TheGreenButton - Windows Media Center Forums

a week ago my plans were to use Linux Mint with ME TV for live TV when WMC was gone.
Then I found out about EPG123. I was going to wait till Jan. 20 2020 when I thought WMC EPG would end.
Then I noticed WMC wasn't updating my EPG past 1/1/2020, so I decided to try to make the switch.
I did it yesterday. At first I had 2 channels missing. I checked Zap2it and found they were missing there too.
On a whim I decided to try another local ZIP, just across town. All the channels were there.
So 1 day later I'm all set up and love the new EPG123 look.
Thanks EPG123 and Schedules Direct

and really, it truly is that easy.

Can we make this a sticky?

Yep, much better than reading posts about... "EPG123 corrupted my entire computer, burnt my house down, and killed my cat".

I did not look at the instructions, and F&**^^ it all up. I originally configured the server side first, however, after RTFM (reading the F*)(*)* Manual) I decided to just rerun the client setup.

Looked at the instructions, got it close to right. What I saw for configuring the Live TV step was a little different, but, I just pushed a few WMC buttons and it worked.

Only issue I have is, for zip 02129 (Boston) on the left hand side of the client, I see WGBHDT 2.1, did not see if on the left hand side. When I try and add it manually, I see it as a VHF channel, VHF 2.1, My guess is that it should be UHF 32.1. I also see the line there is a warning in the status field of the MXF file. MY HTPC has limited software etc, so I am bringing the EPG123 folder etc over if the log or the MXF file might be helpful.

Any guesses as to how I can fix my WGBH problem? I can see it in the guide, I can not watch it live. I tried opening the MXF file in Notepadd++, however, at first it hung, then after I killed Notepadd++, and restarted it, it displayed, however, I believe it is trying to format it as XML and is running into issues.

WMC does not include VHF channels in your scan so need to be added manually. According to antennaweb.org, your channel 2's are on VHF channel 5. So follow the instructions here. So you will add Digital TV channels 2.1 and 2.2, using assigned frequency of 5.

You will have to take a look at the log file ( [View Log] button) and search for WARNG tags to see why.

The MXF file can be a pretty good size, so Notepad++ can take some time loading it into memory. BTW: the MXF file is XML.

I've been sweating the upcoming apocalypse, and yesterday I finally bit the bullet and installed epg123. The first time through, I badly misread Gary's excellent instructions, and the install failed. The second time I read more carefully, all went well, and I ended up with a fully-functioning grid. Some of the logos were incorrect, but I've since figured out how to correct them with custom logos. Apparently, though, the logo corrections don't take effect until the nightly schedule download.

Overall, my wife is very happy, which makes me very happy. Now my only worry is how long it will be before my 2007 motherboard bites the dust.

Thanks, Gary!

Bob

Do you think you can elaborate on where you went wrong in misreading the instructions so that it can be improved? No matter how good the instructions are, they can always be clarified.

Some people go in to this expecting things to be one way, so they proceed that way, perhaps misinterpreting the instructions to match their expectations. Perhaps the instructions can be improved to help avoid this misinterpretation.

If it were me, I would change the install program to mention that it is a REALLY good idea to familiarize your self with the install instructions. and add "5 to 10 minutes reading will save you some confusion. Reading time 5 to 10 minutes. The actual install can take a half hour, but a lot of that time is matching up channels etc. There are a few responses that you need to do and be aware of." “A couple of months in the laboratory can frequently save a couple of hours in the library.”
— Frank Westheimer

gmgj wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:58 pm If it were me, I would change the install program to mention that it is a REALLY good idea to familiarize your self with the install instructions. and add "5 to 10 minutes reading will save you some confusion. Reading time 5 to 10 minutes.

sigh. I try to tell my wife this EXACT same thing when it comes to cooking and following a recipe. And yet, she continues to dump and stir and be caught by surprise when it comes out wrong.

My point: what you say shouldn't be news to anyone just because it's EPG123. It's common sense and applies to just about everything you do in the world. But know this: many people ignore such common sense. You see such people every day.

"Why did it go wrong?"
"You didn't do X. I said to do X."
"Oh, I thought you didn't mean that."

And so that's why, when someone installs EPG123, his dishwasher stops working.

Space wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:27 am Do you think you can elaborate on where you went wrong in misreading the instructions so that it can be improved? No matter how good the instructions are, they can always be clarified.

