Need help installing Schedules Direct Plugin (1 Viewer)

[nzdreamer55]

Hello everyone,
So I am trying to install MP on my main computer and have been able to set it up enough to watch live TV. I'm trying to install the Schedules Direct US/CA/ME EPG Plugin for TVE3. I have a schedule direct account, but cannot figure out how to install this plugin. I'm kind of a point and click person so the dumb down version if you can. I'm in the US and use a cable company capturing with an analogue card. I installed the most current version of MP. I'm running on Win XP with SP3. I'm confused because when I unzip the SchedulesDirectPluginTVE3-v1.0e.zip there is a dll that I can put into the plugin folder for the TV server, but then there is another zipped file. What do I do with this

Thanks.

Steve

 

[geoffstewart]

Hey Steve,

We've been carrying on a conversation in PM to get you going.

Just to summarize, you have done the following to get up and running:

1) Got the SchedulesDirect plugin from here: http://code.google.com/p/mp-schedulesdirect/downloads/list

2) Copied the 2 dll files into the TV server plugin directory

3) Restarted the TV Service to get the plugin active

4) In SetupTV.exe, you enabled the SD plugin, configured it for your schedulesdirect account, number of days, etc.

5) You now have guide data.

In your last PM, you said:

"My guide populated correctly, however the channels are all out of order (they don't follow a numeric pattern 2,3,4,5,6,etc.)"

In the MediaPortal configuration tool, select the TV entry on the left side.... on the right, there is a checkbox called "Select channel by index (non-US)". Make sure that is UNCHECKED.

EDIT: If that doesn't help, take a look at the channels in the SetupTV.exe. Are they in order there? If not, sort them using the controls at the bottom of the window. Restart the MediaPortal front end and see if that helps.

See if that helps.

Geoff

 

[trahajopro86]

Hi all. I am looking for the same info as the original post. I was looking at a thread a while back that gave pretty goo instructions on how to install the schedulesdirect plugin from start to finish, but I can't seem to be able to find it again. Currently I have Myth set up and I was able to scan all the channels (Comcast QAM) and they mapped up with the Schedules Direct info and I was good to go.

With MP, I scan channels (which takes forever) and set the plugin up, but the data doesn't seem to match. I did a complete reinstall of MP (DB and all), but this time configured the SD plugin first and had it pull the info. It pulled down all the channel info perfectly so then I scanned for channels on the card. It found a ton of channels (1100 or so), but they were the same 6 or 7 over and over again.

Can someone point me to a step by step in getting this going?

MP 1.1.0
Comcast QAM, no STB... at least yet
Hauppauge 2250
WinXP

Thanks

Tracy

 

[geoffstewart]

Well,

This is what's supposed to happen (based on a fresh install of MP with SD plugin):

1) Do a scan to find your QAM channels. With this done, you should be able to watch live tv but since you have no guide data, you can't setup recordings except for manual ones.

2) Setup the schedulesdirect plugin with your account... since you don't have a settop, uncheck "Automatically add new digital/satellite channels". With this step done, the SD plugin is *supposed* to map the channels in your SD lineup to the physical channels that were found in step 1. I assume you were having problems with this step.

3) With the channel mapping complete, it downloads the guide data for the time period requested.

If you're getting stuck, post the tv.log so I can see what's happening. I'm maintaining the SD plugin, but this channel mapping is an area I haven't looked at before... so bear with me

Cheers.

Geoff

 

[trahajopro86]

1. I did a scan and found all the channels. The weird thing is that the same channel shows over and over. This never happened before I did my complete reinstall. I'll have to check my configuration.

2. I setup the plugin and it seems to have imported the data perfectly, it just isn't mapped to a card. Is that supposed to happen automatically?

Some of the channels in the log file I would expect to not get mapped. most channels without the -x are analog (Cable STB) channels that I haven't configured a tuner for yet. All the digital channels are what I am after right now. The analog channels are in my SD config, but have not been configured in MP yet.

View attachment tv.zip

Thanks again!

