DVB EPG Grabber runs in endless loop! (1 Viewer)

Snoopy87

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August 12, 2012
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Hi,

I can't use the DVB EPG Grabber while watching TV, because I then have a lot of freezes, artifacts, etc. So I tried to configure PowerScheduler. My HTPC wakes up at 03:00 in the night and should go to standby if my HTPC is idle for at least 15 minutes. But his never happens, because I found out that the EPG Grabber is never finishing. It always grab the EPG data for all my channels (ca. 50 channels) in an endless loop!

Why does this happen?

"Always try to fill holes" and "Always try to update existing entries" are both disabled!

Regards,
Sascha
 

mm1352000

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    But his never happens, because I found out that the EPG Grabber is never finishing. It always grab the EPG data for all my channels (ca. 50 channels) in an endless loop!
    Nope, that's not what I see.
    The grabber starts at 3 AM and finishes at about 6:30 AM:
    [2014-01-04 06:32:36,154] [EPG ] [DVB EPG timer] [INFO ] - Grab for card:#3 transponder #33/33 channel: GoTV

    It starts again at about 7 AM, presumably because you have "refresh every..." set to 240 minutes (= 4 hours, 3 AM + 4 hours = 7 AM), which is the default.

    Why doesn't your PC go to sleep between 6:30 and 7 AM?
    I'm not an expert with PS so you might have to ask @michael_t . To my untrained eye, it looks like you haven't configured PS and/or Windows properly:
    [2014-01-04 07:00:36,705] [Log ] [PS StandbyWakeup] [DEBUG] - PS: Active standby is disabled - standby is handled by Windows
    [2014-01-04 07:00:36,719] [Log ] [PS StandbyWakeup] [DEBUG] - PS: System will go to standby after Windows idle timeout

    mm
     

    Snoopy87

    Portal Pro
    August 12, 2012
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    The EPG Grabber takes 3,5 hours to grab the data for around 50 channels? I don't think so. I watched the TV Server Configuration -> Manual Control yesterday for a few hours an saw that the same channels were shown again and again, so the EPG Grabber grabs the data for Channel 1, Channel 2, .... and then begins with Channel 1 again.
     

    mm1352000

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    The EPG Grabber takes 3,5 hours to grab the data for around 50 channels? I don't think so. I watched the TV Server Configuration -> Manual Control yesterday for a few hours an saw that the same channels were shown again and again, so the EPG Grabber grabs the data for Channel 1, Channel 2, .... and then begins with Channel 1 again.
    As explained already, it is normal for grabbing to begin with channel 1 again after 4 hours. You probably don't need to grab from 50 (33) channels, so the time could be shortened. In any case, all of this is completely beside the point. I proved with the log file entries that your PC did get to idle state for ~30 minutes. The EPG grabber is not the reason it didn't go into standby. As usual it seems you don't believe me. That's fine. Good luck.
     

    Snoopy87

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    August 12, 2012
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    Why does the EPG grabber takes so many hours? That can't be normal. Every set top box will receive EPG data within a few seconds for each channel. The MediaPortal EPG grabber takes a few minutes for each channel? Then it is totally impossiblbe to receive EPG Data for all grouped channels.

    My system and PowerSchedule is configured correct. The EPG Grabber is preventing the standby (see logs). This makes sense if you say that the EPG grabber starts again after 4 hours. So the problem is, why the hell does the epg grabber takes nearly 4 hours to grab EPG data for just a few channels. This should be done within a few minutes.
     

    mm1352000

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    Why does the EPG grabber takes so many hours?
    Because you haven't configured it to run efficiently.

    That can't be normal. Every set top box will receive EPG data within a few seconds for each channel.
    Of course... and MP will do the same if configured properly.

    The MediaPortal EPG grabber takes a few minutes for each channel? Then it is totally impossiblbe to receive EPG Data for all grouped channels.
    Not at all. The MP EPG grabber takes a few minutes per transponder (AKA frequency). Most people only need to grab from a few frequencies so they tick one or two channels, untick "grab EPG only for channels on same transponder", and untick "store data only for selected channels". It should be really simple... but you've probably got more channels ticked than necessary, which forces TV Server to re-grab EPG over and over again. It is your configuration which is causing this to happen.
     

    Snoopy87

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    Why did I not configure the EPG Grabber efficiently? There are no options and settings available?!

    I only have selected my grouped channels. Why should I "untick" the option "store data only for selected channels" ? Shouldnt it be activated because then it would be more efficiently because I only want the EPG data for the selected channels (all grouped) ?! So I configured the EPG Grabber to only grab the EPG Data for my few grouped channels. What is not efficiently with this?
     

    mm1352000

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    Why did I not configure the EPG Grabber efficiently? There are no options and settings available?!
    That's simply not true. The three main settings you have to help you are:
    1. grab EPG only for channels on same transponder
    2. store data only for selected channels
    3. enable/disable per channel
    http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...figuration/TV-Server_Configuration/05_DVB_EPG
    http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...ver_Configuration/05_DVB_EPG/1_TV_EPG_Grabber

    This is all you need.

