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

[Snoopy87]

Could you please check my last two edits? Maybe then everything is clear and I only have to uncheck the one option and everything is working as excpected (except the long time for grabbing for one channel)

 

[mm1352000]

Could you please check my last two edits?

Okay, but this is my last post here. It is almost 2 AM and this is starting to get off-topic. Remember the original problem was that your PC is not going into standby.

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"...

I'm quite satisfied with the wording. "Store..." and "grab..." are very clear in English; maybe not for you in German, I don't know. The wiki can help to clarify if you don't understand.

So as a user you think this option is to only get the EPG from the selected channels.

The user would be right to think that.

But you mean that the option has nothing to do with the list.

Of course the option is related to the list! It says: "...for the selected channels".

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?

TV Server always grabs all available EPG data. If the "store..." option is enabled, data is thrown away if the channel is not selected.

So you should rename the checkbox label to a better wording...

Like what? Please make a proposal.

...or place the checkbox somewhere else

Where?
It should be near the list because it relates to the list. Where else can it go? Also, don't forget that the TV and radio EPG grabbers are separate. So, this TV grabber option can't go in the main DVB EPG section.

...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.

IMO selecting all channels by default is a bad idea. Think of the people who have thousands of channels. TV Server would really get stuck in a loop for them. No. The idea is to only select the channels which carry EPG. That is why all channels are unticked and "store data only for selected channels" is also unticked. Simply select one channel from each provider, and that should normally be enough.

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?

No, wrong.
When channel 1 is grabbed, TV Server will also receive channel 2 and 3. Because "store..." is ticked, TV Server will store data for channels 1, 2 and 3. Then TV Server moves on to grab from the next channel... which is channel 2. It will get the same EPG data for channels 1, 2 and 3 and store it again. And again for channel 3. This is why I say tick as few channels as possible.

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.

It is not grabbing only for one channel - it is [potentially] grabbing for all channels for a provider. That could be tens or hundreds of channels. Also, your comparison with STBs is not fair. What they do is grab the current and next program info (now/next) for each available channel so it looks like they have grabbed quickly. However, if you try to view the full guide you will see that there is no data beyond the next hour or so. No data for tomorrow and further in the future. It takes the STB a minute or two to grab the full EPG. Same as TV Server.

mm

 

[Snoopy87]

???????????

YOU said, I have to DISABLE the option "Store epg data only for the selected channels". Of course it is also for German people totally clear what this option means! That the EPG data will only be stored for the channels, which are selected. But YOU told me, to DISABLE this because YOU said, this would be much efficiently to not only store epg data for a few channels! So that's why I thought this option means something else, because if it really means what it means, it makes no sense to me to disable this option?


This is really confusing! (and not a language problem).

Why is it bad to select all channels in the list by default? This IS the defaul behavoir so it is very confusing to every user if th EPG grabber does something which is not shown. So if no channel is selected in the list, the EPG grabber should do nothing! Or if you want that the epg grabber grabs data for all channels by default, it should be also shown in the UI.

Now you say that the EPG grabber grabs the data for Channel 1-3. That's great! That's how it should work. So why I should disable the option to store the epg data for all selected channels? This makes no sense to me, because than only for channel 1 is stored. You also say that the EPG grabber grabs and stores for Channel 2 and 3 even though the data is already grabbed and stored from Channel 1. Why? This makes no sense and seems to be a bug, because the data is already there and there is an option for this behavoir "Always try to updating existing data" which is DISABLED.

You told me, that I have configured the EPG grabber wrong. Now it seems to be, as I know from the beginning, everything is configured right, and the EPG grabber has a bug, because the epg grabber for all channels again and again, which makes no sense.

It is absolutly impossible (!) for all users to only select those channels for which the user wants EPG data, because he doesnt know which channels to select! We have hundreds of channels, providers and transponders in Europe. So at the end there are not much channels which can be deselected from the list to still get all EPG Data.

So I configured everything right (it is exactly how it is told in the WIKI!)

 

[HTPCSourcer]

As a user you think that the EPG Grabber will grab the EPG for all channels.

It does - check out the log to confirm this,

To activate this you think you have to check "Store only data for the selected channels"

Data for channels that are not ticked will not be stored in the database. Sounds reasonable and logical to me.

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?

No, wrong. It jus skips data that is not marked to be stored.

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?

Yes and No. Grabber will pick up data when it "comes by". This will not necessarily be in this order.

There is quite some literature, disussion and Explanation about the different EPG coding in the streams and why software-based grabbing is taking that much longer compared to hardware-grabbing on a SAT receiver. Yet it's true that the current development stage may not be considered perfect. In support of mm (dude, do you ever sleep?) I wouldn't know where to start the job either and took the decision for me to use Clickfinder (being in Germany).

 

[Snoopy87]

Thanks! The problem with Clickfinder is, that it not includes all available channels in Germany :-( New channels are also not available fast enough and Clickfinder is not up-to-date if there is something changed. That's why I prefer DVB EPG, because it is the best and up-to-data data available. But I never unstand, why this had never the highest priority for the MP development team, because this is one of the most important main function of TV. After you have video and audio from the TV signal, you want EPG. If this is working perfectly, you can add a lot of other features. I'm using MP since 1,5 years and EPG grabbing never worked as expected. It is never up to date, 90% of the time EPG data is not shown and grabbing EPG data while TV is impossbile. I never found an alternative (as said, Clickfinder is not up-to-date).

