UK users - what EPG source and software are you using?

[JP23]

Hi,

I used XMLTVGUI with Radio Times listings for a long time, but that stopped working some time ago.

Since then I've been using WebGrab Plus, which does the job, but is quite complicated to configure and takes literally hours to pull down 14 days of listings for about 75 channels.

So I'm wondering what other people are using these days, and what the positives and negatives are for the various options.

[imilne]

I'm still quite happy with DVBGuide downloading the OTA data to an XML file and then imported into NPVR. It probably sounds a bit redundant as NPVR can grab the same data, but I have a couple of additional scripts that reformat it too. Although it's so long since I wrote those that I can't even remember what they reformat!

Iain

[gEd]

I just use the built in schedules direct. works superbly and the small fee is more than worth it in my view for the quality of the data and the fact that it is just set and forget...

[martint123]

I just use the built in schedules direct. works superbly and the small fee is more than worth it in my view for the quality of the data and the fact that it is just set and forget...

Likewise - in fact just remembered that I was using it. Very responsive to and support questions or new/missing channels.

[Lao Pan]

Used DVBGuide until a couple of years ago - using OTA since then.
Just had NPVR reschedule a failed recording automagicaly which is a new feature for OTA.

[ACTCMS]

I've always used the OTA EPG.

Alex

[JP23]

A couple of questions for you all then:

How many days of data do you get from OTA?
Can it be updated on demand, or does the data just come down at a specific time?
Does OTA work well when you have a mix of sources - ie DVB-T & DVB-S - is there a difference in the data provided by the two?

Can schedules direct provide 14 (or more) days of listings?
Does schedules direct provide UK radio listings?


Also, I may have been a bit too hard on WebGrab Plus in my initial post. While the initial download for 14 days of listings took a couple of hours, and incremental update the following night took about 25 minutes. Still very slow compared to XMLTVGUI or MC2XML, but it's happening at 2am on my server, so it's no problem.

[gEd]

SD gives me 11 days of EPG
Yes it includes radio listings (although I only have BBC1-4 configured)
It also downloads the programme artwork so I don't need to use add-on utilities any more.

I have never used DVS so this is only "what I think" but I'm reasonable sure that there is not OTA EPG for DVS (hence why the source option only lists DVB/ATSC and not DVS). I think you can map the EPG from DVB to an identical DVS channel.

FWIW, the main reasons why I was never so keen on the OTA EPG (I previously used Alan Birtles XMLTV app) were that
1. it didn't have a reliable uniqueID which NPVR uses to avoid duplicate recordings
2. I found the programme synopsis a bit basic/brief/meh
3. There was a problem with films not always being correctly classified as films
4. Season and Episode information was missing for a lot of shows.

Now some or all of these issues may have been fixed or improved and I'm sure ACTCMS or others could comment on the current situation.