BK3
join:2001-04-10
Geneva, IL
 ·AT&T Yahoo
| [Vista] Vista media guide
In my computer I have a hauppage 350 TV card. I recently clean installed Vista. Vista went to MS Update and download and installed the drivers just fine.
Now, I'm starting to play around with Vista Media Center and finding out all the neat things it does. I set up the software with my TV card, and downloaded the guide. So far, all is cool. Until I check out the guide. Wow, where there a lot of errors! Half of the stations had the wrong channel number assigned, some that no longer exist are listed, and at least 2 that have been around for years are not listed. I spent over an hour making corrections. It was as if the guide they had was from 10 years ago. Is this guide ever updated to show the current channel line-up?
I have Comcast extended Basic analog cable, so it is not like I have some obscure cable provider or a bizarre channel tier.
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Atomic batteries to power - Turbines to speed - ready to move out. |
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Duchess44
Premium
join:2001-10-24
Chattanooga, TN | Yea I am getting freezups when using the media center. I don't have a clue what the problem is. I would love to know because it looks really cool. |
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imtim83
You All Deserve The Economic Meltdown
Premium
join:2001-06-03
Kenner, LA
| reply to BK3
Try restarting your pc and go to the media center the first time you have a fresh bootup. See if it works fine then. I have to do that at times to be able to just use media center on Vista. Not sure why either but it works for me. Tried different tv card drivers but it never did fix it so just decided to use the default vista drivers for now sense neither one makes a difference. Have a PVR-150 because I don't use a tv card much sense I don't watch much tv. |
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djdanska
Premium,MVM
join:2001-04-21
Glen Ellyn, IL
clubs:
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·T-Mobile US
·A + Net
 ·Mediacom
·RCN CABLE
| reply to BK3
The guide isn't the best. When i setup my tv tuner for ota digital stations, it gave me a few milwaukee stations! And im just north of the loop in the gold coast. Not even close. You did pick the right cable provider right? (im sure you did. just wanted to make sure.)
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When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all. |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
1 edit | reply to BK3
Generally speaking the guide in Media Center Edition 2004, Media Center Edition 2005 and now Vista Media Center has always been very accurate at least for me anyway. There are a few minor exceptions such as an overtime sports event and the like. Digital OTA channels work fine too in the guide but sub-channel guide listings can get tricky.
I’m on RCN cable in NYC and there are a number of options when I setup the guide:
RCN Digital
RCN Digital Digital
RCN Fiber
RCN Digital would be the raw cable feed AKA no cable set top box. RCN Digital Digital would be with a digital cable box and RCN Fiber,…..I have no idea. Anyway the channel line-up will vary slightly depending on which you chose.
Another thing to check is your time zone. If your time zone is off it will give you problems.
Actually, QAM channels guide listings can get a little difficult too but once the call-sign info is entered it usually just works. |
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BK3
join:2001-04-10
Geneva, IL
·AT&T Yahoo
3 edits | reply to BK3
Just to set things straight for everyone who has had a question:
I have Comcast cable
I have the extended basic service which is analog only - no digital.
I do not watch, use, and really don't care about OTA digital at this time.
Yes, I chose the correct service at time of setup.
The following channels were not in the lineup:
Food Network (I love watching Alton Brown)(Cable Ch 64 here)
Lakeshore PBS (A Chicago based PBS station)(Cable 21 here)
FX (Cable 48 here)
I had to put these in manually and, of course, there is no data available when I watch any of these.
Oxygen was listed, but this has moved to a digital tier here quite some time ago and has not been on my tier since then.
As I mentioned earlier, many of the stations (not all) had the incorrect channel number assigned to the station. Too many to list here.
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Atomic batteries to power - Turbines to speed - ready to move out. |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
| reply to BK3
Well, like I said I never came across any real problems like this. Usually if you have the call-sign right the guide information will be there. For manually added channels you might check that the call-sign is correct.
Other then that, if you don’t receive the help you need here I would suggest posting your question over at the greenbutton.com. |
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ydoucare
join:2003-03-12
Rensselaer, IN
1 edit | reply to BK3
I've noticed a few oddities with some of my Digital OTA channels on the guide, had to manually correct a few. Other than that it works great. Haven't had an issue with any of my DirecTV channels. Running a Hauppauge HVR-1800 |
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BK3
join:2001-04-10
Geneva, IL
·AT&T Yahoo
| The guide works well, now that I have all the channels set correctly, except for the ones that weren't listed, and have no data available. They cause a pain from time to time when I would like to record, but it works.
