xmltv install / configure for ATSC / OTA U.S.A (2 Viewers)

[breese]

Either one should work, but don't need both

No... You are creating the Standard file (create it and look at it), then adding the Needed lines for Your Account.....
The standard file being created does not and Cannot know your logon info....

and your command line doesn't tell zap2xml to use the rc file

Because its not using it... Its creating a new file that calls the info...

Most have stopped using this anyways (including me) for EPG-Buddy....

 

[cewillis]

You're the expert -- but I sure don't see how your description follows from the documentation at zap2xml .
But I'll try it, 'cause 'something' seems wrong with what I'm doing.

 

[cewillis]

No -- using zap2it works just fine with no rc file.
Not getting tvguide.com to work right though -- generated tvguide.xml has all channels, but programs for fewer days (not 13 as requested) every day it's generated.

 

[Arlie]

I am frustrated and confused by all this.
As I was reading the first page, I clicked the link http ://zap2xml.awardspace dot info/#dependencies.
I tried following his directions, I even signed up to both zap2it and TV Guide. I finally downloaded BOTH of those pearl downloads. I had to download a file reader (File Viewer Plus 3) for the one that was not windows.
The Windows download will open for about 10 seconds and close.
With the other one, I can't make any sense of what I'm looking at, and don't know where I'm supposed to input my email and password for zap2it, or the TV Guide
Could somebody PLEASE dumb this down so a 60 year old fart can once again watch and record his OTA broadcasts like he did before the WMC guide took a dump?
I tried to follow the last 3 pages here, but it was of no use and started sounding like 2 people arguing.

 

[CyberSimian]

Could somebody PLEASE dumb this down

I have never used zap2it or TVGuide, so I regret that I cannot offer you any advice to help you get those to work. But I woud ask you this:

Are you 100% sure that you want to stop using WMC?

It is true that Microsoft has discontinued the EPG, but alternatives are available. In particular, "Schedules Direct" provide a high-quality EPG for around $25 per year, and there is an excellent tool called "EPG123" that converts the Schedules-Direct data to the form that WMC needs. The author of "EPG123" is very active on the Green Button forum, and provides as much help as possible to his users.

If you are content to continue using Windows 7, then WMC with "EPG123" would be an excellent solution for your DVR needs.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[Arlie]

Are you 100% sure that you want to stop using WMC?[/I]

What I 100% want, is a media center with an EPG that works. actually what I've seen with this unit, leaves a lot to be desired. It will find my recordings and pictures and such, list them, but not play them. The movie files are very common types (.mp4 .avi etc.), so I see no excuse for them not to play.
I have been looking longer than I care to, and I'm tired of searching. If I could find something I could EASILY put into the WMC that would be fine, but I found most only seem to cater to Europe, and other countries in the that hemisphere. It's like most westerners don't use, or even heard of WMC.
I don't know, I may just throw the whole mess out, just use my phone like a good little American Sheep, and tell Microsoft exactly what section of my anatomy they can pucker up to.

It's sad that as smart as these people are, nobody seems to be able, or are motivated enough, to to make a media center with OTA capabilities, that already has the EPG built in, that just asks a couple of questions to get you into your area. Obviously it has been done before, and added to an OS that should have been left alone.

New and Improved My Butt!
I'd just as soon stick with the "Old and mediocre".
And yes, I edited the crap out of this.

 

[Dave Bootsma]

EDIT: I am working on a new setup of this and will post here when completed. The new setup will allow the addition of Series info by means of TVGuide.com. As an added bonus, the channel mappings produce a greater number of Auto-Mappings.
Thanks goes out to zap2xml for the recent updates allowing all this to be possible!

This is an effort to ease the install and configuration of the xmltv plugin included with MP1 and MP2.
While Schedules Direct and others require the use of a paid service, the following uses a free service, as such I have documented and moved over to it.

Any and all comments or recomendations are welcome. Once this has been tested by others, I will ask it becomes a Sticky.

Info Source:
Create an account on tvschedule.zap2it.com
Edit your account for the area code and service (Cable Company, OTA, Etc. )
Close your browser.

Download zap2xml ( Error 404 | AwardSpace.com/ ) EDIT: Author requested download from his site only... My Bad...
NOTE: Think of the best place to install zap2xml.
I choose to install it on the root of my F:\TVGuide drive and directory in order to make it easier to locate and configure the scheduling.
This allows the application to continue to get updates even while I am doing Clean Installs for testing and, at any given time this folder can take up 12Plus megs of space depending on the number of channels.

