Getting guide data for manually added channels

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RodBarnes

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Getting guide data for manually added channels

#1

Post by RodBarnes » Wed Apr 03, 2019 8:20 pm

[I expect someone has asked a question like this before but a search didn't return anything that appeared relevant. So...]

I've been using WMC for years (SW of Portland, OR - zip 97007) but recently moved (NE of Spokane, WA - zip 99156) and am having difficulty getting the correct guide info/recognized channels. If I connect the antenna directly to my Samsung TV tuner, it picks up the channels of 4.1, 4.2, 4.3; and 6.1, 6.2. If I connect the antenna to my Hauppage dual tuner of WMC, then go through the setup, it fails to do the "TV Setup" automatically and I have to take the manual option. I select "Antenna", "Digital Antenna (ATSC)", then my tuners, and it presents three "Signal Providers" of "Spokane (2) OTA Antenna", "Spokane (3) OTA Antenna", and "Spokane OTA Antenna". I've tried each of these but none seem to provide the correct set of channels as those I find via the Samsung TV tuner. Though the WMC channel setups include these channels (4.1, 4.2, 4.3; 6.1, 6.2) none of those have valid signals when I check the strength. However, if I disable those entries, and manually add the DTV channels of 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 using frequency 13 and 6.1, 6.2 using frequency 15 (as shown by TV Fool), then I successfully get a signal but cannot get any guide info for them.

It is like the "Signal Providers" have the wrong frequency associated with the listed virtual channel? How do I get the guide info for these added channels?

RodBarnes

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#2

Post by RodBarnes » Sun Apr 07, 2019 5:29 am

Wow, 73 views and no one has any idea how to resolve this? Is there some way to update the guide listings at the source or submit updates to the guide? Or, can someone direct me docs which show where the guide contents are stored once uploaded? Maybe examining the contents will help identify the issue and possible solution.

With further digging, I found this post viewtopic.php?f=96&t=9364 so I'll give that a try and see what happens.

Space

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#3

Post by Space » Sun Apr 07, 2019 6:14 am

There is a way to associate guide data with channels within WMC, as long as the station already exists in the lineup, but that link you posted has a better way to fix this, have them fix the lineup at the source. Note that that link is old data, and the email addresses may no longer work. Rovi is now known as TiVo, and their address for lineup corrections is: lineup@tivo.com

RodBarnes

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#4

Post by RodBarnes » Sun Apr 07, 2019 6:23 am

@Space: Thanks for the reply and info. I saw that the link was old and was aware of the Rovi purchase but didn't have another address. I'd already sent the email shown below to the old address so I'll see if anything happens and then try the new one you provided.
I'm hoping you can correct some guide content and add some missing channels. I live in United States Zip 99156 and use OTA based out of Spokane, WA. I am working with the "Spokane (2) OTA Antenna" guide via Windows Media Center. It is missing the channels listed below. NOTE: I did try the "Spokane (3) OTA Antenna" guide and the "Spokane OTA Antenna" guide but they both appeared to have the same problems. It appears that the channels 4.x and 6.x are setup for the wrong frequency.

The guide contains correct information for channels 2.x and 7.x -- these successfully display the OTA signal and correct guide information. However, though the guide includes 4.x and 6.x, they do not work: Though they show content, there is no OTA signal received. So, I disabled these channels in the guide and then manually added new ones (as show below) based upon information from TV Fool:
* Channels 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 using frequency 13
* Channels 6.1, 6.2 using frequency 15
After adding these manually, they successfully display the OTA signal but the guide contains no information for these channels so I cannot record anything other than time-based recordings.

Thank you for your assistance.

dmagerl

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#5

Post by dmagerl » Sun Apr 07, 2019 1:23 pm

Things worked great for years in Chicago until one day, a channel went missing. It was for PBS ch11.2. Mind you, 11.1 was there, 11.3 was there, 11.4 was there. Just no 11.2. I sent an email to that very same email address explaining the problem and absolutely nothing happened. So dont hold your breath.

I'm assuming you tried to Edit Channels/Edit listings but the listing just isnt there.

It turns out there is a way to add listings to a guide, its just not very intuitive. You need to download LineupSelector, it lets you merge listings from different zipcodes.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8z8z0fpksqpwu ... y.zip?dl=0

You've already set up your zipcode and found its missing a listing. Now you need to find a zipcode that includes the listing. Run through setup again and try zipcodes closer to the station itself. One of them will include the listing.

