New Australian TV guide source (1 Viewer)

[S.O.P]

from the top of memory, since I'm not in front of HTPC, there is a mapping tab, or something similar, with the xmltv plugin. import the channels and save. the saving is the important part, then go back and import the xml.

i apologise for lack of capitalisation, my shift key is on the blink.

 

[dale_mac]

Awesome! That worked a treat. I thought I'd have to import the guide first.
Now I just have to figure out how to schedule it to download daily updates.
I suppose windows scheduled tasks would be the way to go, wouldn't it?
Or can it be done from within MediaPortal?

 

[dir]

I tried this out for a while but have reverted back to using epgguide. One problem was that the channel names it creates are very different from the ones that are used/found by For The Record. I got a bit confused dealing with mapping them correctly when there's at least 3 places I need to do all that. The other issue is that the list of channels that this util finds are not sorted alphabetically. So it was bothersome searching through what looked like over a hundred channel names to figure out which ones were the correct ones for Melbourne. I knew what I was looking for (ABC, ABC2, 7, 9, 10, SBS, SBS News, plus ABCHD, 7HD, 9HD, 10HD, and SBSHD), but there seems to be so many similar ones that it got a bit frustrating.

Then I had to deal with how to get it to run automatically, which meant re-learning the whole Windows scheduling thing all over again.

So in summary, it's nice that there are alternatives like this, but it's still a bit raw around the edges and requires a bit too much fiddling to make it a simple add-on to MediaPortal. I'll revisit it in 6 months or a year to see where it's evolved to.

Suggestions:
- automatic scheduling
- arrange channels either by major city or allow alphabetic listing, or keep a record of what the main channels are for each major city for simple selection
- have the actual retrieving happening totally in the background with no CMD window showing
- explain what each of the options are for. I couldn't work out why I should enable FTP uploading- what info am I transmitting, and to whom and why?
- make it simple to map the channels to For The Record and/or MediaPortal. There seems to be at least 2 or 3 places where all these have to be correct, and no one set of instructions explains it in really simple terms. If it can't be explained simply, chances are it's still too complicated and thus not appropriate for your average Joe User.

 

[dale_mac]

Yeah, I understand where you're coming from.
I've never actually used the epggrabber. When I first installed Mediaportal, Aussie EPG data was so flaky that it was pointless bothering with it.
I began using Dugg, but channel Nine in particular actively prevented it from working properly (and they wonder why their ratings are low, they can't even get their own data right).
Since then, I've been using IceTV, which is really good but it's not free. Unfortunately, their EPG is for digital only, and I want data for our one & only analogue channel.
I haven't had an issue with the program configuration. I found it fairly straightforward, but I am a bit on the geeky side.
I agree, alphabetical listings would be great. I don't understand why ABC2 is at the top of the list and ABC1 is near the middle. But then again, you only have to select the channels once and then you just rename them to match what's in Mediaportal.
As far as FTP goes, my educated guess is this; the incoming FTP part is to retrieve the data from a central location. If there is any data missing, you retrieve it locally via the software which uses the FTP upload to refresh the data at the central location. That way the data is retrieved quicker and the local software & bandwidth doesn't have to do all of the work all of the time.
The only thing I need to work out is how do get it to work unattended. I don't think that's the author's problem, because it's not a dedicated Mediaportal plugin. So I'll just figure out a way. I can usually fudge something.

 

[S.O.P]

Mine used to schedule on a previous install, but now the task fails so I do it manually, once a week.

Read the instructions included with GD, there is a section there on the Task Scheduler.

 

[guytpetj]

It realy makes me wonder, if you can't work out how to use an extremely simple and effective progral like guidedigger, then how can you get a more complicated program like MP to work?

I've been using guidedigger from day one, and it has always been a simple and easy to configure program, either using the configuration screen or just manually editing the configuration file.

The disorganized channel list is not guidediggers problem, but the problem of one company in Australia who provides the guide data to a whole series of tv stations and news papers. But then, if you know which state you live, it is easy to find the channels you need.

Sorry for this rant, but I simply can't understand some people, who in my eyes have to complain about everything. Spend less time complaining and more time being positive about things. Appriciate what others make and share. If you think you can do better, then write a program and share it with the community.

 

[angusmann]

Each channel is assigned a unique number in GuideDigger. It has to do this because there are hundreds of channels it can grab and sometimes they come and go, or the unique number assigned to them by the provider of the data changes. I can't avoid this. The numbers cannot be re-used because that would mess up the initialization file. You'd have to run the setup all over again every time the program was updated. The names given to the channels are exactly the same as the names assigned by the provider of the guide data, not me.

I experimented with grouping of channels and simple selection systems like "tick this box to get all the Melbourne channels" but it made things worse, not better. There were so many local variations, so many provisos and so many exceptions to the rule that you ended up having to understand six rules and tick 6 boxes. If you live in Shepparton you get only some of the Melbourne stations and some of the local ones. And some people in Melbourne get the analog stations, not the digital ones. The list of variations was endless and devising a system that worked for everyone was impossible.

I could have dumbed it down to ticking one box but that would reduce the usefulness of the program by limiting its abilities.

The channels are not assigned alphabetically because that would not make sense. You might think channel 9 is just channel 9 but in regional centres it's named differently and has local variations in the program content. They are roughly grouped into states and capital cities but channels like "ABC-2" are the same everywhere. The Sydney people want it grouped with the Sydney channels. But so do the Perth people. And the Adelaide people.

