Freaking EPG and Schedules Direct (1 Viewer)

[mohlertm]

Hell All.

I would really appreciate some help here. I have got MP working flawlessly (after a week of constant headaches) and I love it! I have incorporated all kinds of things in it and it sets on my 60" DLP HD TV. I only have one thing I just can't seem to tackle and that is the EPG. I have tried EVERY forum there is in here that starts with EPG and none of it works. Tried Zap2it, xmlt, webepg, etc..... I got an account at Schedules direct and then downloaded the plugin that was posted by patrick at the following link https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...mexico-epg-plugin-updated-10-01-2007-a-26951/. this was to know avail as well I followed his instruction and waited 40 minutes. went into MP and NO GUIDE DATA. I am using a Pinnacle PCTV USB HD tuner hooled to a OTA HD powered antenae. I want to enentually get this working for my digital cable but so far I can't even get it to work for measley 8 OTA channels! Please help as this si the only thing I have left before I move this HTPC to my living room. Please tell me I am not the only one in the USA to have EPG problems, but I can't seem to find any current post. Thanks so much in advance

 

[artisticcheese]

I use Yap2XML which download guide data from Yahoo. Completely free and works fine for me. I just schedule update daily and there are no issues so far. Just follow instructions on website below and this will work.
GBPVR Documentation Wiki - Utility - YApi2XML

 

[milhouse]

Let's start with the obvious things...

1) How is your Schedules Direct account set up? I assumed you added a line-up, selected your channels, etc. No line-up, no guide data.

2) I find it difficult sometimes to get the EPG data to match the configured channels. The easiest thing to do for first-time configuration is to start with NO channels in the TV configuration, and use the option in the Schedules Direct plugin to automatically add channels for you. Then they will always match.

3) What do you find in your log? E.g. in my TV server log, I see things like this:

2008-10-14 11:24:48.859375 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Starting EPG refresh job on thread #4
2008-10-14 11:24:48.859375 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: UTC time is 10/14/2008 4:24:48 PM, local time is 10/14/2008 11:24:48 AM (DST is True)
2008-10-14 11:24:48.875000 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Rename Existing Channels is set to: False, with Template: {number} {callsign}.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.906250 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Add New Digital Channels is set to: True, with External Input: Tuner.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Add New Digital Channels Country is set to: United States.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Add New Analog Channels is set to: True, with External Input: Tuner.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Channel Sorting is set to: True.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Allow Channel Matching without Frequency is set to: False.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.937500 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Delete Channels with No EPG Mapping is set to: False.
2008-10-14 11:24:51.531250 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Requesting 24 hours of program listings from [10/14/2008 11:24:51 AM] to [10/15/2008 11:24:51 AM]
2008-10-14 11:24:55.250000 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Processing lineup Charter Communications Suburban NW [id=MN53452:- type=Cable postcode=55388]
2008-10-14 11:24:55.265625 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Channel AMC was found as 57 AMC in EPG mapping database
2008-10-14 11:24:55.343750 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Updated channel 57 AMC [id=1 xmlid=10021.57.schedulesdirect.org]
2008-10-14 11:24:55.359375 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Channel A & E Network was found as 31 AETV in EPG mapping database

I will say that Schedules Direct is the easiest way to get guide data in the US - even if it costs a few bucks a year. The XML scrapers break at inopportune moments.

Let me know what you find above and I'll try to help out more.

Milhouse

 

[WileECoyote]

Let's start with the obvious things...

1) How is your Schedules Direct account set up? I assumed you added a line-up, selected your channels, etc. No line-up, no guide data.

2) I find it difficult sometimes to get the EPG data to match the configured channels. The easiest thing to do for first-time configuration is to start with NO channels in the TV configuration, and use the option in the Schedules Direct plugin to automatically add channels for you. Then they will always match.

3) What do you find in your log? E.g. in my TV server log, I see things like this:

2008-10-14 11:24:48.859375 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Starting EPG refresh job on thread #4
2008-10-14 11:24:48.859375 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: UTC time is 10/14/2008 4:24:48 PM, local time is 10/14/2008 11:24:48 AM (DST is True)
2008-10-14 11:24:48.875000 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Rename Existing Channels is set to: False, with Template: {number} {callsign}.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.906250 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Add New Digital Channels is set to: True, with External Input: Tuner.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Add New Digital Channels Country is set to: United States.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Add New Analog Channels is set to: True, with External Input: Tuner.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Channel Sorting is set to: True.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Allow Channel Matching without Frequency is set to: False.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.937500 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Delete Channels with No EPG Mapping is set to: False.
2008-10-14 11:24:51.531250 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Requesting 24 hours of program listings from [10/14/2008 11:24:51 AM] to [10/15/2008 11:24:51 AM]
2008-10-14 11:24:55.250000 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Processing lineup Charter Communications Suburban NW [id=MN53452:- type=Cable postcode=55388]
2008-10-14 11:24:55.265625 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Channel AMC was found as 57 AMC in EPG mapping database
2008-10-14 11:24:55.343750 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Updated channel 57 AMC [id=1 xmlid=10021.57.schedulesdirect.org]
2008-10-14 11:24:55.359375 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Channel A & E Network was found as 31 AETV in EPG mapping database

I will say that Schedules Direct is the easiest way to get guide data in the US - even if it costs a few bucks a year. The XML scrapers break at inopportune moments.

