WMC and Shaw Direct Satellite in Canada

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Boots

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WMC and Shaw Direct Satellite in Canada

#1

Post by Boots » Thu Dec 26, 2019 11:39 pm

Hi Folks,

I have a Dell XPS Desktop computer that I've had an Analog Angel USB TV Tuner hooked up to for the past 5+ years that has worked great with Windows Media Center for that whole time, up until our Satellite tv provider changed all it's channels. I've tried to reconfigure it to find the new/different channels multiple times with no success. To add insult to injury, I've just found out that as of January 2020 Microsoft won't be updating the tv guide listings for Windows Media Center. I've downloaded and installed MediaPortal. It looks like a good program, but I can't get it to find any channels when I run the tv Server configuration app and scan for channels. It lists my Analog Angel USB TV Tuner under TV Servers, but it doesn't find any channels under either Cable or Antenna settings. The Angel USB TV Tuner is connected to the Satellite receiver via composite cables. The folks over at the MediaPortal site couldn't help me and suggested that I try to get Windows Media Center working again instead and pointed me in the direction of the Green Button site to get some help getting it working.

I know I'll have to get my tv listing from somewhere else in a few days, so any suggestions for what to use would be greatly appreciated, as I really miss recording my favorite tv programs.

Thanks!

RedWMC

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#2

Post by RedWMC » Fri Dec 27, 2019 6:04 pm

I’m wondering if your provider is doing some content protection that is preventing you from finding the channels. Not sure how you can get around that.
As for the guide data leaving, here is what you should look at, EPG123. if you scroll the forums you will see there are several threads going talking about what people are doing, looks like so far the more active part of the WMC group on TGB is using EPG123 to continue to use WMC, others are jumping ship.

Scheduled Direct and integrating into that with EPG123. Here is the link the forum which has the download and instructions.

viewforum.php?f=99

Note: there is a yearly cost associated with using the guide.

Boots

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#3

Post by Boots » Fri Dec 27, 2019 6:49 pm

Thanks RedWMC! I'll look into EPG123

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CyberSimian

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#4

Post by CyberSimian » Wed Jan 01, 2020 11:02 am

Boots wrote: Thu Dec 26, 2019 11:39 pmI have a Dell XPS Desktop computer that I've had an Analog Angel USB TV Tuner hooked up to for the past 5+ years that has worked great with Windows Media Center for that whole time, up until our Satellite tv provider changed all it's channels. I've tried to reconfigure it to find the new/different channels multiple times with no success.
I am disappointed that none of your fellow Canadians has been able to offer any help. I am in the UK and know nothing about the Canadian or US TV systems, and I have never used satellite TV, so the following may be a case of the blind leading the blind.

From the information that you have provided, I think that you have this device:

http://www.lumanate.com/aspx/sptangelusb.aspx

This looks to have an analogue TV tuner (probably now obsolete, unless you can still receive analogue signals), plus inputs that will convert analogue video to digital (i.e. it acts as an analogue-to-digital converter). It is your Shaw satellite receiver that contains the satellite tuner, so it is the satellite receiver that needs to be retuned. To scan for channels, use the "Setup" or "Menu" button on the satellite box, or the "Setup" or "Menu" button on the remote control for the satellite box. I don't think that you can use WMC to perform this action (or MediaPortal for that matter).

If you still cannot get it to work, I am out of ideas. I think that you might need to consider something like the Shaw PVR, this one:

https://www.shawdirect.ca/english/equip ... ced-hdpvr/

Unfortunately it costs $300 (presumably Canadian), and you will need to check that your screen has the appropriate sockets. The manual for the PVR is available for download. You should read the manual before buying the PVR, just to make sure that the PVR does what you want:

https://assets.aws.shawdirect.ca/upload ... -en-v4.pdf

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

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