New XMLTV Import Tool

[cummings66]

Can this program be used to setup the channel guide for those of us in the US?

I know we can use the built in stuff, but it's broken as far as the HDTV sub channels go and the XMLTV program no longer sorts it like it used to so I'm kind of stuck twixt a rock and a hard place until SageTV 5.1 comes out.

I just hate to go through a lot of effort to find in the end it won't work in the US.

[StephaneM]

Hello,

Originally Posted by heffe2001

That's the part I was afraid of . What do you do on the MT side for the channels listed that you don't want imported? Set those to 0? I get basically all the channels listed in the guide info from MT.

The best way to handle channels you don't want for now is either :

* To use the script I posted here a few post above this one (#128 to #130), this will delete the unwanted channels in the MT XMLTV file (this is the best method as it reduce the XMLTV file size and thus the import length)

* Or to create a "garbage" lineup and place all channels in this lineup (and you can choose any channel number : 0 is good). Though these channels will still be imported, this is something you may want or not (for instance if a Zap2it program does not have a description but the same program can be found in the unwanted MT channels, there is some chance that you'll get the description of MT if it is longer).

Regards,
Stéphane.

[StephaneM]

Hello,

Originally Posted by cummings66

Can this program be used to setup the channel guide for those of us in the US?

Yes you can. But you'll not have the ability to sort the channels and I'm not familiar with the way US Digital channels are handled by SageTV. For DVB-T this is how it is done : SageTV build a frequency file, and list all channels found, given them a sequential channel number. In the XMLTV Importer you'll simply give this sequential channel number. So in theory you can modify the frequency file to change the channel numbers as you want and use these in the XMLTV Importer.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[Hades]

Hi Stéphane,

Great program,and seems to be working well,just one niggle though.

All my episodic programs that have episode numbers always appear like this:
ie... "Episode 11 of 24 - The Hunting Party - Episode 11"

How do i get rid of the last "Episode 11">?

I was thinking i could use the hidden option in version 1.7,and edit the advanced_settings.xml and change the episodenum_decoration_value to FALSE.

I deleted my epgdata / all files in 3rdpartyguidedata,then re-ran the importer,and forced sage to re-import the data = same result.

Im guessing i have the advanced_settings.xml in the wrong location?

[StephaneM]

Hello,

Originally Posted by Hades

All my episodic programs that have episode numbers always appear like this:"Episode 11 of 24 - The Hunting Party - Episode 11"
How do i get rid of the last "Episode 11"?

I was thinking i could use the hidden option in version 1.7,and edit the advanced_settings.xml and change the episodenum_decoration_value to FALSE.

Verify that :

* The advanced_settings.xml file is in the install folder of the Importer (where import-log.xml, settings.xml etc... are as well located)

* You put this in the file : <episodenum_decoration value="False" />

* You can open the advanced_settings.xml in Internet Explorer without complains of IE.

I'm not sure, but I guess that you must use "False" and not "FALSE".

When I use "False" the episode decoration is disabled.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[Hades]

Hi Stéphane,

Thanks for that,it looked like i had installed (advanced_settings.xml)it in the wrong place after all.

Also i note that if i download the xml file in firefox,the xml file becomes advanced%5Fsettings.xml ,which i rename back to advanced_settings.xml
IE6 works fine.

Cheers

[marsh9man]

this program has been running great from a couple months, but now, for no apparent reason, it just sits at the import screen with no activity. I am runnig the donor version and have it automated. It will still launch the mytheatre importer which successfully creates an xml file, but just hangs after that, whether I run it manually or automated.

Any ideas?

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by marsh9man

It will still launch the mytheatre importer which successfully creates an xml file, but just hangs after that, whether I run it manually or automated.

Just a thought, the Importer will wait for the grabber process to end before doing anything else. So if the MyTheatre Importer process is still running, the Importer will just wait.

Anyway this is what the Importer should be doing right after grabber process end :

1) Write to the Event Viewer "Import started".
2) Change "Overall Progress" label to "Loading channels".
3) Change "Overall Progress" label to "Loading lookup table".
4) Change "Overall Progress" label to "[XMLTV Source] Loading XMLTV file".
5) Change "Overall Progress" label to "[XMLTV Source] Sorting programs".
6) Change "Overall Progress" label to "[Lineup Name] Loading previous programs".
7) Change "Overall Progress" label to "[Lineup Name] Importing programs"

And the channels will be displayed under "Channel Progress". 6 & 7 are repeated for each lineups and 4 & 5 for each XMLTV file.

So tell me on what steps the Importer is stopping (does it get 1) done etc..)

Regards,
Stéphane.

[marsh9man]

when i press the import button, it does nothing.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by marsh9man

when i press the import button, it does nothing.

It must do something, there isn't any failure path possible between the moment you press the "Import" button and at least when the Importer logs events to the event viewer (it will also update the import-log.xml file in the install folder of the Importer). Are-you sure the "Import" button is not already grayed out when you try to press it?

So really review the Windows Event Viewer, you'll find a "SageTV Utilities" log (by the way depending on how many errors are encountered during import you can choose to "Overwrite events as needed" for this log by right clicking on the "SageTV Utilities" log and choosing "Properties"), or review the import-log.xml file.

Anyway send me in a zip file all the xml files you'll find in the install folder of the Importer to lmgestion@hotmail.com to see if I can see if there is something wrong with your settings.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[Franc]

This sounds like the same problem I'm having.
I just found out that when I deleted the import-log.xml file and run the importer again, it runs just fine. Looks like the log file gets corrupted and then the importer hangs while trying to write to it or something.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by marsh9man

when i press the import button, it does nothing.

