Schedules Direct configuration confusion (1 Viewer)

DesertDwarf

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May 16, 2015
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Hi folks,

I'm migrating from the headache that is Windows Media Center to MediaPortal 1. I've been trying to get this set up for too long.

I have a Schedules Direct account with my line-up chosen.

I'm a Cox digital cable customer in Phoenix, AZ, USA with no premium channels. I get HD channels in addition to SD. (For example, ABC, which is KNXV here, is 15 for SD and 15-1 for HD and I can get both.)

I've been challenged by having the scan turn up approximately 200 Unknown channels. Some are scrambled and some say "NoPMTFound" when I try to preview it.

So, I was going through them and cleaning them up over the last few evenings. However, today, my total channels count on that tab ("MediaPortal - TV Server Configuration" -> TV Channels ... the "Channels" tab) went from just under 300 to over 800. I scrolled down and found many, many channels with very complete and descriptive names that indicate "Channel not mapped to a card".

So, now I have over more 500 channels to clean up.

I'm realizing that, without an installation guide (or at least my search didn't turn up any), I may not be doing the Schedules Direct thing correctly.

In fact, in doing more searching, I'm puzzled because it seems like people were doing Schedules Direct with XmlTv plugin.

I just don't know what the proper, least time-consuming, and most correct procedures are.

Help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

(Also, I see posts about deleting stuff and restarting, but I don't know the best way to do that. So, if you're going to suggest it, please indicate how it's done.)
 

mm1352000

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    Hello and welcome! :)

    There's a lot to say. I'll try to keep it brief. Please read carefully, but don't hesitate to ask questions if you don't understand.

    Setup process summary:
    • scan
    • find an EPG data source
    • link EPG channels to channels found by TV Server
    • enjoy TV :)
    Comments about your results/choices for each step:
    • scan - I strongly suspect you selected the wrong frequency plan, and may not have set SDT/VCT timeout high enough => you'll need to start over
    • EPG data source - SchedulesDirect is good
    • link EPG - I strongly recommend to use mc2xml to get the SD data in XMLTV format (...instead of using the SD plugin). With mc2xml + XMLTV, you have the [very important] advantage of direct control over how the EPG channels will be linked to the TV Server channels.
    • enjoy TV - you're probably a few hours away from this stage for now

    I have a Schedules Direct account with my line-up chosen.

    I'm a Cox digital cable customer in Phoenix, AZ, USA with no premium channels. I get HD channels in addition to SD. (For example, ABC, which is KNXV here, is 15 for SD and 15-1 for HD and I can get both.)
    Okay.

    I've been challenged by having the scan turn up approximately 200 Unknown channels. Some are scrambled and some say "NoPMTFound" when I try to preview it.
    The first thing I noticed when I looked through your scan log files (thanks for them! :) ) is that you scanned with the "QAM IRC" tuning frequencies.
    Is there a reason you did that?
    As it says in the wiki:
    http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...V_Servers/7b_Scan_ATSC#QAM_tuning_frequencies

    ...unless you're sure that your cable provider is using the IRC frequency plan (which is very unlikely!), you should use the "QAM standard" frequency plan.
    If you've scanned with the wrong frequency plan then you should delete all your channels and start over:
    1. Open TV Server configuration.
    2. Go to the TV Channels section.
    3. Select all channels (select first channel, hold down [shift], press [end] key).
    4. Press/click [delete].

    You mentioned "Unknown..." channels. Because you're using a "clear QAM" tuner (ie. not a CableCARD tuner), the scan may or may not be able to pull in channel names. It entirely depends on your cable provider, and the information they decide to broadcast... or not. Unfortunately most cable providers don't broadcast much (if any) information in a way that clear QAM tuners can receive. So, having lots of "Unknown..." channels is not too unusual.

    When a name can't be determined, TV Server will set the name as "Unknown <physical channel number>-<sub-channel number>". Note, this knowledge may or may not help to set names correctly if you're able to compare against a channel list from your cable provider.

    To increase your chances of getting channel names in a scan, you can increase the SDT/VCT timeout setting here:
    http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...n/TV-Server_Configuration/06_General#Scan_Tab

    Please keep in mind:
    1. The more you increase the SDT/VCT timeout, the slower the scan will go.
    2. Rescanning will not update channel names.
    The second point is yet another reason it is a good idea to start over.


    [IMPORTANT] Things to do before scanning (because you don't want to have to do this again!):
    • Delete all channels.
    • Install the patch from -->here<--. Install instructions are given in the linked post. I could explain why you should do this, but it would take a long time... so please just trust me. :)
    • Increase SDT/VCT timeout; I'd recommend 60 seconds for you.
    • Scan with tuning mode "clear QAM cable" and tuning frequencies "QAM standard".

    So, I was going through them and cleaning them up over the last few evenings. However, today, my total channels count on that tab ("MediaPortal - TV Server Configuration" -> TV Channels ... the "Channels" tab) went from just under 300 to over 800. I scrolled down and found many, many channels with very complete and descriptive names that indicate "Channel not mapped to a card".