Once zap2xml is installed:
Download from this thread the xmltv.zip file, unpack it, and copy the xmltv.dtd file to:
C:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MP2-Server\SlimTVCore\v3.0\xmltv\

Open the folder where you installed the zap2xml.exe and create a file called zap2xmlrc.txt
Add the following lines within this new text file
NOTE: Do not include the Quote Marks after the Equal Sign

days="put the # of days you want downloaded every day"
user="UserName used on zap2it.com"
pass="Password used on zap2it.com"
outfile="F:\TVGuide\tvguide.xml" ---- As I said above - This is My Location and File Name Used
Save and Close the file.

From the same location, run the zap2xml.exe with the following command line
zap2xml -u tvguideuser@email.xx -p password -o myfile.xml
tvguideuser@email.xx == Your zap2it username
password ==Your zap2it password
myfile.xml == tvguide.xml

Once started you should see a new tvguide.xml file in this folder.
NOTE: This can take a few minutes to complete... F5 within the folder and monitor the size of the file.
Once completed, you can open the tvguide.xml
There should be channel and guide within it.

Example:
<tv source-info-url="http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/" source-info-name="zap2it.com" generator-info-name="zap2xml" generator-info-url="zap2xml@gmail.com">
<channel id="I91649.labs.zap2it.com">
<display-name>2.2 WBBMDT2</display-name>
<display-name>2.2</display-name>
<display-name>WBBMDT2</display-name>
</channel>


MediaPortal TV Configuration

Open the MediaPortal 2 TV Configuration
View attachment 173258

Configure your TV Tuner
View attachment 173259

Complete a channel scan
View attachment 173262

NOTE: You can view the channels found while the scan is running and you can go back to the scan to monitor its completion.
View attachment 173261

Click on Plugin's
Put a check mark next to xmltv
Click on xmltv under Plugin's
Under the General Tab, change the location of the TVGuide.xml to where your file is
NOTE: You Must Uncheck the box Import files in the new tvguide.lst
View attachment 173263

Click on Import
NOTE: If all goes as planned, this may take some time to complete and will populate
Last import run at:
Total channels imported:
Total programs imported: This will get populated after we map the channels.

Click on Mappings (If it does not change to Mappings, the Importer is Still running, Once the importer is done the Mappings tab will open)
Place a Check Mark on Partial match
Pull down the Group and choose All Channels
Click on Load/Refresh
View attachment 173264

Once Loaded, Click Save
NOTE: The MediaPortal TV Configure window can be dragged to make larger making it easier to configure.

The channel mappings might not locate some or all your channels.
To resolve this, locate the MP2 Server Log file and open it (Leave the TV Configure Open)

The channels will be in the same order within both the Server Log and TV Configure.
Do a find for your first channel (mine is CBS2-HD)
Use the maj:# and the min:# to now locate (thru the pull down) the correct channel mappings.
View attachment 173265

Example From Server Log:
[2015-12-13 14:00:20,632] [9340335] [80 ] [DEBUG] - atsc:Found: ATSC:tv:Terrestrial CBS2-HD Freq:-1 ONID:1 TSID:999 SID:1 PMT:0x0 FTA:True LCN:2001 phys:12 maj:2 min:1 mod:Mod8Vsb


Repeate the steps for all the other channels
Click on the General Tab and then Click the Import Button again.
NOTE: Because we have now completed the mappings of all channels, this will take some time and should fill in all the imported info
View attachment 173266

Task Scheduler:
To automate the download and install of the TVGuide, create a Task Schedule
Here are the setting I currently Use
View attachment 173267 View attachment 173268 View attachment 173269 View attachment 173270

How can I get zap2xml since your link is no longer available? Tried searching web for others but all seem to lead to the same 404 error page

 

[cbr954rr]

I find no solution to start the xmltv.exe with a batch in the taskplaner in win 10. Any suggestions? No I do not want to use epg-buddy or zap2it, I will prefer to get xmltv core to work.

 

[blazerqb11]

Is Zap2XML still working? It seems to just be downloading the East Coast defaults now. I tried to go back in and reset it to my local listings, but it hasn't taken so far.

 

[cewillis]

OK in Arizona so far. Last schedules load this morning at 5:00 am - today through 1/1/21.