Does anyone still use XP media center ? Does it still work ?

Discuss Vista Media Center & XP Media Center Edition
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DavidinCT

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Does anyone still use XP media center ? Does it still work ?

#1

Post by DavidinCT » Mon Apr 20, 2015 6:39 pm

Just wondering if anyone is still using (and if it's fully working) a XP based Windows Media Center machine ?

I have about 3-4 licenses sitting around and I was thinking about putting together a old PC with some analog tuners and a Wi-Fi setup for a gift for someone (to see if they like a DVR). If it's a success, then upgrade them to a better machine.

My Parents do their Summer at a camp site with a camper (their home away from home), and If I slap together a small, cheap PC to run it, they might use it...

They should have access to Wi-Fi...

WIll it still get guide data like in Windows 7 and will it support HDMI out ?
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Crash2009

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#2

Post by Crash2009 » Tue Apr 21, 2015 4:55 am

Might be easier to setup MB3 server on yours and give them a password to connect to one of your tuners. Then, use a MHL adapter (phone to HDMI) or whatever is suitable for their brand of phone, to connect to the TV at the campsite, using the phone's existing connection 3G, 4G, or WiFi.

Another thought is using the InternetTvGo feature from your/their cable provider, setup an account, and again connect with the phones. Half the battle with XP will be the connections (if it even works at all) Here in Comcast territory we have InfinityTvGo which is included with my package. Yours/theirs likely have the same type of Go-Package, its a few minutes to setup the account and an app for the phone.
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DavidinCT

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#3

Post by DavidinCT » Tue Apr 21, 2015 3:05 pm

Crash2009 wrote:Might be easier to setup MB3 server on yours and give them a password to connect to one of your tuners. Then, use a MHL adapter (phone to HDMI) or whatever is suitable for their brand of phone, to connect to the TV at the campsite, using the phone's existing connection 3G, 4G, or WiFi.

Another thought is using the InternetTvGo feature from your/their cable provider, setup an account, and again connect with the phones. Half the battle with XP will be the connections (if it even works at all) Here in Comcast territory we have InfinityTvGo which is included with my package. Yours/theirs likely have the same type of Go-Package, its a few minutes to setup the account and an app for the phone.
Thanks !

Their Wi-Fi connection is so-so, so streaming services would not work very well. Paying for extra data on their phone package is not going to happen, this is not an option.

This is at a campsite, they have their OWN cable line up, so only about 15 channels, so figuring I could add these analog channels off the local cable companies guide and re-map them.

This is why I was thinking about it, I have very old hardware, that ran XP Sp3 perfectly fine. I have all the old gear and it could run XP MCE fine. I also have spare licensees for XP media center(that are not in use). I would question performance on Vista or Windows 7 on this box.

I really wanted to know is this possible ? If not I wont even attempt it and just trash the whole project... Is there anyone out there still using it ?

I cant really test it as I have a cablecard and don't get analog cable any more (everything is digital now), their cable is analog with no plans on going to digital.
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Windows Media Center certified and WMC MVP 2010 - 2012

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#4

Post by dkrom » Tue Apr 21, 2015 3:19 pm

I still use it, but I have to use a workaround to get the guide to update so I wouldn't recommend it. My guide (and a couple others here on TGB) stopped automatically updating back in November. I should probably open a ticket with MS to fix it, but I know it's no longer supported so that's doubtful. You might want to try Windows 7 - it does work on some older systems quite well.

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#5

Post by dmagerl » Tue Apr 21, 2015 3:37 pm

Its been a long time since I used it but wouldnt you need a video codec since one wasnt packaged with XP. Is one available nowadays for little to no cost?

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DavidinCT

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#6

Post by DavidinCT » Sat May 23, 2015 9:00 pm

I guess I will do it in a VM, Just wondering and kind of a going back in time retro thing. If I get time, I'll check it out later this week.
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#7

Post by dkrom » Sun May 24, 2015 12:58 pm

Good Luck DavidinCT! If you install XP Media Center 2005 more than likely you'll not be able to set up a guide. To get the guide to work you'll need XP Media Center 2002 (let me know if you somehow get 2005 working and dowloading a guide consistently) try using my directions from an earlier post http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 005#p84016 if you want to attempt getting the guide to work. You'll need a copy of XP Media Center 2002 though. Just keep that copy running in your VM at the downoad guide data screen and boot it when you want to update the guide. Not sure if my directions will even work since my computer was already set up to download a guide and yours will be a fresh copy.

