UK RadioTimes TV grabber and channels.dat update script (1 Viewer)

[yourmumquake]

Splash_womble: I'm still 'perfecting' my prog - it only started out as a 'small' project, really to alert me to new channels on RadioTimes website. But the thing is growing and becoming much more complex.
You maybe interested to hear I changed the operation to just add the new channels rather than renew all channel names and adding the new ones, as the above programme does. I have included a switch to allow the same functionality though. This was after you mentioned : “it only grabs the new channels, even though the old ones still have grab instructions next to them?”

You may also be pleased to note I have now added functionality to remove channels that have been taken off either RadioTime or MyDigiGuide websites.

Further, whilst looking into picking up if WebEPG has been used (to make the necessary changes as sown in the ‘alert’ text file) – so I could automatically delete the text file from desktop, I realised there is likely a way to automate the whole WebEPG grabbing on these new or removed channels – I have completed the code for removing but am pondering on the new channels – should I just add any and all new channels do you think? (Also, a choice needs to be made as to which website has priority to add if the channel already exists or appears on both at the same time)
Once I have this, this programme will possibly take over the need to use the WebEPG for additional mappings as such.

The last part I wanted to complete before releasing the next version was to provide more options on getting the data from web sites, maybe next week if I don’t get bored first

Clanmacenzie: I started this prog really to alert me to new channels on RadioTimes (ITV HD!) so that I could manually add them to the XML file but one thing has lead to another and now I find I’m working on quite a complex programme (for me, that is – as I am no programmer by any stretch of the imagination!).
I too have noticed something strange going on with the auto grabbing and what appears to be a reduction in programmes being shown within MP for ‘Films’ but ‘Movies’ appears to increase! But I am hoping as it is beta software it has been caught and will be fixed on released version...
I have noticed small 'errors' in both the RadioTimes and MyDigiguide XML template sections but have yet to change and test, which I hope to do soon and before I make the next version of this program available.

 

[clanmackenzi]

Thanks yourmumquake, I'm not so confident that this will be captured - I use an updated 1-xmltv_radiotimes_com.xml to get ITVHD, More4 and BBC Alba that was originally created back when I was using 1.0.1 and it has never been included into 1.0.2, 1.1alpha or beta.

I have been searching and cannot find anybody else talking about it - definitely a bit buggy. I'll put in a bug report but may be too late to reach 1.1 RC1. Really surprised more people have not noticed this - maybe just a problem with Radio Times or UK channels but I cannot understand how.

Going to try the old webepg.exe file to produce xmltv.xml files and use the xmltv function to update the guide - this may be a good work around until the webepg functionality is fixed. Of course your prog to keep me updated with new channels sounds really useful.

 

[jtgowen]

This is exactly what I was looking for. I've been so used to using xmltv gui with its ability to refresh the channel listings before moving over to 1.1beta and webepg that I hope your script is incorporated into webepg.

 

[yourmumquake]

Thank v much jgowen.

I have started new thread with possibly much improved (hopefully!) program.
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/webepg-136/radiotimes-mydigiguide-xml-updater-75005/

Interested in feedback....
Kind regards.