Schedules Direct plugin - simple questions (1 Viewer)

[cewillis]

Reason for questions: I've been using zap2xml to get data from tvguide.com and write tvguide.xml for xmltv for years - but it seems to not work anymore.
So I'm trying to use the SD plugin to get data from Schedules Direct instead (do have account) I have the SD plugin installed - but I clearly do not understand what it does. (and the documentation is absolutely no help)
Does it make an xml file? If so, where is it?? If not, is it "stuffing an EPG database". Defined in DVB EPG or where?
How is SD plugin triggered? Power Scheduler? I have it defined for 5:05(assume 24 hr time) every day, and tried at current time + 3 minutes, but nothing happened.
Appreciate any help or pointers to info about the above questions.

Edit: BTW, I would use mc2xml instead -- if I could figure out how to run it from a command line - for a scheduled task, Trying to run it in Command Prompt with arguments just pops up the stupid dialog box.

 

[CyberSimian]

I'm trying to use the SD plugin to get data from Schedules Direct

The "Schedules Direct" plugin is described here in the Wiki. although the description is extremely brief .
I live in the UK and have no direct experience of using "Schedules Direct", but some points which I think are correct:

(1) You must set up your "Schedules Direct" account to supply the EPG info in XML format. I think that the default is the newer JSON format, but the "Schedules Direct" plugin cannot handle JSON format.

(2) There is a fixed version of the plugin, which is 1.11.0.3. If this is not the version that you have installed, download the fixed version from this post. Uninstall your existing version and install the fixed version. (The unfixed version places the files in the wrong folder.)

(3) The plugin inserts the downloaded EPG directly into the TV Server database, so there is no intermediate file to handle (although there may be an option to create one to examine if you wish to review the content).

(4) The settings for the "DVB EPG" in "TV Server Config" relate specifically to the EPG that is broadcast with the TV signals in some countries (this is what I use), but this EPG is not broadcast in the USA. The "DVB EPG" settings do not apply to the "Schedules Direct" plugin, and all of those settings should be disabled.

(5) I think that you need to configure the "Schedules Direct" plugin in "TV Server Config". After the plugin is installed (and TV Server restarted), expand the "Plugins" section (left side menu in "TV Server Config"), and the plugin should be listed. Click that and the configuration pages should be displayed.

(6) I don't know where you specify the download time. Possibly it is on one of the plugin's config pages. If not, you could try using the PowerScheduler plugin's "Load EPG" setup. You can specify times when the system is to wake to load the EPG, and I think that anything that is configured to be active will be invoked. So if the "Schedules Direct" plugin is installed and configured correctly, I think that it will run (hmm, perhaps that is a guess ).

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[cewillis]

Thanks for the info. All clear except whether Power Scheduler will actually run SD plugin at specified times. I'll look into it,
Meantime, I got mc2xml working, and that can be run daily as a scheduled task. (that;s what I used to do - I think)
Meantime again, it appears my zap2xxml from tvguide.com started working again - temp problem with tvguide.com??
So now I have three ways to get the guide data (for now).