XMLTV data not working (zap2xml)

[sub]

Can you hit the 'Update EPG' button in the config app, then zip and attach the config.exe.log and the xmltv file you're using?

[jtokach]

I ran the update from the tray and it seemed to work fine and then ran it from config and it seemed too quick and sure enough it didn't update. Logs attached.

[jtokach]

Alright, something in the data occuring on 10/19 is causing the data not to be displayed. This coincides with behavior I've been seeing all week. I thought it was only 9 days of data I could download, but it turns out now I can only download 1 day.

Attached are two xml file. 1.xml works fine and has data for 10/17 - 10/18. 2.xml doesn't work and has data for 10/17 - 10/19.

I'll see if I can track it down by eliminating portions of data until works.

[sub]

Its failing because you still have duplicate channel IDs.

2007-10-17 23:07:13.071 ERROR [3] XMLTV: error reading xml: Item has already been added. Key in dictionary: 'I23408.labs.zap2it.com' Key being added: 'I23408.labs.zap2it.com'

[jtokach]

Sub, there seems to be more than one issue here that may be clouding the water. From what I can see, they are:

1. Nightly running EPG update and config EPG update are not properly running zap2xml. Last night it ran, the file time stamp is updated, but the data hasn't changed. Manually running from config yield identical results. Running from the tray or batch works fine.

2. The current xml file has a duplicate channel entry yet the guide is showing data. I suppose the old data is still persistent in memory/db due to the parser failure, and because the EPG update is not running properly.

Since there is nothing I can do to change the guide data that zap2xml is pulling, can I intercept the xml data before GBPVR tries to read it and scrub it perhaps in UpdateEPG.bat right after the call to zap2xml.exe?

Any other ideas?

[whurlston]

The issue is the duplicate channels. If you can't remove it with zap2xml, you can run something in the UpdateEPG.bat like you said. You would need a program like "sed" to do it.

But at some point you should ask yourself, "Is the amount of time I have spent on this really worth less than the $20 for one year of Schedules Direct?"

[sub]

Yeah, I have to agree - you've already wasted more than $20 of time in just the investigations you've done in this thread.

[jtokach]

The $20 isn't the issue - I'm not sure zap2xml is at fault. I don't know where these providers get their information from, but I guessed it's coming from a single datamart. If this one stupid channel is wrong at the source, wouldn't it be the same all over?

I also have vista home pro. Perhaps I'll setup MC and see what it's data looks like.

[sub]

zap2xml is a utility that scrapes it's listings from the http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tvlistings web site. I doubt it is a problem at the source of where that website gets is listings. Its more likely just a bug in zap2xml, and it isnt coping with some situation that occurs on the website.

[whurlston]

As sub said. Also, with Schedules Direct, you could disable any problem channels with a click of the mouse and GB-PV would never see them.