Schedules Direct US/Canadian/Mexico EPG Plugin (Updated August 2010) (2 Viewers)

[blake2415]

Hello,

I'm having a pretty irritating problem. I can't get most of the channels between 150 thru 700. When MP scans it finds all the channels below 150, then it oddly finds 700 thru about 730 which are the HD channels. It misses 150 thru 699 and 731 or so thru 999.

Schedules Direct plugin finds all the channels but those that were originally missing from MP's scan find themselves as extrernal channels with a 25000/xxx channel number (xxx is the number of the channel) but when selecting these the channel IR just does nothing. Sometimes you get a blank screen but almost always you get the audio stil from the last working channel.

I've been messign with this about a week now and I'm lost with it.

I'm using MP with HAVA Media, which connects to my Motorola HD STB cable box. HAVA captures the Component signal, transmits it via eithernet to my pc where a HAVA client apparently acts like a TV card for MP. The IR is built in and apparently works perfectly since I can view and change all channels except for those that Schedules Direct adds in. Interestingly, I can delete the upper channel, re-enter it in simple form.. IE: Channel and Name - 630 HBO channel 630, just like the original channels scanned are saved by MP, but they still won't work. Only if I take a channel that was originally found can I replace the data for channel number in that spot and it will work. For example, I can take 101 and change it to be 755 and it will work, but I cant manuall add 755.

It seems to me there should be a way to just scan and watch but thus far I've had no luck.

ANy comments?

Bill

 

[patrick]

It seems to me there should be a way to just scan and watch but thus far I've had no luck.

Very strange Bill.
I do not know why MP would not scan/tune those channels.
Does it work correctly with the software that came with your hardware?
If so you could try reporting it as a bug to the MP dev team.

HTH,
patrick

 

[blake2415]

Patrick and Big Guy,

After reading the posts from Big Guy, he is describing the same situation as mine. He's getting the channels that MP finds (right big guy), but not the ones that Schedules direct finds. I think the problem is that above about 140someting, mp forces the channels out of the simple mode (name/channel number) and for me, that's all I need the remote to send. .. A simple IR channel command. I think if I can find a way to fix that, mine will work.

Big Guy, if you get a solution, let's share it with each other.. same here? Do you agree?

I"ll send you my email address.

Bill

 

[bigguy333]

Patrick and Big Guy,

After reading the posts from Big Guy, he is describing the same situation as mine. He's getting the channels that MP finds (right big guy), but not the ones that Schedules direct finds. I think the problem is that above about 140someting, mp forces the channels out of the simple mode (name/channel number) and for me, that's all I need the remote to send. .. A simple IR channel command. I think if I can find a way to fix that, mine will work.

Big Guy, if you get a solution, let's share it with each other.. same here? Do you agree?

I"ll send you my email address.

Bill

I found a solution that should work for you as well, I edited the sql table in the tvlibrary. I will make a sql query for you.


Patrick, there are 3 tables I modified, channel, channelmap, and tuningdetail. the column serviceId in tuningdetail I copied to these columns:

tvlibrary.channel.idChannel
tvlibrary.channelmap.idChannelMap
tvlibrary.channelmap.idChannel
tvlibrary.tuningdetail.idTuning
tvlibrary.tuningdetail.idChannel
tvlibrary.tuningdetail.channelNumber

Now I don't know exactly which one your plugin looks at, but after I ran my query, and then ran your plugin all the channels that I had in SD matched up with the channels I had in tvserver.

I will upload my sql query soon, I actually have to create it, I was just running query commands in mysql. You can have a look. My sql is not that good, so don't laugh too hard at the code.

 

[blake2415]

You'll not find me laughing at all Big Guy. I know about as much about SQL as I do rocket science. So that puts your SQL in the GURU level in my book!

I can't wait to see what you have. Maybe I can stumble into it. I'm pretty good at stumbling!

