EPG evaluation is suboptimal (1 Viewer)

[grubi]

I think the way the EPG data from the database is evaluated should be improved.
Currently new EPG data retrieved from DVB or via XMLTV is always apended to the still existing entries.
When EPG data is retrieved from within the application it seems to be evaluated from the beginning to the end, where the first matching entry always has priority.

This leads to the problem that if you retrieve a EPG timeframe of 14 days, changes that occur to programs at a later time (for current events e.g.) are covered by the outdated preceiding entries.

The solution would be to evaluate the database entries in reverse order from the end to the beginning so that the latest retrieved EPG data has priority.

The phenomen I described here are from my observations on how the program behaves. I did not take a look at the sources do far.

Regards,

grubi.

 

[Mew]

Hi grubi

The way I get round this is to use the XMLTV2 plugin that has been developed (see https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/xmltv_2_source_binary_now_available-t25247.html)

One of the main advantages is that it deletes the EPG data before importing so that the data is up to date. Before I used this I had a lot of "To Be Announced" programs in the schedule after a week or so.

The end of that thread implies it might be refined further and eventually replace the standard XMLTV plugin.

Mew

 

[grubi]

Hi grubi

The way I get round this is to use the XMLTV2 plugin that has been developed (see https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/xmltv_2_source_binary_now_available-t25247.html)

One of the main advantages is that it deletes the EPG data before importing so that the data is up to date. Before I used this I had a lot of "To Be Announced" programs in the schedule after a week or so.

The end of that thread implies it might be refined further and eventually replace the standard XMLTV plugin.

Mew

But that would not solve the problem with EPG data retrieved from DVB.

 

[SciDoctor]

It looks like the DVB-T grab update only discards date-expired data and adds new data, NO comparison check is done on existing database EPG data that would allow recent broadcaster schedule changes.

At the moment only a REFRESH EPG from the SETUPTV will obviously clear all database EPG fields allowing for the next grab to be complete and fully up to date.

This realy needs to be addressed.

A user set/controlled timed EPG REFRESH could be used.

Or Per schedule EPG refresh on a channel basis half an hour before said schedule launches.

ETC

Whatever is chosen will be cpu intensive and will require a seperate thread and some cpu usage throttling and low priority so as to not resource hog and unballance the TVSERVER main duties.

 

[grubi]

IMHO the current strategy is not as bad.
When grabbing is started all outdate EPG data (EPG data prior to current date) is deleted and all new data is appended. The process of evaluating EPG data must simply check the data in descending order and not in ascending.

grubi.

 

[mrkaras]

I think the source of EPG data needs to be selectable, I can only get now/next over the air data for most channels and if that overwrote my XMLTV data it would cause problems with recording when the name changes (the over the air and XMLTV don't have the exact same names/capitalization of all programs) but from what I've seen I suspect that once xmltv is active I no longer get any over the air updates for any channel (even those not covered by the XMLTV file). it would be much more sensible however that a later XMLTV file should overwrite any earlier inputs provided that way

 

[Marcusb]

hey Mr K, I'm also an Aussie, so I know the situation with over the air.
It actually works well in this case. I have the DTV grabber set for English and use XMLTV.
Nearly always, the EPG comes from XMLTV, but in the rare cases where the grabber fails and I'm away, then the tv server switches to the now and next so at least the TV guide is maintained. It's kind of like an emergency back up and in cases where the grabber can't get a channel, then the over the air method will fill in.