Is the Guide Plus still up and working?

[DA1745]

I just took my CD and installed Guide Plus 1.0.0.50 on a "virgin system" (maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to do ...i should have tried a different version seeing as I am currently having problems with the 1.0.0.50 version)...but anyway. Unlike in the past, it did the exact same thing as i've been experiencing all day. The Gemstarguide.com (listing server URL) appears to be down...without that, the other URLS to get the ads and the actual listings will not know where to go look.

So is this just a temporary system going offline? After all the actual listings are still there ...on my other system. Right near Thanksgiving or was it X-Mas the TV listing updating service went down for several days...I just assumed it was due to the holiday. Perhaps this listing server URL will come back online...

I'm about to do two more things. One, start up another system that is also running Guide Plus ...Sweet that one is running 1.0.0.50 (so it's an exact match) to the version i've been unable to get working since re-installing. I just ran the update, it worked just fine and got all the updates. I should be able to to copy over the registry and figure this out if it truly lies there.

I was going to go & try a different version on that other computer ...maybe later (as it doesn't seem necessary now that I can do a direct 1:1 copy).

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I have YET to find out why it won't work. I've essentially copied every registry setting I can find ... the only thing I can find that is different and won't allow it to be changed is under .../ETV/TvListing/ProgramDays --->apparently until it makes contact with the Gemstarguide.com site those days won't stay there when i manually add them. In the Program Files/Gemstar folder there is a URL.bin file missing, but creating one with the http://144.198.100.134/gtidl/gdnget2.asp doesn't change anything.
I'm tapped out and need sleep. Hopefully, theres an entry or folder I missed /and\or/ the gemstar server comes back online.
So for me trying to copy the settings over from the other working 1.0.0.50 system does not work (for me). My theory continues below...that it needs that first contact with the mothership 8-( to get provisioned correctly).

 

[TonyF]

Recap

Recap

Ok lets recap what we have got so far...

• For some, Guide Plus when down in the mid December /early January time frame.
• Some machines that have not been updated for sometime are able to connect
• New installs do not connect
• Uninstalling /reloading is not resolving the issue
• Coping the registry has worked for 1 user
• Reloading from a Ghost copy dated 1/08 has not worked either
• Guide Plus was bought out in May

So here's my 2 cent theory : There was a an update sent out between May and December in preparation for the ownership change. You had to be connected to Guide plus get the update downloaded. Now the server has changed, new installs still point to the old server, and they cant connect to get the correct update. Since the working machines seem to have the same URL as the ones that don't, perhaps the update was more inline with a security/port/proxy setting required by the new company.

 

[TonyF]

oh.. and one more thing...
Come February 17th, this may or may not suddenly all be a waste of time.

 

[Lupine]

Ok, sorry no matter what i try I can't get this to post my Registry settings in a graph i made. Anything with ##'s and too many periods even when i take out the hyper text and dots and co s ....Sorry i'll try and post after i get some more posts under my belt. It would have been nice if the thread sent up an error like most do saying no urls rather than posting & deleting so as to lose all I wrote. GRRRRRR!

Sorry about that and, you're right, the posts were in the mod queue - they weren't deleted. I've approved the first post you made, and this should no longer be an issue for your.

 

[TonyF]

Something else I've noticed... ever since this started, I cant set it up to record a program once a week. The MMC TV scheduler looks fine, but when I look at the XP's task scheduler, its wrong. The task scheduler is always set to record everyday and the time is the time I created the task.

Not to sidetrack this ...but anyone got a Plan B? I've got analog cable and an old big screen, so until the TV dies, I don't plan upgrading to digital

 

[DA1745]

Ok lets recap what we have got so far...

• Coping the registry has worked for 1 user

So here's my 2 cent theory : There was a an update sent out between May and December in preparation for the ownership change. You had to be connected to Guide plus get the update downloaded. Now the server has changed, new installs still point to the old server, and they cant connect to get the correct update. Since the working machines seem to have the same URL as the ones that don't, perhaps the update was more inline with a security/port/proxy setting required by the new company.

