Step-by-step guide for setting up the XMLTV plug-in for UK guide data

[dspreadbury]

I'm in the process of building my first PVR at the moment, and I'm keeping a journal of how it's going on my blog, so that if I ever have to do it again, all the information about what I did will be in one place.

I've not yet got very far (still waiting for my USB-UIRT, for example, so I can't actually hook my new PC up to my Sky Digibox), but I have spent most of today following various tutorials about how to get the XMLTV plug-in working, and I've written up exactly what I did.

I don't know whether this guide will be useful for anybody else, but in the hopes that it will, here's the URL:

http://www.sisko.org/archives/2005/01/08/using-xmltv-in-the-uk-to-download-epg-data/

And if I've got things wrong, please tell me!

[newschapmj1]

This is excellent, it should be pointed to in Sage documentation for UK users.

[robd]

I don't know if it'll be any help but I did a similar thing when I first started with SageTV (2.0) see:
http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=7658 (several posts in)

[dspreadbury]

Thanks! I've updated the guide with some more information gleaned from this forum, and in particular from newchapmj1's guide, which he PMd to me.

[irousso]

That's odd... for some reason the changes I make in the properties file are reverted back to the original after I launch Sage. The strange thing is that Sage server is stopped using services tool. Also Sage is not in sleeping mode... any idea what could be going on here?

[dspreadbury]

I'm no expert, but my understanding is that the only reason the changes are reverted is because Sage is still runing somewhere. Check Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete) and stop any processes called SageTV.exe or SageTVService.exe.

[Alig Proudblade]

Im using SageTV 2.2.2 server with a Redrat 3.0 and am having issues setting up the EPG data.

Ive found the Radio Times XMLTV grabber which is a great little program. By using EXEtuner and the utilities supplied with the RedRat, I am able to control the Sky box (without even using Girder).

Im able to import the data into the EPG without too much problem, but the channel numbers on which it imports things bare no resemblance to the Sky channel numbers at all. Is there an easy way round this please guys?

Thanking you in advance,

Chris.

[dspreadbury]

I don't think there's an *easy* way around it: you simply have to remap the numbers in Sage one at a time to match the numbers in the Sky EPG.

[Alig Proudblade]

Doesnt that mean every time I have to do the data import again i.e. each 2 weeks that I will have to do it all again?

Chris.

[dspreadbury]

It's a good idea to import the EPG data every day, but you don't need to remap the channels in Sage every time: once you've done that, it remembers your choices.

[robd]

Apparently, if you're using Alan Birtles XMLTV grabber you can get it to change the channel id's when generating the XML see:
http://www.alanbirtles.dyndns.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?p=58#58

I had the same channel numbering problem (I'm on Telewest). I was very unhelpfully going to say that I got around the problem by writing my own XMLTV grabber based on Alans great work which (amongst other things) renumbers the channels.
It looks like Alans grabber does channel renumbering aswell ...

[birty]

you should update the links in your guide to http://www.birtles.org.uk/xmltv as the pipex site will probably go down sometime over the next week

[MadAxeMan]

For any of you UK Sky users that want to avoid the bulk of the channel renumbering work - I'd suggest you use the xmltv plugin from here:
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12740

Then you can remap the Sky Satellite channels in the properties file rather than through SageTV itself. Much safer to do it this way incase you ever lose your source info. It also supports many othe options including multiple sources.

Attached are the entries you need for a (presently) up to date Sky listing.

[motobarsteward]

Ok, all the instructions are here, but I can't get it to work. All the epg data is ending up in SageTv ok but the channels are not being re-mapped. I'm using the XMLTV GUI 3.02.01 to do the grabbing from UK_RT. I use the PrgDet post-processeor built into that tool. I then run the command line "xmltv tv_sort --by-channel --output "C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\epgdata.xml" "C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\data.xml"" using version xmltv-0.5.42-win32 of that tool. I'm using the plugin from here http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12740.

I took the text file provided by Mad Ax Man from http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?p=133246#post133246 and pasted it into the xmltv.properties file in the sagetv directory in the place where the template says it should go.

Please put me out of my misery!:bang:

[birty]

enable the UK_RT_ALT_RT post processor

[motobarsteward]

:thumb: My problem was because I'd previously re-mapped a channel. This stopped sage loading the new xml info.

[rickgillyon]

Recently upgraded to RT Grabber v3 (thanks Birty!) and cut out the XMLTV stage, i.e. grab to 1.xml and 2.xml, stuff in SageTV folder, using Nielm's plugin. Not running xmltv against the files at all. Seems to be working a treat.