Maybe this could help: EPG data is the same for everyone who watching the same channel. Maybe we could share EPG info? A database on a server which will be filled with the latest EPG data and the clients will download those EPG data (like with Clickfinder, etc.). But this should also be just a workaround, because EPG grabber should work in one of the next releases of MP, because it is a main function with high priority.

 

[mm1352000]

YOU said, I have to DISABLE the option "Store epg data only for the selected channels".

Yes, I said disable it.
PS: Please, stop shouting at me. Thank you.

Of course it is also for German people totally clear what this option means! That the EPG data will only be stored for the channels, which are selected. But YOU told me, to DISABLE this because YOU said, this would be much efficiently to not only store epg data for a few channels! So that's why I thought this option means something else, because if it really means what it means, it makes no sense to me to disable this option?

TV Server grabs the data anyway, so ticking "store..." doesn't make any difference to the grab time. Storing data is very fast - only a few seconds. So, the only real reason to enable this option is if you really want to avoid storing data for certain channels. This is a rare use case. Most people don't care what is stored. They just create their channel groups to show the channels they want to see. Other data in the database doesn't matter.

This is really confusing! (and not a language problem).

Please take the time to read carefully. There is no rush, but I'm starting to repeat myself which is no fun.

Why is it bad to select all channels in the list by default?

For the fourth time: because each channel you enable causes TV Server to grab for 3 minutes on that transponder/frequency. This is unnecessary when all provider data is available from one transponder/frequency.
Another way of saying it: if you tick channel A and channel B from the same transponder/frequency, TV Server will grab/update all channels on that transponder twice. Once for channel A and once for channel B. This is unnecessary. You only need to tick channel A or channel B.

This IS the defaul behavoir so it is very confusing to every user if th EPG grabber does something which is not shown.

I don't use the EPG grabber, and none of my channels are ticked.
If you don't believe me, check the code.
BusinessLayer.cs
https://github.com/MediaPortal/Medi...atabase/TvBusinessLayer/BusinessLayer.cs#L187

  public Channel AddNewChannel(string name, int channelNumber)
  {
  Channel newChannel = new Channel(false, false, 0, new DateTime(2000, 1, 1), false, new DateTime(2000, 1, 1),
  -1, true, "", name, channelNumber);
  return newChannel;
  }

...and Channel.cs
https://github.com/MediaPortal/Medi...TvEngine3/TVLibrary/TVDatabase/Channel.cs#L63

  public Channel(bool isRadio, bool isTv, int timesWatched, DateTime totalTimeWatched, bool grabEpg,
  DateTime lastGrabTime, int sortOrder, bool visibleInGuide, string externalId,
  string displayName, int channelNumber)

Default for newly created channels is for grabbing to be disabled.

So if no channel is selected in the list, the EPG grabber should do nothing!

Yes... and that is what it does. I don't understand your point.

Or if you want that the epg grabber grabs data for all channels by default, it should be also shown in the UI.

Again, sorry but I don't understand your point.

Now you say that the EPG grabber grabs the data for Channel 1-3. That's great! That's how it should work. So why I should disable the option to store the epg data for all selected channels? This makes no sense to me, because than only for channel 1 is stored.

No. Here is the misunderstanding finally. If you have channels 1..3, only tick channel 1, and don't tick "store..." then data will be stored for all 3 channels. However, if you tick "store..." then data will only be stored for channel 1.

Please read the above sentence again so that you understand clearly.

You also say that the EPG grabber grabs and stores for Channel 2 and 3 even though the data is already grabbed and stored from Channel 1. Why? This makes no sense and seems to be a bug, because the data is already there and there is an option for this behavoir "Always try to updating existing data" which is DISABLED.

Why? Because the design is to grab from the channels that are ticked. Simple as that. It doesn't matter if the data is already there or not.

You told me, that I have configured the EPG grabber wrong. Now it seems to be, as I know from the beginning, everything is configured right, and the EPG grabber has a bug, because the epg grabber for all channels again and again, which makes no sense.

Okay I'm starting to get irritated. Read my posts again. I'm not going to repeat for a fifth time.

It is absolutly impossible (!) for all users to only select those channels for which the user wants EPG data, because he doesnt know which channels to select!

Of course. Nobody is asking anybody to do that. As I said previously: select one channel per provider. That is usually all that is required.

We have hundreds of channels, providers and transponders in Europe. So at the end there are not much channels which can be deselected from the list to still get all EPG Data.

Yes, sure... but you only watch channels from a handful of providers at most. So again, just select one channel from each provider. You're making this seem way harder than it needs to be.

mm

 

[mm1352000]

But I never unstand, why this had never the highest priority for the MP development team, because this is one of the most important main function of TV. After you have video and audio from the TV signal, you want EPG.

Yes, after you have video and audio from the TV signal. What do you think I'm working on? Scanning, tuning and hardware support. No point in having EPG data if you can't tune a channel.

Again I say to you: if this is so important to you, download the code and get your hands dirty.

Now it is 3 AM and I really am going to bed.

PS: I lost 3 hours of development time and will sleep 1 hour longer than usual due to replying to this thread late at night. If you wonder why EPG improvements are not coming fast enough, maybe you could think about that for a moment...

 

[HTPCSourcer]

just select one channel from each provider

mm, if that's the best way to get epg data then I should adjust my settings. Snoopy has a point though because them the GUI is indeed misleading - at least for us stupid teutonic nerds. I guess the secret is to know if complete data is broadcasted on each transponder. Will give it a try.

 

[Holzi]

Please keep in mind not all people have problems with DVB EPG..

 

[HTPCSourcer]

Please keep in mind not all people have problems with DVB EPG..

Talking to me to or to snoopy?