08, 2015 11:37 pm

^ Perhaps there is the 2-3 day lag for servers to update sync as per the old guide method(?)
By the Community, for the Community. 100% Commercial Free.

Want decent guide data back? Check out EPG123

User avatar
STC

Posts: 6808
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:58 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#20

Post by STC » Thu Jul 09, 2015 12:10 am

A worrying thing is channel guide anomalies, and how they get cleared up in the future. Presently it's easy to notify Zap2it, and after a few days, things get fixed.
By the Community, for the Community. 100% Commercial Free.

Want decent guide data back? Check out EPG123

Locked