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Windows 7 Media Center in Canada (ATSC, QAM, Logos)

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234K views 495 replies 95 participants last post by  Dr.Dave 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Knowing how many avid Media Center users there are here at Digital Home Canada, I wanted to let everyone know that the latest hacks for Windows 7 Media Center are now published. It's been a heck of a battle, one that has been fought on many fronts and I'm happy to announce that Canadian high definition in Media Center is working better than ever before!

The highlights:
- I've packaged and tested a new hack (easiest hack yet!) that enables ATSC and QAM in Canada with Windows 7 Media Center. This has been tested by myself and a handful of others on x86 and x64 versions of the RTM release. Thanks for your help!
- Included in the hack is a single-click batch file that add US OTA listings to your Media Center, providing subchannel support and enabling the HD preferences in Media Center recording logic.

-Pete

Edit by Dr.Dave March 9, 2014: The Microsoft links are no longer available. Here is a direct link to Peter Near's blog:

http://pnear.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/enabling-atsc-qam-in-canada-for-windows-7-rtm/

Download ZIP file:

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3323acf37bd7b107#cid=3323ACF37BD7B107&id=3323ACF37BD7B107!236
 
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#62 ·
update!!!

I have removed the hack and successfully added my us set top box. The zip brings in the ota channels for that area without a scan, and of course i cannot tune. I scan for my channels and they get scanned but are listed as nbc, abc, fox, etc.

how do I change these channels and get my local guide data?

thanks
 
#64 ·
Windows Media Center Not Reading Channel

Hey all, I have a weird one going on.

I have an HDHomeRun Dual connected to my network and when using Windows Media Center I cannot seem to get Global (41.1). I know I used to get it, but no more. I went into the HDHomeRun config and it shows signal strength 89% and signal quality 83%. I have stations lower than that that WMC get clear. I even click on View in the HDHomeRun config and that shows the channel fine, but not in WMC.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can try to resolve this?

Thanks,
Kirk
 
#66 ·
Am I glad to meet you! I have exactly the same problem with Global TV here in Vancouver. (See my post)

I ran TSReader lite, and it shows two digital signals on channel 22 (-20 dB). 8.2 is SD the other 8.1 is HD

I wonder if this is confusing the Hauppauge software. I left a message with Global BC about this.
 
#67 ·
It might have something to do with these channels going down temporarily. On many TVs, a channel will disappear from the list when you can't tune to it a couple times. Maybe this is what is happening with 7mc. It might very well have been the case for the channel I lost.
 
#68 ·
Global TV issues on Windows Vista MC

Here in Calgary, all of a sudden we have an SD sub-channel, which is called CICT-SD. Now Vista MC will no longer lock onto CICT-DT (2.1) and state no TV-signal, whereas the signal strength scan shows 100%...
Hauppauge Wintv works just fine for CICT-DT. But CICT-SD cannot be received on either Vista MC, or on WinTV. Testing now with Analog Aerial input added to verify the "No TV Signal" message of Vista MC.

Odd!
 
#71 ·
i have deleted the guide and tried to setup again. I setup as a canada postal and tried running option 7 to add a us guide id, and I always get this error.

where does this file exist? why cant i add the canada guide to a us setup, or a us guide to a canada setup?



You’ll now be taken to a list of all the channels that your Media Center is aware of (including the guide data that we just added manually). This list is organized alphabetically, and you can type in letters to skip to the appropriate point in the list. Assuming that you’re setting up a digital antenna channel, be sure to select a guide data with HD listings.
I never get to this, the guide id that i add never show up. i want to be able to add the shaw cable guide id so I can use the guide info for atsc and qam.

thanks
 
#72 ·
It seems like the issue is that I am trying to add a guide id of 8 characters and not 9, so the lineup does not show up. It is my understanding that the hack is designed for atsc us channels that have a 9 digit guide id. I will try the guidehound work around.

Another issue I have is when I setup as a us zip I get set top box, atsc, and analog. When setup as Canada postal I dont get the analog, this is using automatic setup.
 
#73 ·
Here's what I got from Jasonl at Silicondust.



I presume that this is only affecting CIII/Global HD? They changed the configuration of their broadcast recently and this resulting in a mismatch in the stream ID they are broadcasting. WMC can't handle this mismatch, and it results in a no signal or service unavailable error. We are attempting to reach someone in engineering at the station in order to notify them of the issue so that they can reset their configuration, which will allow WMC to work again.

I guess we will have to wait until Global fixes it.

Kirk
 
#74 ·
ClgShaft: Sorry for the dead air, I've been on the road for work.

The number of digits shouldn't have material impact on the hack. After multiple posts, I'm not 100% sure I understand where you are. I think you've set up your HTPC as a US system, and are looking to add Canadian guide data.

The current hack assumes the opposite, that you've set up a Canadian system and want to add US guide data. In order to accomplish this, the scheduled task temporarily changes the registry to make your computer appear to be in the US, downloads the US guide, then changes the registry back to Canada.

