RCN No Longer in Lineup as of 12/18

[sourcehound]

I started getting the warning that my guide listings would be out of date in three days, and it turned out to be a nice New Year's present that RCN (my cable provider) no longer has lineup data available when I go to set up my TV signal.

At this time, only Comcast and AT&T UVerse are available.
I tried some different Zip codes, but no luck. It seems RCNs lineup is missing from all the surrounding zip codes.

I suppose I could switch to Comcast, but I don't care for them much.

I'm the process of trying to create my own lineup, but so far I've had little success.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? Should I contact Rovi? Or is this a Microsoft-level decision?

[Scallica]

Start by sending an email to Rovi support (ipgcustomersupport@rovicorp.com) and send a PM to JonFincherMSFT here.

[thesheff17]

I'm also having this issue. Since I'm in a high rise the only provider I have is RCN. They have a giant contract and I will never be able to get comcast service. Any ideas how to get this working again?

[sourcehound]

I'm also having this issue. Since I'm in a high rise the only provider I have is RCN. They have a giant contract and I will never be able to get comcast service. Any ideas how to get this working again?

Right now I'm working on a manual guide setup, but I've had so many difficulties - and I'm pretty tech savvy. Once I can get the guide imported, however, I should be good to go. From where I stand now, there's nothing to be done except contact Rovi support and PM the fellow from Microsoft as suggested in previous post.

[sourcehound]

OK,

I'm up and running with a manual guide and a lineup thanks to Lineupselector.exe.
I heard from the developer of BSEPG and he was able to figure out why I couldn't import any ego schedules. Now, I have the schedules direct guide to pay for, and the BSEPG software as well in addition to some automated task setup.

Is is worth it? A resounding YES. The guide info is some much more detailed - all of the ratings, cast info and plot synopsis is there again, so much better than ROVI.

If you're not technically inclined, you may be SOL, so I'd suggest trying to contact the folks at ROVI and MSFT to see if they can restore the RCN lineup.

Next: need to figure out how to access the zap2it guide info.

It's been a maddening few days, the wife has been up my butt about this….but in the end I feel a lot more educated and in control of my WMC setup with 8 extenders (yes, 8!) and five tuners.

My only question is how sustainable the setup is. Once I lose the ability to view / record encrypted channels, I'm probably going to be done with WMC - hopefully that won't happen.

[virus5150]

Sourcehound - would you mind posting a quick rundown of what you did to get the EPG data manually inputted using Schedules Direct?

I've been trying to get this working for the past couple days after losing RCN Digital Chicago - I've reached out to Rovi, but who knows when I will hear back.

[dmagerl]

Virus, can you provide your zipcode? Or maybe try this yourself?

I did a quick scan at MSN TV listings, http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/tv-listings, trying a few Chicago zipcodes, and they all seemed to include RCN in the listings. If this is true for all Chi zipcodes, then it would seem to indicate it's a Microsoft problem, not Rovi.

In fact, I just checked my zipcode, way out here in Woodstock, and even it includes RCN which doesnt come anywhere near here.

[virus5150]

dmagerl - I am able to see the guide data fine using zip code 60613 at http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/tv-listings

It lists RCN Chicago Digital and RCN Chicago (Crush) Digital.

The problem is when I setup the TV signal in media center using zip code 60613 - RCN Chicago Digital does not appear, only Comcast and a couple other providers.

I've edited my hosts files, so I know I'm pulling data from Rovi and I've also tried about 20 zip surrounding zip codes without success.

[dmagerl]

This is really strange.

I re-ran TV setup using your zipcode. Sure enough RCN wasnt included in the list of lineups to pick. So I just picked one of the Comcast lineups and finished set up.

Next I ran Lineup Selector (http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 439#p97439). Not only did it include the just loaded Comcast lineups, but it remembered all my previous TV setups with OTA channels which also had an RCN lineup in it.

So what I suggest is to get a copy of Lineup Selector and run it. In the list of lineups to sync to, it should give you your old RCN lineup. Select it and make sure you have it set to delete Existing channel numbers not in WMI lineup so it deletes all the Comcast channels from when you last ran TV Setup.
Doing this, I was able to get an RCN guide but since I dont have RCN out here, I cant tell if it works.

[virus5150]

Awesome - thank you so much - i've been pulling my hair out for the past couple days and was almost ready to throw in the WMC towel.

I will give a try later today and report back.

[dmagerl]

If this does indeed work, this may be the solution for those that get reception from multiple metro areas.

