Hi everyone: I'm Jon, a Program Manager with Microsoft who works on servicing Windows Media Center. I want to share an update with you about the EPG issues some of you are experiencing. Rovi is working with Microsoft directly on all Windows Media Center related issues. Our official path of support for WMC issues is to log a feedback report within the Microsoft Connect site ( https://connect.microsoft.com/site1145/Feedback ). Microsoft will triage the problems there, and report any lineup or data accuracy related issues to Rovi you. Note that you will need to login to the Connect site and link your MS account with to it for the link above to work properly. You can also go to http://connect.microsoft.com , sign in there, and navigate to the "Media Center Program Guide Data Feedback Home" site. There are a few problems with the data conversion that are known issues. We are working to resolve these as quickly as possible. **The issue regarding OTA channels not surfacing to the WMC guide is believed to be resolved.**Please run through your WMC setup (if necessary) and confirm if you now have the missing channels along with their corresponding guide data. If you continue to have issues please open a ticket with Microsoft in the Connect application. Microsoft will work directly with Rovi on any further issues you might be having. Series recordings problems. We believe we have identified the problem and Microsoft and Rovi are working towards the best solution. At this time we don’t have an estimate on when this will be fixed. Cable card lineups not displaying the HD channels. Microsoft and Rovi are working on a long term solution. In the meantime a work around has been implemented for customers with Cablevision/Optimum lineups and you should expect to receive the HD channels within 24-48 hours from 7/23. We will continue to provide updates on this thread as they occur. --Jon, MSFT

Hi Jon, As 00pb00 has just mentioned, I followed your #1 and #3 instructions and Windows Media Center Guide listing is showing the synopsis for each of the programming. It is finally running back to normal.

I have already sent my report to Microsoft Connect ( https://connect.microsoft.com/site1145 ); however, I cannot seemed to edit my report after I submitted it.

