Help Configuring Zap2xml (1 Viewer)

[Sakols]

I have the xmltv.dtd, the text file recommended in the set up instructions, and I put the zap2xml -u tvguideuser@email.xx -p password -o myfile.xml into a .bat file, all inside the xmltv folder. On the XMLTV set up, I have pointed to this folder where the generated tvguide.xml resides. It appears when I run import, the channels import ok- I can see them and map them. Its just there is no program content in the import.

 

[mm1352000]

-o myfile.xml

Here is your mistake.
zap2xml is producing myfile.xml; TV Server is picking up tvguide.xml. They're different files. You either need to configure zap2xml to directly produce a file named tvguide.xml (ie. change the output file name switch in your command to "... -o tvguide.xml") or include a rename command in your batch script to rename myfile.xml to tvguide.xml.

 

[Sakols]

Sorry, that line in the batch file was the generic line from the set up guide you referred me to at the beginning of the thread. Indeed, I have my log in email, pw and the -o tvguide.xml. And the script is creating a good file, as you checked it.

 

[breese]

While I have been communicating with you, MM135200 is the king of TV here...
I have seen the tvguide.xml and it is populated with the info.
The only thing I can think of is the Mapped Channels do not match the name of the channels being pulled down.
In the mapping section of xmltv, for each channel the Channel Name must match one of those found in the Pull down section.

 

[mm1352000]

Sorry, that line in the batch file was the generic line from the set up guide you referred me to at the beginning of the thread. Indeed, I have my log in email, pw and the -o tvguide.xml. And the script is creating a good file, as you checked it.

Okay.

It appears when I run import, the channels import ok- I can see them and map them. Its just there is no program content in the import.

Well, this can only be explained in a few ways:

1. You've somehow configured TV Server's XMLTV plugin to look at the wrong tvguide.xml - a different tvguide.xml to the one you attached for us to check. In the past people have sometimes done this if they confuse c:\ProgramData with c:\Program Files.
2. The XMLTV channel mappings haven't been saved. This can happen either because you haven't saved them or the XMLTV plugin failed to save them.

You've claimed that you've configured the XMLTV plugin to look at the correct tvguide.xml file, so that would rule out the first possibility.
For the second possibility, there are no errors in the log that might suggest the XMLTV plugin has ever failed to save the mappings. Therefore my guess at this point is that you have mistakenly skipped the step where you save the mappings.

 

[Sakols]

Im definitely pointing at the right file location for tvguide.xml. The strange thing is that when i force import from the plugin setup, there is no delay. the import summary shows 76 channels imported but 0 programs. On the mappings tab, I mapped a few channels ( I don't know if/how I saved those mappings- so I need to check that, but didn't see any program info for those mapped channels in the MP EPG. It seems I should be importing some large number of programs, not 0. do you have a known good tvguide.xml that I could try to see if that imports programs , and not just channels- as a test? I also have two separate installs of MP on different computers and am getting the same behavior on this import
--- Post updated ---
Is there any way to grab the ATSC program guide off the tuner?

 

[mm1352000]

The strange thing is that when i force import from the plugin setup, there is no delay. the import summary shows 76 channels imported but 0 programs.

When the import summary shows "X channels and 0 programs imported", it means that the XMLTV plugin has read the channel list from the tvguide.xml file and:

1. There are no channel mappings saved, so there's no need to import any of the programs, OR...
2. All the programs in the file have already screened, so there's no need to import them.

Either way it's going to happen quite quickly, so the fact that you see no delay doesn't surprise me in the slightest. It's normal in these circumstances.

I confirmed that the tvguide.xml file that you attached for us contains future programs. Therefore once again I'm back to the theory that you have not saved your mappings before attempting to import. There is a save button that you have to click after mapping the channels and before trying to import. If you don't click that save button, you'll get exactly what you're seeing.

I don't know if/how I saved those mappings- so I need to check that

100% agree. Click that save button. It's crucial. Programs aren't imported unless you have mappings saved.

...but didn't see any program info for those mapped channels in the MP EPG.

Once again, this is exactly what I'd expect.
The sequence is:

1. Import 1 to get the channel list.
2. Map the channels and save.
3. Import 2 to import the programs.

Only after this will you see programs in the MP EPG.

It seems I should be importing some large number of programs, not 0.

Nope, I respectfully disagree. Just because there are programs in the tvguide.xml file does not mean they will be imported. As explained above, programs are not imported unless channel mappings are saved.

do you have a known good tvguide.xml that I could try to see if that imports programs , and not just channels- as a test?

Any tvguide.xml file that I provide you would also show 0 programs imported until channel mappings were saved. Therefore I feel it's pretty pointless to do this unless and until you can confirm that you have actually saved mappings.

I also have two separate installs of MP on different computers and am getting the same behavior on this import

That's completely in line with my expectations. I won't repeat the explanation given above again.

Is there any way to grab the ATSC program guide off the tuner?

The short answer is yes. However:

1. The quality and span (number of channels and hours/days) of guide data you're likely to get is probably much worse than what you can get with zap2xml.
2. You'll have to use another external program to collect that guide data. Another learning curve.
   
3. That data would be imported using the XMLTV plugin, so you're likely to run into the same roadblock.

Quite frankly, I'd recommend you stick with zap2xml. At this point it appears like you're very close to having a working guide. You've just made one small mistake that will only take a five minutes to fix. Please stick with it...

 

[Sakols]

this makes sense... I don't recall hitting any save button. Ill come back as soon as Ive tested.
--- Post updated ---
Whooo Hooooo, it worked!!! I was just not saving the mappings. Now I've got to go thru and map the rest of the channels. This is great, and finally a solution to replace Windows Media Center.

Id be interested in helping with documentation to make MP more approachable to the "less technical user" setting up a single seat PVR solution, as I have done (with your help). Im in Si Valley time zone

 

[breese]

Very Glad you got it going....
If you can come up with something better than what we have, I am sure a lot of people would love to see it

@mm1352000 Thanks as always!!

 

[Sakols]

Im stuck again. with the recent change to Zap2it, I updated to the latest Zap2xml, and succeeded in generating a new tvguide.xml file. the problem is that MediaPortal is again not importing the data to populate the EPG. I have gone to the XMLTV plugin, and mapped and saved the channels, but when I force import zero programs get imported. Not sure what to try next
thanks,

dan