WMC remembers guide listings between setups. You now have downloaded two zipcodes (even though WMC only shows the last one downloaded), one with the listing and one without. Here is where you use LineupSelector to merge the two listings together. There are a few options to pick such as what to do with duplicates. Run Lineupselector and you should see the missing station and listing pop up in your guide. If you go to WMCs "about the guide", it will show two pages of info. One for your own zipcode, the other for the merged zipcode. You may also get a few extra stations that you cant receive from the other zipcode. Just disable them and you're done.

I pull stations from two urban areas. The old guide provider recognized this and the guide was fine. Rovi doesnt do this. I can get one or the other but not both from Rovi, so I have to merge the guides from both areas into one guide for WMC. I guess I'm saying EPG123 is always an option, that pulls data from the old provider.

RodBarnes

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#6

Post by RodBarnes » Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:36 am

I found the site https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/ which allows me to select as my provider one of the three same listings that appear in WMC (the three Spokane OTA Antenna listings mentioned in the original post). All three of those appear to display the same listings -- so it isn't clear to me why there are three of them. If I could somehow get a feed of those listing into WMC, then I would have what I need.

I haven't received a response from the Rovi address so I am trying the Tivo address. Else, I guess I will have to try to look at EPG123 again. I really don't want to go to a separate box; I really like WMC. But I'm beginning to feel like I'm beating a dead horse...

RodBarnes

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#7

Post by RodBarnes » Sat Apr 13, 2019 6:20 am

Circling back to close this issue: After working with WMC a while, searching around, etc., I found the post How to add missing channels and guide listings which explains using the Edit Channel/Edit Listings to address what I was trying to do.

@dmagerl: Now your comment
I'm assuming you tried to Edit Channels/Edit listings but the listing just isnt there.
makes sense to me. I didn't realize what that meant before. Just slow on the update, I guess. ;)

lynner532

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#8

Post by lynner532 » Thu Jan 02, 2020 3:46 pm

New user. Just installed on two W7 WMC machines. I live halfway between Tampa and Orlando so I get lots of OTA channels but they are all weak. So, depending on weather, a WMC scan usually results in many vhf and uhf channels not being found. Before, I would just wait for the weather to turn and I would rescan until I got a more complete list. I had previously tried the add channel function but could not figure out what they were looking for for the "frequency". Now I see it is just a 1 or 2 digit number assigned to a particular frequency (and not the actual frequency in hz). So, I was able to successfully add all the missing channels, and subchannels (just use the same frequency # as the base x.1 channel).

My first install, maybe I did not read the instructions carefully enough, but I did not click on the button to make a backup of the WMC db. I figured I always manually made a copy of a good db file just in case a rescan did not take so I would be good. But, after running the clean, none of my saved DVR schedules were available to transfer and my own backed up file was gone... It was not hard to recreate the dvr schedules after the install was complete and the new guide was working, but if not already in the install guide or the 3 step install process it would be great if something prodded a new user to go back and backup the db before proceeding. Just a suggestion.

One more little glitch that caused me some time, in the config tool, I manually checked all the channels that I use (and unchecked the ones I did not use). I did a save and execute but the guide data never showed up. I remember seeing an error message something to the effect that "channels were not included in the lineup" and I checked the log and it said there was a failure creating the file. My only lineup is the Antenna, and I had selected all the channels I wanted so I kept scratching my head to figure this out. I finally realized at the top of the window with the channel listings there is a pull down that says "include" or "exclude", and I had to select "include" for the channels that I checked to actually be included. Seems redundant but I guess there's a reason for the extra step. Again, I may not have carefully enough read the instruction manual, but if it is not already clear, suggest adding a warning or reminder in next install guide update...

Also, I still have several channels subject to frequency changes due to the auction. I have like 5 of them happening between now and January 17, and a few more by May. I really do not want to have to rebuild WMC via a rescan and manually add in missing channels if I can help it. Here is the process I'm assuming I will have to perform each time an OTA channel frequency changes. I do have the auto merge/match features checked. If anyone can confirm this is the process or correct me that would be much appreciated.

