EPG data UK Freeview Aerial best method (1 Viewer)

Charlie TV

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  • February 22, 2014
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    Hi all,

    I've been using WebGrab+ and xmltv for ages and had it all setup and scheduled to pull data overnight in a couple of hours. However recently its started taking longer and longer, well over 24hrs now, no errors just taking forever.

    So what are my replacement options for EPG data. I just have UK freeview through the aerial so I think a fairly standard setup. What are you using and what are your experiences?

    Cheers
     

    CyberSimian

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  • June 10, 2013
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    So what are my replacement options for EPG data. I just have UK freeview through the aerial so I think a fairly standard setup. What are you using and what are your experiences?
    I use the Freeview broadcast EPG. Some points:

    (1) The broadcast EPG is for 7 days only. (Many internet EPGs offer 14 days.)

    (2) The programme information is less detailed than some others, but it is adequate. (The WMC internet EPG used to be quite detailed, but I am not sure what it is like now.)

    (3) There is no indication that a programme is a repeat. (The WMC guide has a repeat flag.)

    (4) There is no true series linking, so it is not possible to be sure of avoiding the same episode being recorded two or more times (depends on when the episodes are broadcast, e.g. on the same day, on different days, on different channels, ...). (The WMC internet EPG does offer true series linking, although I am not sure whether it is possible to setup MP to use it.)

    (5) The EPG always covers all channels. (The WMC internet EPG was notorious for not including the minor UK channels.)

    (6) It is completely free! (The Schedules Direct internet EPG for the UK is reputed to be very good, but it costs 20 US dollars per year.)

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     
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    porky996t

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  • May 21, 2008
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    Hi Charlie,

    I have a combination of both Freeview tuners cards and Freesat tuner. Due to to the Freesat tuner I can use the Sky EPG version of MP which populates all the Channel EPG data and adds a series link too, although I tend to watch most of the Freeview channels anyway. In the short time I had just a Freeview card, (back in 2008 I think) I could never get the Freeview EPG fully populated so I sort of gave up with it.
     

    Charlie TV

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  • February 22, 2014
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    Hi

    Thanks for your post. I did manage to get it working in the end, using WebEPG. I copy/pasted the 2-www_mydigiguide_com files thus creating my own, then it was just a process of looking up the entries on the site and updating the file.

    Basically anything using the 1-xmltv_radiotimes_com is dead so needs to be changed to mydigiguide.

    I found a strange problem when moving TV mappings around. I had to remove the mapping on the TV Mapping tab, then go back to the General tab and click save, then go back to the TV mapping tab and then add it back. Just changing from a to b didnt work and I would still have the previous data stuck in the tv guide.

    Basically I spent a few days on it, making lots of changes saving it, let it run overnight and update, then go back to the tv guide and see what was showing as not available, checking the ID number, doing the remove thing above.

    I also disabled DVB EPG as it seemed to collide with the WebEPG and I wanted to be sure where the data source was coming from.

    Got there in the end :) Only annoying issue I still have is the odd channel that shows on tuner refresh and i have the data in the tv guide but then MP cant actually tune in the channel, no tv/audio detected. But thats a different issue :)

    Cheers
     

    porky996t

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  • May 21, 2008
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    Hi Charlie,

    I do sometimes have to fall back onto the WebEPG as some channels seem to lose their EPG after a while when using the Sky EPG custom data grabber. I am in the process of performing 'maintenance' on my setup this morning. This seems to be only an annual occurrence. I have been using MP since around 2008 as the only TV interface and it has just become part of the environment now, and have got used to its little foibles and its huge advantages too. Even the GF uses it without issue.
     

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