-d (# of days) argument for zap2xml to get tvguide.com data -- anyone doing this? (1 Viewer)

[cewillis]

The number of days argument doesn't seem to work for me using zap2xml to get tvguide.com data.
(don't know how many days I'm actually getting - but the total is decreasing by 1 every day)
Anyone getting the requested number of days?

Here is my command line, run as a scheduled task every morning, to start in the folder containing tvguide.xml:
zap2xml -z -d14 -umyname@somewhere.net -pI don't think so -otvguide.xml
Anything wrong with this?

Notes:
When run without the -z argument (otherwise identical) to get data from zap2it.com instead (and after remapping in xmltv), I get 14 days data perfectly. (but very sparse program descriptions)
With a very similar comment for mc2xml to get data from schedules direct, I get 13 days perfectly (SD doesn't to 14 days this way)

 

[mm1352000]

For what it's worth, I wouldn't assume that 14 days worth of data is available from all services and for all channels. In other words: perhaps tvguide.com simply doesn't have 14 days worth of data for some or all of your channels.

Alternatively, perhaps data updates for tvguide.com (or their upstream data providers - broadcasters etc.) require human input. Many people are away on holiday over the Christmas and/or new year period, so sometimes services like this are running on autopilot.

 

[cewillis]

As usual, MM cuts through any flack and fluff to the most likely best answer. (you can't get it if it ain't there!) Thank, MM.
Eagerly, but not hopefully, awaiting any other user evidence, for or against,

 

[cewillis]

Down to just 8 days of data now -- 1 beyond my minimum. Was thinking maybe it would stop at the 11 days shown on the website, but no,
I'll keep at it a few more days to see it it stops decreasing at 7 days, or gets any better after New Years. But as is, not enough.

 

[mm1352000]

I assume you've checked any log files that zap2xml produces for errors and so on (?).

 

[cewillis]

Hi MM,
Yep, been watching for 'and so on's. I did have 1 or 2 times when the xmltv mappings didn't work, but I didn't see any empty channel names, as you found in another thread, and just reloading, re-importing fixed it. (Why??? no idea)
But today, no problems. Logs attached -- epg and error are zero length, tv log seem to show all channels and programs OK. Are they? Any thing else wrong?

Only 7 days data today. The number of programs for each channel seem roughly equivalent to 7 days. EG, 191 programs for KVOA (NBC network) would be 191/24 = 7.96 days if all 1 hour shows, 3.98 days of all 1/2 shows.

Tomorrow tells the tale, or at least a tale. Default # of days is 7; if it goes to 6, good bye TVguide.
Good bye for me anyway if no improvement soon.

 

[cewillis]

TVguide.com data dropped to 6 days today, along with another tvguide.xml file with channel name info missing. Not all the channel name info as was the case in another thread; just one of the lines had an empty field. When I put something (anything?) in the field, xmltv could process it fine. Is this worth pursuing any further? I guess I could report this to the zap2xml author.
It even occurred to me that my very old version of MP was approaching it's termination day on 1/7/18 (just kidding), and would not accept any more guide data after that.
But no -- changing back to zap2it as data source (and remapping) instantly got 14 full days of guide data.

 

[mm1352000]

I can only advise to check, check and re-check your config.

1. Make sure you're using the latest version of zap2xml (in case tvguide.com website format has changed slightly => zap2xml is failing to grab data).
2. Check your zap2xml output location maps correctly to the TV Server XMLTV plugin file. The tv.log file you attached shows that TV Server's XMLTV plugin is importing the following file: 2018-01-01 05:05:07.140625 [XmlTvImporter(19)]: plugin:xmltv importing C:\MP EPG 2\tvguide.xml
3. Check the zap2xml log file for errors. The log files you attached previously only cover the TV Server side of the equation. No errors in those log files is good... but it does not guarantee that zap2xml successfully generated the XMLTV file in the first place!

This business of missing channel names suggests the problem is (1) or (3).

 

[cewillis]

1) I just downloaded zap2xml about 2+ weeks ago. 2) That is the correct tvguide.xml. 3) I don't know of any zap2xml log files, or how to produce them. (but would certainly do so if I did)
I'll check with the author, and report back any useful info. Maybe 'something' changed at tvguide,com, and nobody noticed.

 

[cewillis]

I'm afraid I overlooked something pretty obvious. The tvguide.xml for which only 6 days of data were generated (or maybe not) actually shows 14 days of programs.
Duh. Saved file attached. Search for I899 in programs, and the first program start date is 20180102030000. Go to the end of the file, and the last program start is 20180116023000 -- ie, 14 days later.
So IS this all an artifact of an old version of xmltv not interpreting the file correctly? But why does data from zap2it work perfectly?
Also, why is one missing channel name field not an xmltv issue, as long as the first (of 4) fields is there?