Guide Data Running Out - Spring 2016 DST

[shawndavis4]

Like everyone here, I'm waiting for WMC guide data to update. But so far, data ends 6:00 AM on March 19th. I've only been using WMC since September 2014 and I absolutely love it. I was a big fan of Beyond TV before that. If the guide data runs out, I will definitely try EPG123 -- looks very promising. If all else fails, I will switch over to MediaPortal. I already had it working flawlessly in case I couldn't get WMC to work on WIndows 10. But WMC works very well on Windows 10 for me.

Just wanted to mention that I have heard Windows 10 automatic updates have started removing programs without warning. I don't know if WMC will ever be targeted; but it is very possible. If Microsoft wants WMC to truly go away, they can make it happen.

I recommend that everyone make frequent system image backups just in case you wake up and WMC is gone. You can always restore to the last image and get your WMC back. Making backups of your guide data and recording schedule may be useful too. Then maybe disable automatic updates after that. Also, try out Kodi, MediaPortal, or whatever now just in case you have to jump ship and can no longer use WMC. And last, try using EPG123 if guide data runs out. Obviously each one of us have different amounts of time and resources available and no one bit of advice will help everyone. I wish everyone good luck. I'm sticking with WMC until it absolutely can't be fixed any longer.

[JohnW248]

This just in from secret source. The guide problem has been under investigation since last week and they think they have found the problem. You should start seeing updates as the servers get the information sometime today (March 15) This sometimes takes up to a day before everyone starts getting the downloads.

Just don't do anything on your machines, if anything you should only do "get latest guide" which you can run from the schedule (right click on a channel number and choose get latest guide) but don't do any "fancy" command stuff since it won't update until the data gets to the servers.

John

[adam1991]

Haven't we heard this same "the guide problem has been under investigation and they think they have found the problem" before?

Huh. And yet, some "problem" they've never seen before always seems to happen around the time change? Really? A new problem every time?

A problem that Tivo et al. never seem to have?

[Space]

...
I recommend that everyone make frequent system image backups just in case you wake up and WMC is gone.
...

Good advice. The free version of Macrium Reflect now supports differential backups (a feature that used to only be in the payed versions). So this may be a good option if you want to do frequent backups (although I have never tried the differential feature personally).

For my needs, I just make a full image backup whenever I make new tweaks to my system or after I record copy protected content (which I don't do that much of since only HBO/Cinemax and Fox cable networks are DRM protected on FiOS).

[Space]

Haven't we heard this same "the guide problem has been under investigation and they think they have found the problem" before?

Huh. And yet, some "problem" they've never seen before always seems to happen around the time change? Really? A new problem every time?

A problem that Tivo et al. never seem to have?

That's because it is a different person looking at it every 6 months and they don't document what they did to fix it so it is an all new experience for the new guy.

The part about them providing no feedback whatsoever so that everyone goes through the week in a panic is just Microsoft policy.


(note the above is supposition on my part )

[JohnW248]

Haven't we heard this same "the guide problem has been under investigation and they think they have found the problem" before?

Huh. And yet, some "problem" they've never seen before always seems to happen around the time change? Really? A new problem every time?

A problem that Tivo et al. never seem to have?

And it's possible that the explanation was simplified for me and I've simplified it even more for posting here. Since it doesn't matter what the problem was or where since it is beyond what we can control, we just have to let them fix it and move on.

It may or may not be a new problem, it might be an old problem again it might be something that has never been "fixed" and only worked around.....but don't expect any full explanation (at least I don't).

[adam1991]

Oh, I don't *expect* an explanation. But I have to make choices for my own life, based on the information that I *do* have.

And all of the information we've gotten over the last few years about all of this, and about MS's goals in killing anything that isn't Win10, goes into the pot and gets stirred into whatever it combines to be.

[rickmktg]

How very "Google-Like" of them...

In my mind, there is no excuse for lack of information flow, nor for no reason to contact them directly re: the problem. NONE.

