zap2xml - a free zap2it scraper

[Mike S]

Looks like Zap2it broke the channel names. Anybody else have this problem>

[Deusxmachina]

Yep. Messing with it now.

[Mad Professor]

Zap2xml is broken, now I am left without a guide. Yes it broke my guide.

I got "No show details" in every slot for all 73 channels, and even the channels have been rearranged.

I am a sad panda.


UPDATE: Using YApi2XML for right now until Zap2it fixes their format or zap2xml release a new update to adapt to the changes.

Don't use MSN Scraper either its affected the same way as zap2xml.

[Deusxmachina]

Don't use MSN Scraper either its affected the same way as zap2xml.

Good to know since I was about to try that. From looking at the yahoo cable provider channels, they're missing four of the OTA channels from my area. I hadn't realized my OTA guide was so dependent on Zap2xml.

[ww4397]

Looks like Zap2it broke the channel names. Anybody else have this problem>

Did you write to the author? He is known for quick responses.

His email address is located at the bottom of the Zap2xml website.

[Marbles_00]

I'm not a current user of GBPVR, but I am using zap2xml in my current application. I've been scanning other HTPC frontend sites to find out if others are having the exact same problem as me...Channel names are gone..all channel ident fields are filled with the channel number. Also it would appear that it is no longer making a valid xmltv.xml file as if I try and open in a web browser, it errors out. Good to see (well good to know) that I'm not the only one with this problem.

I've emailed the developer a couple of days ago, but yet have not heard anything in response.

[tony1234]

I think it's because that there're leading/trailing spaces in the channel name. Show descriptions also have spaces before/after, so the get offset when you display them in the guide. I was able to fix the description problem by adding a $trim(description) in the .pl file, but I'm pretty clueless on how to fix the channel name.

[markbb1]

I think it's because that there're leading/trailing spaces in the channel name. Show descriptions also have spaces before/after, so the get offset when you display them in the guide. I was able to fix the description problem by adding a $trim(description) in the .pl file, but I'm pretty clueless on how to fix the channel name.

If you are using the PERL version of zap2xml you can edit the script to clean up the display-names by putting in the values for $sname that you want for a given $snum. The leading/trailing white spaces in the descriptions are actually newline and tab characters. Again, you can clean them up in the script if you are using the PERL version.

If you are using the Win32 version of Zap2xml, and you have XMLTV installed (either the PERL or the Win32 version), you can use the tv_cat feature of xmltv to fix the channel section of the xml file.

Normally I would say that it would be best to wait for the author of Zap2xml to effect a fix, but this has been going on longer than expected.

Post in this thread if details are desired on using tv_cat to fix the Zap2xml xml.

[itgarcia]

Please post details on how to use tv_cat to fix the zap2xml

[bigC]

Post in this thread if details are desired on using tv_cat to fix the Zap2xml xml.

I assume thats something you'd have to do after every epg update?

I'll just stick with yapi for now.. eventhough the channel names are messed up with that too. Listings are OK though.