As Franc founded it, on his setup the import-log.xml file is corrupted (not saved till completion), in this case this will indeed prevent the Importer from working correctly.

I'm looking into this and will issue an updated version to prevent corruption and recover if any.

Meanwhile you can safely delete this file (it will be recreated) and the Importer should be working as always.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[marsh9man]

Thanks to both of you, that fixed it.

[StephaneM]

What's new :

• Fixed (1.8) : possible corruption of import-log.xml file will prevent the Importer from running.

[Olive]

Hi Stephane,

Assuming the XMLTV grabber I use carefully ensures that every single timezone offset in the XMLTV file it produces is correct, I don't really need the timezone override from your importer, though specifying it anyway shouldn't hurt either.

Or could it? Let me explain. As I live in Belgium, the timezone offset is currently +0200 (CET summer time), and that is what my XMLTV file specifies. I understand I should therefore set the offset to -0200 in your importer to get UTC time.

Q1. But what will happen when we get back to CET winter time +0100? I should I then manually update the importer configuration?

Q2. Worse, what will happen when I try to import an XMLTV file that covers a period that overlaps the DST change (e.g. it contains both +0100 and +0200 times)?

Olive

[StephaneM]

Hello Olive,

Originally Posted by Olive

As I live in Belgium, the timezone offset is currently +0200 (CET summer time), and that is what my XMLTV file specifies. I understand I should therefore set the offset to -0200 in your importer to get UTC time.

Normally, the Importer should have put "-1" in the time offset field and checked the "use dst" check box. This is the recommended settings for your time zone. As you are in CET summer time currently this is in fact "-2".

Q1. But what will happen when we get back to CET winter time +0100? I should I then manually update the importer configuration?

You have to check the "use dst" check box. This way the Importer will figure out all alone if the show date is in summer / winter time. So there is no need to change the Importer configuration when you switch from/to summer time.

Q2. Worse, what will happen when I try to import an XMLTV file that covers a period that overlaps the DST change (e.g. it contains both +0100 and +0200 times)?

It will also works as the detection is based on the show date and not on the import date.

So basically, if the Importer has a "time offset" field, this is for a "set and forget" operation. The Importer is assuming that:

* XMLTV time zone is not always accurate
* XMLTV show time are most of the time already local time (as in your XMLTV file)

That's why it's better for all to be able to handle the time zone directly in the Importer (I never had any users reporting that it doesn't work as it should in years).

Regards,
Stéphane.

[ould]

Originally Posted by xred

I've done this as much as possible. I have hand picked my channels in the Zap2it lineup to just the bare minimum, but the big problem is in MyTheatre where I have to have ALL the channels I want to watch in the "SageTV" favorite and therefore in the EPG data it exports. If Mytheatre allowed you to have the same channel in different favorite groups I might be able to get around this, but no joy as far as I can tell.

Xred,

Sorry to bring up an old post but I was just browsing through this forum as I am looking to make my EPG slightly better and came across this importer so decided to peruse through the thread. I am not sure if you have sorted out the issue you outline above but I think I have your solution. I am not using this importer but am still using Demidius'(sp?) importer as that has been working pretty good for me except when I record a series it records every showing whether it is a rerun or not. Somewhat annoying but I have lived with it til now. But now that I don't have much tv to watch I thought about trying this thing out during my downtime.

Anyways what I did so that the xmltvmtepg123 only exports that channels I need is as follows. I took my channels.mdb file and created a copy of it and renamed it to epgchannels.mdb. In my original channels.mdb file I have everything set to favourite #15(Sage favourite) so that I can have access to all channels within Sage. I then went into my new file epgchannels.mdb using MS Access. I opened the favourites table and added a new entry. 16 which I called EPG. I then proceeded in the channels table and deleted everything except the channels I wanted XML data for(PPV, porn, some of the HD stuff and other channels that Zap2it doesn't carry info for). So I am left with only a handful of channels in this new file. I then set all these channels to fav=16.

I then edited the xmltv2mtepg.ini file as follows:
[Setup]
CHANNELFILE=c:\program files\mytheatre\EPGChannels.mdb
and
[Exporting]
THIS_FAV_ONLY=16

I am not sure whether I actually needed to make a new favourite but I figured it couldn't hurt. This has been working excellent with Demideus' importer so it should work for Stephane's as well. Is this what you were trying to accomplish? Or am I way off...

Hope it helps someone out there, it worked great for me.

Kevin

[marsh9man]

Thanks ould...this was an easy and effective solution ...and by the way, it does work fine just creating another database, but without the extra favorite.

[silkshadow]

I have to say, your import tool is really great! Now I can see what all those BTV users at HTPC-gear are always talking about. Thanks StephaneM! I was wondering if it was possible to use your importer to add a category tag to all shows on a certain channel. For example to make all shows on HBO or Star Movies tagged as movies? Thanks!

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by silkshadow

I was wondering if it was possible to use your importer to add a category tag to all shows on a certain channel. For example to make all shows on HBO or Star Movies tagged as movies?

No the Importer will not do this. However it's not very difficult to "enrich" the data before they are passed to the Importer.

A simple VBScript can be used to do this:

* search all programs on a particular channel
* add a "movie" category node (<category lang="en-us">Movie</category>)
* save the modified XMLTV file.

I've attached a sample script to do this, just replace the variable in constantes.inc :

sEPGFile = the path to your XMLTV file
sChannels = list of channels separated by commas (channels for which a movie category node will be added to each programs)
sLanguage = your current language (en, en-us, fr, de), it's not really important
sMovieKeyword = the movie keyword that will be inserted for the programs

Then just run the .wsf file and it will do its job.

Regards,
Stéphane.