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Free PVR software users to pay for TV guide data
Come September, Zap2it Labs will no longer offer the free TV guide data used by PC-based personal video recording software like MythTV, Media Portal, and GB-PVR. Well, there's good news and bad news for anyone using those programs. There are at least two groups, CTpvr and Schedules Direct (formerly known as Easy TV Data) planning to pick up where Zap2it leaves off next month. And it looks like they're both pretty close to having their systems in place. That's the good news.
The bad news is that neither group will be able to offer the data for free. Zap2it is owned by Tribune Media Services. That's the same company that will provide information for th new services, but it won't be free. Neither CTpvr and Schedules Direct, and both companies have set prices yet, but both say they'll have to charge customers for the data.
On the one hand, it's not like the data's not worth anything. TiVo charges customers a monthly fee for program guide data. Without that information, your box is a lot less useful. But if you have a PC-based PVR, now you have a a choice to make. Pay for a commercial PVR applications like BeyondTV, SageTV, and Windows Media Center which won't be affected. Or get a free software and pay for the program guide.
Comments
9
Subscribe to commentsToastAug 9th 2007 8:47AM
I don't think Yahoo Go! TV is effected by this move. That is freeware...
Jordan RunningAug 8th 2007 4:51PM
Slight correction: Zap2it does not buy its data from Tribune Media Services; rather, it Zap2it is wholly owned by TMS.
Brad LinderAug 8th 2007 4:53PM
Thanks Jordan. That would make it easier for them to provide the data for free! I'll update the post.
RobAug 8th 2007 5:47PM
This sucks,.. this move is effectively going to kill my hacked ReplayTV system. Either I'm going to have to pay for the service I've been using for free this whole time and keep vital hacked abillities of the RTV, or revert to the original RTV software for a free service and loose everything I gained with a hacked box.
Tough decision.
rothgarAug 9th 2007 7:27AM
common google, make this one of your projects and lets be done with it.
Ryan WagnerAug 8th 2007 10:39PM
This does really suck...it's almost getting to the point that you might as well just own a TiVo, or use Windows Media Center which offers free guides through Microsoft.
bdgbillAug 9th 2007 2:58PM
Your link to GBPVR points to a bogus site.
The real GBPVR site is @ www.gbpvr.com
MartinAug 9th 2007 2:57PM
You have a hyphen in the name and link to GBPVR that takes you to the wrong place. Should be http://www.gbpvr.com/
Oh yes, it's only "good or bad news" for those in North America, everywhere else have their own solutions for listings.
regards
JamesAug 14th 2007 11:43AM
Those that say "may as well just get Tivo", two points:
* $15/3 months (Schedules Direct)