Time zones in xmltv

mj_wood · 2005-11-06, 19:10

I live in Belgium and mainly watch British and Flemish television.
I run tv_grab_uk_rt and tv_grab_be to produce 2 xml files for the channels that I watch, which I then merge. Obviously those listings that were grabbed by tv_grab_uk_rt use GMT times and those grabbed using tv_grab_be use CET.

The problem I have is that Media Portal treats the +0100 time zone information in the xmltv file as being a time offset - therefore it adds another hour onto the time listed.
This means that all my Belgian channels display the wrong time in Media Portal but work with other programmes.

Is there any way around this other than importing the 2 xml files in tvxb, adding a "special=utctime" command to the header of the ini filea and exporting a singl file from tvxb?

Marcusb · 2005-11-07, 08:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by mj_wood

Is there any way around this other than importing the 2 xml files in tvxb, adding a "special=utctime" command to the header of the ini filea and exporting a singl file from tvxb?

Sorry, that's exactly what I was about to suggest. Hopefully someone else will come along with a better suggestion...

DaveInUK · 2005-11-11, 01:30

Well, apart from Europe adopting something Bristsh for once (only kidding), I dont thing so.

Logic suggests that if you are importing something which asks for a time zone and then you do it again with another time zone, any 'manual' merging will be at your cost! So, how about polling your MP to suggest adopting British Time (well maybe not); so in the meantime I guess there will need to be some manual intervention in the process.

I guess you could write a script that; grabbed the UK listngs; put the clock back an hour; and, then grabbed the Belgium listing - might work?

Dave

mj_wood · 2005-11-11, 12:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveInUK

Logic suggests that if you are importing something which asks for a time zone and then you do it again with another time zone, any 'manual' merging will be at your cost!

The problem isn't with the xml file, which contains all the necessary time zone information. The problem is that Media Portal does not read that information properly. The same xml file works fine with other applications.

billd · 2005-11-13, 04:19

If you add the following item to the top section of the TVxb.ini file, it will convert all times to UTC. Medial Portal will then process the timezones correctly.

special=utctime

Joce · 2005-11-15, 23:44

I hav the same problem. Where can I find the tvxb file ? I search my hard drive but I could not find it....

billd · 2005-11-17, 07:28

I should have read the original post more carefully. The present TVxb release can't help with this problem. It can change the timezone of program data it scrapes itself. However it cannot change the timezone for data imported from an external sources.

Actually all TVxb does with imported data is make sure the character-encoding is correct and then merge that with its own data. I have been thinking about parsing and modifying the imported data - however there are several other requests ahead in the queue at this time.

James · 2005-11-23, 20:59

Hi Guys,

I've just added TimeZone support to WebEPG. It will now convert the times on a site by site basis into the local time zone.

You can test it out in the latest CVS builds.

Cheers,

/James

Joce · 2005-11-25, 15:06

Hi James
Does it work for the information shown on the TVGuide page of MP ?
I actually use the 0.1.3.0 version of MP. How can I benefit from your update ?

James · 2005-11-25, 16:04

Hi Joce,

Yes it works with the information shown in TVguide. It is for those users getting guide information from a different country/timezone as their own.

To try it out you can download a CVS built. All new versions of WebEPG now require .NET 2.0.

The file structure is a little changed so if you dont want to use the CVS build and just want to try WebEPG you can run it from the root directory of the CVS build.

If you want to copy it somewhere else without all the other CVS files then:

copy the following:

Files: webepg.exe, webepg.dll, utils.dll, databases.dll, core.dll nd sqlite.dll
Directories: WebEPG, xmltv, databases

into a new folder. If you want to try the new database lookup feature then copy your tv database into the above mentioned databases directory each time before running webepg.

Hope this helps and is not too complex.

Cheers,

/James

2005-11-06, 19:10	#1 (permalink)
mj_wood Portal User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brussels Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Time zones in xmltv I live in Belgium and mainly watch British and Flemish television. I run tv_grab_uk_rt and tv_grab_be to produce 2 xml files for the channels that I watch, which I then merge. Obviously those listings that were grabbed by tv_grab_uk_rt use GMT times and those grabbed using tv_grab_be use CET. The problem I have is that Media Portal treats the +0100 time zone information in the xmltv file as being a time offset - therefore it adds another hour onto the time listed. This means that all my Belgian channels display the wrong time in Media Portal but work with other programmes. Is there any way around this other than importing the 2 xml files in tvxb, adding a "special=utctime" command to the header of the ini filea and exporting a singl file from tvxb?

2005-11-13, 04:19	#5 (permalink)
billd Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Convert to UTC time If you add the following item to the top section of the TVxb.ini file, it will convert all times to UTC. Medial Portal will then process the timezones correctly. special=utctime

2005-11-17, 07:28	#7 (permalink)
billd Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Correction to my earlier comment I should have read the original post more carefully. The present TVxb release can't help with this problem. It can change the timezone of program data it scrapes itself. However it cannot change the timezone for data imported from an external sources. Actually all TVxb does with imported data is make sure the character-encoding is correct and then merge that with its own data. I have been thinking about parsing and modifying the imported data - however there are several other requests ahead in the queue at this time.

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2005-11-11, 01:30	#3 (permalink)
DaveInUK Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 11 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Well, apart from Europe adopting something Bristsh for once (only kidding), I dont thing so. Logic suggests that if you are importing something which asks for a time zone and then you do it again with another time zone, any 'manual' merging will be at your cost! So, how about polling your MP to suggest adopting British Time (well maybe not); so in the meantime I guess there will need to be some manual intervention in the process. I guess you could write a script that; grabbed the UK listngs; put the clock back an hour; and, then grabbed the Belgium listing - might work? Dave

2005-11-15, 23:44	#6 (permalink)
Joce Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lagny sur Marne Posts: 58 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	I hav the same problem. Where can I find the tvxb file ? I search my hard drive but I could not find it....

2005-11-23, 20:59	#8 (permalink)
James Portal Developer Join Date: May 2005 Location: Switzerland Posts: 1,348 Thanks: 4 Thanked 55 Times in 34 Posts	Hi Guys, I've just added TimeZone support to WebEPG. It will now convert the times on a site by site basis into the local time zone. You can test it out in the latest CVS builds. Cheers, /James

2005-11-25, 15:06	#9 (permalink)
Joce Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lagny sur Marne Posts: 58 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	Hi James Does it work for the information shown on the TVGuide page of MP ? I actually use the 0.1.3.0 version of MP. How can I benefit from your update ?

2005-11-25, 16:04	#10 (permalink)
James Portal Developer Join Date: May 2005 Location: Switzerland Posts: 1,348 Thanks: 4 Thanked 55 Times in 34 Posts	Hi Joce, Yes it works with the information shown in TVguide. It is for those users getting guide information from a different country/timezone as their own. To try it out you can download a CVS built. All new versions of WebEPG now require .NET 2.0. The file structure is a little changed so if you dont want to use the CVS build and just want to try WebEPG you can run it from the root directory of the CVS build. If you want to copy it somewhere else without all the other CVS files then: copy the following: Files: webepg.exe, webepg.dll, utils.dll, databases.dll, core.dll nd sqlite.dll Directories: WebEPG, xmltv, databases into a new folder. If you want to try the new database lookup feature then copy your tv database into the above mentioned databases directory each time before running webepg. Hope this helps and is not too complex. Cheers, /James