Jon, Very long post but I'm trying to get all my questions into one forum and yours seems to be the most likely to find a solution so I copied my post (below) from another thread because I did not get any responses in that one. Weeks ago, I found Barb's to connect.microsoft.com/site1145 and I posted to it but that is the worst "complaint form" I have ever seen - no instructions how to fill out, form keeps shifting or disappearing, not intuitive nor friendly and no explanation of what we are supposed to put in the "headend" blank and no definition of what a "headend" is, so I made a random guess (don't remember what I put in). A week later I saw one user said try deleting certain data files in C: \Program Data/Microsoft\eHome\EPG\prefs\ before trying a new Guide download. I didn't delete any files but opened several. When I opened file prefs.xml in prefs directory I was surprised to find the word "headend" several times: suppliername="Zap2it" and supplier info="powered by Zap2it" and showing which channels were downloaded. (This file is included in my previous thread, copied below). NOTE: also in that file prefs.xml, I just noticed these two entries: regiontuningcode="" and hnt="HEADEND_NETWORK_TYPE_UNK" Why one blank and the other unknown? I also discovered that every time I try to download the new Guide, that prefs.xml file gets updated (overwritten) as well as another file listing which channels are downloaded from Zap2it (many channels now are missing). Latest attempt to download guide was early today around 2:30 am. So, is it possible that MS has a glitch in programming for the WMC "guide lookup" which "calls" to Zap2it for the EPG instead of to Rovi? Most of the fixes suggested on forums do not apply to my edition of Vista since it came "built in" as a package. For instance, my Vista does not include Media Center in the "Programs and Features" list where you can turn off and turn on features. I read another user's post with the same complaint. As of today, I still get Zap2it with "No Data Available", "Download Successful" (NOT!) and many missing channels every time I try the Guide download although Zap2it is changing the Start and End Date in "About Guide Listings" as if they are providing the guide to me. Today it says it expires 8/28/2015 but there's no data. I can only do manual recording by setting a start and stop time and there is no menu or guide to tell me what times or channels I have set to record. Here is my post from a different thread: What is WMC EPG file "prefs.xml"on Vista HP 32-bit/OTA? SI SilverwireTX asked on Is the fix for missing EPG by Roki as simple as fixing a "call file" for the new source? What does this file do? ///C:/ProgramData/Microsoft/eHome/EPG/prefs/prefs.xml (See the file copied below). I don't have enough programming knowledge to know if this is the problem or how to fix this file if it is, but surely someone at MS does! Somebody at Microsoft needs to answer this question (and fix the missing EPG problem). After spending more than one month trying to find a way to get Media Center EPG to download Rovi instead of Zap2it, maybe this is the reason why those of us running Vista HP 32 bit cannot get rid of Zap2it. If this file controls the task of downloading the EPG from whatever source, then it is still set to calling Zap2it to get an updated guide. I see in the file (below) that only Zap2it information is contained in the file so why can't Microsoft send out an update or other fix to direct the guide source to Roki instead? FYI, I also tried using "Microsoft Fixit Center" which I downloaded a couple years ago (and used for other problems several times successfully) but it had no fix for the WMC EPG problem. I thought briefly about just editing the enclosed file by replacing the name Zap2it with Roki in the file and then trying again to download/reload, etc., the Media Center Guide but I realized this file also contains other information such as "HEADEND" (with reference number for Zap2it, notRoki) and since I didn't want give myself a bigger problem, I am seeking help here online. I can still watch TV on my PC but just don't have any EPG! Currently, I'm still getting "No Data Available" (from Zap2it) but I can do "Manual Recording" of one show at a time but no series recording and it's very tricky to make sure I'm on the right channel before I manually input the time(s) to record. That makes it very time consuming; I have to find an online TV schedule such as TitanTV to look up days, times, and reviews and then set the Manual Recorder for every one-time recording. My PC is HP Pavilion Media Center TV PC, running Vista Home Premium 32-bit, Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1600 NTSC/ATSC Combo video card with Over Air Antenna (OTA). I download all updates, including the SP2 pack when it came out, and have had no real problems with Media Center until this disaster caused by the switch in EPG provider. I tried all methods available within Media Center Guide and suggestions from online forums to download new EPG but it always defaults to Zap2it. I bought this PC in 2007 because it had the built-in Media Center capability and would allow me to watch TV while I did other computer work on the PC and paid quite a higher price to get that function (WMC being already loaded and as part of that current Vista version). I recently read that a few months later (late 2007 or early 2008?) that Microsoft quit providing preloaded WMC and required new computer buyers to download it. I don't know if this (different versions of Vista) has anything to do with why some users (predating or postdating the change) have different outcomes trying to download the new EPG by Roki. Here's the file, copied from my computer Drive C: - ( Note : Please excuse the format of the file; when I copied it from the Word document, I didn't know how to keep the file format intact but that didn't change any of the file information.) Thanks for any help you can give me and thousands of others with this same problem! SilverTX *********** <?xml version="1.0"?> -<lineups xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" copyright="Copyright Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved." originalCreator="MCE 2.0" client_version="2.0" schema_version="1.1"> -<lineup sources="1949568286"> -<sources> -<s language="en" restricted="True" unmapped="False" schemaversion="1" id="0" currentversion="2908506714" regiontuningcode="US" hnt="HEADEND_NETWORK_TYPE_LOCAL_ANALOG_ANTENNA" supplierinfo="Powered by Zap2it" suppliername="Zap2it" supplierid="1" headendname="Digital Terrestrial Lineup" headend="B75001-"> <copyright>© 2015 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=8430 </copyright> </s> -<s language="" restricted="False" unmapped="False" schemaversion="" id="1" currentversion="0" regiontuningcode="" hnt="HEADEND_NETWORK_TYPE_UNK" supplierinfo="" suppliername="" supplierid="" headendname="" headend=""> <copyright> </copyright> </s> </sources> <tuneRequests ct="0"/> <presets ct="0"/> -<channelRename> <cr defaultServiceId="234166670" newName="K31GL-D4" oldCallSign="K31GLD4" oldName="K31GL-D4"/> <cr defaultServiceId="234166667" newName="K31GL-D1" oldCallSign="K31GLD1" oldName="K31GL-D1"/> <cr defaultServiceId="ATSC-1191-19-1" newName="1191-DT" oldCallSign="1191-DT" oldName="1191-DT"/> <cr defaultServiceId="ATSC-1111-19-1" newName="1111-DT" oldCallSign="1111-DT" oldName="1111-DT"/> <cr defaultServiceId="ATSC-KTVTSTA-11-1" newName="KTVTDT (Special Temporary Authority)" oldCallSign="KTVTSTA-DT" oldName="KTVTDT (Special Temporary Authority)"/> <cr defaultServiceId="28455498" newName="KTVTDT (KTVT-DT)" oldCallSign="KTVTDT" oldName="KTVTDT (KTVT-DT)"/> </channelRename> </lineup> </lineups>

Until this issue is resolved you might try using Hauppage's WinTV7.

I use Windows Media Center because of the program guide. It will just record the new programs, not repeats. I have tried to use NextPVR but the guide with that program is worse than WMC.

Windows Media Center EPG Data issues - UPDATE 7/27

Anonymous

Hi everyone:

I'm Jon, a Program Manager with Microsoft who works on servicing Windows Media Center. I want to share an update with you about the EPG issues some of you are experiencing.

