UK guide data not downloading

[mark1234]

I've added to the Connect ticket. I'm number 7, how many UK users are left?

I would imagine that Microsoft have a pretty accurate idea of how many people in the UK still use Media Center, simply by counting the number of different Windows licences that download the EPG for a UK postcode.

Yes, I am of the opinion that the request to download the EPG sends to the download site your Windows licence number, or perhaps some other piece of information that uniquely identifies your system. Don't Intel CPUs have a unique identifier that allows each machine to be identified uniquely(!)? I seem to remember that this caused a "bit of a stink" a few years ago when it was first introduced.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

Oh, I agree Microsoft know exactly how many active users of Media Centre there are left. I'd imaging they use a different unique key instead of the licence for this, but they definitely know.

[Pixelz]

Me too (Headend Id 120086, Crystal Palace, again).

I see there are still at least 9 UK Media Centre users (according to the Connect ticket).
Probably more than MS deserve.

Interesting that they are 'working with the data provider on a fix' without any explanation of the cause, or any forecast for a solution.
After the last occurrence in December 2012, you'd have thought they might have put some SLA's in place.

[CyberSimian]

It is because I switch on my ADSL router only when I am using the internet.

Out of interest, why do you do this?

Reasons (not in any particular order):

(1) It saves a tiny amount of power.

(2) Most of the time the router is not available for hackers with a port scanner to detect and attempt to hack.

(3) The connection has a habit of "going bad" if it is unused for a period of time. The lights on the ADSL-router claim that the internet is connected, but neither my HTPC nor my laptop will connect to the internet (even though they are connected to the router). I have to switch the router off, wait 5-10 minutes, and then switch it on again.

(4) At one time there was alleged to be a range of network addresses that gave intermittent connection problems, but despite being made aware of this (by others, not by me) BT Internet were unwilling or unable to trace the source of the problem. The workaround was to switch the modem/ADSL-router off, wait 5-10 minutes, and then switch it on again, and hope that one got allocated a new network address from a range that did not have this problem.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[mark1234]

OK, fair enough. 3 & 4 are specific to your setup, 1 is a tiny amount of power (but every little helps) and 2 is a vanishingly small risk as long as you use WPA encryption. It would be far too inconvenient to be turning my router on/off whenever it was wanted. Of course the hopelessly inadequate wifi signal from Virgin's SuperHub almost counts as a security feature - there's no signal inside half my house, never mind random passing strangers trying to get a signal.

[apbms1]

Tried logging as a user on the ms link but it says page not found. Has it moved now, ? Incidently my uk guide data stops at the same place. ..

[wyerd]

Tried logging as a user on the ms link but it says page not found. Has it moved now, ? Incidently my uk guide data stops at the same place. ..

Make sure that you're logged onto Connect, then try the link again

[milli260876]

https://connect.microsoft.com/site1145/ ... ut-of-date

jump on this one too guys please TV set-up is an absolute PITA and DVBLink just won't work properly for me. (not sure why)

[apbms1]

That worked. If you arent loggee in you get a 404 error instead of a redirect to the login page. Ive logged it too.

[mark1234]

We have data! I'm back up to a full fortnight's worth now.

[holidayboy]

Woohoo! That must be a record for MS

[CyberSimian]

I'm back up to a full fortnight's worth now.

Me too. Although from Saturday 2nd November, some BBC2 programmes are described as "No Information Available". This is not the same as "No data available.", which I get for the newer channels.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

[mark1234]

I see this too, but I see it all the time at the outer fringes of the data. In 99% of cases the gaps are filled in long before you actually get to that point.

A the moment I don't think I have the "No information available" for any channels that I care about. For all that I can, have and do, moan about the guide data, issues are generally being fixed in a reasonable, but not great, timeframe at the moment. You do have to report the issues though, they don't do anything proactively.

[bobbob]

too late for this but also a UK MC user. just dvblink and epg from digiguide. also i know tony park is still around

[Devonian1180]

If anyone from Microsoft monitors this board - A BIG THANKYOU FOR SORTING THIS OUT WITH A LITTLE TIME TO SPARE.

[bobbob]

and if santa claus is reading then you know what i want for Christmas!

well there's about as much chance as someone from MS.....

[mark1234]

and if santa claus is reading then you know what i want for Christmas!

well there's about as much chance as someone from MS.....

[mark1234]

MS have actually put a decent update on the Connect ticket:

Posted by Microsoft on 22/10/2013 at 09:47

This is now resolved. The data provider we contract with to provide the schedule had duplicate entries for some channels related to the time change, which caused our validation to fail. They have fixed the issue, and now validation is succeeding. The data provider has instituted a process change which they say will prevent this issue from occurring again in the future.

I've confirmed that new guide data for the UK region has published, and spot checked a few channels and see that we now have guide data through 5 Nov. Please let us know if you continue to see issues.

I've been using Media Centre for 8 years now, and whilst we've had plenty of guide data issues, this is the first time I remember the time change causing an issue.