Hey good summary except I think the person that Copied the registry (forgot who while typing here) copied the URL to a system that had at least prior, connected to get updates. Meaning that it wasn't copying the registry onto a clean install of guide plus...i think again that's where the difference is. Because LONG ago & periodically through the years they have changed the listing server or the update servers. But as of right now they have either taken that server offline (temporarily or permanently due to DTV transition), or they are just having a Guide Plus issue ...in that case it may or may not be coming back online. I'm going to be positive at this point.

Based on having the same problems on a system that had never before had Guide Plus on it... until and unless they get that server back online there will continue to be problems.
i found this number on another site...said at that time (many years ago) to be the guide plus number 1-800-386-7380. Going to try it now.
EDIT: that number does indeed still work. It gives a voice automated system. I pressed three and started rambling, ran out of time. i called back gave my information # and was more concise hopefully i'll get a call back or they will verify and fix the server link.

 

[DA1745]

Sorry about that and, you're right, the posts were in the mod queue - they weren't deleted. I've approved the first post you made, and this should no longer be an issue for your.

Oh, ok thank you. LOL, i was UP way too late and at ~2-3AM i'm not doing quality thinking. It took the wind out of my sails. No worries though I recovered and got the gist of things in the posts i wanted.

oh.. and one more thing...
Come February 17th, this may or may not suddenly all be a waste of time.

Something else I've noticed... ever since this started, I cant set it up to record a program once a week. The MMC TV scheduler looks fine, but when I look at the XP's task scheduler, its wrong. The task scheduler is always set to record everyday and the time is the time I created the task.

Not to sidetrack this ...but anyone got a Plan B? I've got analog cable and an old big screen, so until the TV dies, I don't plan upgrading to digital

Hey, I was just wondering that myself. I've always (after the GREAT frustrating stuff like this or trying to get stable working versions of MMC & Catalyst) liked ATI's older MMC (prior to the digital change 9.13) and so i've never needed to go looking at the other software out there. (I do sort of know what's there). There are some free recording programs, and some very good paid versions, that have TV guide and PVR type programming.

EDIT: oK, sorry for being a thread hog.... but calling that phone number above. They gave the link www.tvgos.com/dtv for information about the TV guide information. That redirects to here: http://www.macrovision.com/dtv/10053.htm and while they don't specifically mention US (ATI users). They ARE, according to that pages' information, going to continue to give the analog TV listings for (all three sources). (I have no idea what the contract was with ATI...but hopefully it was lifetime free updates???idK). So that's good news and I am now waiting for them to either realize there server is down and turn it on or to get in contact with them and bring it to there attention.

Macrovision problem report page: PLEASE FILL THIS OUT... i asked them to check & get the gemstarguide.com...site up; in more detail.
http://www.macrovision.com/support/8459.htm

 

[DA1745]

The Server Appears To Be Back Online!

The Server Appears To Be Back Online!

For the hundredth time now ; I decided to see if anything was different. It wasn't, but then I got the idea that I better change the preferences again, just in case the server was/is back and it just needs to be prompted to get the new data.

So here's what i did: I changed it to CANADA, then threw in a Zipcode random, it balked at that, I reset it to USA and selected a nearby zipcode and I selected OTA instead of cable. And what do you know it went out & got it and updated everything for that Zip OTA. I went back in, checked the box to change the settings, put it back to cable and the correct zip code and Voilla'. It asked my which ch. lineup I wanted and it works just fine now!!!!

I'll have to check whether that little procedure did anything or if simply doing a change settings and reselecting would have done the job...I'll try it on the Virgin system later.

 

[white rabbit 2]

I wrote to ATI customer car about Guide plus and they wrote this below:

Please do not respond to this email, it is from an unmonitored email
address and a response will not be received to be processed.
Gemstar Guide Plus software is no longer supported by AMD Customer Care.
The software is end of life and Gemstar may simply be decommissioning
their servers.
You should be able to use an online EPG for the listings in your area.
Titan TV is fairly popular in the US.

