New user new install and a few "issues"

[sub]

I'm not getting a reply to my Post #149

I didnt see that post.

I start NextPVR.exe when I start the computer by using a Shortcut in the Startup directory. When I add the -UpdateEPG option to pass this argument to NextPVR.exe, Windows chokes and won't accept it. It appears to be confusing the argument I am passing with the name of the program and saying that it does not exist. I'm a Linux user and don't know that much about Windows XP. Could you tell me how to run the command "NextPVR.exe -UpdateEPG" in Windows automatically when I start the computer?

It's probably to do with how you created your shortcut. You could do something like create a startnpvr.bat, with something like the following, and put a shortcut to it in your startup folder.

Code:

c:
cd "\program files\npvr"
nextpvr.exe -UpdateEPG

BTW, is there a Linux version of NPVR in the future?

No, not an official one from me. There a linux client app that another user has posted though.

[rkircher]

I didnt see that post.

It's probably to do with how you created your shortcut. You could do something like create a startnpvr.bat, with something like the following, and put a shortcut to it in your startup folder.

Code:

c:
cd "\program files\npvr"
nextpvr.exe -UpdateEPG

.

It does not work! Here is what I did. Everything without the "-UpdateEPG" works and shows that I have properly implemented the Windows XP Shortcuts and Batch Files.. Adding the argument "-UpdateEPG" does not work and fails in various ways as explained for each case.

WORKS: I have a Shortcut to start NPVR and it works with this Target line: "C:\Program Files\NPVR\NextPVR.exe" (it runs but does not update EPG)

DOES NOT WORK: Changing the shortcut target line to: "C:\Program Files\NPVR\NextPVR.exe -UpdateEPG" causes an error window to pop up titled "Problem with Shortcut" The error text is: "The name C:\Program Files\NPVR\NextPVR.exe -UpdateEPG specified in the target box is not valid. Make sure the path and file name are correct"

WORKS: Next I changed the Shortcut target line to run a batch file as follows: "C:\Program Files\NPVR\startnpvr.bat"
The code in startnpvr.bat is:
cd "C:\Program Files\NPVR"
NextPVR.exe
REM This works proving the shortcut and batch file are ok, but does not update EPG.

DOES NOT WORK: Changing the code as follows causes various problems:
cd "C:\Program Files\NPVR"
NextPVR.exe -UpdateEPG
REM After a 45-second delay, NPVR comes up running behind a DOS window in the foreground
REM NPVR can be clicked to the foreground, BUT the tvxml.xml file does not get updated.

I am not sure that a command line argument can be sent to a Windows XP program. The 45-sec delay is very long compared to the usual 1/2 second for NPVR to come up running and I do not see any activity to explain the delay. I also tried removing the "-" prefix so the command argument is just "UpdateEPG", but that did not work either and gave a different result. I'm out of ideas. Could you test your method and then tell me exactly what does work to have the EPG update automatically when NPVR is started?

[mvallevand]

You don't want to use "C:\Program Files\NPVR\NextPVR.exe -UpdateEPG" you want to use
"C:\Program Files\NPVR\NextPVR.exe" -UpdateEPG

Martin

[martint123]

I could strangle Microsoft for including a space in the default program directory name without plastering warnings everywhere about the consequences.

[rkircher]

Thank you Martin, we are getting closer but the EPG is still not updating and the date and time stamp on the tvxml.xml remain the same. Your suggestion was already incorporated in the startnpvr.bat file that I tried and provided code in my message #152. Here it is again:
DOES NOT WORK: Changing the code as follows causes various problems:
cd "C:\Program Files\NPVR"
NextPVR.exe -UpdateEPG
REM After a 45-second delay, NPVR comes up running behind a DOS window in the foreground
REM NPVR can be clicked to the foreground, BUT the tvxml.xml file does not get updated.

To be double sure and cover Microsoft's quirks, I changed the line
From: NextPVR.exe -UpdateEPG
To: "C:\Program Files\NPVR\NextPVR.exe" -UpdateEPG

I also tried starting NPVR directly from the Shortcut to skip using the batch file by changing the Shortcut Target line
From: "C:\Program Files\NPVR\NextPVR.exe -UpdateEPG"
To: "C:\Program Files\NPVR\NextPVR.exe" -UpdateEPG

This ran exactly like the batch file method with a 45-second delay before NPVR started with its blue screen and Main Menu being displayed. This method is better in the sense that I don't end up with a DOS shell window in the foreground covering up the Main Menu. Something is going on during the 45-second delay, and it is probably trying to update the EPG, but not writing a fresh tvxml.xml file. I can see NPVR running in the Windows Task Manager so I know it starts right away and is causing the delay. I did not mention that I am running version 2.1.5 of NPVR. I don't think that is the latest version. Perhaps the -UpdateEPG command argument is a new a new feature.?