[Octavean]

I have Win TV software that came with my external Hauppauget TV Tuner, while it doesn't have a guide (EPG), I can program recording shows like on an old VCR and can program so it will record the same channel at the same day of the week and time for recording a series. It is not as convenient as WMC but it will do in a pinch I guess. I just bought a new computer after Windows 10 came out and made sure I got one with Windows 8.1 so I could keep WMC. I wish Microsoft would realize that their are still quite a few customers who want to use WMC and at least sell the rights to a company willing to keep it going for us for a nominal fee.

You can do the same type of recording with WMC if the guide should run out. recorded tv -> +add recording -> Channel and Time

I do that now with WMC for the couple of stations that ROVI doesn't recognize in my channel line up, but I don't know how to make it a re-occurring weekly recording when manually setting a recording in WMC.

recorded tv -> +add recording -> Channel and Time


Then goto "Frequency" and choose from the drop-down list:

Record Once
Every Day
Every Monday
Every Tuesday

and so on,.....

You can also name the recordings using the "Change Title" option at the lower left side.

[captain_video]

I've been dealing with the guide data issues ever since they started a few years back. The thing is, Microsoft has always fixed the problem before the data ran out. I don't expect this to be any different so I see no need to go into a panic over it. I'm currently out of town on business and won't return home until Thursday evening so there's nothing I can do about it anyway. I ditched TiVo when I started using a HTPC for recording with WMC and I have no plans to go back. I invested in the Kickstarter for the SD DVR app, but so far I'm not getting a warm fuzzy with it. I will look into using EPG123 if that means I can continue using WMC indefinitely. I'm surprised that Schedules Direct appears to be supporting it because it used to be that they stated their data could not be used with WMC for legal reasons or something to that effect. I've got one primary HTPC and three NUCs that would need to be upgraded, but I can do just one of the NUCs and clone it to the other two.

[adam1991]

Question: why did you ditch Tivo?

and btw, "use WMC indefinitely" is wrong. "Use it for the foreseeable future" is more accurate.

There's no way you'll use WMC indefinitely.

[Space]

Question: why did you ditch Tivo?

and btw, "use WMC indefinitely" is wrong. "Use it for the foreseeable future" is more accurate.

There's no way you'll use WMC indefinitely.

Indefinitely means an unspecified period of time, so it's not wrong.

[captain_video]

How about so I can continue to use it for as long as I can?

[mmatheny]

Just read this on the Silicon forum:
This just in from secret source. The guide problem has been under investigation since last week and they think they have found the problem. You should start seeing updates as the servers get the information sometime today (March 15) This sometimes takes up to a day before everyone starts getting the downloads.

Just don't do anything on your machines, if anything you should only do "get latest guide" which you can run from the schedule (right click on a channel number and choose get latest guide) but don't do any "fancy" command stuff since it won't update until the data gets to the servers.

[STC]

They think they have found the problem....maybe someone can stick a post-it note on the fridge for November.

[hansolo89]

i hope whenever MS decides to discontinue the guide they give users like a 6-month notice

imagine if they send an update that removes wmc from your pc, like they did with netflix

[Ed]

i hope whenever MS decides to discontinue the guide they give users like a 6-month notice

imagine if they send an update that removes WMC from your PC, like they did with netflix

There was a notification ahead of time by Microsoft for that (removing Netflix).

[STC]

^EPG123 to the rescue.

[Scallica]

Just read this on the Silicon forum:
This just in from secret source. The guide problem has been under investigation since last week and they think they have found the problem. You should start seeing updates as the servers get the information sometime today (March 15) This sometimes takes up to a day before everyone starts getting the downloads.

Just don't do anything on your machines, if anything you should only do "get latest guide" which you can run from the schedule (right click on a channel number and choose get latest guide) but don't do any "fancy" command stuff since it won't update until the data gets to the servers.

as seen in post 82 of this thread

[glorp]

They think they have found the problem....maybe someone can stick a post-it note on the fridge for November.

I'd almost bet the "fix" is just to let DST transition pass so that troublesome data gets purged and processing resumes normally.