 

[haguc]

For the hundredth time now ; I decided to see if anything was different. It wasn't, but then I got the idea that I better change the preferences again, just in case the server was/is back and it just needs to be prompted to get the new data.

So here's what i did: I changed it to CANADA, then threw in a Zipcode random, it balked at that, I reset it to USA and selected a nearby zipcode and I selected OTA instead of cable. And what do you know it went out & got it and updated everything for that Zip OTA. I went back in, checked the box to change the settings, put it back to cable and the correct zip code and Voilla'. It asked my which ch. lineup I wanted and it works just fine now!!!!

I'll have to check whether that little procedure did anything or if simply doing a change settings and reselecting would have done the job...I'll try it on the Virgin system later.

What random canadian zip code did you use. I would like to try this on my system as well. I was having other issues with my machine so I just did a fresh install of windows and reinstalled all of my software and am getting the unable to connect error like everyone else. I hadn't used the card in a while, but was planning on using it a bit more again. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[TonyF]

Its up!!!!

Its up!!!!

Mine finally updated!
Most likely because I can now ping the http://152.101.67.132/gdndl/gdnget2.asp. I set the URL to this IP and got in
I guess they paid the electric bill and turned the server back on....

and after I reloaded it all over again... when will I learn...

Well, got to go put all my settings back.. Hope this works for you...
and hope we all dont meet again on Febuary 17th

 

[haguc]

Mine finally updated!
Most likely because I can now ping the http://152.101.67.132/gdndl/gdnget2.asp. I set the URL to this IP and got in
I guess they paid the electric bill and turned the server back on....

and after I reloaded it all over again... when will I learn...

Well, got to go put all my settings back.. Hope this works for you...
and hope we all dont meet again on Febuary 17th

Mine did NOT work when I tried putting in that address in any of the fields in my registry. However, after looking through the rest of the post I got the other address: http://144.198.100.134/gtidl/gdnget2.asp and plugged that in to the three registry field and now it works!!! I am back in action at least for the time being, so if for anyone else it the address listed above doesn't work, then try this one.

BTW.. mine was a fresh install yesterday so it didn't have any previous updates.

 

[DA1745]

What random canadian zip code did you use. I would like to try this on my system as well. I was having other issues with my machine so I just did a fresh install of windows and reinstalled all of my software and am getting the unable to connect error like everyone else. I hadn't used the card in a while, but was planning on using it a bit more again. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Hey Haguc, I didn't actually type in a Canadian postal code... I just threw in a random US zip code. It objected (balked) seeing it wasn't a valid CA postal code so I had to change it back to US.... But that's a dead end; it has no effect on getting this to work. Let me explain:

I was just happy to have the guide working on the system that had crashed so i didn't immediately jump up and go try the other computer. I WISH I HAD...because now late night/early morning the next day I just went and tried to update it the normal way and I got nothing (same cannot connect to server error. (I'm referring to the "Virgin" system that I hadn't ever installed Guide Plus on before...and I hadn't done or touched anything in the Registry).
So I was determined to find out what works and why....
I had another (old computer here)...LOL too many bargain PC's lying around here...but I digress. I installed Guide Plus on a that second "Virgin" system.
I had 4$$uMEd that the listing server was back up (see page befores' posting). BUT IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE. This is why I WISH I HAD gone and immediately checked that 1st Virgin system...b/c I would have known that right away if it was up. ...Since there is of course the POSSIBILITY that when I checked it yesterday AM it was up and checking it LATE tonight/next day here it is now OFF LINE again (that would be my bad luck). However, even if that is the case...it doesn't matter, and I'll continue to explain why:

No matter what I did or tried in the registry or in the actual Guide Plus program I couldn't get it to connect to the server (or) later on work with out manually adding in to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE =>Software=>Gemstar =>ETV =>URL =>ab| 1 | REG_SZ |http://144.198.100.134/gtidl/gdnget2.asp

But after doing that, it was connecting to the sever, and even appeared to be downloading data, but it never was able to render what it downloaded and an error about not having the correct time/or zip code information would prompt telling us to check/correct that data.
And this is where it stood, no matter what, I was not allowed to choose my line up for cable (my area has two from Guide plus).

