Windows Media Center Electronic Program Guide Alternatives

Anonymous

I've recently received a popup on my Windows Media Center home screen stating that the Electronic Program Guide will not be available after January 2020. I've long expected this day. The popup gives you a click option for alternatives to the EPG, but the link it takes you to is a nothing link for generic guide troubleshooting (I got the same popup on my Windows Media Center Extender. Clicking on it rebooted the extender).

Are any 3rd party EPG alternatives even in the works? I am trying to figure what my next DVR setup will be and need to get on it. Am thinking of getting an Amazon Recast box, but kind of want to see if they have a second generation (with larger HDDs) in the works. Thinking about SiliconDust's HDHomeRun stuff, or perhaps rolling my own with Plex or something. Again, having an EPG is paramount.

For what it's worth - I've bought into WMC since the beginning - I was the lead factory escalation engineer for a vendor's line of Media Center products - it will be like saying goodbye to an old friend, and even though it was pretty much abandoned in place for the past ten plus years, there was someone there to make sure it still was working. Just a thank you to the Windows Home team...

-Dale

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Anonymous

Hi,

For what its worth I am also a long time WMC user and hate to see it go. However, in anticipation I've set up a Plex server and have been running it in parallel with WMC the last couple of months just to see how it would work as a DVR. You had to buy a one time DVR license from Plex which I think was around $80 (it's normally more than that but they were running a special over the summer). The one time fee was another reason that I decided to try Plex versus some of the other options that had recurring fees. Anyway, I've been using Plex with my OTA antenna and an amazon firestick and it seems to be working fine without any EPG issues like the ones that always seemed to be popping up with WMC. As an added plus I can also stream from my server to my phone which comes in handy at the gym.

Regards.

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Anonymous

2020-01-02T18:45:17+00:00

The WMC Help pages claim there is a

/windows 7 64/wmc/start/tasks/settings/tv/guide/set up guide listings/

option in the control menu, to allow reconfiguration of the EPG Guide source.

There is no Set Up Guide Listings option in that menu.

How do you change guide provider in //Windows 7 64//WMC// ?
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Anonymous

2020-01-02T02:04:04+00:00

Thank you for your recommendation. I just downloaded and installed epg123 as well as enrolled with Schedules Direct, then I found that it won't support my cable company, Spectrum. Anyone knows a source of EPG that will support Spectrum?

You must have missed something. Schedules Direct supports pretty much all provider lineups. If you need some help, hit me up in the forums at https://thegreenbutton.tv
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Anonymous

2020-01-02T01:36:40+00:00

Thank you for your recommendation. I just downloaded and installed epg123 as well as enrolled with Schedules Direct, then I found that it won't support my cable company, Spectrum. Anyone knows a source of EPG that will support Spectrum?
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Anonymous

2020-01-01T23:27:21+00:00

I will let you Know what i find as soon as i finish updating my computer.

i purchased a new 4 channel tuner card with programming.

just waiting for the new processor.
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