Microsoft ending EPG for WMC in January

Global guide related discussion. All Windows versions.
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plplplpl

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#281

Post by plplplpl » Sat Jan 11, 2020 8:03 am

Yup, just did a forced update and my guide data goes out to January 23rd, 7 PM.

Small victories, but victories nonetheless. :)

Netherlands

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#282

Post by Netherlands » Sun Jan 12, 2020 1:53 pm

I have been monitoring the guide data in the last weeks, but it's still being updated, here in The Netherlands.
I wonder if it will stop, and when...

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Vistaar

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#283

Post by Vistaar » Sun Jan 12, 2020 6:29 pm

Netherlands wrote: Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:18 pm I am using WMC on Windows 7 and got the message today that the EPG is ending.

So I read this topic and was happy to hear about EPG123.
Until I checked the list of 53 countries and noticed that The Netherlands is missing...!

Any idea what to do with my setup in The Netherlands?
Hello Netherlands. If you are tuning DVB-T channels, then it may be possible to set up WMC to use in-band EPG data rather than the data downloaded from Microsoft. This is definitely possible for standard-definition DVB-T channels in the UK, and they get about 7 days of data - but the situation may be different in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, I know even less about DVB-C and DVB-S, but I just searched for "netherlands" at NextPVR Forums (a possible software replacement for WMC) and found several results there.

Ken H

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#284

Post by Ken H » Sun Jan 12, 2020 8:03 pm

Yes, MS guide updates now to 1/23/20 ~6pm ET.

Ken H

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#285

Post by Ken H » Sun Jan 12, 2020 9:10 pm

Netherlands wrote: Sun Jan 12, 2020 1:53 pm I have been monitoring the guide data in the last weeks, but it's still being updated, here in The Netherlands.
I wonder if it will stop, and when...
As I said in another topic, the most likely scenario is MS stops paying the bill and Rovi flips the switch off. The only question is when but my best guess is that we may have seen the last of it already.

Waynezo

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#286

Post by Waynezo » Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:57 am

Thanks to all who have shared their wisdom.

Is it true that the free solutions will only deliver a couple of days at a time?

Is it also true that If "set it and forget it" is important to me EPG123 and Schedules Direct is the way to go?

Although I like "free" my passion for fiddling with software is not what it used to be.

Any opinions are appreciated :thumbup:

adam1991

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#287

Post by adam1991 » Wed Jan 15, 2020 4:19 pm

If you choose not to spend dollars, you will instead spend your personal time and effort. Either way, you're spending something of value.

I don't know if "EPG123 and Schedules Direct is the way to go" as a general statement, but it sure is the case here for me. I set it and forget it. I don't even update EPG123, as there's zero need to. It has two tasks: get the data from Schedules Direct, and make that data available to WMC. If it's doing that, then it's doing its job.

And it does that. Quietly and without drama.

I will say, occasionally I see a yellow or red icon that indicates there's an error of some kind. At that point I can choose to ignore it and see what happens tomorrow, or I can start fiddling. Step 1: look at the VERY extensive and crystal clear log that EPG123 generates each time. Every time I've had to do this, it was because something went haywire--temporarily--on the Schedules Direct side.

So even the very occasional fiddling is kept to a minimum.

SD/EPG123 just plain works, and SD is a mere $25/year. Know that, and evaluate that against your passion for free that comes with the required constant fiddling.

Green Lantern

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#288

Post by Green Lantern » Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:30 pm

adam1991 wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 4:19 pm free that comes with the required constant fiddling.
I'd love to hear from others who are currently using a free method (for example, ferrellsl who posted the EPG Collector-Zap2xml PDF guide) about whether or not they are indeed having to constantly fiddle with it?

suttonb1

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#289

Post by suttonb1 » Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:39 am

Running epg123/scheduls direct. Still getting warning to switch to another guide data provider. How can I turn this off?

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#290

Post by kranenburg » Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:46 am

Same here, I got 123 but still annoying message, is there a registry key like for the standard "you got to go to windows 10" message?
Favorite quotes: The single and double. I've used them "daily".

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#291

Post by cadprofessor » Fri Jan 17, 2020 4:26 am

Same here. Switched to EPG123 for over a week and still getting multi pop up. Let me know if there is a fix. Thanks.....

