Manual
 

Preparations for Windows XP MCE 2004

Before you setup MCE Guider, make sure that you setup the Media Center guide the proper way, at least once.
This means: set it up with MCE's built-in setup wizard, as if you are living in Germany.

If you have not installed Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 yet, then follow these steps:

•  Install Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004.
   If you are located in a country in which the PAL BG standard is used for TV broadcasts (e.g. in The Netherlands), then make sure to select "Germany" as the country of your current location, as soon as you have to enter your current location as one of the steps of the installation process of Windows XP MCE.
   
•  The first time you run the Media Center application, a wizard will lead you through the process of setting up MCE.
•  One of the things you have to setup are the TV settings.
  •  Answer "yes" to the question whether you want to make use of the guide.
  •  Make sure you select "Germany" when the setup wizard asks for which country you want to setup the MCE guide.
  •  Select "Cable or digital cable" when you're asked how you receive your TV signal.
  •  Enter "26192" as your (German) postal code, and select the analog network.
  •  Then let the setup wizard download the guide information (which may take a while).
     
•  Then go to the "Regional and Language options" in the Windows Control Panel.
•  And specify the country of your real current location.
   
•  Don't forget to install DVD player software; NvDVD by nVidia is a good choice.
   This is necessary because the Media Center application needs an MPEG2 codec for playing DVD's and TV programs.

If you already installed Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004, setting up the guide correctly includes the following steps:

•  Go to the Windows Control Panel and select the "Regional and Language options".
•  Specify "Germany" as your current location.
•  Click OK.
   
•  Now start the Media Center application.
•  Click the "Settings" button, go to the "TV Settings" and click on "Guide".
•  Then reset your "Guide Lineup".
   Follow the instructions on the screen to setup the guide as if you're living in Germany, postal code 26192, analog network.
•  The download which follows may take a while.
   
•  Then go back to the "Regional and Language options" in the Windows control panel.
•  And specify the country of your real current location.

Note:
If you're already experiencing problems with the reception of TV channels in the Media Center application, they will not magically disappear by installing MCE Guider.
The cause of most of the problems with TV reception in MCE (including the dreaded "black screen") can be found in the default assumption of Windows XP Media Center Edition that you are located in a country in which the NTSC standard is used for TV broadcasts. The only way to let MCE know that it must use the PAL standard for TV reception is to select Germany (for PAL BG) as the country of your current location from the first moment you start installing Windows XP MCE!

Once you've setup the Guide, you can setup MCE Guider.