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#8

Post by ricktendo » Mon May 25, 2015 4:03 am

Only Analog channels will work, no Digital support

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#9

Post by astrothug » Fri May 29, 2015 1:54 am

I was using mce 2005 right up until 2 weeks ago, but I'm getting error code 14, and 33 and the time will not synchronize to windows server, if MCE is off i can update the internet time, so the Tv listings can not download. I have tried everything and even did a fresh install to no avail. good luck to you..

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#10

Post by dkrom » Fri May 29, 2015 9:35 am

astrothug wrote:I was using mce 2005 right up until 2 weeks ago, but I'm getting error code 14, and 33 and the time will not synchronize to windows server, if MCE is off i can update the internet time, so the Tv listings can not download. I have tried everything and even did a fresh install to no avail. good luck to you..
I'm jealous yours lasted so long, mine died back in November, I've been using this workaround:

I posted this as a link earlier on getting the MCE2005 guide going, but here it is as a copy/paste.
This workaround does require you obtain a copy of 2002 XP Media Center Edition (mine was SP1) and a second computer (it can be an old junk computer or probably even a laptop **Even better using a VM** - no TV card is needed with the 2002 version of Media Center). Basically, I have to start-up the 2002 machine once or twice a week (however updated I want my guide) and move some files to my 2005 Media Center Computer. It seems that the 2002 version creates some setup files to trigger a full 2 week download in a 2005 machine when the files are placed in the correct location. Below are directions if you are interested:

1. Install MCE2002 on a different machine.
2. On the 2002 machine Set up the guide exactly how you did on the MCE2005 machine. Just skip the IR sensor missing page and click next to continue without a remote. Make sure you select the right TV provider - remember to scroll down if necessary to select. DO NOT FINISH THE GUIDE SETUP, click back on that last screen until you get to the Welcome screen again.
3. In the 2002 machine go to the folder c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\eHome\EPG - there you will find four files with an alphanumeric code for a name but extensions of .guide, .programs, .scheduleentries, .xml - Copy these files to a flash drive. **I've found only the .xml needs to be copied, but I still do them all anyway.
4. Stop all services related to Media Center on the MCE2005 computer. (Control Panel>>Administrative Tools>>Services)
5. On the MCE2005 machine go to c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\eHome\EPG and create a backup folder, then move the 3 files in that folder with the extensions .xml, .sdf, and epg.sdf to the backup folder.
6. Copy and paste the 4 files from the flash drive (files from the 2002 machine) into that folder (c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\eHome\EPG)
7. Turn your services back on - as soon as you turn the services back on the 4 files will trigger a 2 week download of the guide. It will take about 10-15 minutes to download.

I keep mine in a VM and leave it at the Download Complete screen of the setup process on the 2002 machine. When I need the guide updated again I just open the VM, click back a couple times, and trigger a new download. I also setup shares so I don't need the flash drive anymore. The whole process takes about 5 minutes (not including step seven).

Do this however often you want your guide updated...

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#11

Post by fonzie » Tue Jul 28, 2015 5:39 pm

I am still using xp MCE 2005 works great except for guide. I now maunally program my shows using add record feature. Just a quick fix until I can get this resolved.

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#12

Post by JoeNezZ » Sat Aug 01, 2015 2:48 pm

here in Ontario Canada I was running XP MCE 2005 with roll up 2 until about a week & a half ago when I though it strange that it prompted me to manually download the guide (which it said it did successfully) but then on Mon July 27 2015 the guide data ran out, I can do a manual download successfully & my channels are all present & working but I have no guide data.

I use & prefer XP MCE over / vista, 7 or 8 MCE

I am also kinda of stuck as I have an older Aver Media A169 dual analog tuner (one of the best I have found for Audio /video quality) however the only drivers I could find that would run both tuners are for xp so an upgrade is out of the question.

currently I am setting manual timers for my programs & hope someone will find a solution for the EPG cutover to work.

