EPG Utility: YApi2XML (discontinued)

[zehd]

Sorry, but it is not worth the time to me. I use Schedules Direct so I am just doing this to help others but my time is limited. ATSC channels are not dependent upon channel numbers for tuning so remapping not required to make the tuning work like it is with analog tuners. I will be making the source code available if anyone wants to add that functionality, but I won't be able to do it anytime in the near future. You should be able to renumber the channel in the "Channels" tab of the GBPVR config to arrange the channels in the order you want.

If I understand it correctly, one could change how a channel is displayed in the EPG by tweaking the Source Channels table of the database, or in the Channels tab in the GBPVR config.

Perhaps a separate util or batch file can store many changes a user prefers, and reapply when necessary.

Markbb1, could you confirm that if you manually change the name that way, it would work for you? I know that there might be a lot of channels to map, just want to know if that method works...

[markbb1]

If I understand it correctly, one could change how a channel is displayed in the EPG by tweaking the Source Channels table of the database, or in the Channels tab in the GBPVR config.

Perhaps a separate util or batch file can store many changes a user prefers, and reapply when necessary.

Markbb1, could you confirm that if you manually change the name that way, it would work for you? I know that there might be a lot of channels to map, just want to know if that method works...

It wouldn't be a lot of channels for me to mess with (13), but I have to be honest I don't have GBPVR installed yet, so can't test that. And I don't actually have Yapi2xml working completely. I can only get as far as the "file missing or corrupt", even though I have a zip file that seems to be fine. What I do is unzip that manually using Windows native unzip capability and then run a PERL script that I wrote to parse the resulting text file. So I am not even sure the values that I am using from the text file to create the channel-id and display names are what Yapi2xml would produce if I could get it to work. The spouse will be out of town in a couple of weeks so I can reclaim control of the kitchen table, hopefully long enough to get my HTPC assembled and GBPVR installed and working with the MCE remote and blaster and get it in the entertainment center before she gets back.

[rob11252]

What steps does the program take to update EPG?
Does yapi2xml.exe start, accesses the internet and creates yapixml.xml file. Then when pvrx2 starts, it looks into yapixml.xml and fills slots in the guide?
What is schedule.zip for?

[whurlston]

EPG updates occur when you press "Update EPG" in GBPVR's Config app or is called by the RecordingService at a preset time (set in the config). Before GBPVR updates the EPG, it calls a file called UpdateEPG.bat if it exists in the GBPVR program folder. You would place the YApiXML command in that file to pull the listings and create the xml file. Yahoo serves it's data out in a zip file. Schedule.zip is the zipped text file that is downloaded and the text file is extracted and processed into an XML file by YApiXML.

[whurlston]

If I understand it correctly, one could change how a channel is displayed in the EPG by tweaking the Source Channels table of the database, or in the Channels tab in the GBPVR config.

Correct, which is why I don't feel the need to add that functionality.

Perhaps a separate util or batch file can store many changes a user prefers, and reapply when necessary.

Possibly, but I'll let someone else look into that. The changes would only need to be re-applied when a new capture source is created, not after each EPG update.

Markbb1, could you confirm that if you manually change the name that way, it would work for you? I know that there might be a lot of channels to map, just want to know if that method works...

It will. I tested it when someone requested renumbering for my MceEpg2XmlTV.

[rob11252]

EPG updates occur when you press "Update EPG" in GBPVR's Config app or is called by the RecordingService at a preset time (set in the config). Before GBPVR updates the EPG, it calls a file called UpdateEPG.bat if it exists in the GBPVR program folder. You would place the YApiXML command in that file to pull the listings and create the xml file. Yahoo serves it's data out in a zip file. Schedule.zip is the zipped text file that is downloaded and the text file is extracted and processed into an XML file by YApiXML.

Got that, thanks. So now, yapixml.xml exists. How does PVRX2 or EVA use it? Do they read it once during EPG update and store the info in some internal database? Or everytime PVRX2 starts it reads yapixml.xml anew?

When you guys are talking about tweaking the Source Channels table of the database, which file are you refering to? yapixml.xml? config.xml? or gbpvr.db3? If the last one what program can access it and modify channel name?

Channels tab in the GBPVR config lets me change numbers but not channel name. I thought the reason for it is that it uses this name to match to tuning info and if i changed it, it would loose EPG-tuning association.

Thanks for the lesson.

[whurlston]

After the Config or RecordingService.exe runs the UpdateEPG.bat, it imports the yapixml.xml (created during UpdateEPG) file to the gbpvr.db3. This only occurs when you press the "Update EPG" button in Config.exe, select "Update EPG" from the GBPVR Tray icon or by RecordingService.exe once a day at the preset time (default is 2am but can be adjusted in Config.exe).

You can tweak the channels by running Config.exe, selecting the "Channels" tab, then changing the "Channel Number". sub confirmed this here: http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=36149

[rob11252]

I know one can change "Channel number" in "Channels" tab. I want to change the name! Would be nice if sub added a third column in "Channels" tab named "Channel Screen Name". If sub would not be willing to do it maybe there is a way to do it myself by modifying entries in yapixml.xml or in gbpvr.db3.
I agree though that being able to renumber channels in yapixml.exe is no longer necessary.

[whurlston]

I won't be including channel numbers in the name. GBPVR has the option to display the name along with the channel number (the one in the Channels tab). I will be defaulting to the same <display-name> scheme used in my MceEpg2XmlTV and will give you the option of changing it as with that utility.

[markbb1]

I know one can change "Channel number" in "Channels" tab. I want to change the name! Would be nice if sub added a third column in "Channels" tab named "Channel Screen Name". If sub would not be willing to do it maybe there is a way to do it myself by modifying entries in yapixml.xml or in gbpvr.db3.
I agree though that being able to renumber channels in yapixml.exe is no longer necessary.

If you can't wait for yapi2xml to get updated, you could use xmltvAlter.exe to change the display-names in your xml file to whatever you want. http://forum.epgstream.net/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=54