New to MP2 - Trying to configure EPG/Schedules Direct (1 Viewer)

[CyberSimian]

How do I know if I have the correct MC2XML, xmltv.dtd,and XmlTV plugin?

Speaking as someone who has never used the Schedules Direct plugin and who does not have a Schedules Direct account, my recommendation is... to use the Schedules Direct plugin. It is a "one-stop shop" -- it will download the EPG from Schedules Direct and load it into TV Server. There is none of this messing round with multiple tools to get it to work.

As I said before, the only catch is that you need to use the XML form of the Schedules Direct data. This means that the plugin is not usable by people outside the USA and Canada, as Schedules Direct provide the XML form only for the USA and Canada (they provide the JSON form for everywhere else).

I have seen comments to the effect that the XML form is not quite as good as the JSON form. The XML form will obviously contain all of the essential data, but perhaps it lacks ancillary information (maybe such things as casts lists, date of first broadcast, age rating, and so on; since I have never used Schedules Direct, this is only guesswork).

Should I just use MP 1?

MP2 is not an evolution of MP1. MP2 started with a different set of requirements which lead to a different internal design. Many MP1 users are happy with MP1 and see no reason to switch to MP2. For new users, the choice is confusing (but choosing between MP1 and MP2 is definitely a first-world problem).

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[TLD]

There may be a problem installing the Schedules Direct plugin in MP2 tv server. I'm not sure if MP2 has the mediaportal extension manager which is needed to install the plugin as MP1 does.

 

[ge2301]

There may be a problem installing the Schedules Direct plugin in MP2 tv server. I'm not sure if MP2 has the mediaportal extension manager which is needed to install the plugin as MP1 does.

MP2 has no extension manager. Plugins are just copied into the plugin folder and they are directly recognized. To uninstall them, just remove the data again. *.mp1e is just a pyeudo-container. Rename ist to *.zip and place the data into the plugin folder of the TV-server. No extension manager is needed.

 

[BG02578]

OK - I gave up on MP2
Now I try MP1

I get as far as:


Of course there is not guide imported.

I checked that the tvguide.xml and an xmltv.dtd are in the specified directory

I have read some posts asking about this situation but there are no solutions in the posts I have read.

What does the message "tvguide.xml No xmltv file found" really mean

I have setup my tuners and I can see live TV in MP 1

Thanks

Barry

 

[BG02578]

When I try import I get:

 

[ge2301]

OK - I gave up on MP2
Now I try MP1

The xml file import of MP2 is 100% as for MP1, you'll have the same issues, if it didn't work before.

 

[CyberSimian]

Of course there is not guide imported.
I checked that the tvguide.xml and an xmltv.dtd are in the specified directory

I suspect that the XML file that you are trying to install does not conform to the XML file that TV Server understands (but I am not an XML expert). Did you decide against trying to use the Schedules Direct plugin?

I have just successfully installed the Schedules Direct plugin in my test system. Screen shots are shown below. That is as far as I can test, as I do not have a Schedules Direct account. Note that after setting up the Schedules Direct plugin, you need to set up the PowerScheduler plugin so that it will wake your system each day and download the EPG from Schedules Direct (so your internet connection needs to be available at that time).

Finally, you need to use the fixed version of the plugin that can be obtained here.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[TLD]

I have been using Schedules Direct for a couple years now. this works for me here in the U.S.A.

Download the file below, and install it with the "MediaPortal extension manager" that installed with MP1. You will need to start the MediaPortal extension manager click file then open and navigate to the file you downloaded from the attached file below.

Go to your "Schedules Direct account details" and tick the MediaPortal box as shown in the picture below. The "SD-DD_direct" is the .xml version. This won't work with the JSON.


Choose your channel lineup at Schedules Direct.

Open MP tv server configuration and click the + by Plugins and select the "Schedules Direct plugin" enter your Schedules Direct login user name and password as shown in the picture below then click "OK" at the bottom of the window.



This will after a few minutes download your channel lineup you selected at the Schedules Direct web page. As I recall it took around 45 min. the first time i did it.

This downloads the channels directly into the TV server database so there is no need for any other plugins or programs.

Open the tv server again and click "tv channels" click all channels, there should be channels that were downloaded from Schedules Direct. You need to use the channels that were downloaded from Schedules Direct, only tick the box show in EPG for the channels you want in your tv guide or make a favorite epg with a right click on the channel and add to.

This should give you a tv guide. Remember it's been over a year since i set this up so this is the procedure as best as i can remember.

 

[BG02578]

Thanks to all for the suggestions.
I will try them and report back.
I was running Schedules Direct with json (for WMC) instead of xml output, but I will now try the plugin.

I tried using Schedules Direct and mc2xml to create a tvguide.xml file (with the .dtd and .dat files in the same location).
The tvguide.xml file looked to have reasonable program data (except program was spelled programme)
but I had the same problem other people have reported when I try to import using with the XmlTv plugin:
108 channels but 0 programs.

The renamed tvguide.xml file has data but I still get no programs and no status indication. Now using MP 1.

 

[BG02578]

CyberSimian and TLD,

Thanks - I completely forgot about the settings in Schedules Direct since I have been just using it with WMC for a couple of years. More things to fix and try.