No free US EPG?

[Deusxmachina]

FWIW, I get cable and satellite from MC2XML.

Heh, my TV is OTA, but I use the MC2 cable listings because Microsoft doesn't list digital OTA channels.

Hmm, maybe they've started, though. Would think they'd have to once analog is gone. Guess I'll have to check on that.

[dennit]

Heh, my TV is OTA, but I use the MC2 cable listings because Microsoft doesn't list digital OTA channels.

Hmm, maybe they've started, though. Would think they'd have to once analog is gone. Guess I'll have to check on that.

I get 12 different listings available in my ZIP code. One is local OTA broadcast marked:
ATSC Lineup - Type: LOCAL DVB T DIGITAL ANTENNA

[johnsonx42]

Heh, my TV is OTA, but I use the MC2 cable listings because Microsoft doesn't list digital OTA channels.

Hmm, maybe they've started, though. Would think they'd have to once analog is gone. Guess I'll have to check on that.

Microsoft's legacy service, the default service for MC2XML does not have ATSC channels. You can use -t with MC2XML to use the TitanTV service, which does have useable ATSC listings, complete with subs. Microsoft has a new service for Windows 7 (and maybe Vista's TV Pack upgrade?) that also includes ATSC listsings. If you've donated at least $20 to MC2XML, you can get a version that works with the new MS service.

[Daldana]

If you are only want OTA, you could use Zap2xml which pulls data from the Zap2it service. Zap2xml is free and is pretty easy to set up, but there are a couple of steps to do in Zap2it after you've gotten your free account. I use for my digital source and ATSC local channels.

Don't get me wrong, Zap2xml will pull both analog or digital broadcast info from zap2it, I just use it for the OTA stuff. The website is
http://zap2xml.110mb.com. Good luck.

Dave

[wtg]

I am glad that the SchedulesDirect people picked up the ball that Tribune Media Services dropped when they discontinued the free Zap2It xmltv data services, but I can't figure out why it is $20 per year. Zap2It was almost certainly not spending that much providing the service for free, so I have to guess that TMS is gouging SchedulesDirect for the data. I wouldn't mind supporting SchedulesDirect, but I don't want TMS making an unreasonable profit off of the non-profit.

TMS should be giving SD the data for free.

Why? I don't know much about TMS, but they either have to pay for the data themselves, or at least have to compile it. They undoubtedly buy hardware, pay people and have a budget. Why should they be giving it away for free?

I loved the free Zap2It service but I didn't see any benefit to the company to continue to provide the data for free. I thought it was extremely nice that they did while they could, and if they're to be believed - and I see no reason why they shouldn't be - they would have continued service but commercial entities were abusing their free service. The download bandwidth is significant and the extra hardware to support it and the ongoing maintenance isn't free.

If that wouldn't lower the price to single digit dollars per year, then SD is paying too much for equipment or hosting services, or something. $20 per year is not too much, just more than twice what it should be.

Based on what? What do you know that indicates they should be able to charge < $10/year? Where's the data to support your analysis?

Personally I think $20/year is very reasonable. My 14 days of EPG data for maybe 500 channels has the information of approx 150,000 programs - that's a lot of information that their service compiles for me, uniquely based on the TV channels I wish to receive data for, and is provided to me every day. The programming that was required to do this, the CPU time it requires, the electricity their systems use and the bandwidth I'm using isn't free. The maintenance of the system takes the time of several people. I don't know what their real costs are, but there are real costs.

Schedules Direct is a non-profit organization that was formed by a group of people that were basically volunteers with the expertise and contacts to be able to maintain the service that Zap2It Labs decided to halt. Originally it cost more than $20/year - maybe $20/4 months? I can't remember - but they lowered the subscription rate several times once they got enough paying subscribers and worked out what the hosting costs would be.

Affordability is relative but I can't figure how anyone can say $1.67/month is unreasonable. Most people waste oodles more on a cup of coffee at Starbucks or on tons of other useless crap they buy. When you consider how much time you'll waste on configuring and re-configuring a scraper application when it changes or breaks throughout the year, $20 is a bargain. What's your time worth? And whatever you use most likely violates the terms of service you agree to on the web sites the data is pulled from, and puts a sizable load on them too.

There are plenty of companies and services that gouge their customers and provide crappy, unreliable service that are deserving of our complaints, but sheesh, SchedulesDirect and the $20/year it charges for it's service isn't one of them.

[mvallevand]

My cable co (Rogers) bills 2.99 a month added to the STB for a Digital Services fee, which they say is primarily for EPG data.

Martin

[missithang]

Hey all,
I've been using MceEpg2XmlTv for about a year and a half (it was my solution to SD going to $ site). But i haven't been able to get any enhancers to work for me (it's been a while since i tried again so i don't have any specifics but i think i would set what i wanted but it would never be applied to the listings)

If i were to switch to mc2xml is there a better chance of the enhancers working?

I just have standard cable (non-digital)(United States) with 3 Hauppauge 150 cards.

GBPVR version 1.3.11
Vista Home Premium

Thanks!

[dennit]

Hey all,
I've been using MceEpg2XmlTv for about a year and a half (it was my solution to SD going to $ site). But i haven't been able to get any enhancers to work for me (it's been a while since i tried again so i don't have any specifics but i think i would set what i wanted but it would never be applied to the listings)

Interesting. I still use MceEpg2XmlTv for one source and MC2XML for another. I successfully used UltraXMLTV for a year or so, but had some trouble and took it out. I've planned to use it again, but just haven't gotten around to it. AFAIK, my trouble wasn't in any incompatibility with MceEpg2XmlTv, but since it's no longer supported, you might as well try MC2XML. The conversion is easy.