Tracy

 

[nzdreamer55]

Just wanted to get back to you about how things are going. This summary is great. I want to change one thing you said as, while obvious to me know, would not be to someone who was in my spot before.

Hey Steve,

We've been carrying on a conversation in PM to get you going.

Just to summarize, you have done the following to get up and running:

1) Got the SchedulesDirect plugin from here: SchedulesDirectPlugin-MP1.1.0Final-svn21.rar - mp-schedulesdirect - MP 1.1.0 Final - Now able to specify tvdb.com series by ID - Project Hosting on Google Code

2) Copied the 2 dll files into the TV server directory

The TV server has a folder for plug-ins (plug-in and extentions are the same thing so just treat them as the same thing) as well does the media portal application so I put these into the TV server plugin folder and so far so good.

3) Restarted the TV Service to get the plugin active

4) In SetupTV.exe,

AKA the TV-Server configuration application

you enabled the SD plugin, configured it for your schedulesdirect account, number of days, etc.

5) You now have guide data.

In your last PM, you said:

"My guide populated correctly, however the channels are all out of order (they don't follow a numeric pattern 2,3,4,5,6,etc.)"

In the MediaPortal configuration tool, select the TV entry on the left side.... on the right, there is a checkbox called "Select channel by index (non-US)". Make sure that is UNCHECKED.

EDIT: If that doesn't help, take a look at the channels in the SetupTV.exe. Are they in order there? If not, sort them using the controls at the bottom of the window. Restart the MediaPortal front end and see if that helps.

See if that helps.

Geoff

So I was able to put the channels in order. I first unchecked the "Select channel by index (non-US)" box, but that didn't seem to work, so I went in the the TV Server configuration and clicked on the TV channel branch of the project tree. Here I used the buttons at the bottom to oder the channels the way I wanted. I did this in both the Channels tab and the All Channels tab. I tried just the all channels tab, but the order in the channels tab did not reorder the numbers. I started mediaportal application after a computer shut down (I did this in hopes that everything would be reconfigured when the computer started) but no luck on the guide having the correct order I was hoping for.

Finally I went back to the All channels tab and deleted each channel. From there I went to the TV server branch and opened my computer sub branch and selected my video card. I scanned for TV channels (I have an analog card, and cable service that provides an analog signal) and found 68 channels (this is the number we get). Back to the TV Channel branch and reordered everything again. Made sure all had the check box ticked. Started media portal and all the channels were there in the right order! I was very happy at this point. No data in the guide however. I left the computer overnight hoping it would update stuff and this morning, still no data. I think that maybe it went to hibernate and the power scheduler didn't wake it up? I will leave the TV server running and prevent my computer from hibernating today and see what I get when I come home.

Questions:

1) Since I am using the Schedules Direct EPG Client plugin does the DVB EPG branch in the Media portal TV Server configuration do anything for me (I'm in the United States)? I mean do I need to change or set anything in this branch to get the EPG data into mediaportal using the SchedulesDirect EPG plugin?

2) The term mapping is used a lot and in concept I get that it means putting the guide date with the appropriate channel, can it also be applied to other things?

3) When does the SchedulesDirect EPG client try to get data? Can I force it to get data? Will the force guide update on next TVservice startup box do this? Windows media center had a little icon that would come on to let you know it was updating so that is how I use to know when it was updating. (Still would rather use Media portal as I don't like to box MS puts you into)

4) How do you turn the TV server off and on? Do you go through the task manager and kill the process?

Last piece of info. I checked the force guide update on next TVservice startup box then killed the TVserver process through the task manager, clicked on the TV server configuration shortcut to launch the TVserver and when I looked at the force guide update on next TVservice startup box it was not checked. I had changed a few other settings before I killed the TVserver process through the task manager (changed the number of days to keep) and those were set to the new value I had selected. Did I turn off the server incorrectly? Is the force guide update on next TVservice startup box set to be not checked when it start a second time so it isn't always updating when the server starts?

Thanks in advance for all your help as I am really looking forward to using media portal to its fullest potential.

