XMLTV MC2XML w legacy Guide problems (1 Viewer)

[Frustrated]

Using MediaPort 8 on Windows 7. For the guide I am following the instructions here for configuring MC2XML and XMLTV. The guid is fine however there seems to be a problem with pulling down updated information. I have Windows 7 task scheduler configured per the instructions on that page. The time and date stamp of the MC2XML.DAT and tvguide.xml reflects the date and time at which the Windows task is run each day (at 1AM). However the data in the tvguide.xml still only shows a maximum of 2 weeks in advance and the last entry in the file always ends at 6:30 PM. I am using the Legacy option in mc2xml.exe to pull down the guide info for OTA for my postal code here in Canada.

I eventually wind up seeing not Data Available showing up in the guide. What I then do is run the task scheduler event and then following the instructions on the above page under Import the TV Guide Data.Only then does the guide show new program listing information rather No Data Available.

 

[mm1352000]

Hello

So there are two phases to this:
1. The data download with mc2xml.
2. The data import with the XMLTV plugin.

Both have to work in order to ensure the guide is up to date.

When you get to the point where the guide is showing "no data available", does the XMLTV file contain the data that the guide is saying is not available? (In other words, is the problem with phase 1?)

Can you please post some screenshots of the first and third tab in the XMLTV plugin?

Thanks,
mm

 

[Frustrated]

My sneaking suspicion is that it is Step 1 that is causing the problem. However I do not have an older version of the TVGuide.XML file to check. The current version last entry is 0821. This file was created yesterday when I ran into the Data Not Available for the 2nd time in a month. Yesterday I ran the Task Scheduler task manually and as I said in my prior post used the Import button in the Server app to import the data. I created a batch file that runs mc2xml and when I run it tonight I see a message no new data available.

 

[RonD]

want to clarify, if you manually do "force import" you get valid MePo EPG data?

have you done a manual stop/start TV Service? You need to do that step to trigger xmltv auto import the next time task manager runs mc2xml. Also the epg data mc2xml uses only gets updated once a day and you will only get a new guide.xml file when there is new data.

 

[mm1352000]

You need to do that step to trigger xmltv auto import the next time task manager runs mc2xml.

To clarify: the XMLTV plugin should automatically detect when the tvguide.xml file is updated. It checks for an updated file every 60 seconds. When an update is detected, the file is automatically imported. There should be no need to manually restart the TV service to trigger auto import. The only time you need to manually restart the TV service on account of the XMLTV plugin is after you first enable it... and that is true for every plugin.

Do you have a different experience/understanding?

 

[Frustrated]

want to clarify, if you manually do "force import" you get valid MePo EPG data?

have you done a manual stop/start TV Service? You need to do that step to trigger xmltv auto import the next time task manager runs mc2xml. Also the epg data mc2xml uses only gets updated once a day and you will only get a new guide.xml file when there is new data.

The only 2 times I have done a force import is when the Data Not Available shows up. Both times I tried running the Scheduler task manually which did not fix the problem. Only after I did the Force Import after running the task did the Guide show the updated info.

No I have not done a stop/start TV service since I did not see the instructions I referenced in my first post mentioning having to do that.

If I run MC2XML tomorrow or several days from now should the TVGuide file have a last entry past 0821 which is what it has now?

 

[RonD]

with my personal testing, the only way tv server plugins get fully activated/deactivated is doing a manual stop/start. If you are in "plugins" and enable xmltv there is a popup message about doing a stop/start. I think this is new in the last 1-2 MePo versions.

There are words in the xmltv wiki and xmltv setup guides about needing a stop/start. But this is all gotcha documentation, if you are a new user the importance of the comment is not clear and its easy to leave out this step since the xmltv setup sections of the configuration program work fine. Xmltv is kind of the unloved red haired 2nd step cousin of the TV Server.

 

[Frustrated]

I am pretty sure that the problem is indeed step 1. I found a tvguide.xml dated 7/27/14 and the last entry was dated 080814 at 6:30 PM local time. Yesterday Aug 8th is when I noticed that the guide did not have any data past 6:30PM. The previous time this problem occurred the guide data also ended at 6:30PM.

 

[RonD]

I found a tvguide.xml dated 7/27/14 and the last entry was dated 080814 at 6:30 PM

hmm, so it sounds like the problem is getting task manager to run the script correctly. If you click on your batch/cmd file does a cmd.exe text window pop up, run, and say something like no new data? In task manager run status, does task manager show it ran the script at your scheduled time?

 

[mm1352000]

@RonD
Not sure if you're responding to me or Frustrated, but...

with my personal testing, the only way tv server plugins get fully activated/deactivated is doing a manual stop/start.

True.
In your previous post I couldn't work out if you were saying the TV service had to be restarted each time you want XMLTV data to be imported. That is not my experience, and if that were to be happening for you it would be considered a bug.

Xmltv is kind of the unloved red haired 2nd step cousin of the TV Server.

Wow, what gives you that impression?
That's a genuine question; I'd really honestly like to know.

I love the XMLTV plugin, and personally I'd put it before every single other TV Server plugin. I've used it for the whole time I've been using TV Server which is now 5+ years. It "just works". I can't think of a single bug with it, though I can think of a few small enhancements that I might like:

• force import run in background thread
• add ability to run a scheduled task in a similar way to the automated download

...but the fact that I haven't got around to implementing those doesn't make it a red haired cousin, at least in my mind...