EPG woes (5 Viewers)

[Nordfinn]

Ok, so I think I've gotten EPG123 to work, as a substitute for MC2Xml. May take a couple of days to know for sure. Making a daily EPG update automatic involved writing a simple batch file to move the file from EPG123's Output folder to MP2's XMLTV folder (both in Program Data) and renaming the file for uptake by the XMLTV plugin. And then making that batch program and scheduled task in Windows (a good .interval after the scheduled update of EPG123, which one sets in that program).
None of the above is at all obvious if it's the kind of thing one almost never does.
But so: If this works I'm going to forego experimenting with the MP Schedules Direct plugin, especially considering the possible hang-ups GCarr points to. But thanks much for pointing it out, and for all the info. N

 

[aCiDjEsUs]

Hey everyone,

Since mc2xml have stopped working, I built a lightweight replacement tool to keep XMLTV guide data flowing smoothly for media servers.

Everything you need—including downloads, setup instructions, and configuration guides—is ready to go on the website:

https://epgtalk.com/builder/

Give it a try and let me know if you run into any snags or have feedback

 

[Nordfinn]

So an update: EPG123 is working fine for me, with a simple daily scheduled batch file as a bridge to MP’s XmlTv plugin. In some ways the metadata is better than I had with MC2XML (a direct XML download from Schedules Direct) and in some ways not as good (a JSON to XML process, if I understand correctly). The genre designations are much reduced and not as helpful. Also, before I was getting a star directly in the program box/listing (as opposed to in the description) if a program was new, and that is now gone. But original air date, vs. live, info is there in the description, if one wants it.

Schedules Direct now has a note up on their home page addressing MC2XML problems and recommending an alternative, the XMLTV Project. But I couldn’t get it to work. It’s quite complicated, and I’m guessing that some of the commands given in the Quick Start guide are out of date and don’t correspond to a new version of the program, because I had to do some guessing and improvising before I could get the Command Prompt line to execute. I finally was able to configure a Schedules Direct profile and effect a download, but I wasn’t at all clear where the download was saved. I couldn’t find it, and couldn’t figure out how to specify and download location, and so at that point I gave up.

Similarly, I gave MP’s old Schedules Direct EPG Client plug-in a try. I could connect to Schedules Direct, but I didn’t go further with it, as it doesn’t seem very configurable and doesn’t indicate where a download is stored so that one can check what’s going on.

I could not get epgtalk, recommended above, to work.

 

[aCiDjEsUs]

Hi! I’m the developer of the EPGTalk Guide Builder. Sorry it didn’t work for you; I’d like to fix that. Could you tell me which version you tried, at which step it stopped, and what message you got (a screenshot is perfect)? There have been several updates recently, so the latest one from epgtalk.com/builder may already behave better.

A few things that may help with what you described:

It uses your Schedules Direct account directly, and the guide keeps all the genres SD provides.
Under Settings there’s an option to add “ [NEW]” to the titles of new episodes, like mc2xml’s option. Original air dates and live/premiere info are included as well.
The guide is saved in an EPGTalk Guide folder in your user folder (the Home page has an Open folder button). For MediaPortal, you can make the Builder save the guide straight into your XmlTv plugin’s folder as tvguide.xml. Then MediaPortal picks it up every day by itself, with no batch file needed.
Happy to help get it going.

aCiDjEsUs