Those of you who enjoy watching TV on your PC probably own or have at least heard of Windows Media Center and its electronic program guide.
Windows Media Center is a multimedia solution developed by Microsoft intended to link the multimedia environment to the PC experience. Users can use it to watch and record live TV shows and play music and other media saved on hard drive or other connected storage devices.
Electronic Program Guide is part of WMC and is a feature that allows you to browse an on-screen list of available channels and TV program data for an extended period of time.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and in addition to the retirement of Windows 7, the Windows Media Center Electronic Program Guide is also discontinued.
This is why many users are wondering whether or not there are viable alternatives, and we are here to answer.
What are the alternatives to the Windows Media Center EPG?
While it is indeed a shame that Microsoft has abandoned the electronic program guide for Windows Media Center, there are many alternatives that mimic its functionality in great detail.
For example, if you like to have complete control over storage and integration with your other media libraries, you should check out Plex’s DVR capabilities.
Those of you who use HDHomeRun tuners should check out HDHomeRun DVR. More so, those of you who use your HDHomeRun Prime CableCARD tuners and then HDHomeRun DVRs might be your only option.
If budget isn’t an issue and you want the best TV experience available, then you should go with TiVo. You can even take advantage of their new devices, called TiVo Edge.
Are you still using Windows Media Center? If so, what is your plan? If you’ve moved on, share your experiences in the comments below.
Of course, these are just a few of the best alternatives, as the internet is full of them anyway. Other worthy mentions include:
No news from Microsoft regarding an official replacement for the Windows Media Center Electronic Program Guide has yet been revealed. However, if you too were a fan of it, go ahead and take advantage of all the alternatives.
Did you find this guide useful? Let us know in the comment section below.
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