xmltv vs. SageTV EPG internal service

[LehighBri]

Is there a reason why people have been using xmltv instead of using SageTV's built-in EPG service? What advantages does xmltv have over SageTV? Just curious.

Thanks!

[JParedis]

I'm using XMLTV because the SageTV built-in EPG service does not have a global coverage. I'm located in Europe-Belgium, so XMLTV is for me the only way to obtain EPG data. I believe the built-in EPG service is limited to NA?

Jan

[Alfiegerner]

There is support for using tvtv EPG data for Europe as a 'built-in' source.

I'm trialling this at the moment - there a number of problems with it though so I don't imagine I'll stay with it for long. Here are some of the issues with it:

You can have a maximum of 60 channels.
You can't have more than one lineup.
There are no first run or re-run markers.
The information is really poor compared the Radio Times xmltv feed I use in the UK.

The problem is that for many of us who use xmltv we don't get a very good service from it but use it as it is simply the best available. A lot of us in Europe would love to see a high quality integrated EPG service and would be prepared to pay for it.

[SCPRedMage]

I'm using XMLTV because I'm in Korea, and I'm watching the Armed Forces Network. Unfortuneatly, three of the channels were off by SEVEN HOURS in the EPG, and Sage's internal EPG service doesn't let you shift individual channels like that.

[theking2]

I get a supsicion that SageTV and TVTV are not really working together to get good user experience. One hint of the TVTV website (www.tvtv.ch) is that it lists support products but that SageTV is supsiciously absent (ATI, Snapstream, etc. are listed). Now my guess is that when enough customers swamp the SageTV helpdesk we might get some attention. Sofar the only response I got from SageTV is "Please consult the manual" which is not very helpful (I'm being kind here).

[ozfiles]

Been able to get Directv via a slingbox setup, for the last few months and I'm using Demideus import plugin, to combine my local Aussie stations and the Directv stations, to populate the sage epg using.
Looking forward to the release of Slingcatcher in the next month or two, so I can have a set top box type setup.

[JParedis]

An advantage of using XMLTV is that the guide is in 'local' language, which helps. I got English, German, French, Spanish, Flemish/Dutch stations but my XMLTV data (e.g., show contents) is all in local language as the XMLTV source is local. To my knowledge not available in a central EPG source.

Jan

[brit_sage]

Can sage TV pick up EPG via the tuner card itself?

I'm in the UK and just about to change over to SkyHD once I work out how it all works to suite my needs.

The sky box will pick up the EPG data so can sage do the same via the DVB-S2 cards I wish to purchase?

[rickgillyon]

Sage can and will pick up EPG from DVB-T, -S and -C sources. However, the quality of the EPG data is universally poor IME, and XMLTV in the UK via the RT feed gives far better data, far more detailed.