However, what I stumbled on yesterday morning, was that it needed to change to an antenna and that it didn't matter what zip code I used. After it checked for the antenna listings (since i had previously had it set up for cable) it downloaded the antenna listings and this time successfully rendered/posted the listings in the guide like we'd all expect it to do; further see some posts back. I had tried (dead end) to manually enter in the PROGRAM days but each time the program was run it would erase that data. Right after it posted the Antenna data successfully, I went back in to download the weekly file and this time selected to change settings. I then selected Cable for my same Zip Code and it downloaded everything just fine and rendered it into the guide list. Repeated this now on three computers! (Two of them Virgin/clean install systems).
=========================================================================================

So I had NO need to put in a random Zip code or to do the CANADA thing at all, the ONLY things that made any difference or worked was...
#1) Edit the Registry and add in the http://144.198.100.134/gtidl/gdnget2.asp (See that key above or posted previously by others on the page before).
#2) Since you've likely already selected you TV source (Cable) then you need to select antenna and have it save that setting and then go download the listings. ((IDK if people that use antenna as the source to start with have the same problem and need to switch it to cable or whether using Antenna always works but...I'm almost out of computers to try so U R on UR own on that one)).
#3) Once it has made that connection and successfully downloads the Antenna listings for your Zip Code and renders them in list form then you can go back in to download weekly file, select let me choose channel line up again and then click change settings, then switch to cable and click save settings and select the download them button. It should give you the option to (it's changed to asking which channel USA is on - Previously it was TV Guide)...and after you select that it SHOULD complete NORMALLY and update your listings.

That should do it... So i've got no idea whether the listing server is gone for good but at least as long as they continue to post the listings at the URL that we (know) the one above we should still be able to get them. -And- if like me the program gets corrupted and has to be repaired or re-installed we can at least get it back up and running with a tiny bit of registry editing.
==========================================================================================

Mine did NOT work when I tried putting in that address in any of the fields in my registry. However, after looking through the rest of the post I got the other address: http://144.198.100.134/gtidl/gdnget2.asp and plugged that in to the three registry field and now it works!!! I am back in action at least for the time being, so if for anyone else it the address listed above doesn't work, then try this one.

BTW.. mine was a fresh install yesterday so it didn't have any previous updates.

(Haguc) I didn't see your second posting... Time difference? But i think your posting came while i was working on this one b/c it wasn't there when i started this one. (Could be they held your posting because it was only your second as well.??? anyway.
---OH one last thing; I had to do the switch to Antenna and then back again. Maybe because I had on each of those systems (including the (2) virgin pc's tried to connect without/before updating the Registry AB| 1| REG_SZ |to the 144.198... actual TV listings URL. Perhaps if you do that BEFORE ever trying to download your cable listing it works right from the get go. But No matter what i tried the antenna was I getting it to work.

 

[TonyF]

odd... and as for Titian

odd... and as for Titian

Odd that http://144.198.100.134/gtidl/gdnget2.asp worked for you. I tried that one first but it did not work for me. I could not ping the server. But I since I could ping the http://152.101.67.132/gdndl/gdnget2.asp

and as for Titian, I've tried that, but its not compatible to my MMC 9.08/AIW9600 setup, so it cant update my schedule, its slow, and the searching capability is severely limited. If Guideplus does disappear, Titian is not the answer for me. Ill have to find a new application.

 

[DA1745]

Odd that http://144.198.100.134/gtidl/gdnget2.asp worked for you. I tried that one first but it did not work for me. I could not ping the server. But I since I could ping the http://152.101.67.132/gdndl/gdnget2.asp

and as for Titian, I've tried that, but its not compatible to my MMC 9.08/AIW9600 setup, so it cant update my schedule, its slow, and the searching capability is severely limited. If Guideplus does disappear, Titian is not the answer for me. Ill have to find a new application.

