The SA MCE Community

What gives Colin?

I see you have removed the xmltv files and the epg bin file is no longer available.

Has Monochoice decided to get high and mighty over their data that is publicly available on their website?

Hope you get this resolved soon.

Regards

Yeah, me too.

It really pisses me off that Multichoice would do this. If they think HTPC users are about to give up their systems for PVR's because of the guide they are living in a dream

Colin you should make the grabber available (with directions) so we can do it ourselves. Show those bastards we won't be knocked down.

Yes I second that.

Give us the grabber and do it ourselves.

 Hi All,

I see the XML files can still be downloaded from other links, any ideas on the best program to upload them to MCE? 

 I noted there were about 1400 users using Colins service. 

 I call on you all to phone multichoice and ask them to provide the DSTV guides for the MCE.  Maybe if they see we all want it they might wake up.  I'm seriously thinking of cancelling my DSTV subscription if they wont do that for me.

 
The DSTV numbers from their website:

083 900 DSTV (3788)
Johannesburg: (011) 289-2222
Pretoria: (012) 422-2222
Cape Town: (021) 508-2222
Durban: (031) 710-2222
Port Elizabeth: (041) 395-2222
Bloemfontein: (051) 503-2222

 
Phone now!!
 

 If anyone has a recent copy of the XML, I'd appreciate a PM. I have the luck of reinstalling my MCE on Friday and so now I sit with no EPG data at all. This further validates my decision not to buy a PVR.

First of all, thanks Colin.

Secondly, what now? Are there other options / solutions to this dilema.

I liked the suggestion on contacting Microsoft, if we cannot solve this our TV recording function is obsolete. 

Methinks its time to lodge a complaint with the competition commission .....

Surely by not allowing the guide in any other format multichoice is being anti-competitive ? you may only buy our PVR!!!

 maybe if 1400 odd complaints arrive at the competition commission we can see some change .....

 http://www.compcom.co.za/Resources/Forms/HTML&Word%20FORMS/html/cc1.htm

Course I'm a techie not a lawyer so maybe barking up the wrong tree..

I would also like to thank Colin for all his effort in providing the epg for Media Center up until now.

I think I have guide data till the 7th of September. After that, I guess I will have to go back using manual recordings :(

I've sent Microsoft SA an email regarding the availability of the EPG in South Africa. According to their website, their response time is about 48 hours, so I reckon they will reply within the next day or two, I hope.

Will post back when I receive an answer from them.

I am very sad about this. ZAepg mad my life so easy. And even sadder is the fact that I have a PVR so Monochoice would not be losing out on someone like me anyway.

I think that all 1400 of us should band together, each contribute R100 and that should put together enough to fight the Multichoice lawyers. 

Firstly my thanks to Colin as well for the sterling work that he has done.

Colin, I agree with zebby, please make your prog available to us. I am a DSTV subscriber and thus if I grab the data for my own personal use I do not see that as a copyright infringment. Maybe those @$$holes at Monochoice will get the message if all 1400 of use swamp their website?

 I would be happy to contribute towards the fight to get the EPG working again. The service was awesome, big thanks to Collin. Surley there must be lawyer amongst the 1400 users. Possibly one of the techies could setup a website to petition Multichoice's actions and get some public support going.

 Hi All,

Please see the email I sent to all 3 Multichoice contacts below, still awaiting reply.

For company information please contact: corporateaffairsupdate@multichoice.co.za
For product information please contact: enquiries@multichoice.co.za
For web related queries please contact webmaster@multichoice.co.za
 

To Whom it may concern,
I am a current DSTV subscriber, I have been a loyal client for the last 8 years. I have a DSTV decoder and smart card, recently I purchased and installed a MS Media Center and used a third party application to update the program guide with DSTV content. It has been awesome, I never missed a program and was able to make use of my DSTV service which I pay for. However the third party service has been closed down by a threat of legal action from Multichoice.
I would like someone to explain why this harmless service which was provided free of charge to Media Center users was seen as such a great threat to Multichoice. If I was living in the US or Europe the satellite service providers would provide this service themselves, however in SA not only does Multichoice not provide this service, but they have stopped someone from providing it. This free service was provided to 1400 loyal DSTV subscribers at no loss to Multichoice.

I would strongly recommend that either Multichoice allow the ZAEPG to continue or offer the same service themselves, this is a added value service that would be willing to pay Multichoice for.

Kind Regards
Craig Parker

 Odds are they won't reply to your mail Craig.

I have brought this up on the DSTV forum and the Multichoice representatives just ignored it.

 ...maybe they'll respond when they're challenged on a legal front...do they think that the community will simply rollover and play dead?...

A perfect example of a monopoly trying to muscle out the small guy...and this is actually awesome that they have threatened legal action, it means they are worried about what media centers and PVR devices other than the rubbish they fobb of on the un-knowing consumer, are capable of...

...this is far from done and dusted