How To Get MediaPortal's XmlTv and WebEPG Program Schedules To Be Used By MPExtended (1 Viewer)

[mwstroberg]

Hello,

I have set up MediaPortal server 1.6 with MPExtended Server 0.5.4. Everything works fine, with one exception. I have the MediaPortal's extensions WebEPG and XmlTv activated and functioning, and have successfully imported a week's schedule for my local cable broadcast system.

My problem: For some reason the programming schedules are not being used by MPExtended server to be viewed by the TV Guide in WebMediaPortal in a web browser. I am able to view the TV Guide page, and watch any channel I wish, but there is no schedule information. Is there something else I have to do to view programming schedules with WebMediaPortal?

Thanks in advance.

Mark

 

[mm1352000]

Hello Mark

If you can see the guide data in MediaPortal then you should be able to see it in WebMediaPortal.

Regards,
mm

 

[mwstroberg]

mm,

Thanks for info.

It seems I need more information about the way the program schedules work in MediaPortal server. I looked at the tvguide.xml file, and all it has in it are entries concerning the channels themselves, such as:

<channel id="3-73 - SCIFI@central.net">
<display-name>3</display-name>
</channel>
<channel id="4-75 - G4@central.net">
<display-name>4</display-name>
</channel>

Also, the listed actual channel names are wrong. This is not surprising, as there was no place in the configuration process that I could find to enter my cable provider data. I have an analog TV Tuner card so it seems to me that somewhere I have to enter the provider data. It certainly never asked me for it. Even at that, though, given that it assumed SOME provider and provided default channel info, shouldn't it have populated the file with schedules for those channels?

Please help me if you can. Specifically:

1. How to I enter info about my cable provider?

2. How to I get it to actually fetch program schedule data, instead of just channel identifiers?

Thanks in advance.

Attached is tvguide.xml file.

Mark

 

[mm1352000]

Hello again Mark

I looked at the tvguide.xml file, and all it has in it are entries concerning the channels themselves, such as:

<channel id="3-73 - SCIFI@central.net">
<display-name>3</display-name>
</channel>
<channel id="4-75 - G4@central.net">
<display-name>4</display-name>
</channel>

Right, so the XMLTV file (tvguide.xml) doesn't have any EPG data in it.

It looks like you're generating the tvguide.xml file with the TV Server WebEPG plugin. Can you confirm?

Also, the listed actual channel names are wrong. This is not surprising, as there was no place in the configuration process that I could find to enter my cable provider data.

Well, if you're referring to the WebEPG configuration process then you'd be right. Otherwise I have no idea what you mean.
In any case, the channel names in the XMLTV file don't particularly matter. Those "guide channels" get linked to "TV Server channels" on the mapping tab in the XMLTV plugin. You can set the names of the TV Server channels to whatever you like.

I have an analog TV Tuner card so it seems to me that somewhere I have to enter the provider data.

Well, yes - as part of TV Server setup you need to "import" your channels. In your first post you said you were able to watch any channel you wish. I took that to mean that you'd already got your channels.

To be clear: before you can import any guide data, you need to have all your channels listed in the TV Channels (and Radio Channels) sections of TV Server configuration. Have you done that?

It certainly never asked me for it. Even at that, though, given that it assumed SOME provider and provided default channel info, shouldn't it have populated the file with schedules for those channels?

Please can you be a little clearer about what you mean when you say "it".
If I guess that you're referring to the TV Server WebEPG plugin then my suspicion is that you're running down a dead end.
Aside from the IMDB source, I don't know any other way to use WebEPG to get EPG data for the USA or Canada. From what you've said it really doesn't sound like you're setting up the IMDB source... therefore I think you're probably on the wrong track.

The instructions for setting up WebEPG with the IMDB source are in the wiki:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...ide_Setup_(EPG)/WebEPG#IMDB_Grabber_(US_only)

For the record, here are the options for getting EPG data in the US and Canada:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/setup-help.124506/#post-1061869

1. How to I enter info about my cable provider?

Again, I'm a bit unsure what you're dealing with... but if you're working with the WebEPG plugin then the answer is "you don't".

2. How to I get it to actually fetch program schedule data, instead of just channel identifiers?

As above: my advice is to set up the IMDB source if you want to use WebEPG. There are instructions for this in the wiki (linked above).

Regards,
mm

 

[mwstroberg]

Thanks again.

'Again, I'm a bit unsure what you're dealing with... but if you're working with the WebEPG plugin then the answer is "you don't".'

