EPG Downloader for TV Server

[Big_Kev]

This is a little program for downloading EPG data for TV Server, and loading it directly into the TvLibrary database for TV Server.

It is based on the EPG refresh feature in my Web Interface.

Features:

• Operates as a service with the ability to schedule daily downloads.
• It allows you to download from multiple sources
• Map multiple MediaPortal channels to the same channel ID in the xml data.
• Loads directly to database, no intermediate steps with xmltv files etc.
• Fill gaps in incomplete channel listings from other channel data (yes, this does happen in Australia! When the HD channels only have data for the few programs that are different from the SD channel, you need to merge the HD and SD listings to fill the gaps in the HD listing...)
• Can unzip zipped data automatically
• Handles basic authentication for sites that require a user ID and password

If you want to give it a try, you can find it at...

http://home.people.net.au/~threebrid.../EPG/index.htm

Regards
Kev

[Big_Kev]

Some minor changes and fixes.

New Features:

• Added support for using a local file as xml data source - Add the file address as the URL and check the Is File checkbox.

Fixes:

• Editing URL info was applying all changes to the last URL in the list - now fixed to change selected URL
• More robust error handling

Kev

Why another EPG downloader?

This question has been asked legitimately, and the answer has to do with the vagaries of Australian EPG data.
For some reason. EPG data in Australia is copyrighted by the networks, and there is no official site publishing EPG data (except for the ABC which is our public broadcaster).

All of the EPG data has to be re-created from scratch to avoid copyright issues. This is done mainly by community effort, where little bits are added by users to create the data, or a few services that charge monthly fees.

The different data sources have different data structures - some data has no "channel" nodes, just programs.

My little program automatically compensates for the various idiosyncrasies of the different data sources.

As the program should also work for most other countries, and I had already written it, I just thought it would be good to share it with the rest of the forum in the hope that it might be helpful to other users in other countries as well.

[dvdfreak]

Originally Posted by Big_Kev

Why another EPG downloader?

Hey Kev,

Regarding this question: would it not make just as much sense to provide the work you did as an actual XMLTV grabbber. Handle all those special cases, all the research you did, etc... But generate a normal XMLTV file, then you'd open this up to so much more than just pump it directly into TVE3.

Cheers!

[Big_Kev]

Fixes for local files...

[tompa]

Thanks for this amazing downloader!!
version 0.0.0.04 works fantastic for Swedish database http://tv.swedb.se/


/tompa

[martymoose]

Mate thanks for that works a treat
in NSW

[Big_Kev]

New version allowing different database name...

Kev