Media Center insists on finding new channels

[IT Troll]

I have my guide setup just how I want it with only my favourite channels listed with lovely logos. However Media Center insists on scanning for and adding new channels despite that fact that I have added the below registry entries which are supposed to stop this.

I really don't want my guide littered with the various random shopping, adult and radio channels which seem to come and go on a weekly basis. I think I remember reading somewhere about renaming an executable. Is that really the only sure fire way? Seems a little drastic.

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\BackgroundScanner]
"PeriodicScanEnabled"=dword:0

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\GLID]
"DisableActualStreamOpportunisticScanning=dword:1

[SilverRubicon]

I have my guide setup just how I want it with only my favourite channels listed with lovely logos. However Media Center insists on scanning for and adding new channels despite that fact that I have added the below registry entries which are supposed to stop this.

I really don't want my guide littered with the various random shopping, adult and radio channels which seem to come and go on a weekly basis. I think I remember reading somewhere about renaming an executable. Is that really the only sure fire way? Seems a little drastic.

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\BackgroundScanner]
"PeriodicScanEnabled"=dword:0

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\GLID]
"DisableActualStreamOpportunisticScanning=dword:1

Or you could just create a favorite channel list. It's much simpler.

[IT Troll]

Or you could just create a favorite channel list. It's much simpler.

But the other thing it does on occasion is to add additional low quality frequencies to my channels sources. Which appear above the high quality ones in the priority list. Similarly it will re-add my SD tuner to HD channels. Why is there not a "Just leave them well alone" option? Media Center really doesn't know best.

[WarrenH]

Media Centre will keep adding these channels. I use Guide Tool (www.1geek1tool.com) to, amongst other things, exclude unwanted channels and MC won't re-add them when it updates the channel listing, MC will keep adding NEW channels that broadcasters add, though won't add those that you've excluded in Guide Tool.

[IT Troll]

Grrr, it's done it to me again. Re-ordering the tuner priorities of half of my channels in the process. This resulted in a missed recording because Media Center used my HD tuners to record SD channels leaving nothing free to record the HD ones.

Will Guide Tool allow me to "lock" a channel so the Media Center doesn't mess with it in any way?

[steveo67]

Sadly not. It's really, really annoying and I doubt they'll do much about it now WMC is in limbo.
We may just have to wait until Apple reboot their Apple TV and Microsoft realise they've missed another boat!

[tip2toe]

try the following. this worked for me:


Once you have WMC set up as you like it, you can stop retunes by going into Registry Editor (type regedit in search box) and finding the entry

hkey_local_machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\BackgroundScanner

and setting

PeriodicScanIntervalSeconds Dword = 7FFFFFFF
PeriodicScanEnabled Dword = 0

[IT Troll]

I did already have PeriodicScanEnabled = 0. I would have thought setting PeriodicScanIntervalSeconds would have no effect given that the scan should in theory be completely disabled. However I have now set that as well in hope that it will at least make the incidents less frequent. Thanks.