Schedules Direct US/Canadian/Mexico EPG Plugin (Updated August 2010)

New: Source now maintained here



Original documentation by Patrick (thank you Patrick!):

Schedules Direct EPG Client Beta v1 (Based on bradsjm's Zap2it plugin code and my edits to that code)

MP stand alone, with RC3.

TVE3 version:
* v1.0b must have a SVN between rev 15551-15760 (8/16/2007-9/05/2007)
* v1.0d must have a SVN rev 15761+
* v1.0e must have a SVN rev 15761+
* v1.1 must have a SVN rev 15761+

* v1.1a must have a SVN rev 18153+ (I think)


You must set up an account @ Schedules Direct to use.

Installation for:

***MP stand alone***
Best Way:
-Exit MP and delete the Zap2it plugin dll file.
-Unzip the SchedulesDirectPlugin.dll file to the MediaPortal\plugins\process folder
-In MP Configuration.exe, Clear all your channels
-Run the auto-tune on your cards in MP
-Enable/Configure the Schedules Direct Plugin
-Launch MP, allow 20-45 minutes for the first download/mapping
-If external channels were automatically added, you may have to assign these to a card in the MP Configuration.exe

May work if you are already using the Zap2It plugin:
-Exit MP and delete the Zap2it plugin dll file.
-Unzip the SchedulesDirectPlugin.dll file to the MediaPortal\plugins\process folder
-Enable/Configure the Schedules Direct Plugin
- Enable Re-mapping channels and and Deletion of channels no longer mapped
-Launch MP, allow 20-45 minutes for the first download/mapping
-If external channels were automatically added, you may have to assign these to a card in the MP Configuration.exe

*** TVE3/TvService ***
Best Way:
-Stop the TvService/SetupTv
-Unzip the SchedulesDirectPluginTVE3.dll file to the TvServer Plugins folder
-Launch the SetupTv, Clear all your channels
-Run the auto-tune on your cards in MP
-Enable/Configure the Schedules Direct Plugin
-Click OK, to Exit SetupTv
-Allow 20-45 minutes for the first download/mapping
-If external channels were automatically added, you may have to assign
these to a card in the SetupTv

May work if you are already using the Zap2It plugin:
-Disable the Zap2it plugin in SetupTv
-Stop the TvService/SetupTv
-Unzip the SchedulesDirectPluginTVE3.dll file to the TvServer Plugins folder
-Launch the SetupTv
-Enable/Configure the Schedules Direct Plugin
- Enable Re-mapping channels and and Deletion of channels no longer mapped
-Click OK, to Exit SetupTv
-Allow 20-45 minutes for the first download/mapping
-If external channels were automatically added, you may have to assign
these to a card in the SetupTv


Here is a list of Postal codes for International Lineups:
forums.schedulesdirect.org • View topic - Fake postal codes for International Lineups

Note: I have removed the lineup manager at least for now so you have to make lineup
changes at the Schedules Direct web site.


***I have made many changes and tried to test things but very likely I missed things.
***I would back up you TVDatabase file in case this does not work for you out of the box.


Recent Changes:
-Added Is4DTV and IsCBand to SoapEntities TVLineup, for support of BigDish systems.
-Added LineupIsLocalBroadcast check before attempting second chance ATSC mapping (fix ex. NON-ATSC DirecTV 43 KCSMDT).
-Changed MP External Tuner Channel to TVStationMap.ChannelString.
-Added option to not include additional data like air date etc in description.
-Added option to allow mapping by channel number only.
-Added option to sort channels by channel number
-Added option to remove channels that no longer have EPG Mapping
-Added channel string to the mapping id to allow multiple channels to share a single stations data.
-Added option to attempt a channel "re-map" if a lineup change is detected
useful if for example The CW moves from channel 2 to 7.
-Removed the Lineup Manager (at least for now)

8-26-2007
-Added support for "New" program flag that replaced the "Repeat" flag
-Added Force Program Update, in the MP database it would not actually updated any fields for a program
-Added ability to auto add analog channels as external
-Added check for channels before sorting

9-07-2007
-Added code to handle more exceptions
- fixed where detected a change in lineup, but did not update b/c enough guide days in db
- fixed remap failed
- Removed a check of old url

09-17-2007 v1.0c
-Changed suggested time check to 12 hours minimum

-TVE3 Version-
8-26-2007
-Added option to auto-add analog channels as external
-Added check for channels before sorting
-Added support for "New" program flag that replaced the "Repeat" flag
-Removed code to remove overlapping programs, the new AddProgram should check for this

8-27-2007
-Changed Max Password and Username length to 150

9-07-2007
-Added code to handle more exceptions
- fixed where detected a change in lineup, but did not update b/c enough guide days in db
- fixed remap failed