Step 1. Set up TV for first metro
Step 2. Re run set up for second metro
Step3. use guide tool to merge the two lineups into one.

I'm going to do some more research on this.

Edit: It does indeed work. I just created a guide with both Chicago and Los Angeles stations in it. It doesnt seem I can directly paste an image here or I'd paste in a screen snap of the guide.

[virus5150]

dmagerl,

I resetup the tv signal for 60613 and downloaded Comcast Chicago Area 2 & 3 Digital (3 tuners).

I then ran lineup selector, but am still not seeing the RCN lineups.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2gnr3d1huhhg9 ... s.PNG?dl=0

Did you recall which lineup you selected when you ran your setup - I can't get RCN Digital to show up?

[dmagerl]

You may be up a creek then. You can only get it set up if you had downloaded it previous to it disappearing.

So if you have reset/reloaded MCE after it disappeared, and MCE forgot all about RCN, I'd say you're out of luck. But if you simply re set up TV, than RCN should still be there from the previous set up, but your screen snap shows otherwise. I wish I could show you what mine looks like but I'm not going to set up a photo sharing account just for that.

I can't tell you where I got if from. I tried all sorts of zipcodes after the Rovi switchover to try to make it work. I finally ended up using a Wisconsin zipcode along the border, Kenosha I think, but I cant say that that's where I picked up the RCN lineup. I could very well have tried a Chicago zip many many months ago and it just kind of stuck around all this while. I use OTA for my set up.

I cant experiment to see where I got it because, its already there and I have no way to remove it. So give Kenosha a try. It has a lineup named "Milwaukee and Surrounds" that includes Chicago. Who knows, maybe RCN is there but unlisted. Then see what Guide Selector lists.

One more thought. RCN covers Skokie and Evanston too. Maybe using the zips from one of those cities will get it.

[virus5150]

It was very strange - I started getting messages about my guide running out of data a couple weeks ago - I clicked to download and it say successful, then would pop up again.

I thought nothing of it, until it actually ran of of data; then I started down the troubleshooting path here.

I emailed Rovi and told them their guides are missing the RCN or maybe it's a microsoft thing - I don't know.

I must have removed the prior RCN listings in all the troubleshooting I've done - I've reset WMC about a half dozen times messing around with this.

I will try the surrounding Evanston and Skokie zip codes as well as Kenosha - I appreciate your help and suggestions.

While I love WMC - I think it's starting to get a little long in the tooth and think this may just be one of many things to come as they try to shut this down.

[dmagerl]

I just reset MCE by doing this:
%systemroot%\ehome\mcupdate.exe -MediaCenterRecoveryTask

Sure enough, RCN disappeared from my lineups. So you must have reset things in your efforts and wiped it out. I tried Evanston but it didnt reappear.

It looks like RCN has been wiped out region wide. Must be a lot of upset people. I' have no more suggestions. Sorry.

[sourcehound]

Sourcehound - would you mind posting a quick rundown of what you did to get the EPG data manually inputted using Schedules Direct?

I've been trying to get this working for the past couple days after losing RCN Digital Chicago - I've reached out to Rovi, but who knows when I will hear back.

OK, here's what I did:

Starting from a total reset of WMC:

1) Removed all entries from the host file, set up TV signal, hoping it wouldn't be able to find any lineups - it didnt'
2) Went through and scanned all of the tuners (3 Cable Card HDHomeRun Prime 2 Antenna HDHomeRun Connect)
3) Signed up for a Schedules Direct account - added the RCN Skokie Digital Lineup and Terrestrial OTA as a second Lineup
4) Downloaded mc2xml.exe
5) Ran mx2xml.exe and entered my Schedules Direct username and password - it outputs an xmltv.xml file
6) Download BSEPG (Big Screen EPG)
7) Created a Lineup in BSEPG that points to the xmltv.xml file
8) Imported the file, after disabled any channels I didn't want
9) Downloaded Lineupselector.exe, ran it, selected the Big Screen EPG lineup, synced the lineup
10) Tested - guide info was all there
11) Ran the search reindex command from Task Scheduler so you can search the guide

Left to do: disable a bunch of tuner channels with no guide info - Lineupselector.exe is supposed to do it but it didn't, may need another tool, like Guidetool.
Also need to write a batch file.

Conclusion: It's going to cost me $50 a year to have a manual guide, but the quality of the listings (which really make the movie guide work again) and the ratings and synopses and cast info are totally worth it. Considering I have 8 extenders, the monthly cost alone to rent the RCN equipment would be over $60 per MONTH, and that's without a DVR, so totally worth it.