I also have a win 7 media center I use as a 2nd back end for my system running a dell angel dual analog tuner, and it does not update the EPG either as of July 27 2015 and has not switched over to Rovi

On Monday MSN online TV Listings did not show any available providers for my area but on Fri July 31st they now have the analog package listed from my cable provider however neither the XP or win 7 units have switched to Rovi so I still have channels but no listings from Zap2it

aside from the guide issues if analog TV is all you want than XP MCE is by far my fav, I hate the libraries navigation used in vista & 7 as I have most of my movies & video clips on 4 x 2TB HDD shared on the network & sorted in folders & sub folders DVD & video so with XP MCE I can easily navigate so I also have it set up on notebooks in the bedrooms only needing a monitor & the Remote TX/RX to easily play back movies or recorded shows over my network from the main media center units.

win 7 just dumps everything into the libraries creating a lot of work if you want to sort it and you need to use a video player to play video clips & the movie viewer to play ripped DVD's from the hard drive where in XP MCE you simply navigate to the folder & play either movie or video files with the same player although you do need to play with some codec packs during the initial setup to add .mp4, AC3 and others not included in xp as well as adding the MPG2 decoder necessary for XP WMC to work.

the bottom line is XP MCE is a rock solid solution for a analog PVR it runs great with ASUS media center boards like the ATX M3A & the micro ATX M2NPV series with Athlon 64 x2 65W CPU's @ 2.6 - 3.1 Ghz with 3Gb DDR2, where as win 7 needs 6 to 8 Gb ram to run smoothly on those boards.

I just hope we get a solution to this EPG problem because they just ruined the MC experience.

I do have another drive all set up with Mythbuntu (the Myth TV version of Ubuntu) I am just waiting on a compatible tuner to arrive & I will start playing with that but I really do not want to switch my drives to EXT3 partitions as I lost a 2TB drive for no reason shared through my router last year, something happened & a full drive erased its self beyond any recovery for no apparent reason, I spent a month running every recovery program I could find, I was able to find & recover the named folder & thumbnail cover photo for every missing movie but the actual movie file was gone, it was no big deal as I have them backed up on DVD but it scared me enough to not trust the Linux file system again. lol

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#13

Post by dkrom » Sat Aug 01, 2015 4:28 pm

Not sure if you have searched the other threads yet, but we have been discussing and working on a solution. I prefer the XP interface as well, but I saw the writing on the wall back in November when my guide stopped updating and switched to 7.

Other threads:
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... =93&t=8996

http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... =93&t=9031

http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... f=5&t=9035

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#14

Post by fonzie » Sat Aug 01, 2015 5:26 pm

dkrom wrote:
astrothug wrote:I was using mce 2005 right up until 2 weeks ago, but I'm getting error code 14, and 33 and the time will not synchronize to windows server, if MCE is off i can update the internet time, so the Tv listings can not download. I have tried everything and even did a fresh install to no avail. good luck to you..
I'm jealous yours lasted so long, mine died back in November, I've been using this workaround:

I posted this as a link earlier on getting the MCE2005 guide going, but here it is as a copy/paste.
This workaround does require you obtain a copy of 2002 XP Media Center Edition (mine was SP1) and a second computer (it can be an old junk computer or probably even a laptop **Even better using a VM** - no TV card is needed with the 2002 version of Media Center). Basically, I have to start-up the 2002 machine once or twice a week (however updated I want my guide) and move some files to my 2005 Media Center Computer. It seems that the 2002 version creates some setup files to trigger a full 2 week download in a 2005 machine when the files are placed in the correct location. Below are directions if you are interested:

1. Install MCE2002 on a different machine.
2. On the 2002 machine Set up the guide exactly how you did on the MCE2005 machine. Just skip the IR sensor missing page and click next to continue without a remote. Make sure you select the right TV provider - remember to scroll down if necessary to select. DO NOT FINISH THE GUIDE SETUP, click back on that last screen until you get to the Welcome screen again.
3. In the 2002 machine go to the folder c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\eHome\EPG - there you will find four files with an alphanumeric code for a name but extensions of .guide, .programs, .scheduleentries, .xml - Copy these files to a flash drive. **I've found only the .xml needs to be copied, but I still do them all anyway.
4. Stop all services related to Media Center on the MCE2005 computer. (Control Panel>>Administrative Tools>>Services)
5. On the MCE2005 machine go to c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\eHome\EPG and create a backup folder, then move the 3 files in that folder with the extensions .xml, .sdf, and epg.sdf to the backup folder.
6. Copy and paste the 4 files from the flash drive (files from the 2002 machine) into that folder (c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\eHome\EPG)
7. Turn your services back on - as soon as you turn the services back on the 4 files will trigger a 2 week download of the guide. It will take about 10-15 minutes to download.