Green Lantern

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#292

Post by Green Lantern » Fri Jan 17, 2020 8:16 pm

Typical MS lack of common sense... let's tell people to get an alternate guide source BUT when they do let's completely ignore that fact and just continue to repeatedly annoy them with the intrusive popup notice anyway!!!

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Vistaar

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#293

Post by Vistaar » Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:00 pm

Funny: I don't get any pop-up messages or warnings running Windows Vista. Maybe try this thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12499.

Meanwhile, I've got Rovi data until the evening of January 29 now.

tonywagner

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#294

Post by tonywagner » Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:24 pm

Vistaar wrote: Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:00 pm Funny: I don't get any pop-up messages or warnings running Windows Vista. Maybe try this thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12499.

Meanwhile, I've got Rovi data until the evening of January 29 now.
It would be hilarious if Vista alone keeps getting free EPG data, and there's a big rush to downgrade. :)

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#295

Post by plplplpl » Sat Jan 18, 2020 8:18 am

Vistaar wrote: Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:00 pm Meanwhile, I've got Rovi data until the evening of January 29 now.
Same here, but only after a manual guide update.

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#296

Post by prsa01 » Sat Jan 18, 2020 1:36 pm

Green Lantern wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:30 pm
adam1991 wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 4:19 pm free that comes with the required constant fiddling.
I'd love to hear from others who are currently using a free method (for example, ferrellsl who posted the EPG Collector-Zap2xml PDF guide) about whether or not they are indeed having to constantly fiddle with it?
I use one of the free options, only because I already had it mostly configured for years serving guide data to my rickety old replayTV units. I only had to add the single step of converting the xmltv file to mxf for wmc use. All of the steps needed as well as tweaks (switches) to make the process less onerous to the guide source service site are detailed in this thread. After initial setup and testing it is primarily set it and forget it.

Things to note:
o. Definitely NOT as full featured nor visually attractive as epg123/SD solution. It is acceptable for me since it is what I'm used to from my replays.
o. You need to have a source for the initial xmltv guide. The issues related to this are in this thread
o. Because this/these solutions use multiple scheduled steps via one or more bat files, there are more areas for potential problems and more complex troubleshooting if something starts acting up
o. The xmltv sources I am familiar with are dependent on very few people supporting old tools. Changes by guide providers, or other things, could break at any time with no guarantee if/when those supporting the solution will provide a fix. I suppose some of the same things could be said about epg123 though it is still in active development. I have rarely seen such timely support on paid software let alone what Gary and some others provide for this. Certainly WAY above and beyond any reasonable expectations!

Ultimately, if I were not supporting replyTVs with this same setup, for a couple bucks/month I would just setup epg123 /SD and have a single point of failure to deal with as well as a significantly more feature packed guide.

Ken H

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#297

Post by Ken H » Mon Jan 20, 2020 7:53 am

Rovi auto update to 1/30/2020 6:30pm.

turbodb

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#298

Post by turbodb » Tue Jan 21, 2020 11:25 pm

Hello,

So, I'm in the process of setting up EGP123, and in step 2 of the client setup, where I'm reconfiguring my MC TV listings, I've choosen my zip code as 00000.

It then goes through it's channel scanning process, and at the end, says I have 3 digital cable TV tuners (I do - I have an HDHR with 3 tuners) and asks if I want to use CableCard. I do want to use CableCard, since that's how I get my service from Comcast.

Image

At that point - I assume because of my 00000 zip code, I have to choose one of these options.

Image

Doing so seems to give me a lineup, which is what I thought I was trying to get around with the 00000 zip code.

How should I proceed from here?

Thanks!

mwpeterson

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#299

Post by mwpeterson » Tue Jan 21, 2020 11:59 pm

Did you agree to the Program Guide Terms of Service? You need to select 'I do not agree'.

turbodb

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#300

Post by turbodb » Wed Jan 22, 2020 5:08 am

mwpeterson wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 11:59 pm Did you agree to the Program Guide Terms of Service? You need to select 'I do not agree'.
Thanks, I missed that step (by not watching the setup video; I was just following the written instructions). Worked a charm once I didn't agree. :D

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