Step 1, in EPG Client, click on the button to make a backup of the db (just in case)
Step 2, in WMC, manually delete the old channel (and subchannel) entries for the channel that has changed frequencies.
Step 3, in WMC, manually add the channel (and subchannels) with the new frequency #
Since EPG is set to auto match and merge channels, I assume I do not have to do anything in EPG config tool, is that correct? Or do I need to open config tool, verify the channels are checked, and do another Save and Execute?

Appreciate any feedback...

Now that I got both machines up and running with the new guides, I am very happy with the results. I like the icons. I opted for 21 days of data which is great. Thanks so much for creating and supporting this tool!

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garyan2

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#9

Post by garyan2 » Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:14 pm

Open the Transfer Tool and click the [Open file...] button. EPG123 will create a backup automatically when you start a [Client Setup]. Select the very first backup showing and your old recording requests should be there.

INCLUDE/EXCLUDE: When you added a lineup on the first computer, it was automatically INCLUDED because it is a pretty good bet you want that lineup on that computer, so you didn't have to worry about it. When you went to the second computer, the lineup was already part of your account but EPG123 has no idea if you want to use that lineup or not so it defaults to EXCLUDED.

Frequency changes: Normally I would say to just go to 'Scan for More Channels', click the [Delete All] and then the [Scan again] buttons to make everything fresh. Note that a delete all will just delete the scanned channel, not the manually added channels. With you stating that they are all pretty weak, I would not go that route. Your suggested method will certainly work. Nothing to do in the configuration GUI, but in order for the newly added channel to have guide listings, you will need to match them up in the client, or wait for the next update run.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

dmagerl

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#10

Post by dmagerl » Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:36 pm

Lynnr
I'm in the same boat. I get stations from 3 metro areas and a scan just doesnt get anywhere near all of them.

I updated to EPG123 starting with the ROVI station list but this may not be possible anymore due to the Rovi guide ending.

If you open the EPG123 Client, under Lineup Services, do you still see the Rovi line ups for your stations in the drop down list? And do you see Rovi OTA lineups covering all the metros you need?

If you still see them, you can use them as a starting point instead of retyping everything or rescanning because the Rovi data includes the frequency info needed to tune the station.

As for future frequency repacks, If Microsoft is shutting down the guide service, you and I will be out of luck and have to manually add each station.

.

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garyan2

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#11

Post by garyan2 » Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:41 pm

I don't advertise this much, if any, but there is a '+' button in the client that makes it much easier to add channels than within WMC. Wouldn't take too long to add every station you need along with the subchannels.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

dmagerl

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#12

Post by dmagerl » Thu Jan 02, 2020 6:17 pm

Gary
I've seen that every time I run the client and yet never gave it any thought (nor clicked on it). Yes, that does look like it will be useful.

I dont suppose there's anything that will allow changing the channel number of an existing station? That'd be really nice for future repacks.

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garyan2

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#13

Post by garyan2 » Thu Jan 02, 2020 7:26 pm

Yes, right-click the channel you want to change and select 'Renumber'.

EDIT: this will not however change the RF frequency that channel tunes to. You will still need to delete the old and add the new... sorry.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

lynner532

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#14

Post by lynner532 » Thu Jan 02, 2020 8:46 pm

Wow, thanks for the quick responses. I'll let u know how the first freq change goes.

Tnx, Jay

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#15

Post by lynner532 » Fri Jan 17, 2020 11:03 pm

Update. I had 6 channels change frequency. I just finished the change for the first one (will follow up on rest). Again, I have weak TV signal so I did not want to rescan for channels in WMC (because I would have to manually add a bunch of new channels that didn't get picked up by the scan), so I tried to delete the old ch in WMC but I could not find a way to simply delete it. Instead, you have to disable it. Then you can add a new channel, using the appropriate ch # and the new frequency. Once done, I exited WMC, and ran the EPG123 config tool, I selected Save and Execute. It rebuilt the guide. I went back into WMC and the channels worked again.

Wish I could easily do a rescan, but then I have to manually add back in a bunch of channels WMC did not pick up...now I have to go back and add the other 5 that just changed.

P.S. When I did a Save and Execute, I got a warning that several new channels had been added, do I want to include them. I doubt that was because of the manual changes I made in WMC. Wasn't really sure what they were, but I figured if I blew it up, I would just have to go back and rescan and rebuild manually. Thankfully, the added channels didn't seem to cause me any problems...

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