That doesn't make sense. As I said I have an analog TV tuner card. Even though I scanned the actual TV signal and am able to watch my channels, the only way for it to know what my stations are (mapping from cable channel number to actual station or network) is to enter my provider info, correct? Or are you saying that there is no online database for that, that I personally have to map each cable channel to each actual station manually one by one?

Let me know.

Thanks.

Mark

 

[mm1352000]

Thanks again.

No problem.

That doesn't make sense. As I said I have an analog TV tuner card. Even though I scanned the actual TV signal and am able to watch my channels...

Okay, so to be clear: this means you have a bunch of channels named by channel number (eg. "2", "3" etc.), right?

...the only way for it to know what my stations are (mapping from cable channel number to actual station or network) is to enter my provider info, correct?

If you mean TV Server when you say "it" then yes.
If you mean channel names when you say "provider info" then yes.

WebEPG is a means to get EPG data. Nothing more. It cannot lookup a channel number-to-name mapping by cable provider, or "magically" pull in guide data and link it to the right channels.

Or are you saying that there is no online database for that...

Yes, there's no online database lookup function in TV Server or WebEPG. I'm not aware of the existence of any free database providing that information. I'm sure there are commercial databases, but we can't afford to pay. We run our servers on the smell of an oily rag.

[edit: When configured appropriately, the SchedulesDirect plugin may be able to do the renaming etc. and pull in guide data for you... if you're willing to pay for it (7 day free trial, then $25 USD per year).
http://schedulesdirect.org/
https://code.google.com/p/mp-schedulesdirect/

That is one of the guide data options I linked in my previous post.]

...that I personally have to map each cable channel to each actual station manually one by one?

The one word answer would be "yes".

It's expected that you'd manually set the name of each channel to something more meaningful in the TV Channels section:
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...TV_Channels#Two_slow_clicks_on_a_channel-name

The names that you set in the TV Channels section (or Radio Channels section) are the names you'll see used in the guide and every other part of TV Server configuration. Those names are completely independent of EPG data. In other words: even if the XMLTV file had the correct names and was filled with guide data, importing it would not change the channel names that you see in the guide. The channel names stay the same regardless of if you have EPG data or not. That's why I said the names in the XMLTV file don't particularly matter. They just have to be recognisable enough to link to the TV Server channels which you would have labelled nicely.

As for the mapping in the WebEPG plugin: that's simply to link guide channels to TV Server channels. Nothing more. Obviously you're likely to struggle with that unless you can lookup a mapping from [physical] channel number to channel name on your cable providers website (or somewhere else). If you don't know of any such website then the usual approach is to use the "preview" function in the TV Channels section to view the channel, recognise the channel by the logo watermark etc., and set the name. After the channels have names it becomes possible to deal with the mapping in the WebEPG plugin much more naturally.

Does that make sense?

 

[mwstroberg]

It is too confusing. I tried manually setting up a few mappings and nothing worked. The documentation is incomplete and assumes too much knowledge on the part of the user. I really wanted to make this work but I simply don't have the time to mess with it.

There is no SchedulesDirect plugin for MP 1.6. The plugin has not been updated in over two years. I think I'll go with MythTV, as I assume they have an updated SchedulesDirect plugin or feature.

Thanks for attempting to make me understand, but I simply lack the knowledge required. I don't believe I am stupid, but I am very ignorant.

Mark

 

[mm1352000]

It is too confusing. I tried manually setting up a few mappings and nothing worked. The documentation is incomplete and assumes too much knowledge on the part of the user. I really wanted to make this work but I simply don't have the time to mess with it.
...
Thanks for attempting to make me understand, but I simply lack the knowledge required. I don't believe I am stupid, but I am very ignorant.

I'm sorry to hear it. I wish you'd asked for help earlier. It is easy to waste a lot of time trying to fix problems by yourself, and we're here to help you avoid that... but we can't do anything unless you ask.

There is no SchedulesDirect plugin for MP 1.6.

That's patently false. The latest version is compatible with MP 1.3 and later.

[edit: One might also wonder why you're using MP 1.6 in the first place...]

The plugin has not been updated in over two years.

Also false.
Latest release April 2013:
https://code.google.com/p/mp-schedulesdirect/downloads/list

 

[mwstroberg]

Thanks again.

I installed the SchedulesDirect plugin, and it seems to run without error (there is no text in the TV Service Error log), but it can't seem to download schedules. attached is my TVService.log file. Can you make any sense of the problems the plugin is encountering?

Thanks.

Mark

 

[mwstroberg]

By the way, according to the log file it is correctly logging in to my SchedulesDirect account and correctly identifying my provider from my lineup info.

Thanks.

Mark