I-xmltv: TV Guide customization & Zap2It EPG utility.

[mark]

I noticed the upcoming reality series "Rockstar: Supernova" is not being flagged as "premier", though it's a brand new season and there are no re-runs scheduled for the next 14 days. Is the missing "premier" status a bug in TVGuideSupercharger, or is there simply no data being sent by Zap2It to indicate these are first-time shows?

[Jim_]

Hi Mark,
CBS...
I checked the listing in TVGuide.xml and they listed it as a “show” with a single generic description for all the air times. Most shows (like the evening news & Paid Programming listings) don't have unique-id, original-air-date or <previously-shown /> information.
Not sure who, or why it was listed this way, but without any usable information there isn’t a way to know if a show is a premier. Maybe they’ll update it before it airs?

I-xmltv calculates premiere’s using the original-air-date. That date, if provided, will also be displayed in the subtitle or description field using the default switch settings.

Jim

[mark]

Thanks Jim, that's what I figured (that there simply wasn't adequate information in the Zap2It data to know it was a premier).

You said something like, "perhaps they'll update the listing before it airs." That brings up another question about TVGuideSupercharger (TVGS): if it's an incremental update and only grabs the days it doesn't already have on file (i.e. the 14th day if you're on a 14-day rotation), what happens when Zap2It updates a listing after TVGS has already pulled it? For instance, say I'm on a 14-day rotation, and on Monday of week 1 the President decides to make a public appearance on Thursday of week 1. Zap2It will update its Thursday listings (I assume), but will TVGS? Or will TVGS not update that day because it downloaded Thursday's listings several days before Zap2It updated its Thursday listings?

By the way, THANKS for writing this utility! I recently switched from MCE to GB-PVR because I need 3-tuner support (without using a PVR-500), and one of the things I missed from MCE was the "repeat" feature that would allow me to schedule recordings of only new episodes. Thanks to you, that feature is now available in GB-PVR!

[Jim_]

Your welcome,
The first two days (today & tomorrow) are downloaded each evening, along with any missing days on the end. So when a scheduled show actually records, it will be using the latest data and listing time available.
Unless it was removed in v97.x, the native GBPVR zap2it plugin also downloads the first two days and any missing days, if complete EPG reload is not selected.
If you want to verify a listing, the online listings at http://www.zap2it.com should have the latest data available, I just checked and supernova hasn’t changed.

[jch]

Installed this with 0.97.9

Followed the directions in the readme

But then found that all my listings were listed one hour early. Tried editing the UpdateEPG.bat file. Tried:
SET TVSwitches=/sx /oe /se/ - /dd/() /df/M-D-Y /pi/* /tp/-8
SET TVSwitches=/sx /oe /se/ - /dd/() /df/M-D-Y /pi/* /tp/-7

but, either way, the listings showed up one hour early. (I'm on Pacific Time)

Could it be that it doesn't take account Daylight-Savings??

.../j

[Jim_]

Hi jch,
/tp/-7 or -8 only affects the premiere indicator, not the listing times. xmltv listings work fine during Daylight-Savings.
Possible causes for your problem are an incorrect “xmltv” time-zone entry during setup, or your windows clock / windows time-zone setting is wrong. And, “Automatically adjust for daylight savings changes” must be selected in the windows date/time properties.

Check three files to make sure it isn’t an I-xmltv, or xmltv, setup problem.
Open “C:\I-xmltv\.xmltv\tv_grab_na_dd.conf” with notepad, depending on the xmltv version used the third line should be.
timezone: UTC
or
timezone: +0000

Your I-xmltv.log should have this line, showing that “UTC” entries were converted.
Replacing UTC entries in XMLTV.XML with +0000 >> I-XMLTV.XML

Open TVGuide.xml and find a listing, start and end times should be followed by +0000
<programme start="20060629000000 +0000" stop="20060629003000 +0000" channel="I10035.labs.zap2it.com">

Let me know how they check out, If they're ok your problem is most likely your windows time /time zone setting.

[FuzzyPapaBear]

Cool utility. I've read through this thread and installed I-xmltv. It seems to be working. However, I want to make sure I understand how to schedule a season recording. (Because if I mess up my wife's shows I'll be in the dog house for months.)

If I want to only record a show's premiers then I select the one with the *. If I want to record all the show's episodes (both premiers and re-runs) I can select the one without the *. Correct?

[pens18aj]

If I want to only record a show's premiers then I select the one with the *. If I want to record all the show's episodes (both premiers and re-runs) I can select the one without the *. Correct?

The way I understand it and the way I have been doing it is I setup 2 recordings if I want every show. * for premiers and no * for re-runs. Some shows on MTV are not showing up with * so they get missed if I do not schdulue both. If you look up the show in the Search Guide you will see that there are usally 2 listings for each show and the * listing will only show the upcoming new show where the one without will show all the re-runs.

[Jim_]

Cool utility. I've read through this thread and installed I-xmltv. It seems to be working. However, I want to make sure I understand how to schedule a season recording. (Because if I mess up my wife's shows I'll be in the dog house for months.)

We wouldnt want that! :eek:
I feel the same way about missing a show I want to record. The premiere (new) feature has been working like a charm “for me” for months now, and I couldn’t imagine living without it. The only time a show doesn't have the asterisk is if the original-air-date isn’t provided. That's normally shows like the news or one-time-airing talk shows because they are always “new”.

If I want to only record a show's premiers then I select the one with the *. If I want to record all the show's episodes (both premiers and re-runs) I can select the one without the *. Correct?

pens18aj is correct (thanks pens18aj!), just schedule both types of titles to record everything.

[Jim_]

The way I understand it and the way I have been doing it is I setup 2 recordings if I want every show. * for premiers and no * for re-runs. Some shows on MTV are not showing up with * so they get missed if I do not schdulue both. If you look up the show in the Search Guide you will see that there are usally 2 listings for each show and the * listing will only show the upcoming new show where the one without will show all the re-runs.

Thanks for answering the scheduling question pens18aj!
Hey, can you tell me a little more about the MTV listing you are having problems with? The condition you’re describing should never happen if the show has an original-air-date.
Accuracy of the premiere marker is easily verified because the date will also be in the description or subtitle field.