Some people go in to this expecting things to be one way, so they proceed that way, perhaps misinterpreting the instructions to match their expectations. Perhaps the instructions can be improved to help avoid this misinterpretation.

I went astray on Step 2, on page 4 of the instructions. Item 2 of Step 2 says to "Select [live TV setup] on the TV menu strip." I didn't realize that I was supposed to do that in the WMC program, which was right in front of my face on the screen. I went back to the epg123 Client screen, which said something like "Waiting for WMC to close." So I closed WMC and jumped ahead to the next step of the instructions.

After the install failed, I re-read the instructions, realized my mistake, and tried again with great success.

Very good, so the instructions can use some clarification as to which program (EPG123 or WMC) is the target of the instruction, very good feedback.

I think it is a good idea for every step to make it clear which target program you are talking about (WMC, EPG123, EPG123 client, etc.).

Easy as Pie!!

Marcos.S.Garcia

Spruce Goose wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 5:46 pm

Space wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:27 am Do you think you can elaborate on where you went wrong in misreading the instructions so that it can be improved? No matter how good the instructions are, they can always be clarified.

Some people go in to this expecting things to be one way, so they proceed that way, perhaps misinterpreting the instructions to match their expectations. Perhaps the instructions can be improved to help avoid this misinterpretation.

I went astray on Step 2, on page 4 of the instructions. Item 2 of Step 2 says to "Select [live TV setup] on the TV menu strip." I didn't realize that I was supposed to do that in the WMC program, which was right in front of my face on the screen. I went back to the epg123 Client screen, which said something like "Waiting for WMC to close." So I closed WMC and jumped ahead to the next step of the instructions.

After the install failed, I re-read the instructions, realized my mistake, and tried again with great success.

I did the same thing, and then figured it out. Overall, it is now working fine, and I paid my $25 to Schedules Direct. Interestingly, I did not have to manually add the VHF channels. They were all there from the beginning. Channels 7,9,11, and 13 all are on those actual VHF frequencies where I live.

Al

Went thru the process yesterday. Seemed mostly intuitive for someone relatively used to doing software configuration.

I do have some manually added vhf stations that I need to do more reading about. I'm not sure I really understand the channel mapping screen functions. 1 channel is pink on the left side after a guide update. But, as far as I can tell, guide is working correctly. I'll do more reading and hopefully figure it out.

Thanks much for this wonderful tool and even more so the ongoing support via these forums!

The pink identifies that you have a custom call sign or custom number for that channel. If you click the [Custom Labels] button and change it to [Original Labels], you should see its value change.

garyan2 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 31, 2019 3:08 pm The pink identifies that you have a custom call sign or custom number for that channel. If you click the [Custom Labels] button and change it to [Original Labels], you should see its value change.

Cool, thanks. Will do that

Thank you! I am kicking myself for not adopting EPG123 years ago!

I spent some time installing EPG123 to by venerable Win7/WMC yesterday evening. Uneventful installation following the instructions by the book. I took time to run a backup my DRM files first but in the event they were not necessary. A quick check into my 38.97TB of recordings, many of which are DRM protected, shows I can still play them.

Microsoft retiring Windows 7 has been a black mark in my calendar for years. I am grateful that I am at least over the guide data hump.

My HTPC has been running continuously except for periodic update reboots since April 12th, 2010. Except for adding my Ceton InfiniTV4 in August 2010 and switching out a HDD I used for local recordings in 2016 I don't think it has been off for longer than 5 minutes, ever. I have deliberately left it alone and pristine other than stock+updates and it still performs as well as the day I put it together.

One suggestion: when selecting/deselecting channels some method of select/deselecting multiples would be a great help. I would have liked to deselect all channel numbers <1000 (Cox's SD ones) and after sorting by language anything other than English. That would have left only a handful of others to deselect individually.

Frank.

Can't you use the standard Windows mechanism to select multiple items? Click on the first item, scroll to the last and shift-click to select all the ones in between? Then make your change.

See Gary explain it here.

I believe FrankAZ is talking about the configuration GUI where I don't have the ability to do a multi-select. It would take some work to get the code right since each channel that changed state would trigger a change for all channels with that station in all lineups. I may look into it, but I remember anticipating a considerable effort to make it so.