If you simply insert a canadian guide ID, the download will fail because the registry is set to US during that update.

You should be able to modify the scheduled task to change the registry to Canada, update the guide with your 8-digit code, then change the registry back to US.

Pete
 
#75 ·
Pnear,

I have no idea how to do what you have mentioned.

You are correct, I have set my system up as a us zip and using no guide id for the Canadian channels. After 14 days I also have to redo my setup as the system can never download the guide data.

I don't know where to go from here, seems I have tried to many options. I believe I remove the hack.

Thanks
 
#77 ·
You are correct, I have set my system up as a us zip and using no guide id for the Canadian channels. After 14 days I also have to redo my setup as the system can never download the guide data.

I don't know where to go from here, seems I have tried to many options. I believe I remove the hack.
See the discussion that Peter and I had regarding this issue starting on post 45 of this thread. You have to slightly change Peter's files so that you swap the CA and US country codes. I haven't got around to completing this issue yet.
 
#76 · (Edited)
When things get that messed up, I usually start from scratch. Delete the configuration files for 7MC.

http://www.hack7mc.com/2009/09/clearing-guide-data-and-tuner-setup-from-windows-7-media-center.html

(An easier way is to boot into safe mode, then delete the guide and tuner setup files in the hidden system ehome folder.)

You do not need to apply pnear's ATSC hack if you are using a US zipcode. Fortunately, the Guide data for Bellingham is exactly the same as for Vancouver. If that is a problem for you, try using GuideTool. I've never used it myself.
 
#78 ·
I've made a quick update, not heavily tested though and I'd appreciate you trying it out for me. Download the test zip file ATSCCanadaBeta.zip from https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=3323acf37bd7b107&resid=3323ACF37BD7B107!236

There's a new option #9 "Custom (Force a Canadian guide update on a US system)" which should address your scenario.

At some point I might add quick links to major cable and satellite systems but that could become a large task. For now, you'll need to do some custom edits.

Here's what you'll need to do...
1. Get the guide ID
Navigate to Tasks, Settings, TV, TV Signal, Set Up TV Signal. Set up Media Center to use the guide that is most appropriate for your needs (for example, I selected the Rogers Mississauga lineup which has all of the OTA digital channels listed). Next, navigate to Tasks, Settings, TV, Guide, About Guide Listings and take note of the 8-9 digit ID number.

2. Set up Media Center TV using the US as your geography, selecting the correct type of signal (example, Digital Antenna + Cable STB).

3. Edit the files
Open XMLTask/ImportCANCustom in notepad and replace 189833220 with the guide ID you collected above.
Open MXF/CustomGuide.mxf in notepad and replace 189833220 with the guide ID you collected above (note that this appears in 3 places in this file).

4. Run the hack
Right-click on USGuide.bat and select "Run as administrator"
Hit the number 9 on your keyboard

That should do it, but like I said it hasn't yet been tested so please share your results.

Pete
 
#79 ·
i setup as a us system and added shaw cable in both files for the guide id number. as usual the new guide does not show in about guide and nothing when mapping channels.

the file ran as a success.



Update
Took a couple minutes, but i now see the channels, mapped to the guide.

Thanks for the help.

See if I can still download the guide in 14 days.

Thanks
 
#81 ·
Apologies if this has already been asked, but what will happen to Windows Media Center listings after the digital cut-over?

Since there are no listings for ATSC in Canada, I'm currently using the NTSC listings, thanks to pnear. Will these still work/be updated when NTSC itself is gone? Will we finally get ATSC listings?
 
#82 ·
I emailed zap2it for them to update them listings twice, and they made changes every time (almost all of what I asked). It will get the guide updated.
You need to find which zipcode Peter used for the hack in your region.

Since it was unclear what zipcode was used in Ottawa for the hack, I selected zipcode 13662 and used the custom option because it gave me a better channel list to start with. Then I emailed zap2it to add the missing channels I wanted, telling them the exact number and callsigns I had found through searches for other zipcodes under zap2it website.

Going forward, it might only be a matter of telling zap2it that these channels have transitioned with the old and new numbers, and possibly old/new callsigns.
 
#84 ·
Basically, Media Center officially supports the following in Canada:
- Analog antenna
- Cable STB
- Satellite STB

Following the analog shutdown, the analog antenna support will basically become useless and we're left with just cable and satellite support.

You can use my hack to enable ATSC and QAM tuners in Canada, and you can use guide data from either the US or from Canadian cable/satellite providers to map to your digital antenna channels.

I do not expect any changes to Microsoft's position regarding ATSC support in Canada.

Pete
 
#85 ·
I do not expect any changes to Microsoft's position regarding ATSC support in Canada.
What is their position on this? I thought it was that the channel lineup info was not available. But when I go to Zap2it for Toronto I see both analog and digital stations listed so that is no longer the case.

What can their justification be? They just don't give a damn about Canada? That certainly appeared to be the case in the past given their lack of resolution for the CGMS-A problem in MCE that plagued Canadians for many years that was never dealt with until it became an issue for Americans.
 
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