Please help with getting Schedules Direct to work (1 Viewer)

Dementia Dog

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I've tried multiple searches to sort out the issues I'm having, but many of the posts are quite old and so far I'm not getting anywhere. I live in Florida and get all TV from OTA.

I have downloaded and installed MP1 and all seems to be working. I am able to watch live TV, but there is no guide data on any of the channels.

Now I want to get the EPG set up, and since I already have an account with Schedules Direct, I've been trying to go that route. I have downloaded and installed the SD plug-in, but still nothing in the Guide. OK, after more searching and reading, apparently I need to download and run MC2XML.exe? The link referenced in the MP Documentation section for MC2XML brings up a page with an option to download, but my anti-virus software is immediately deleting it because it says it is infected. I found another site to download from, but when I run it (after downloading), it flashes real quick and does nothing. Ugh!

Can someone please throw me a lifeline?
 

CyberSimian

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    I already have an account with Schedules Direct
    I live in the UK where we benefit from a 7-day EPG that is broadcast with the TV signals. If you don't have that, you need to download the EPG from the internet, and repeat this at regular intervals, such as weekly, or (perhaps) daily. The "Schedules Direct" EPG is reputed to be of high quality, so that is a good start (y) (but I have not used it personally).

    So the processing is:

    (1) Download an EPG from the internet, creating a file on your C: drive.
    (2) Convert the EPG file into an XML file suitable for "TV Server".
    (3) Import the XML file into "TV Server" to populate the EPG.

    All of these tasks can be automated, but I don't know how to do that as I have never used an internet EPG. There is, however, a "TV Server" plugin called "XmlTv" that (I think) does step (3). Read about it on this page in the Wiki.

    It is possible that the file resulting from step (1) is not in a form that can be understood by step (3). This is where MC2XML may be required to perform step (2) (I am guessing).

    Finally, there is another plugin that allegedly uses "Schedules Direct" to get the EPG (I think that this is the one that you found). Whether it still works is unclear, as it seems to be no longer maintained. It is also unclear what it actually does (step (1), step (2), step (3), or some combination).

    Hopefully someone who actually uses this stuff to get an internet EPG will post with additional details.

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    Dementia Dog

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    Thank you CyberSimian for trying to help!

    1) I thought this was the purpose of the SD plug-in...to download the EPG data from the Internet? I don't know if this part is working or not, but the end result is that I still don'r have any Guide data in MP. I know my subscription is good with SD because I have a separate Win7 machine that is using my SD membership to populate WMC. The fact that Win7 is no longer supported is why I am attempting to get MP up and running on a Win10 machine. I feel that clock ticking!
    2) Is this what MC2XML.exe is for? I'm not sure where to find a valid copy of this program. The one MP documentation points to is possibly corrupt...at least, so says my anti-virus software.
    3) Is this what the XmlTv plugin is for? If so, it appears to be installed in MP (it is listed under Plugins in the TV-Server Configuration program). But once again, I don't know how to tell if it is working, or if perhaps this is the point of failure in the overall scheme of getting EPG data.

    In order to solve my problem I'm thinking I need to validate each of the 3 steps discussed above, individually, and ideally, independently. But at this point I don't know how to accomplish this for any of the steps. I know, I'm kinda needy right now :(
     

    Dementia Dog

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    Thank you TLD!!!!! I didn't understand that I needed to stop/start the service, and as well didn't know I needed to copy a dll to a different folder! Yay! It works!

    HTPCSourcer...I originally started out trying to install MP2 but early on I was getting an error, so at that time I thought I'd go with MP1, thinking it was "tried and true". Now that I have success with MP1, I think I will go back and try MP2 all over again.

    Oh man, this is such a relief!
     

    CyberSimian

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    One caution before you spend too much time trying to get this to work: be aware that MP cannot handle protected content. This applies both to MP1 and MP2.

    WMC can handle protected content without problem, using (I think) the "PlayReady" software. But to become authorised for this is very expensive (I have seen a figure of $100000 quoted, but that may have been someone's guess).

    If you currently receive and record protected content, and want to continue to do so, or you want to be able to play protected recordings that you have already made, WMC on Windows 7 is pretty much the only choice. I think that Silicon Dust have created DVR software that can receive live protected content, but it is not yet able to record it.

    Aside: I will be continuing to use MP on Windows 7 for the foreseeable future; I don't intend downgrading to Windows 10 anytime soon. :D

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    Dementia Dog

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    Not sure I understand what you mean by "protected content". Really all I want to do is record and playback TV programs that are broadcast over the air. Not interested in recording a Netflix show, for example.
     

    CyberSimian

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    Not sure I understand what you mean by "protected content".
    Neither am I :eek:. But I think that it means premium content that is delivered via cable-card tuners. Premium content means that you have pay extra for it, and so it is encrypted even when stored on your local disk. As a result, only WMC can play it, and it can be played only on the PC on which it was recorded. :(

    Really all I want to do is record and playback TV programs that are broadcast over the air.
    That shouldn't be a problem. :) (y)

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

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