There is no way to order this large group of channels in a way that does not result in the channels for a particular region being widely separated. Full stop. I've tried. If anyone wants to show me the whole 160-odd channels arranged according to region without repetition and without renaming and without wide separation, please show me.

The program (in the advanced options) is able to open a complete list of channels in notepad so you can print and search more easily.

As for FTP this is fully explained in the "readme.txt" with the program.
The program scans (scrapes) web-sites for TV guide data, extracts it and formats it as XML.
Data is saved locally on the users computer so it does not have to be downloaded twice.
Data is optionally saved to a remote FTP site so other users can download it quickly.
Data is optionally downloaded from this FTP site to save time scraping it.
The program does not send any data in either direction other than TV guide data
The program does send and recieve information over the internet, hence it may activate warnings on some firewalls. This is normal and should be allowed.

Instructions for automatic scheduling are also included in the readme.txt. It's not that hard.
I am keen to avoid turning the program into bloatware by adding automatic scheduling.
The program does not do its own automatic scheduling for several reasons.
First this requires reading and writing to the registry. Testers said they preferred a program that did not alter any registry settings. People become suspicious of a program that makes registry changes. Second, it often requires administrative priveliges and sets off alarm warnings within Vista, and with many anti-spyware and antivirus programs. Third, different versions of Windows handle program scheduling differently. Including this functionality in the program runs the risk that a new update, service pack or operating system will break it. Fourth, many people use 3rd party scheduling software to automate the program. I can't know all the possible programs people might use and all the possible versions and even if I did we're on the slippery slope to bloatware.

A new version of the program will have the option to run minimized. It is set not to take focus and (at least on my setup) it never opens over my Media Centre software.

I tried this out for a while but have reverted back to using epgguide. One problem was that the channel names it creates are very different from the ones that are used/found by For The Record. I got a bit confused dealing with mapping them correctly when there's at least 3 places I need to do all that. The other issue is that the list of channels that this util finds are not sorted alphabetically. So it was bothersome searching through what looked like over a hundred channel names to figure out which ones were the correct ones for Melbourne. I knew what I was looking for (ABC, ABC2, 7, 9, 10, SBS, SBS News, plus ABCHD, 7HD, 9HD, 10HD, and SBSHD), but there seems to be so many similar ones that it got a bit frustrating.

Then I had to deal with how to get it to run automatically, which meant re-learning the whole Windows scheduling thing all over again.

So in summary, it's nice that there are alternatives like this, but it's still a bit raw around the edges and requires a bit too much fiddling to make it a simple add-on to MediaPortal. I'll revisit it in 6 months or a year to see where it's evolved to.

Suggestions:
- automatic scheduling
- arrange channels either by major city or allow alphabetic listing, or keep a record of what the main channels are for each major city for simple selection
- have the actual retrieving happening totally in the background with no CMD window showing
- explain what each of the options are for. I couldn't work out why I should enable FTP uploading- what info am I transmitting, and to whom and why?
- make it simple to map the channels to For The Record and/or MediaPortal. There seems to be at least 2 or 3 places where all these have to be correct, and no one set of instructions explains it in really simple terms. If it can't be explained simply, chances are it's still too complicated and thus not appropriate for your average Joe User.

 

[dale_mac]

Hey Angusmann,

I have to say, this is a great piece of kit you've written.
I think I mentioned that I used Dugg in the past and thought it was really good. This one's better.
As I said in my last post, I needed to set up automatic scheduling for the grabber, which ended up being really easy using Windows task scheduler. I just set it to run a batch file which had a text string pointing to the guidedigger.exe location. Really easy. I just hadn't gotten around to it when I wrote my last post.
As with the original Dugg, any criticisms aren't directed at you, they're directed at the TV stations and their paranoia about the guide data.
We are talking about "Free to air" after all.
Thanks and keep up the good work.

Cheers,
Dale

 

[dir]

It realy makes me wonder, if you can't work out how to use an extremely simple and effective progral like guidedigger, then how can you get a more complicated program like MP to work?

I've been using guidedigger from day one, and it has always been a simple and easy to configure program, either using the configuration screen or just manually editing the configuration file.

The disorganized channel list is not guidediggers problem, but the problem of one company in Australia who provides the guide data to a whole series of tv stations and news papers. But then, if you know which state you live, it is easy to find the channels you need.

Sorry for this rant, but I simply can't understand some people, who in my eyes have to complain about everything. Spend less time complaining and more time being positive about things. Appriciate what others make and share. If you think you can do better, then write a program and share it with the community.

Chill, man. Re-read my post. I wasn't complaining. I tried to give constructive feedback.

Your post (above) on the other hand, contributed nothing whatsoever to this thread.

Regardless, as I said, it's great that there are alternatives like this out there being developed. It's not for me because I'm moving away from the need for in-depth tweaking, configuration, and R&D, and more to the turn-on-and-it-works kind of lifestyle. The EPG app I'm using has a simple interface that doesn't require me to understand or invest time learning anything about ftp, configuration, channel options, or the like. Works for me. I'm sure apps like this one work for others.

I'm sure the author appreciates non-inflammatory feedback, which is why I gave it. End of message.

 

[PhilMcCavity]

Hi angusmann

This whole EPG thing has caused me ongoing pain. Can I have a look at your program too? Thanks.