Steve

 

[geoffstewart]

1. I did a scan and found all the channels. The weird thing is that the same channel shows over and over. This never happened before I did my complete reinstall. I'll have to check my configuration.

I don't know how this happened.... maybe someone with more tuner experience can field this one. It's not related to the SD plugin. If it worked with a clean install, and not afterwards, I would try a clean install again or remove the extra ones by hand.

2. I setup the plugin and it seems to have imported the data perfectly, it just isn't mapped to a card. Is that supposed to happen automatically?

You have to do the channel mapping to a card manually, I think. Some auto-tuning will do mapping and others don't... again, not my forte... I would just do the mapping by hand.

 

[geoffstewart]

Questions:

1) Since I am using the Schedules Direct EPG Client plugin does the DVB EPG branch in the Media portal TV Server configuration do anything for me (I'm in the United States)? I mean do I need to change or set anything in this branch to get the EPG data into mediaportal using the SchedulesDirect EPG plugin?

The DVB does nothing for us in Canada or US (assuming Mexico here too).

2) The term mapping is used a lot and in concept I get that it means putting the guide date with the appropriate channel, can it also be applied to other things?

Ya, you map channels to tuners, you map SD channels to physical channels... it's used a lot... you'll muddle through

3) When does the SchedulesDirect EPG client try to get data? Can I force it to get data? Will the force guide update on next TVservice startup box do this? Windows media center had a little icon that would come on to let you know it was updating so that is how I use to know when it was updating. (Still would rather use Media portal as I don't like to box MS puts you into)

Well, when SD "maps" the guide channels to the physical channels, it marks the channel with an identifier so that when the next run to get guide data goes, it knows which physical channels match which SD channels.

When you deleted all your channels and re-scanned, you lost that "mapping" of SD channel to physical channel. You need another run of the SD plugin to re-do the mapping.

You can always force a guide update by checking the checkbox on the Advanced tab of the plugin and then going to the "Manual Control" entry on the left, hitting stop service and then start service.

You're correct in wanting to stay with MP... you won't regret it

4) How do you turn the TV server off and on? Do you go through the task manager and kill the process?

See above for one way.

Also, I would use the Service control via right click on My Computer->Manage->Services... Select TV Service to stop and start.

Last piece of info. I checked the force guide update on next TVservice startup box then killed the TVserver process through the task manager, clicked on the TV server configuration shortcut to launch the TVserver and when I looked at the force guide update on next TVservice startup box it was not checked. I had changed a few other settings before I killed the TVserver process through the task manager (changed the number of days to keep) and those were set to the new value I had selected. Did I turn off the server incorrectly? Is the force guide update on next TVservice startup box set to be not checked when it start a second time so it isn't always updating when the server starts?

Thanks in advance for all your help as I am really looking forward to using media portal to its fullest potential.

Steve

You checked the right box, but it only lasts through one restart. Don't kill the process... bad idea in general... use one of the two ways I've suggested.

Good luck.

 

[nzdreamer55]

Boy, I feel like I should be getting this media portal thing soon, but need to keep asking some questions. So now that I know how to start and stop the TV server, have my channels ordered correctly, and the Scheduledirect plug-in installed, I'm unable to get most of my guide data. Of my 68 channels, only about 7-8 will populate with data. So I think I have everything set to get data and to map it correctly from schedule direct but just not all of it is coming down?

I checked my Schedule direct account and it is set for my zip code and for my cable provider.

What should be my next trouble shooting step? Do I need Zap to it? There was a logo for this next to my info in schedule direct.

Thanks again

Steve

 

[geoffstewart]

Hey Steve,

You don't need zap2it... that's the old name of SchedulesDirect...

Let's try this. Check the box to force a guide update on next tvserver restart, restart the server... wait 10 minutes and then attach the tv.log from the tv server log directory to this thread so I can have a look at what's going on.

It looks like the plugin is not mapping the other 61 physical channels with SD tags... not sure why that would be.

Cheers.

Geoff