    I only have selected my grouped channels.
    This is inefficient. When you do this, you force TV Server to grab for each one of those channels. An STB would only grab from one or two to get all the EPG.

    Why should I "untick" the option "store data only for selected channels" ?
    To minimise the grabbing time. The more channels you tick, the longer the grab time. Therefore you want to tick as few channels as possible.
    Grabbing from one channel might get EPG for all your channels. So, you tick the one channel and untick "store data only for selected channels" so that all available EPG data from that frequency is stored. This is how an STB would do it.

    Shouldnt it be activated because then it would be more efficiently because I only want the EPG data for the selected channels (all grouped) ?!
    Nope. Your understanding is incorrect.
    Yes, it will store data only for the channels you select... but it will also grab on all of the channels you select. It is much more efficient to grab from few channels and store for all channels than to grab and store for your grouped channels.

    So I configured the EPG Grabber to only grab the EPG Data for my few grouped channels. What is not efficiently with this?
    Already explained twice above. Again: each channel that you tick is another channel that TV Server will grab for; another ~3 minutes of grab time. The best configuration is to tick as few channels as possible to get as much EPG data as possible. It doesn't matter if you get EPG data for channels that aren't in your groups.
     

    Snoopy87

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    Thanks.

    But to be honest: This is a very bad design and not user friendly, because the user doesn't know which channels have to be selected to get the EPG data for all grouped channels. So as an user I have to take vacation for a few days to find out which channels I have to select to get the EPG data for all my grouped channels? Who has developed this? This makes no sense!

    This is how it should work:

    1. EPG grabber shouldn't need minutes (!) to grab epg data for ONE channel (every set top box will get this data within a few seconds)
    2. EPG grabber should go throw the list of selected channels (this is how every set top box works)
    3. EPG grabber should start to grab EPG data for a channel. If it gets the data for more than one channel (e.g. for the whole provider or all channels on the same transponder) it should be stored and if the EPG grabber comes to the next channel in the list where the EPG data was already stored from the previous grabbing and if the data is up to date, this channel should be skip.
    4. EPG grabbing will be finished within a few minutes.

    Example:

    I have 4 channels in my whole list and selected them for grabbing EPG data:
    - Channel 1
    - Channel 2
    - Channel 3
    - Channel 4

    Channel 1-3 are on the same transponder and from the same provider and contains the EPG data for each other.

    EPG grabber starts with Channel 1 and received the EPG for Channel 1-3. This will takes less than minute! Now Channel 2-3 will be skipped, because EPG data ist already stored and up-to-date.. EPG Grabber will grab EPG for Channel 4. Finish. I had a lot of set top box in my life, and everyone who had this update option at night worked like this. Also they all were able to receive EPG Data while watching TV. So this option had not to be used. So I switch to a new channel and the EPG data is shown within a few seconds, and after a few more seconds there are also shown for all other channels on this transponder. With MediaPortal I have over 90% of the time no EPG Data even if I select the option to load EPG data while timeshifting. Also if I EPG data ist stored, the next day most of the EPG data is gone even though those channels offering EPG for more than one day.

    -------------

    Edit:


    Maybe I understand the problem: You should definetly change the wording in the Configuration UI! As a user you think that the EPG Grabber will grab the EPG for all channels. To optimize this you will only select the channels you watch (e.g. "All grouped"). To activate this you think you have to check "Store only data for the selected channels", because the default is that no channels is selected in the list under this checkbox but the EPG grabber is grabbing for all channels. So as a user you think this option is to only get the EPG from the selected channels. But you mean that the option has nothing to do with the list. It will only means that the EPG is only getting the EPG data for each channel in the list and not for the whole provider/transponder while grabbing from one channel, right?

    So you should rename the checkbox label to a better wording, or place the checkbox somewhere else, and/or select all channels by default, because by default epg grabber grabs for all channels and not only for the selected ones, but by default no channel is selected.

    Edit 2:

    Example:
    - Channel 1
    - Channel 2
    - Channel 3
    - Channel 4

    All are selected (Channel 1-3 are on the same transponder), opton "Store only data for selected channel" is set.

    EPG grabber grabs for Channel 1 and not store the also received data for 2 and 3. EPG Grabber will grab for Channel 2, EPG grabber will grab for channel 3 and then for 4.

    Is this right?

    Then please change the UI. But the EPG grabber should also be optimized, because it is still very slow if it takes minutes to grab EPG data for only one channel.
     
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    mm1352000

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    What can I say. I didn't design this system, but I often get the blame. I only have limited capacity for answering threads, development and testing (ignoring my real life). You already know from the stuttering thread that I intend to rework the EPG grabber at some point, but I have higher priorities for the foreseeable future (months and months of work on my TODO list). If you are frustrated with the EPG grabber and have ideas about how it should work... well, you've told me you're an experienced developer so feel free to get your hands dirty. Otherwise you'll have to find an alternate EPG source, spend the time configuring the grabber properly, go back to using an STB... or something else. Your choice.
     

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