Media Center keeps re-recording the same episodes

[MarkJohnson]

My Win7 MC is recording the same episodes over and over for some reason.

How does Media Center keep track of recordings?

[bob_p]

I've seen this more often after the Rovi guide switchover.

Since Rovi became the guide provider, I've found I have to check upcoming recordings about once each week to verify that I'm not recording extra episodes AND I'm not missing episodes that I want to record.

[STC]

This is one of the BIG problems with the Rovi supply and WMC. It's actually quicker to set date and time recordings 1980's VCR style for problem series as opposed to checking and adjusting regularly.

[bob_p]

Agree - just had this happen to another "cable" channel series that is playing multiple reruns next week - and many of those came back with only generic guide information, not a specific episode - and the WMC recording rules believes these are all new episodes and marks them all to record.

[DavidinCT]

This is one of the BIG problems with the Rovi supply and WMC. It's actually quicker to set date and time recordings 1980's VCR style for problem series as opposed to checking and adjusting regularly.

Maybe it's about the area ? On my WMC its very rare that this happens. In fact I don't remember when the last time it happened ( was looking through all shows last night). When it was happening, it would record repeats of the Simpsons in my case (set to new episodes only) and there was no original record date listed in the recording, so it just recorded all of them (guide data issue)

If there was a recording failure on 7 (even if it got cut off at the last 10 seconds, WMC calls it a failure and will keep trying to record it), there was a bug a while ago that I think was addressed via a update. If it showed under this problem, if the first time recording failed, it would keep recording the same show over and over. Check the logs, find the first recording, see of WMC saw it as a failure. If this happened, delete the series, reboot the computer and re-add it, it should resolve it. Or if you stopped taking Windows Update, run it, and see if you have a old WMC update in there.

Also check your series recordings, some time people put a dup recording in the series, it shouldn't cause a problem but, might cause this type of issue.

How many shows is this happening to ?

[STC]

It's the obscure less mainstream shows that it usually happens on. Many toddler kids shows and quite a few series of my wife's weird stuff. Canadian broadcasts mostly.

Problems Zap2it didn't really have.

[bob_p]

And we're still missing the "release date" for movies - which was useful to quickly determine when the latest movies become available on the premium channels.

[gary94080]

this happens a lot to programs on PBS. frequently multiple shows get recorded, but there are times that episodes have the wrong data so WMC thinks it is recording the first showing, but is really recording a replay of the previous episode on a secondary channel. if you don't catch this you will miss the first showing on the primary channel.

some of the problems are caused by incorrect data that Rovi is providing Microsoft, but a lot of the errors are due to Microsoft not using available data.

[MarkJohnson]

hmmm, this post wasn't set to subscribe or something and never got notices of replies.

Anyway, this is still happening to me. It is especially happening on the Velocity channel on Comcast.

I see people saying it is Zap2it or Rovi. I assume this is where WMC get the episode info? If so, is there a better service and how would I change it?

I ordered a new rig and replacing my old HTPC rig and want everything working properly before I set it up.

Lastly, is there a better TV recorder, especially for HBO channels that are copy protected?

[gary94080]

hmmm, this post wasn't set to subscribe or something and never got notices of replies.

Anyway, this is still happening to me. It is especially happening on the Velocity channel on Comcast.

I see people saying it is Zap2it or Rovi. I assume this is where WMC get the episode info? If so, is there a better service and how would I change it?

I ordered a new rig and replacing my old HTPC rig and want everything working properly before I set it up.

Lastly, is there a better TV recorder, especially for HBO channels that are copy protected?

MS "broke" the EPG when it ended it's relationship with Zap2it. MS now contracts with Rovi.

there is a thread on EPG123 a third party vendor for getting EPG into WMC. look at the EPG subforum

[MarkJohnson]

hmmm, this post wasn't set to subscribe or something and never got notices of replies.

Anyway, this is still happening to me. It is especially happening on the Velocity channel on Comcast.

I see people saying it is Zap2it or Rovi. I assume this is where WMC get the episode info? If so, is there a better service and how would I change it?

I ordered a new rig and replacing my old HTPC rig and want everything working properly before I set it up.

Lastly, is there a better TV recorder, especially for HBO channels that are copy protected?

MS "broke" the EPG when it ended it's relationship with Zap2it. MS now contracts with Rovi.

there is a thread on EPG123 a third party vendor for getting EPG into WMC. look at the EPG subforum

So is it possible to re-enable zap2it if it was so good? Maybe buy it from zap2it or whatever they require.

Looking into EPG123, but it still looks like it's in BETA still? I think I only need it to mark already recorded episode, episode and series number, maybe some others. but those are the two big ones.

[gary94080]

So is it possible to re-enable zap2it if it was so good? Maybe buy it from zap2it or whatever they require.

Looking into EPG123, but it still looks like it's in BETA still? I think I only need it to mark already recorded episode, episode and series number, maybe some others. but those are the two big ones.

I don't think so but that is something someone else needs to answer, I just run the generic WMC without any add-ons.

[MarkJohnson]

Yeah, all I do is use it to record my TV and then pass it to MCEBuddy to remove commercials and hopefully re-encode it in a smaller size.

I just need it to stop recording all of the episodes I already have recorded. Then MCEBuddy rw-encodes it again. It's starting to interfere with my other shows and tying up my TV tunes and stopping my recordings.