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

[StephaneM]

Hello,

Originally Posted by moamoa

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]

Originally Posted by redsuntrading

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]

Originally Posted by redsuntrading

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]

Originally Posted by redsuntrading

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?
I'm using a Twin Tuner DVB-T card if it makes a difference

[hi_tech_guy_18]

http://www.sisko.org/archives/2005/0...load-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/x...ools.2.9.0.zip
http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/x...-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/x...j/old_xerces1/

http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/x...ools.1.4.3.zip
http://archive.apache.org/dist/xml/x...-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/x...j/old_xerces2/

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

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by hi_tech_guy_18

outdated and dead links has made this guide useless

This 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.

[starfire]

See this for for a guide to Freeview setup using DigiGuide as a programme source.