Hey, you know I've seen the installation of Titan TV for a long time when installing the ATI software, but I've never been able to access it (other than just going to there internet website). Maybe you can fill me in, I've looked for a manual that would throughly explain ATI's MMC and all it's features etc but i've never found such a manual. So I ask you, when you say you've tried it, do you mean it marries up with MMC like Guide plus does and you can click watch or record and it will have MMC carry that out or is it more like an external TV guide (similar to http://tv.yahoo.com )?
Just to make sure I found the Program Files (Titan TV folder and there are two folders in it, one an executable but it doesn't appear to do anything when i dbl click it. Any help thoughts are appreciated.

 

[grog]

There are other options.



The above is from Vista Ultimate
Vista Premium or Vista Ultimate or MCE2005 or Windows 7 all have great guide data and the GUI just plain works.

I moved to MCE2005 with my ATI AIW X1800 XL card a long time ago.

 

[DA1745]

There are other options. The above is from Vista Ultimate Vista Premium or Vista Ultimate or MCE2005 or Windows 7 all have great guide data and the GUI just plain works.

I moved to MCE2005 with my ATI AIW X1800 XL card a long time ago.

Yes, i've also got dual boots with Vista ultimate and two others with MCE 2005. But for example the Vista's systems HTPC won't run like an MMC system will on a 1.0 GHz + CPU.

I've got TV Wonder 650 cards in the Vista system and have done some battling and now finally have installed the Media Center TV Pack 2008 and can get QAM via VMC which is nice; but again Vista isn't free, it's still problematic with or w/o the TV pack. And not everyone has MCE 2005 or Vista Ult/Prem. If the suggestion is to spend money then something like Beyond TV* or Sage TV which is far cheaper also offers bonuses like QAM support in XP something you'd need to buy something like the HDHomerun to otherwise get via MCE 2005 since it doesn't natively support it; so lots of options out there.
Also, Vista doesn't support the X1900 & X800 All-In-wonders (Like my box and the literature at the time said it would) nor does it support older AIW's and partially with hacks supports HDTV wonder... so if that was the selection it would require further purchases. FROWN 8-(
* - Make sure Beyond TV now successfully supports QAM in MCE 2005/VMC...

I just plain like the MMC program/remote and guide plus. It was a program before it's time! IMHO they are still other than QAM and small improvements in DTV Vista doesn't offer a whole lot of benefits (especially not at a couple hundred for software and new Tuner cards)...AMD buying ATI may not have made any difference as ATI was headed down the wrong direction with MMC9.13-9.16 when AMD took over & shut them down. However, I still have great results with MMC and I'm not giving up on it anytime soon.

 

[TonyF]

Titian

Titian

Titian does not marries up to MMC like GuidePlus, but its website works similarly. When you click to record from the listing, it save a scheduling file (somewhere) to your machine. You have to set up an account, and pick you PVR from the approved list. It does not have my AIW9600. Even if it did work with my setup, I don't like it be cause its search capability are grossly lacking.

As for alternatives, MCE /Vista is out for now. I'm not looking to upgrade. I don't have a flat screen, satellite, digital cable or HD anything. I've got a old rear projection screen and a sweet cheap deal on analog cable. I don't need 1000 channels. I've got 75 now and only use 5 of them. I've only got 2 eyes and limited TV time in my life. I just want to watch my shows, when I want, without a $100 cable bill, or buy new hardware, or give Bill Gates more money. I'm cheap and damn proud of it. When the TV dies, then I'll upgrade. Living far behind the technology curve is much easier, cheaper and less stressful..... except when GuidePlus goes down

 

[John Hanner]

I joined this forum just to post a THANK YOU to the people above who solved the Guide Plus updating problem. My computer crashed this past weekend and I ended up reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling everything. It all turned out well except for the Guide Plus program integrated with my ATI TV tuner card. I was going crazy trying to figure out the problem. I've become almost dependent on it (and I often wonder when they'll pull the plug). I had no idea that the URL had changed - my old installation worked just fine. Thank you, thank you all, again. God, I love the Internet.

 

[komothoes]

ok well i see the US ver is no more but this thing is still not working