Rovi is working with Microsoft directly on all Windows Media Center related issues. Our official path of support for WMC issues is to log a feedback report within the Microsoft Connect site (https://connect.microsoft.com/site1145/Feedback). Microsoft will triage the problems there, and report any lineup or data accuracy related issues to Rovi you. Note that you will need to login to the Connect site and link your MS account with to it for the link above to work properly. You can also go to http://connect.microsoft.com, sign in there, and navigate to the "Media Center Program Guide Data Feedback Home" site.

There are a few problems with the data conversion that are known issues. We are working to resolve these as quickly as possible.

**The issue regarding OTA channels not surfacing to the WMC guide is believed to be resolved.**Please run through your WMC setup (if necessary) and confirm if you now have the missing channels along with their corresponding guide data. If you continue to have issues please open a ticket with Microsoft in the Connect application. Microsoft will work directly with Rovi on any further issues you might be having.
Series recordings problems. We believe we have identified the problem and Microsoft and Rovi are working towards the best solution. At this time we don’t have an estimate on when this will be fixed.
Cable card lineups not displaying the HD channels. Microsoft and Rovi are working on a long term solution. In the meantime a work around has been implemented for customers with Cablevision/Optimum lineups and you should expect to receive the HD channels within 24-48 hours from 7/23.

We will continue to provide updates on this thread as they occur.

--Jon, MSFT

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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47 answers

Anonymous

2015-08-28T22:13:32+00:00

Hi Jon,

As 00pb00 has just mentioned, I followed your #1 and #3 instructions and Windows Media Center Guide listing is showing the synopsis for each of the programming. It is finally running back to normal.
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Anonymous

2015-08-30T03:09:06+00:00

I have already sent my report to Microsoft Connect (https://connect.microsoft.com/site1145); however, I cannot seemed to edit my report after I submitted it.
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Anonymous

2015-08-30T09:20:48+00:00

Jon,

Very long post but I'm trying to get all my questions into one forum and yours seems to be the most likely to find a solution so I copied my post (below) from another thread because I did not get any responses in that one.

Weeks ago, I found Barb's to connect.microsoft.com/site1145 and I posted to it but that is the worst "complaint form" I have ever seen - no instructions how to fill out, form keeps shifting or disappearing, not intuitive nor friendly and no explanation of what we are supposed to put in the "headend" blank and no definition of what a "headend" is, so I made a random guess (don't remember what I put in).

A week later I saw one user said try deleting certain data files in C: \Program Data/Microsoft\eHome\EPG\prefs\ before trying a new Guide download. I didn't delete any files but opened several. When I opened file prefs.xml in prefs directory I was surprised to find the word "headend" several times: suppliername="Zap2it" and supplier info="powered by Zap2it" and showing which channels were downloaded. (This file is included in my previous thread, copied below).

NOTE: also in that file prefs.xml, I just noticed these two entries: regiontuningcode="" and hnt="HEADEND_NETWORK_TYPE_UNK"

Why one blank and the other unknown?

I also discovered that every time I try to download the new Guide, that prefs.xml file gets updated (overwritten) as well as another file listing which channels are downloaded from Zap2it (many channels now are missing). Latest attempt to download guide was early today around 2:30 am.

So, is it possible that MS has a glitch in programming for the WMC "guide lookup" which "calls" to Zap2it for the EPG instead of to Rovi?

Most of the fixes suggested on forums do not apply to my edition of Vista since it came "built in" as a package. For instance, my Vista does not include Media Center in the "Programs and Features" list where you can turn off and turn on features. I read another user's post with the same complaint.

As of today, I still get Zap2it with "No Data Available", "Download Successful" (NOT!) and many missing channels every time I try the Guide download although Zap2it is changing the Start and End Date in "About Guide Listings" as if they are providing the guide to me. Today it says it expires 8/28/2015 but there's no data. I can only do manual recording by setting a start and stop time and there is no menu or guide to tell me what times or channels I have set to record.

Here is my post from a different thread:

What is WMC EPG file "prefs.xml"on Vista HP 32-bit/OTA?

SI

SilverwireTX asked on

Is the fix for missing EPG by Roki as simple as fixing a "call file" for the new source? What does this file do? ///C:/ProgramData/Microsoft/eHome/EPG/prefs/prefs.xml

(See the file copied below).

I don't have enough programming knowledge to know if this is the problem or how to fix this file if it is, but surely someone at MS does! Somebody at Microsoft needs to answer this question (and fix the missing EPG problem).