Bill

 

[bigguy333]

Ok here is my script for MYSQL. At least that is the database that I am using, I have no idea what the database looks like for mssql. First off USE THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK, you may get a corrupt database after you run this and have to reinstall the sql database. Ok there is the formal warning

before you even start disable the SD plugin. (just un-check it from the plugins from tvserver)

1. you will need to install mysql tools which can be found here: hxxp://dev.mysql.com/downloads/gui-tools/

2. you will need to erase the tvlibrary (this will erase all your tv settings, channels, and guide.) Do this by opening MySQL Administrator, enter your information for your database, then click catalogs then right click tvlibrary and click drop schema. You now have a fresh plate.

3. Restart the tvservice (it should recreate the tvlibrary).

4. load tv-server configuration, and rescan for your channels... again make sure the SD plugin is not enabled.

5. when the scan is complete run MySQL Administrator click tools, and then MySQL Query Browser.

6. click file, then open script. Select my sql file and click ok.

7. It should open up the script, it has 21 entries. click execute. Cross your fingers, hopefully you will not see any errors.

8. You are done, I would restart the tvservice once more then you can now enable the SD plugin and let it update the channels. I hope this works out for you, let me know. Also make sure the Automatically add new digital cable/satellite channels is turned off. after I turned the SD plugin on I restarted the tvservice... I don't know if this is required, but I did it.

 

[blake2415]

no solution now two solutions for missing channels

Dear Pat and Big Guy!

First, Big Guy, thank you for the time you put into this and sharing it. It appears you have found an answer and some good news... I stumbled on an answer too.

I've been doing my best to hack past this channel issue.. I started getting the idea that the channel layout was pre configured by MP to follow a pattern that included a logical change in channel scheme based on what applies to the old logic in the early cable days, and the VHF/UHF frequency allotment (sounds like BS from me right), anyhow I decided that MP is blocking the simple assignment of simple channels - NAMES and NUMBERS- and I think I am right. I picked randomly to tell MP I was in Mexico, it gave me the same scan results with the same problems. So I then tried again telling MP I was in Italy. Well... It's still filling the guide with schedule data, but I"Ve got no blocks now on all the channels I've checked. It gave me a list of all SIMPLE and INTERNAL channels for the run from 1 thru 999 and that's what I thought I needed anyhow but couldn't make it happen, at least not using the USA or Mexico location as my base.

The scan takes forever, much longer than the USA scan but at this moment it looks like all the channels are open and I'll check them later tonight to see if I'm blocke again, but I think it will be fine. I did check the 100's and 200's and 300's which I couldnt' get but now those are all here. I'm crossing my fingers for the rest.

Thanks and let me know if you try it.

Bill

Pat,

The scan is complete and I believe most or all work. However, when the scan by MP was completed, it gave a simple internal setting of channel name and channel number such as 99 and 99, then your guide module filled in the data except for some of the highest channels.. it actually ignored the channel there but created a duplicate.. for example I have 2 channel 714's. The one from MP shows no channel data but it will still tune the channel. Your module added also 714 with all the channel info and guide, but it fails to tune the channel but leaves the prior channel in place.

Would you like me to send the virgin scan and the post plugin modified channel list?

Bill

 

[Liquidtouch]

Will this work with the newest version of Media Portal?

I am finally thinking of upgrading my HTPC to use the TV Server now that the newest version 1.0 RC1 is out. Before doing anything I want to make sure that the Schedules Direct Plugin will work. I am thinking that that the biggest difference is the installer and it should work but can anyone confirm?

Forgive me if this is mentioned elsewhere but I can't find it.

 

[easygoer]

This may have been beaten to death already, but is there any free source of xml listings for North America out there? $20/year from Schedules direct seems too much to me since I can buy a nice software package like Sagetv or BeyondTv with much easier configuration which will give me EPG forever. $20/year for XML listings for pay for one of these softwares in 3 years. Thanks.

 

[Liquidtouch]

I don't think there is anything stable and reliable. The one that used to be free got canned because of HTPC companies abusing the terms of use. grrrrrrr. Oh well 20 bucks a year to be able to use Media Portal is a small price to pay IMHO. They are also trying to get the cost down as more people sign up.