Hello everyone,

I have my machine set up with MCE 2005 OEM with full updates, activated and validated yet I am having a problem with the EPG showing no data at all.

When I check my EPG data in eHome I get this when I try to view the XML data -

The XML page cannot be displayed

Cannot view XML input using style sheet. Please correct the error and then click the Refresh button, or try again later.

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An invalid character was found in text content. Error processing resource 'file:///C:/Documents and Settings/All Users/Appl...

I can't view the XML data at all and think that maybe this is why I can't get EPG data. When it goes to download the guide it gets into the 60% range (know this from the little icon in the bar) and then the icon disappears and say it has finished. I have checked the logs and says its downloaded fine but the fact it only ever gets to the 60% range is nagging me.

I know my machine can rcv signal and EGP data fine because I have user CyberLink PowerCinema fine with the EPG data and TV ok on WXP Pro SP2 before I got MCE.

I have a TwinHan card and haven't heard any bad reports of MCE - TwinHan compatability but this whole issue is very disappointing and makes me question why I spent £70 on buying the software when it doesn't work as advertised.

Has anyone tracked down any commonality between the lack of EPG? What cards are recommended for maximum compatability?

Thanks for your time.

Regards

Nathan

That annoying 60% thing is normal, I have noticed the same thing, what is it with MS and progress bars?!

Your guide has probably downloaded fine but MCE often screws up assigning the channels in the guide to the channels your TV card has picked up.  In Media Center, check out "Settings -> TV -. Guide -> Add Listings to Channel".  Choose a channel and see if you get another list of channels.  If you do, your guide is fine and you just need to manually pair them all up.  If you don't get the second list, you may be onto something with that dodgy XML file.

i get that error alot with ie6 and xml files that are fine, just points out that ie6 is useless at parsing xml files :)

i am managing todownload the guide fine, but the channels aren't auto updating,and i have to add the channels now,k this only started happening a couple of days ago. and i dont know why!!

 

anyone know of a fix??

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I am the best

I would give it a reset and start again if its doing odd things.

Try resetting in "standard" mode and saving your recording file with Mark's util

http://www.salloway.org.uk/mediacenter/util/index.htm#config

Then set up, re-scan and add any listings to channels you need to.

This seems to be a problem which just isn't going to go away for me.

I recently bought new hardware and still get problems with all channel data being lost at the drop of a hat.

I can scan for channels, it picks them up (about 65), I then edit channels to remove the ones I don't need, map the listings and then try changing the order of them - often that will make MCE crash with a fatal exception error. If I eventually get that setup (usually via RDP !) then randomly it'll just give a no channels available, kindly re-scan. Back to square one.

I went from an AMD single core rig to Intel Core2Duo and this problem continues to plague me.

I've just completed a recent re-install and sat down to watch TV on it last night and then paff it goes again.

I know I'm not the only one this is happening to, there are some fundamental issues with EPG data and channels in the UK - a search on Google will show up any number of people with this same issue. Microsoft seem to have stuck their heads in the sand over this one - maybe we just have to wait for Vista (sic)...

I think I've finally given up on media center now - Telewest PVR beckons.

if anyone is able to make any sense of this, I get the following logged in the eventvwr:-

1st event:-
Event Info: Unable to initialize connection to the database. 
Process: EHShell.exe
Object Name: Media Center Guide


2nd event:-
Event Info: Exception opening connection to database.
Program Guide info not available. Data may be corrupt. Media Center could not load the Guide. Please restart the computer and try again. If the problem persists, see Help for more information.
Process: DefaultDomain
Object Name: Microsoft.Ehome.Epg.Database.GuideDbConnection

3rd event:-
Event Info: Exception opening connection to database.
Program Guide info not available. Data may be corrupt. Media Center could not load the Guide. Please restart the computer and try again. If the problem persists, see Help for more information.
Process: EHShell.exe
Object Name: Microsoft.Ehome.Epg.Database.GuideDbConnection

It then logs that sequence over and over - most of the time I can get away with a reboot of the PC, other times nothing but a full scan and setup will do it.

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Windows Vista 32-bit (TV Pack 2008)
Core2Duo E6600
Intel D975 XBX
Auzentech Xi-Fi Prelude
Powercolor HD4670 (512Mb)
2 x 1Gb Corsair DDR2 PC6400 4-4-4-15
1 x WinTV Nova-T 500
1 x SATA HD-DVD/Blu-Ray ROM
2 x SATA Samsung 250Gb
1 x SATA Seagate 1Tb

Hi there, I have had this problem with freeview also, however all i have to do to fix the issue is to manually download the guide and it works :) happens around once a month for me.

sadly you are not alone its a corruption with the EPG and the channels list from the provider.

Sometime the web EPG provider doesnt have a list for the original transmittor you choose and appears to what it thinks is a suitable alternative. When your MCE downloads the EPG it overwrites the previous one (which worked) with one that also works but now no longer has the correct Channel ID# associated a MCE goes "No Channels Found, please rescan..."

Some fixes are (annoyingly) either Close and reopen MCE or a complete restart sometimes kicks the EPG DB into gear

Or setup a scheduled backup job to copy the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ehome\EPG (I think its that spelling but you'll see it). Then if it becomes corrupt a simple copy'n'paste will restore it so you can fiddle later rather than in the middle your fav TV channel

I have seen some more permenant fixes on these forums. But the UK EPGs do seem to corrupt MCE on a far to regular basis making the whole experience far from ideal.

BTW I used to have Telewest and loved it, I moved away just before they bought out their 3 tuner PVR, to be honest if I'd stayed on cable I would never have got a MCE!

 

I found a working solution for this problem:-

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/133114.aspx

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Windows Vista 32-bit (TV Pack 2008)
Core2Duo E6600
Intel D975 XBX
Auzentech Xi-Fi Prelude
Powercolor HD4670 (512Mb)
2 x 1Gb Corsair DDR2 PC6400 4-4-4-15
1 x WinTV Nova-T 500
1 x SATA HD-DVD/Blu-Ray ROM
2 x SATA Samsung 250Gb
1 x SATA Seagate 1Tb

I had the same problem as described by the OP, and tried all sorts of resets before a eurika moment...

My computers time / date settings had advanced by one month, so no guide listings.. If you have the same "information missing" problem, please check this isn't the case for you before spending time trying more complicated fixes.

*wishes I could delete threads*