I keep mine in a VM and leave it at the Download Complete screen of the setup process on the 2002 machine. When I need the guide updated again I just open the VM, click back a couple times, and trigger a new download. I also setup shares so I don't need the flash drive anymore. The whole process takes about 5 minutes (not including step seven).

Do this however often you want your guide updated...
I would like to try that way of getting guide.I would need a copy of mce 2002 if you have a link for that I would appreciate that. Thanks

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#15

Post by dkrom » Sun Aug 02, 2015 3:13 pm

I could try your zip and provider and put it in my system to see if it loads data, but I don't think it will. I tried my old 2002 machine before I changed the registry URL and it was the exact same data - basically most channels were "No Data" with a few still having some and the About Guide is still Zap2it. The URL registry change now allows my 2005 machine to do the same thing my 2002 machine was doing.

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#16

Post by Vistaar » Sun Aug 02, 2015 4:14 pm

I think it's about time for you guys to upgrade to Vista! :mrgreen:

Admittedly not very funny, obviously Windows 7 is the best choice for Media Center junkies. It might still be possible to buy a Windows 8.1 machine if you act fast, but WMC would have to be purchased separately - if Microsoft even still offers it. I'm convinced that the legacy guide service has ended, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

If you're even more attached to XP than you are to WMC, there is a variety of free PVR software out there - but there again, EPG data is problematic. NextPVR still supports XP, and has native support for Schedules Direct guide data, however a subscription is $25 per year. NextPVR does not have native support for analog cable (which is also rapidly going the way of the dinosaur), but that can be added if one is determined. Mediaportal might be another alternative, but I have no firsthand knowledge about it.

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#17

Post by pmb7272 » Sun Aug 02, 2015 6:11 pm

Has anybody figured out how to get the Rovi guide to download directly into MC 2005? I have tried a variety of things and the guide downloads successfully; but it's the Zapt2it guide, which no longer functions in MC. Also curious why this guide even continues to download?

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#18

Post by fonzie » Mon Aug 03, 2015 11:21 am

I am also getting no errors downloading guide but still zap2it no rovi and no data in guide. There has to be a way to get the rovi guide to download. I have found the web address in the registry for the zap2it I was just wondering if anyone had the rovi address.

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#19

Post by DavidinCT » Sat Nov 12, 2016 11:11 pm

dkrom wrote:Good Luck DavidinCT! If you install XP Media Center 2005 more than likely you'll not be able to set up a guide. To get the guide to work you'll need XP Media Center 2002 (let me know if you somehow get 2005 working and dowloading a guide consistently) try using my directions from an earlier post http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 005#p84016 if you want to attempt getting the guide to work. You'll need a copy of XP Media Center 2002 though. Just keep that copy running in your VM at the downoad guide data screen and boot it when you want to update the guide. Not sure if my directions will even work since my computer was already set up to download a guide and yours will be a fresh copy.
Yea, I think I trashed this project. It's not going to do what I need fully. Analog channels are fine, as that is all they get and about 15 total. I have a old PVR-500 tuner collecting dust, as it's a dual analog tuner, it would of fit perfect for the task here. The problem when it comes down to it, is I would need a tiny machine to do it. Dumping a full size ATX board into a case would be just way too big for it.

Anyway about it, the PVR-500 is kind of a large card...
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#20

Post by Paul Anderegg » Thu Aug 22, 2019 1:50 am

Windows 7 MCE is about to go end of life in January 2020. Would those with experience with XP be able to guesstimate if Win 7 Media Center will continue to work even if the guide has to be replaced with EPG123?

Paul

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