As a suggestion for a future improvement to NPVR, I suggest that the NPVR software check the date/time stamp on the tvxml.xml file when it starts up. Then if the Update Hour has been missed for the current date, then that should be a trigger for it to update the EPG automatically in case the User had the computer power shut down for a few days.

This would also solve another problem that I have encountered, but not reported. This problem seems to happen when the computer is shut down for a couple of weeks (gone on vacation for example) so that all EPG data is stale, A couple of times I have found that it lost its mapping of some channels. The mapping is a blank, and it just has to be re-mapped to fix it. It's not that hard to remap, but it is very confusing when it does happen. Again, it has only happened a couple of times, so I have not reported it because I am not sure it is repeatable and want to be sure it's a real problem that I can see repeatedly. By having NPVR software check the date/time of the tvxml.xml file and update it as needed, no problems like that can occur because the program is always working with fresh EPG data.

[sub]

This ran exactly like the batch file method with a 45-second delay before NPVR started with its blue screen and Main Menu being displayed. This method is better in the sense that I don't end up with a DOS shell window in the foreground covering up the Main Menu. Something is going on during the 45-second delay, and it is probably trying to update the EPG, but not writing a fresh tvxml.xml file. I can see NPVR running in the Windows Task Manager so I know it starts right away and is causing the delay. I did not mention that I am running version 2.1.5 of NPVR. I don't think that is the latest version.

Given it's taking 45 seconds, then it probably is updating the EPG, or at least trying to. If you dont think it's working, post the npvr.log after these 45 seconds and I'll check for errors.

Perhaps the -UpdateEPG command argument is a new a new feature.?

No, its not a new feature. Given the delay, I'm sure it's trying to do it.

As a suggestion for a future improvement to NPVR, I suggest that the NPVR software check the date/time stamp on the tvxml.xml file when it starts up. Then if the Update Hour has been missed for the current date, then that should be a trigger for it to update the EPG automatically in case the User had the computer power shut down for a few days.

Sorry - no chance. I dont want the application automatically updating the EPG when the user starts the application. This is a lengthy operation, and can take several minutes for some EPG configurations, and the user would have to wait for this to complete before they could see and use the application. I would rather the application starts instantly.

, which is an automated over night update at a time of the users choosing, or they have the option of manually updating using the 'Update EPG' button.

I provide the "-UpdateEPG" and "-UpdateEPGOnly" for those that want to roll their own solutions, for updates at other times.

[rkircher]

The TV Guide has no entries so I went to Settings -> Channels -> clicked on Update EPG button. It seems to work but is completing more quickly than usual. I checked the xmltv.xml file and it has an old date and is not updating to the current date when I ran Update EPG. My Internet connection is good and works for other functions like IE (Internet Explorer). I have not made any changes of any kind, and NPVR just stopped updating the xmltv.xml file. Attached is the NPVR.log after I ran Update EPG. What's wrong and how can I trouble-shoot further?

[sub]

The TV Guide has no entries so I went to Settings -> Channels -> clicked on Update EPG button. It seems to work but is completing more quickly than usual. I checked the xmltv.xml file and it has an old date and is not updating to the current date when I ran Update EPG. My Internet connection is good and works for other functions like IE (Internet Explorer). I have not made any changes of any kind, and NPVR just stopped updating the xmltv.xml file. Attached is the NPVR.log after I ran Update EPG. What's wrong and how can I trouble-shoot further?

NPVR doesn't update you xmltv.xml file. Your batch file does.

I can see the application is running your batch file, so it must be something going wrong in what you're trying to run from that batch file.

2011-10-10 22:29:53.421 [DEBUG][5] About to run C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\NPVR\Scripts\UpdateEPG.bat
2011-10-10 22:29:58.421 [DEBUG][5] C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\NPVR\Scripts\UpdateEPG.bat has completed

The usual reason for this batch file not doing it's thing is because users have assumed a certain current directory etc, and this causes commands in their batch file to fail when the executables or output directories aren't found. ie, take another closer look at your batch file.

[johnsonx42]

if you are using mc2xml.exe to update your xmltv file, I could swear I read somewhere that the version everyone was using 'expired' somehow and that you need to download a new version.

edit: yep, the mc2xml download page says "Updated! 09/2011 updated old beta expiry date": http://mc2xml.dyndns.org/

[rkircher]

I installed 2.3.6 to update and it fixed problems that I had - thanks. But one remaining problem is the Main Menu. I don't have any control of its layout by editing config.xml and every change I make to the Menu Layout section makes an illogical random change that makes it worse. The attached screen shot is where I am now with the config.xml file attached. I prefer to have the default selection be TV Guide with TV Guide at the top of the Menu items list. The order of the 5 main menu items that I am trying to achieve is:
* TV Guide (on top with default selection * marker)
Recordings
SearchLite
Live TV
Exit (on the bottom)

I think the location of the pointer is randomly affecting the layout, but I can't find where to change it. Any ideas on how to achieve my desired Menu layout?