    So, now I have over more 500 channels to clean up.
    All the channels that are marked as "not mapped to a card" were created by the SchedulesDirect plugin. They look nice because they have correct names and numbers. However, they're not tunable... so they're basically useless.

    I'm realizing that, without an installation guide (or at least my search didn't turn up any), I may not be doing the Schedules Direct thing correctly.

    In fact, in doing more searching, I'm puzzled because it seems like people were doing Schedules Direct with XmlTv plugin.
    There are 2 ways to pull SchedulesDirect data into TV Server:
    1. The TV Server SchedulesDirect plugin.
    2. mc2xml (external program) to download the data, and XMLTV to import the data.
    As I hinted earlier in my response, the challenge with using the SD plugin (option 1) is getting the EPG data linked to the TV Server channels. If you've had a look at the guide in MediaPortal, you'll see all those nicely named channels that the SD plugin created all have guide data against them... but the channels scanned in by TV Server do not. Unfortunately the channels created by the SD plugin can't be tuned... whereas the channels scanned in by TV Server can.

    To be fair, there is a way to get SD to link guide data to the channels scanned in by TV Server. It involves renaming the scanned channels to exactly match the "callsign" of the corresponding channel in your SD lineup. If you did that and forced an SD plugin reimport, you'd find the SD plugin wouldn't (shouldn't) create all those "not mapped" channels. In my opinion this is fiddly, error prone and time consuming. That's why I recommend the second option.

    There is a guide for the second option in our wiki, which I hope should be fairly self explanatory:
    http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_..._TV_Setup/4_TV_Guide_Setup_(EPG)/XMLTV_mc2xml

    Nevertheless, don't hesitate to ask if you get stuck at any point.

    I just don't know what the proper, least time-consuming, and most correct procedures are.

    Help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
    Hopefully the advice above will help you. For the third time, don't hesitate to ask if you run into trouble. I say it so many times because I really mean it. If you persist trying to solve problems by yourself, you're much more likely to take hours setting up and/or do something that requires you to skip back a few steps (...or at worst: start over).

    Warm regards (and welcome again!),
    mm
    :)
     

    DesertDwarf

    Portal Member
    May 16, 2015
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    2
    Phoenix, AZ
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    United States of America United States of America
    Hi mm,

    I very much appreciate your warm welcome!

    I followed your steps and have completed all of it with great success. My last remaining (super-tedious) task is to clean up the Unknowns. In the TV Server Configuration, I'm previewing each of them to eliminate the Scrambled and NoPMTFound channels, renaming the remaining channels temporarily to something else. I'm about halfway through the nearly 300 Unknown channels.

    I've already tested the Guide stuff and it seems to be working fine with your instructions. I've got Power Scheduler set to do an update of the guide data at 03:00, so I'll check for a fresh tvguide.xml file tomorrow and see if itt was updated.

    By the way, the XMLTV mc2xml wiki page needs a little touch up work done. Specifically, the default path for the tvguide.xml is already pretty close. It would streamline things if the wiki page reflected that. (Specifically, the default path is C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\xmltv, but the page mentions C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\xmltv.) Also, the scheduling sections (Windows and Power Scheduler both) mention ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\xmltv_test...why not just use the same path as earlier and leave "_test" off the path?

    Also, it made sense to me that I would need to click Import on the XmlTv -> General plugin page before I could do mappings. My thought was, "How would it know what to map without the data imported?" The wiki page, however, does not mention clicking Import before moving on to having the user set up the mappings.

    Thank you very much for clarifying the Schedules Direct setup. It worked wonderfully well.

    I plan on updating with more replies when I achieve successful completion of the whole thing.
     

    mm1352000

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    Hello again :)

    My last remaining (super-tedious) task is to clean up the Unknowns. In the TV Server Configuration, I'm previewing each of them to eliminate the Scrambled and NoPMTFound channels, renaming the remaining channels temporarily to something else. I'm about halfway through the nearly 300 Unknown channels.
    I just thought of this potential time-saver. Sorry, should have mentioned it in my first response... but I just didn't think of it. :oops: (facepalm)
    You might want to try the "test timeshifting" function within the TV Server config -> TV Channels section. If I recall correctly, it will automatically test each selected channel, and untick the channels that can't be timeshifted successfully for whatever reason. If you're going to use that method, you might want to try it on just a handful of channels first. Like I said, it should only operate on the channels that you select; other channels are untouched. ...and all it does is tick/untick (which will show/hide the channel in MediaPortal) depending on whether the channel can be timeshifted successfully.

    I've already tested the Guide stuff and it seems to be working fine with your instructions. I've got Power Scheduler set to do an update of the guide data at 03:00, so I'll check for a fresh tvguide.xml file tomorrow and see if itt was updated.
    Great. :)

    By the way, the XMLTV mc2xml wiki page needs a little touch up work done...
    Thanks for the feedback! (y)
    I've applied the changes you suggested. Feel free to let us know if you spot anything else that needs clarification, tweaking etc.
    (Note that anybody who would like to can update the wiki. Just sign up for an account, log in, and there should be an edit button visible on each page.)