9-10-2007 v1.0c
-Updated references for changes in MP
-Removed "First Aired" from "New" programs
-Added a configurable Rating Age section for TV and MPAA ratings for the database in TVE3

09-17-2007 v1.0d
-Fixed bug where existing channels were not getting the DisplayName changed (renamed)
-Changed suggested time check to 12 hours minimum

10-01-2007 v1.0e
-Fixed Channel Name lookup to use displayName (name can no longer be change in config)
-Fixed ATSC channel type detection
-Added more exception handling

01-17-2008 v1.1
-Fixed DT channel handling when not on local broadcast
-Removed old ATSC fix code no longer needed
-Cleaned up channel mapping so hopefully not as complex

03-23-2008 v1.1a
-Added option to specify number of hours(within limits) to download for last minute changes
-Must have been some changes to to the plugin inteface so had to recompile for it.
-Removed suggested time check to 12 hours minimum (did not like that way it worked).

View attachment SchedulesDirectPluginTVE3-v1.1a.zip

patrick

==================================
Update 2009-09-14:
Please see following posts later in thread for versions recompiled for specific MediaPortal versions (thanks to ixian):
MediaPortal 1.0.2
MediaPortal 1.1.0 alpha
MediaPortal 1.1.0 beta1
Update 2009-10-03:
MediaPortal 1.1.0beta1 with AT LEAST SVN 23684
Update 2010-01-08:
MediaPortal 1.1.0beta1 with AT LEAST SVN 24553
Update 2010-04-19 (thanks to jfjauvin):
MediaPortal 1.1.0RC2
Update 2010-08-15:
Thanks to geoff.b.stewart & jfjauvin, this is now maintained at the following site. Please look there for further updates and reports.
mp-schedulesdirect - Project Hosting on Google Code

==================================

Thanks a lot patrick. You've kept my guide running and wife happy for a little over a year now. Thanks for continuing that streak.

Crash's Mediaportal

Here is the error from the exception folder

Code:

ExceptionType: System.NullReferenceException
Message: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
Source: Dialogs

Stack trace:
   at MediaPortal.Dialogs.GUIDialogOK.OnMessage(GUIMessage message)
   at MediaPortal.Dialogs.GUIDialogWindow.DoModal(Int32 ParentID)
   at SchedulesDirectPlugin.Plugin.SchedulesDirectPlugin.Notify(String notifyText, Object[] args)
   at SchedulesDirectPlugin.Plugin.SchedulesDirectPlugin.RefreshEPG(Object state)
   at System.Threading._TimerCallback.TimerCallback_Context(Object state)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Threading._TimerCallback.PerformTimerCallback(Object state)

problem fixed by using svn instead of 0.2.3.0RC1

Update: Plugin works like a charm

Sweet, thanks so much patrick. I got in the beta, and its working great for me (latest svn). (had a small problem, but just deleted and re-autotuned my channels.)

jburnette
Thanks!

tonyscha
Oops, I should have mentioned only works for recent SVN
I have edited the first post.

rob3435
Glad it is working, I tried to allow converting from the Zap2it plugin
but may be a little flaky with all the different lineup possibilities.
Added more instructions to the first post.


Last update I saw on the schedules direct forums they expect to be fully live in a matter of days.

Let me know if there are any more problems and I can try to get a fix out before they go fully live.

Thanks,
patrick

Thank patrick. I was able to get it working fine with 0.2.3.0RC1 without any of the SVN updates. Not sure if I would have any problems later without doing the updates. This was tested on both an XP Mediacenter 2005 machines and a Vista Business machine. These were both clean installs of MP and were not in a machine with a tv card. I am looking forward to testing a TVEngine version soon.

One problem I did notice is that if you don't have any channels in your lineup it would crash all of MP after cycling through a successful download (but no actual channel data). Also, no matter what I did I could not get it to add the channels to the list on its own. Maybe if I had applied the SVN updates this would have fixed the problem.

Thanks for all your hard work!

- Altair256

Thanks! Good to know.

Are you saying with no channels in your lineup at schedulesdirect.org it crashed OR no channels defined in MP?

When it would not add the channels automatically, is your SD lineup digital?
It is supposed to add them if (1) set to in the options and (2) the lineup is digital.


Thanks for the feedback!

patrick

So, Patrick, can I assume that this will work with TVEngine3 now? I plan on testing some things this weekend, and hopefully getting things running before the guide expires.

Great work by the way!

I just realized the time zone is off, I would assume thats a scheduledirect issue?

Should not be a schedules direct issue.
Verify that your time zone is set correctly in Windows, not just the time, but the time zone.
The time zone on your PC is used to convert the time from schedules direct.


@reaver
No, the download is only for MP stand alone
(I will see if I can dig back into that code, going between the two gets a little confusing)

HTH,
patrick