However, in the last week I've had two SageTV stops (missed House :( ), and support says that the stops are related to XMLTV. It's a long way around of asking, when using the RT Grabber, is the XMLTV step still required or not? It's quite time-consuming, but I have no idea if it's v3, the lack of xmltv or some other issue causing the stops...

Thanks,
Rick

[moamoa]

having a few problems with the xmltv part...

followed the process outline in the instructions at the start... got the plugin installed and an epgdata.xml in my sage program foder. However, after entering 00000 and picking xmltv, my channel listing are a total mess.

What is the current *best* method of getting XMLTV GUI 3.06 data into sage?

which plugin do I do for sage, and how do i remap correctly?

PS. I have found a bug when you have an album of the same name from two artists.. all the tracks end up on the one album... best place to report this, if it is not already know?

[Mark SS]

I've never used the XMLTV stages mentioned in the guide. Just grab to 1.xml and 2.xml using Birtys grabber and installed neilm's XMLTV plugin as described:

http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthread.php?p=39299#post39299

I've been meaning to switch to Stephanes importer but haven't got round to it yet:

http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22/54/article.asp

[moamoa]

Ok, I have tried the second (lmgestion) version. Again, it works perfectly up until the point where i select a channel to view. At this point i either see "No Signal" or another channel altogether. For instance clicking on channel 9 which I have set a BBC FOUR shows More 4, and ITV2 show CBeebies!

Could I have some old remap info floating around that is messing it up?

The frq file looks perfect.
the guide looks perfect.
all looks cool.
But not working! :bang:

I attach the frq and some screen shots if that helps

[StephaneM]

Hello,
Could I have some old remap info floating around that is messing it up?
Yes and no... I suppose that you first tried to not use XMLTV data and make a channel scan on the DVB-T source. When you do this, SageTV create the frq file and is also creating a channel lineup.

To get rid of this lineup (and all lineups to start form fresh), delete your video sources in SageTV, shut down SageTV and edit the sagetv.properties file to remove all epg/channel_lineups/xxxxx= lines.

Then in the XMLTV Importer channel editor, verify that you correctly mapped your channel : you have to use the channel number found in the frq file as the channel number in the channel editor.

For instance for "Channel 4", the channel number is "ch:7" in your frq file, so put "7" (without the quotes) as channel number in the channel editor.

Note: you can "renumber" you channels in the frq file if you want, just change the "ch:xx" and reorder your channels in the file, but be careful to not use the same channel number twice.

When all is Ok for the channel numbers, launch the Import process by clicking on the "Import" button on the XMLTV Importer.

Then Launch SageTV and add your DVB-T video source, choose the XMLTV EPG Guide Source, choose your lineup and DONT DO A CHANNEL SCAN when SageTV ask for it.

Verify that the EPG is Ok, shutdown SageTV, and edit the sagetv.properties file this time for disabling the OTA EPG, you'll see a line like this one for each video source :

epg_data_sources/xxxx/disable_data_scanning=true

change the "true" to "false" this will disable OTA EPG (so as it will not overwrite XMLTV guide data).

Regards,
Stéphane.

[redsuntrading]

I have just de-installed this software from my PC.

Stephane you a good person, but this is not open source software and your average punter should not have to muck about like this.

If the software is sold for use in a country, it should work out of the box (especially when a recommeded EPG costs money) or should come with sufficent instructions, FAQs, whatever, to enable the average PC punter to obtain a result.

Goodnight Sage people I move onward and upward.

[rickgillyon]

I have just de-installed this software from my PC. Goodnight Sage people I move onward and upward.
If you want a simple uk pctv experience requiring fewer than 4 forum posts, I suspect MCE is for you. Hope it works out.

[StephaneM]

If the software is sold for use in a country, it should work out of the box (especially when a recommeded EPG costs money) or should come with sufficent instructions, FAQs, whatever, to enable the average PC punter to obtain a result.
You're right about this, however you should consider this :

* EPG solution in Europe are crappy : I have reviewed a lot of PVR solution and EPG data are far from OK (at least for France), even when you pay the EPG data !

* I tried with my very small company to contact an EPG provider to ask for some pricing or study to resell EPG data so as the whole PVR experience would be easier as you want : they allmost hang up on me. Those people are just plain greedy, if you don't come with thousands of $$ they simply disregard any proposal period.

Of course I could improve my own software to ease the whole process. That's something I'm thinking of.

