As of Jan. 1, 2020 Microsoft ceased offering any program guide for Windows Media Center.
We can get a very good replacement for a modest cost. EPG123 and Schedules Direct combine to provide a familiar channel/program guide that replaces the old one. This EPG123 is maybe a little better with plot summaries/details, accurate program and movie icons/posters, etc. We’re doing a 7-day free trial of the guide right now. It looks good and operates smoothly, so we’ll probably pay the 1-year fee of $25 to keep using it after next week. There’s also a 2-month subscription for, i think, $6 if you prefer.
*Side note* – After Microsoft cancelled their channel guide on Jan.1, 2020 you can still view live TV on Media Center even though every channel in the guide says “No data” for all time slots. Click on a channel and it comes on just like before. You just have no program information, and any recordings you make will all be titled No Data, lol.
To get the new channel guide:
First, you join/register with Schedules Direct. (We chose not to pay anything now; instead, we’re doing the 7-day free trial.) Next, download and install EPG123. After installing, run the “Server” part of EPG123 setup. Next, run the “Client” part of EPG123 setup. This is where you tell it to remove the old channel/program guide and scan (or is it re-scan) all the channels. Then you’re ready to use the guide and watch TV, pause live TV, record TV, etc.
Our HTPC (8.1 w/Media Center) depends on our standalone Silicondust HDHomerun Prime digital TV tuner box which has 3 tuners in it. Our cable TV wire goes into the back of the HDHomerun which, in turn, has an ethernet/network cable output jack to connect to our wireless router (a Motorola router with a Comcast badge on it). By connecting the HDHomerun tuner box to the router we can watch live TV on any device on our home network. We can, of course, watch live TV these days on the Xfinity.com streaming website, but the HDHomerun “View” app is snappier with noticeably less lag when it comes to opening, listing, selecting, changing channel, etc. Hard to believe that Comcast/Xfinity still depends on Adobe Flash which is being dropped by almost everyone including Chrome browser, thus making Xfinity stream feel laggy/slow to respond to most commands. Anyway, our HTPC / Windows Media Center records our favorite shows, movies, and sports. We can watch all this recorded stuff over the home network on any connected device. We’ve saved a ton of money over the years by not renting a DVR from Comcast.
*Side note* – You can connect the HDHomerun Prime tuner box directly to any computer using an ethernet cable. You only need to connect the tuner to a router if you want other computers in the house to have access to watch live (Media Center not required).
So, new channel guide, nice channel logos, good program synopsis/details all for $25/year seems reasonable to keep using Media Center and avoid $15.95/month plus taxes for a Comcast digital DVR service. I call that a win.