I was a late comer to WMC, after tiring of Comcast and their crap. I just can't believe Microsoft is letting this go - they could have owned the living room. What a crying shame.

[Crash2009]

paste an image here or I'd paste in a screen snap of the guide.

The Upload Attachment button is hard to see on some monitors.

[dmagerl]

Thanks for the tip. I guess I used Quick Reply and that doesnt let you attach anything.

Anyway, here's a screen snap of a guide I created that includes both Chicago and Los Angeles stations.

[virus5150]

Sourcehound - would you mind posting a quick rundown of what you did to get the EPG data manually inputted using Schedules Direct?

I've been trying to get this working for the past couple days after losing RCN Digital Chicago - I've reached out to Rovi, but who knows when I will hear back.

OK, here's what I did:

Starting from a total reset of WMC:

1) Removed all entries from the host file, set up TV signal, hoping it wouldn't be able to find any lineups - it didnt'
2) Went through and scanned all of the tuners (3 Cable Card HDHomeRun Prime 2 Antenna HDHomeRun Connect)
3) Signed up for a Schedules Direct account - added the RCN Skokie Digital Lineup and Terrestrial OTA as a second Lineup
4) Downloaded mc2xml.exe
5) Ran mx2xml.exe and entered my Schedules Direct username and password - it outputs an xmltv.xml file
6) Download BSEPG (Big Screen EPG)
7) Created a Lineup in BSEPG that points to the xmltv.xml file
8) Imported the file, after disabled any channels I didn't want
9) Downloaded Lineupselector.exe, ran it, selected the Big Screen EPG lineup, synced the lineup
10) Tested - guide info was all there
11) Ran the search reindex command from Task Scheduler so you can search the guide

Left to do: disable a bunch of tuner channels with no guide info - Lineupselector.exe is supposed to do it but it didn't, may need another tool, like Guidetool.
Also need to write a batch file.

Conclusion: It's going to cost me $50 a year to have a manual guide, but the quality of the listings (which really make the movie guide work again) and the ratings and synopses and cast info are totally worth it. Considering I have 8 extenders, the monthly cost alone to rent the RCN equipment would be over $60 per MONTH, and that's without a DVR, so totally worth it.

I was a late comer to WMC, after tiring of Comcast and their crap. I just can't believe Microsoft is letting this go - they could have owned the living room. What a crying shame.

Thank you very much for the detailed write up! - I've been running WMC for the past 5 years and it's worked pretty much flawlessly until the Zap2IT/Rovi change. It required very minimal maintenance and using DVRMS Toolbox and Comskip, I was able to process all my shows for Commercial Skipping. I also setup MCEBuddy to archive shows I wanted to keep in MP4 format.

It's a shame they broke WMC, because it was great while it lasted. I have a feeling these issues are just a start of things to come - I'm hoping not, but I kind of see the writing on the wall.

I've since moved to a Tivo Bolt with upgraded 4TB hard drive, which gives me 600 hours of HD recording with Tivo Mini's as extenders. It works pretty awesome and while I'm currently on the free 1 year - it will be $150.00/year after that. The quality of the programming guide is also much improved and it will require far less maintenance than WMC in the long term.

[sourcehound]

Sourcehound - would you mind posting a quick rundown of what you did to get the EPG data manually inputted using Schedules Direct?

It's a shame they broke WMC, because it was great while it lasted. I have a feeling these issues are just a start of things to come - I'm hoping not, but I kind of see the writing on the wall.

I've since moved to a Tivo Bolt with upgraded 4TB hard drive, which gives me 600 hours of HD recording with Tivo Mini's as extenders. It works pretty awesome and while I'm currently on the free 1 year - it will be $150.00/year after that. The quality of the programming guide is also much improved and it will require far less maintenance than WMC in the long term.

As far as I'm concerned, it's still a valid option. I think there's three things that can break WMC:

1) The Guide (but we know you can overcome this with some effort)
2) Tuner Support: if HDHomeRun et al stop working, then that's the fat lady singing
3) Playback of encrypted channels: if this breaks, there's no reason to keep using WMC: time to move to Kodi or MythTV or some other alternative.

I'm not a fan of Tivo or X1 or DirectTVs whole home DVR - just as I am not a fan of a locked cellphone or using the email address provided by my ISP. I like the freedom to change / move my services without having to tear everything down, and if I do cut the cord, WMC can at least distribute my OTA channels over the extenders.

So for me, WMC is still a valid solution, until it isn't.