Anyway, I wish you luck with another PVR software (I you found a very good one with a good EPG tell us all)

Regards,
Stéphane.

[redsuntrading]

If you sell software it should work as stated in the documentation.

The software I use has required zero posts on any forum, including open source.

[redsuntrading]

As I said Stephane, you are a good person.

I will revert to simple COMPRO software for the time being.

I do not use my PC as a media centre but only to record programs for my son.

To the man with kit coming out of his ears, I have freeview in every room in my house and it all worked out of the box.

[rickgillyon]

I have freeview in every room in my house and it all worked out of the box.
If you're comparing setting up an HTPC with a Freeview box, you probably should stick to the Freeview box! :P

Sage don't claim free integrated EPG for the UK, never have. But if you have a digital TV card in the box, you can use the EPG from the stream. If not, you need to play with XMLTV.

If you want free, integrated EPG in the UK you either need to use MCE or use your freeview boxes. Whatever works best for you.

[redsuntrading]

This is not true, SageTV does promise that a UK EPG will work with the software, namely tvtv (which I have paid for).

As Stephane points out, the software is not great at re-initializing the set-up parameters and unless you get it right the first time and only use one method, you slowly sink into the mire.

I accept what you say about XMLTV but tvtv is in the manual and on the set-up screens.

[rickgillyon]

Many people do have TVTV working, but I can't for the life of me see why. TVTV is utterly crap. As with all these things, use the free trial to see if it's worth it...

XMLTV is really easy to set up (for me, anyway). I don't use Stephane's importer, I use nielm's, works a treat.

[John@TunerUK]

I've moved over to Sage on Windows, from MythTV on Linux. Whilst Sage is a godsend in terms of ease of setup compared to MythTV, it would be nice to see the same sort of EPG that MythTV is capable of in the UK. It obtains the EPG data over the airwaves, and I used MythTV for a few months before I gave up trying to get Lirc to work on the newer kernel, but I always had decent EPG data for the next 14 days.
The inclusion of this, and a simple web browser would make SageTV perfect as far as I'm concerned.
But until then, any chance of a link to this Niam's xmltv grabber? And possibly a write up on how to use it?:thumb:
I'm using a Twin Tuner DVB-T card if it makes a difference

[hi_tech_guy_18]

http://www.sisko.org/archives/2005/01/08/using-xmltv-in-the-uk-to-download-epg-data/
outdated and dead links has made this guide useless

Step 1: Using the XMLTV grabber
XMLTV GUI 3.11.01 for Windows http://www.birtles.org.uk/xmltv/
the programs changed so much arias of the program moved and now you have to go though other arias of the program to configure it but its not outputting correctly for the next step Step 2: Download and install XMLTV

and the key part Step 4: Install SageTV’s XMLTV plug-in
Xerces XML parser, xerces.jar the Link and site is dead!
http://www.myhtpcresource.net/downloads/xerces.jar [Dead link/site]

Due that the xerces.jar Version or pack was never mentioned its hard to work out were to get a replament from

My search lead me to a strange ending for a replacement Xerces XML parser, xerces.jar file lead me here
http:\\xerces.apache.org/xerces-j


It become confusing here due there so many downloads
http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/xerces-j/

Newer xerces 3
http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/xerces-j/Xerces-J-tools.2.9.0.zip
http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/xerces-j/Xerces-J-bin.2.9.0.zip
[The above nolonger have an "xerces.jar" in them its been Renamed]


Older xerces 1
http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/xerces-j/old_xerces1/

http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/xerces-j/old_xerces1/Xerces-J-tools.1.4.3.zip
http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/xerces-j/old_xerces1/Xerces-J-bin.1.4.3.zip
[The above have an "xerces.jar" in them but its hard to tell what version or pack will work with sage]


Older xerces 2
http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/xerces-j/old_xerces2/

http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/xerces-j/old_xerces2/Xerces-J-tools.2.4.0.zip
http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/xerces-j/old_xerces2/Xerces-J-bin.2.4.0.zip
[The above nolonger have an "xerces.jar" in them its been Renamed]

[StephaneM]

outdated and dead links has made this guide uselessThis guide was written in 2005, so yeah it's outdated. You don't longer need the xerces.jar file in some XMLTV plugins.

There are many posts on this forums that also have informations about XMLTV for the UK. Most users are using Digiguide now as the EPG source and my XMLTV plugin for loading the EPG into SageTV.

Regards,
Stéphane.