After spending more than one month trying to find a way to get Media Center EPG to download Rovi instead of Zap2it, maybe this is the reason why those of us running Vista HP 32 bit cannot get rid of Zap2it. If this file controls the task of downloading the EPG from whatever source, then it is still set to calling Zap2it to get an updated guide. I see in the file (below) that only Zap2it information is contained in the file so why can't Microsoft send out an update or other fix to direct the guide source to Roki instead?

FYI, I also tried using "Microsoft Fixit Center" which I downloaded a couple years ago (and used for other problems several times successfully) but it had no fix for the WMC EPG problem.

I thought briefly about just editing the enclosed file by replacing the name Zap2it with Roki in the file and then trying again to download/reload, etc., the Media Center Guide but I realized this file also contains other information such as "HEADEND" (with reference number for Zap2it, notRoki) and since I didn't want give myself a bigger problem, I am seeking help here online.

I can still watch TV on my PC but just don't have any EPG! Currently, I'm still getting "No Data Available" (from Zap2it) but I can do "Manual Recording" of one show at a time but no series recording and it's very tricky to make sure I'm on the right channel before I manually input the time(s) to record. That makes it very time consuming; I have to find an online TV schedule such as TitanTV to look up days, times, and reviews and then set the Manual Recorder for every one-time recording.

My PC is HP Pavilion Media Center TV PC, running Vista Home Premium 32-bit, Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1600 NTSC/ATSC Combo video card with Over Air Antenna (OTA). I download all updates, including the SP2 pack when it came out, and have had no real problems with Media Center until this disaster caused by the switch in EPG provider. I tried all methods available within Media Center Guide and suggestions from online forums to download new EPG but it always defaults to Zap2it.

I bought this PC in 2007 because it had the built-in Media Center capability and would allow me to watch TV while I did other computer work on the PC and paid quite a higher price to get that function (WMC being already loaded and as part of that current Vista version). I recently read that a few months later (late 2007 or early 2008?) that Microsoft quit providing preloaded WMC and required new computer buyers to download it. I don't know if this (different versions of Vista) has anything to do with why some users (predating or postdating the change) have different outcomes trying to download the new EPG by Roki.

Here's the file, copied from my computer Drive C: - (Note: Please excuse the format of the file; when I copied it from the Word document, I didn't know how to keep the file format intact but that didn't change any of the file information.)

Thanks for any help you can give me and thousands of others with this same problem!

SilverTX

***********

<?xml version="1.0"?>

-<lineups xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" copyright="Copyright Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved." originalCreator="MCE 2.0" client_version="2.0" schema_version="1.1"> -<lineup sources="1949568286"> -<sources> -<s language="en" restricted="True" unmapped="False" schemaversion="1" id="0" currentversion="2908506714" regiontuningcode="US" hnt="HEADEND_NETWORK_TYPE_LOCAL_ANALOG_ANTENNA" supplierinfo="Powered by Zap2it" suppliername="Zap2it" supplierid="1" headendname="Digital Terrestrial Lineup" headend="B75001-"> <copyright>© 2015 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=8430 </copyright> </s> -<s language="" restricted="False" unmapped="False" schemaversion="" id="1" currentversion="0" regiontuningcode="" hnt="HEADEND_NETWORK_TYPE_UNK" supplierinfo="" suppliername="" supplierid="" headendname="" headend=""> <copyright> </copyright> </s> </sources> <tuneRequests ct="0"/> <presets ct="0"/> -<channelRename> <cr defaultServiceId="234166670" newName="K31GL-D4" oldCallSign="K31GLD4" oldName="K31GL-D4"/> <cr defaultServiceId="234166667" newName="K31GL-D1" oldCallSign="K31GLD1" oldName="K31GL-D1"/> <cr defaultServiceId="ATSC-1191-19-1" newName="1191-DT" oldCallSign="1191-DT" oldName="1191-DT"/> <cr defaultServiceId="ATSC-1111-19-1" newName="1111-DT" oldCallSign="1111-DT" oldName="1111-DT"/> <cr defaultServiceId="ATSC-KTVTSTA-11-1" newName="KTVTDT (Special Temporary Authority)" oldCallSign="KTVTSTA-DT" oldName="KTVTDT (Special Temporary Authority)"/> <cr defaultServiceId="28455498" newName="KTVTDT (KTVT-DT)" oldCallSign="KTVTDT" oldName="KTVTDT (KTVT-DT)"/> </channelRename> </lineup> </lineups>
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Anonymous

2015-09-13T02:35:17+00:00

Until this issue is resolved you might try using Hauppage's WinTV7.
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Anonymous

2015-09-14T03:42:04+00:00

I use Windows Media Center because of the program guide. It will just record the new programs, not repeats. I have tried to use NextPVR but the guide with that program is worse than WMC.
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