Microsoft Acknowledges New Issues with Windows Media Center Switchover

On Wednesday this past week, I wrote about a recent change in the guide provider for Windows Media Center users. In essence, Microsoft discontinued the use of the ZapIt service in lieu of working with Rovi to provide channel listings.

As I indicated in that article, there were known issues and some community folks provided some workarounds that worked in certain cases. A good friend of mine, Cameron Fuller, proposed a solution that worked for him and many others.

But, on Friday (thanks to a tip from Pete DiSario), Microsoft has acknowledged further issues with the switchover. In GreenButton forums, Microsoft says this…

The thread is marked as “locked” so you can’t reply to it. Apparently, Microsoft is serious about using https://connect.microsoft.com/site1145/Feedback as the sole source for feedback, despite other company products moving away from this old feedback mechanism and rumors that the Connect web site will be eventually replaced by UserVoice.

The switch to Rovi as a provider brings Windows Media Center in line with the Xbox One. The Xbox One uses Rovi to provide channel guide listings. One can assume that Microsoft expects to promote the Xbox One experience as the future of living room entertainment through a Universal app that will also be available for Windows 10 users. Microsoft has promised a Windows Media Center replacement sometime in the future and this might possibly be the beginnings of that promise fulfilled. Now, if the company could just work out the issues.