Let me know what you find above and I'll try to help out more.

Milhouse

Milhouse,
Thank you for the information! I too was having an issue setting up MP for the first time and had a very similar issue that I think your answer may resolve.

Charles

 

[mohlertm]

Let's start with the obvious things...

1) How is your Schedules Direct account set up? I assumed you added a line-up, selected your channels, etc. No line-up, no guide data.

2) I find it difficult sometimes to get the EPG data to match the configured channels. The easiest thing to do for first-time configuration is to start with NO channels in the TV configuration, and use the option in the Schedules Direct plugin to automatically add channels for you. Then they will always match.

3) What do you find in your log? E.g. in my TV server log, I see things like this:

2008-10-14 11:24:48.859375 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Starting EPG refresh job on thread #4
2008-10-14 11:24:48.859375 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: UTC time is 10/14/2008 4:24:48 PM, local time is 10/14/2008 11:24:48 AM (DST is True)
2008-10-14 11:24:48.875000 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Rename Existing Channels is set to: False, with Template: {number} {callsign}.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.906250 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Add New Digital Channels is set to: True, with External Input: Tuner.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Add New Digital Channels Country is set to: United States.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Add New Analog Channels is set to: True, with External Input: Tuner.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Channel Sorting is set to: True.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.921875 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Allow Channel Matching without Frequency is set to: False.
2008-10-14 11:24:48.937500 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Delete Channels with No EPG Mapping is set to: False.
2008-10-14 11:24:51.531250 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Requesting 24 hours of program listings from [10/14/2008 11:24:51 AM] to [10/15/2008 11:24:51 AM]
2008-10-14 11:24:55.250000 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Processing lineup Charter Communications Suburban NW [id=MN53452:- type=Cable postcode=55388]
2008-10-14 11:24:55.265625 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Channel AMC was found as 57 AMC in EPG mapping database
2008-10-14 11:24:55.343750 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Updated channel 57 AMC [id=1 xmlid=10021.57.schedulesdirect.org]
2008-10-14 11:24:55.359375 [SchedulesDirect EPG Client]: Channel A & E Network was found as 31 AETV in EPG mapping database

I will say that Schedules Direct is the easiest way to get guide data in the US - even if it costs a few bucks a year. The XML scrapers break at inopportune moments.

Let me know what you find above and I'll try to help out more.

Milhouse

Thank you SOOOOO much for your reply. Initially, it didn't have the issue of adding a lineup (server was having issues accroding to the forums). Anyway, added my line, deleted channels ect..... not he question I have is do I still "auto tune" my card or let the plug in add channels as you show above? Right now, i basically deleted every channel I had in my TV Server and enabled the plugin. Do just wait now, or shoud I do the "autotune" feature as reported in the plugins instructions? Thank you once again for all of your help!

 

[milhouse]

I can't speak for OTA HD, since I use analog cable, but in my case I enabled the "add" option, enabled the "load guide data on next start" option, and re-started the TV service to kick it off. (Had to also enable the "analog" option in the SD plugin in my case.) To make sure it's working you should see the channels show up in your EPG within a minute or so (so you can verify it adds them, and that they can tune) while the EPG program data will continue to populate for 10 minutes or so on initial load.

Auto-tune should not be necessary.

 

[WileECoyote]

I can't speak for OTA HD, since I use analog cable, but in my case I enabled the "add" option, enabled the "load guide data on next start" option, and re-started the TV service to kick it off. (Had to also enable the "analog" option in the SD plugin in my case.) To make sure it's working you should see the channels show up in your EPG within a minute or so (so you can verify it adds them, and that they can tune) while the EPG program data will continue to populate for 10 minutes or so on initial load.

Auto-tune should not be necessary.

Milhouse,
I second the !!! I set up my Schedule Direct account, but didnt add a channel listing. Once I added the channels and configured the plugin, everything starting working perfect. Now if I can get my movies to autodownload from IMDB I will be great!

Thanks again!

 

[davidpmays]

I can't speak for OTA HD, since I use analog cable, but in my case I enabled the "add" option, enabled the "load guide data on next start" option, and re-started the TV service to kick it off. (Had to also enable the "analog" option in the SD plugin in my case.) To make sure it's working you should see the channels show up in your EPG within a minute or so (so you can verify it adds them, and that they can tune) while the EPG program data will continue to populate for 10 minutes or so on initial load.

Auto-tune should not be necessary.

Milhouse,
I second the !!! I set up my Schedule Direct account, but didnt add a channel listing. Once I added the channels and configured the plugin, everything starting working perfect. Now if I can get my movies to autodownload from IMDB I will be great!

Thanks again!

I have been struggling with this until I followed your instructions. It found channels and lineups fast. My way, poking around, produced a mixed up schedule in days not minutes.