Maybe I should try something like "Beyond TV".
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Atomic batteries to power - Turbines to speed - ready to move out. |
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imtim83
You All Deserve The Economic Meltdown
Premium
join:2001-06-03
Kenner, LA
| said by BK3  :The guide works well, now that I have all the channels set correctly, except for the ones that weren't listed, and have no data available. They cause a pain from time to time when I would like to record, but it works. Maybe I should try something like "Beyond TV". If you don't mind java. |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
| reply to BK3
Beyond TV has a free trial and its good solid software. I only have a BeyondTV v3 license and they have since moved on to v4.7 with v4.8 in beta but I can upgrade my license for something like ~$30 or so. I was thinking of giving BeyondTV another shot myself but that was only for short term support of the Hauppauge HD PVR I just ordered:
»www.hauppauge.com/site/products/···pvr.html
Vista Media Center should support the HD PVR soon though with full H.264 in the Fiji update..
I prefer Vista Media Center though.
If you are serious about resolving your issue though I would still suggest the greenbutton.com. There are very knowledgeable people here with respect to Microsoft software but thegreenbuttion.com is dedicated to Microsoft Media Center and there are some very knowledgeable people there too with specificity to Media Center. |
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BK3
join:2001-04-10
Geneva, IL
·AT&T Yahoo
| reply to BK3
Re: [Vista] Vista media guide - Problem resolved
Well, I found that I had other issues with Vista, preventing other things from working properly. So I backed up my local data (not much) and did a clean re-install. Then I re-setup the Guide, but, instead of choosing my local setting, I chose one for a nearby town. Now, all is correct (well at least 99% correct). I also made some GP edits, and Vista MC now works like it should!
I've set it up to watch shared folders from my server for music, pictures, recorded TV. I'm liking this. 
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Atomic batteries to power - Turbines to speed - ready to move out. |
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Duchess44
Premium
join:2001-10-24
Chattanooga, TN
1 edit | I just wish it had more updated content. I am getting for "New releases" things from '01-'05.  |
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Octavean
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY
| reply to BK3
Re: [Vista] Vista media guide
Glad to see you finally got it working and apparently went the extra mile with shared folders.
Are you using Windows Home Server or something else?
Are you recording directly to a network share or have you simply setup "watch shared folders" to auto aggregate recordedTV over to the share?
Since I have a number of Vista Home Premium PCs with tuners (analog / digital OTA / digital QAM), a Media Center Edition 2K5 PC or two along with an Xbox 360 and recently setup WHS I was thinking of doing something similar.
»thedigitallifestyle.com/cs/forum···ead.aspx
»thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/239490.aspx
I need to shakedown and double check my network security first though since the above method requires Guest accounts with full privileges which doesn’t really sit well with me overall. Once its setup right though its got to be a thing of beauty to behold!
So how did you setup your connected Media Center environment, because I‘m really curious? |
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BK3
join:2001-04-10
Geneva, IL
·AT&T Yahoo
1 edit | said by Octavean :Glad to see you finally got it working and apparently went the extra mile with shared folders. Are you using Windows Home Server or something else? Are you recording directly to a network share or have you simply setup "watch shared folders" to auto aggregate recordedTV over to the share? Since I have a number of Vista Home Premium PCs with tuners (analog / digital OTA / digital QAM), a Media Center Edition 2K5 PC or two along with an Xbox 360 and recently setup WHS I was thinking of doing something similar. » thedigitallifestyle.com/cs/forum···ead.aspx» thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/239490.aspxI need to shakedown and double check my network security first though since the above method requires Guest accounts with full privileges which doesn’t really sit well with me overall. Once its setup right though its got to be a thing of beauty to behold! So how did you setup your connected Media Center environment, because I‘m really curious? I am using Windows Server 2003 Standard (as a domain controller and file server). AND a Windows 2000 Server as an exchange, IM and File Server.
Set up for "Watch Shared Folders"
How I set it up was a lot of Trial and error, poking around in MC, and Googling. I really can't give you a step-by-step as to what I've done, just a lot of poking around. Wish I could be more precise.
I started out with an XP/Server 2003 local domain network which was fully functional and working well. Then I upgraded my machine to Vista and am exploring all it has to offer.
I'm doing this mostly for fun and to satisfy my curiosity.
Just FYI, I don't use guest accounts.
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Atomic batteries to power - Turbines to speed - ready to move out. |
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