    Thank you very much for clarifying the Schedules Direct setup. It worked wonderfully well.
    No problem! I'm happy to have been able to assist. :)

    I plan on updating with more replies when I achieve successful completion of the whole thing.
    Sure, I'll keep an eye on this thread then.

    Regards,
    mm
     

    DesertDwarf

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    May 16, 2015
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    Hi mm,

    With your help, I've made good progress. The guide data loads well, but I'm still missing some channels. For example, Food Network, TVLand, A&E, etc. It's probably about 20 channels. I'd like to find those again.

    Also, can I assign channel numbers to my channels? I'm used to, for example, ABC being 15 (SD) and 15-1 (HD). Do I follow these instructions? http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_.../TV_channel_numbers?highlight=channel+numbers

    I was caught by a "publisher's quotes" issue in this article (http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...)/XMLTV_mc2xml#PowerScheduler_Plugin_Settings), and wanted to fix the Wiki. But I've discovered I can't edit Wiki pages because I can't login to the Wiki. I'm stuck. It's as if my forum account never propagated to the Wiki.

    The publisher's quotes are down in the three-lines of batch file commands under the PowerScheduler Plugin Settings section. They're the "open quote" and "close quote" marks instead of the generic straight quote in the "cd" command.

    So, we're a-gettin' there! :)
     

    mm1352000

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    Hello again

    With your help, I've made good progress.
    Great! :)

    The guide data loads well, but I'm still missing some channels. For example, Food Network, TVLand, A&E, etc. It's probably about 20 channels. I'd like to find those again.
    It's difficult for me to help with issues like this, but I can try if you can supply:
    1. Log files showing the full scan that you did.
    2. The name of your cable provider.
    3. Your zip code.

    Also, can I assign channel numbers to my channels? I'm used to, for example, ABC being 15 (SD) and 15-1 (HD). Do I follow these instructions? http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_.../TV_channel_numbers?highlight=channel+numbers
    http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_.../TV_channel_numbers?highlight=channel+numbers
    Yes, you can assign channel numbers... and yes those instructions are good. However, note that TV Server doesn't support "two part" numbers like "15-1".

    I was caught by a "publisher's quotes" issue in this article (http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_MEDIAPORTAL_1/13_Setup_Guides/2_TV_Setup/4_TV_Guide_Setup_(EPG)/XMLTV_mc2xml#PowerScheduler_Plugin_Settings), and wanted to fix the Wiki. But I've discovered I can't edit Wiki pages because I can't login to the Wiki. I'm stuck. It's as if my forum account never propagated to the Wiki.
    I don't understand the link between the forum and wiki accounts, but I can tell you I certainly use the same account for both. It's been so long since I signed up... and I know there have been issues with the account sharing.

    The wiki help page says:
    Note: only valid MediaPortal forum users can contribute to the Wiki, and access the Help pages on Contributing. (You must have at least 5 forum posts and have been a user for 10 days)

    MindTouch Version 10.1.4.30020

    Can't log in? If you have problems logging in to the Wiki, then login to the homepage (not forum) first. This should re-sync your username and password with Wiki if necessary.

    Note the required forum post count (to prevent spam). Perhaps you just need a few more forum posts?

    The publisher's quotes are down in the three-lines of batch file commands under the PowerScheduler Plugin Settings section. They're the "open quote" and "close quote" marks instead of the generic straight quote in the "cd" command.
    Fixed, thanks! :)

    Regards,
    mm
     

    DesertDwarf

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    May 16, 2015
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    It's difficult for me to help with issues like this, but I can try if you can supply:
    1. Log files showing the full scan that you did.
    2. The name of your cable provider.
    3. Your zip code.
    1. Log file attached.
    2. Cox
    3. 85041
    I don't understand the link between the forum and wiki accounts


    That's OK. I figured it out from the part you quoted. Somehow, my forum account and "main" account ended up out of sync. I reset the password to my main account and now everything is good. I can log into the Wiki, now.
     

    mm1352000

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    Okay.
    It's been some time since I've done a lookup on a clear QAM lineup. Unfortunately it looks like my go-to database at Silicondust is gone. :(

    So, these are Cox's lineups:
    http://www.cox.com/residential/tv/channel-lineup.cox

    Which package do you have?
    Are you sure that you weren't receiving the channels you mentioned via analog (rather than digital clear QAM)?
     

    DesertDwarf

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    Which package do you have?
    TV Essential

    Are you sure that you weren't receiving the channels you mentioned via analog (rather than digital clear QAM)?
    No, I'm not sure. In fact, that's entirely possible. Should I scan for them, too? I was afraid of losing all the work I've done on cleaning up the clear QAM channels somehow.
     

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