Schedules Direct QAM Maping Offer (1 Viewer)

[breese]

SD has started offering User Supplied QAM Maping features to their offerings there-by allowing applications like Media Portal to scan for QAM and send them the info in raw and or updated info.

The idea (from my understanding) is to create a definable QAM Map that will have a greater chance of matching a channel / name search within applications.

I have been working with Robert Kulagowski thru emails and even sent him my WinTV database file for the Chicagoland WOW cable network. When I asked if it was usable,

If you're asking how the Media Portal developers would access the new
JSON service that we're setting up for scheduling, they should start with
https://github.com/SchedulesDirect/JSON-Service
and examine the wiki; it gives an overview of the fields in the new service.

Not being a programmer, the following information should prove to help

New Feature: QAM Maps: http://forums.schedulesdirect.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1214

Developers Corner: http://forums.schedulesdirect.org/viewforum.php?f=8

I have seen JSON, Ruby, C# all being talked about. Maybe someone here can understand all this better than I and possibly make the Media Portal experience better as for channel scanning.

 

[breese]

Futher discussions with SD thru email:

Tribune's systems (we get our data from Tribune) are not programmed to
support QAM because the cable companies don't want to distribute QAM
data, so Tribune isn't going to do the R&D to support QAM if there's no
"market" for it. Since the cable companies are the ones that would need
to request the requirement, (and they're not), Tribune isn’t going to
implement something which won’t be used, and which the cable companies
won’t supply data for in the first place. We've asked Tribune, and for
whatever reason, the cable companies seem to consider QAM tuning
information as proprietary.

If you find QAM channels using a scan you'll need to check the wiki /
mailing list / support forum for your application for instructions on
how to correlate the channels you found via QAM with the XMLTV id's of
existing channels in one of the other lineups.

Schedules Direct is trying to collect QAM tuning data from our users to
make this easier in the future:
http://forums.schedulesdirect.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1211
http://forums.schedulesdirect.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1206

but that doesn't help if there's no one else in your headend that has
already performed the scan and sent us the data.

If you're willing to run the scan programs discussed in the forum post
then that can help you and others in the future.

If you can't run the scan, then supplying information like you got with
your MediaPortal could also work, but I'd have to manually add it.

As far as CBSHD, when you tune it in and watch, is it your local CBS
affiliate, or CBS Sports, or something else?

Say that it's your local affiliate, but WOW puts it on the wire with
"CBSHD" instead of their over-the-air callsign, like "WBBM-DT". In that
case, you'd have to make a mapping on your own, so that "CBSHD" is
matched to "20454" (because that's the stationID of WBBMDT, and that's
how you'll get the schedule information synced between what we send you
and what you have.)

Now, say it's something like CBSHDSports, and that station is listed in
the WOW EPG as channel 890, but 890 isn't in the lineup, then we can get
it added, because that means that WOW updated the lineup and didn't tell
Tribune, and we have to "remind" them. You'd open a ticket saying
"Channel 890 is in the WOW EPG, but not in the lineup. 890 is CBS Sports
HD".

If it's not listed on their website or printed material, but it is on
the set top box EPG, then that's still fixable, because it just means
that right hand and left hand aren't talking to each other.

If it's truly a "wild" channel, and WOW won't confirm with Tribune that
it's a real channel, then you're stuck, because it won't get added to
the lineup unless WOW says that it belongs there. In that case you can
try to find another lineup (lets say Comcast) in another zip code and
setup that one lineup with just one channel in it so that you can get
the schedule for that station.

We're actively working on a new offering that gives us the capability of
manipulating the channels so that a "wild" channel could get added,
along with QAM tuning data. It's in open beta right now, but because
it's an entirely different format (JSON), MediaPortal would need a new
grabber.

Discussion of the beta are at

http://forums.schedulesdirect.org/viewforum.php?f=8

 

[Sigpi007]

Hey Breese... can't believe I found this thread as I just switched over to WOW QAM in the Chicagoland area as well. Was also having issues with the SD plugin picking up the right EPG data. This info is great. Let me know if I can help in anyway. I have about 5 or 6 channels I'm having issues with still.

 

[breese]

What card are you using?
Did the QAM Scan find the actuall channel names or Unknown xx-xxx

I have started working with the support team over at Schedules Direct and with one of the developers of the SD plugin.
It appears from my weeks of testing that WOW does not flip the right switches for Clear QAM in all area's.
With that I have also been talking to them about the problems.

I am getting real close to asking them how they might think the TV Stations might feel about their Channel Names being so difficault to locate...

 

[Sigpi007]

I'm using the Hauppauge HVR-2250. The QAM scan did indeed find many channel names, but they weren't all accurate. I had to rename at least 5 or 10 out of the 70-80 channels. To be honest... I just want to trick the SD plugin to pull the right guide info (like by changing the channel number and using the last ditch option to match by channel number).

There are also a couple channels that I thought I should get (e.g. Bravo) but weren't picked up as far as I can tell. Definitely kills the wife acceptance factor.

I'm keeping an eye on the cablecard thread too. The second 64-bit support is ready for the Ceton InfinitiTV, I'll probably switch away from QAM --> Cablecard and cross my fingers that the scan will work better.

 

[breese]

Very interseting...
What area are you in? I am in Arlintgton Heights and my Hauppauge HVR-1600 and the scan finds only a few HD's.
Now I have to wonder why I am not getting as many Named channels as you..
Did you get the names straight from a QAM Scan into MP or did SD fill it in?

 

[Sigpi007]

I'm in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago on the far southside. I think the listings are probably the same though.

Anywho... Rather than beating my head against the wall, I decided to go into the MPTV database and see what was going on. Plently of issues with incomplete data in the "channels" table, but not too difficult to fill in by hand. I pretty much have everything working, and here's how I did it.

1. Since the "cable" lineup for WOW is missing some channels on the Schedules Direct website, I added the "Digital Cable" lineup for WOW which has 300+ channels (more than I get with QAM).
2. Go into the "channels" table of the MediaPortal database (how to --> https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/schedules-direct.105594/)
3. change the externalID data for each channel to match what's on the Schedules Direct website.
4. Apply the changes to the database.
5. Select "force guide update on next TV server start" in the Mediaportal TV Server Config tool.
6. Cycle the TV Service.
7. Voila... EPG data is correct.

 

[breese]

I sent you an IM... I would love to see an export of your TV Channels if possible