MceEpg2XmlTv

[whurlston]

Henry, I took a look at that lineup and it only includes channel tuning information like I mentioned earlier, there are no listings in that lineup. This is the first time I've seen it show up in the headend list though.

[Henry]

I'm confused. I have TV Guide data for all of my digital channels in Media Center. Are you saying that info is not in the download?

[whurlston]

Pretty much. Media Center is downloading your analog lineup with the listings and then mapping those listings to the digital lineup.

KDTN-DT is actually showing the listings for KDTN.
KDFW-DT is showing the listings for KDFW.
etc etc.

This is the way that it has been since the original MCE.

[dennit]

Pretty much. Media Center is downloading your analog lineup with the listings and then mapping those listings to the digital lineup.
KDTN-DT is actually showing the listings for KDTN.
KDFW-DT is showing the listings for KDFW.
etc etc.
This is the way that it has been since the original MCE.

This is interesting - apparently I never noticed this as I haven't attempted to get digital data until about 6 weeks ago. Since then, I've used the MCE digital cable listings and I see subchannel data for the QAM unencrypted channels I receive.

Just to make sure I understand how things work -

This is what I think happens - please let me know if I've got it wrong -
The downloader specifies a lineup (say analog listings) and downloads those listings into a Media Center DB. MceEpg2XmlTv then converts that into a XMLTV standard format XML file. I presume if one looked in Media Center at this time, one would see the analog listings in the Guide?

If one then runs another session of the downloader that specifies a second lineup (say digital listings), it would download those listings into the Media Center DB and replace the first listings? Running MceEpg2XmlTv would then convert that data. I presume if one looked in Media Center at this time, one would see the digital listings? (Maybe I'm missing something about how Media Center handles multiple listings/headends/tuners?)

Aside from pure curiosity, the reason I ask is that I've been running a very old version of MceEpg2XmlTv on an older HTPC1 setup to provide data for TiVos. This was all set up at the time Schedules Direct was formed. I'm in the process of going HD and digital with a new HTPC2/GBPVR, and have decided to close down the old HTPC1 in favor of the new one, but I still need the analog data to feed my TiVos. I've just moved the old install over to the new HTPC2.

I run the new downloader to get analog data only, then process it with the old version of MceEpg2XmlTv and send it off to the TiVos. I then run the downloader to get digital cable data (which includes all the analog data) and process it twice with the new version of MceEpg2XmlTv, once for my analog tuner in the new HTPC2 and once for the digital QAM tuner.

It all seems to work fine, but I'm not sure if there might be any conflicts or problems that could crop up down the road.

I could probably simplify a bit and use the new MceEpg2XmlTv for the TiVo data and skip the first separate analog download, but the XML file created would have to be carefully adjusted to match what the old version of MceEpg2XmlTv produces. My TiVo processing is extensive and needs the exact format tweaked long ago from the old version of MceEpg2XmlTv. It was easier to do it twice.

[whurlston]

Your understanding of what happens in correct:
Run downloader for first lineup.
Run MceEpg2XmlTv.
(Optional: Run MceEpg2XmlTv with different config).
Run downloader for second lineup.
Run MceEpg2Xmltv.
(Optional: Run MceEpg2XmlTv with different config).

MCE can only use one listing at a time which is the reason for the downloader. I did it as a separate application because a lot of people have no need for it as they only need one lineup. You could use your digital lineup with separate MceEpg2Xmltv configs for exporting you analog stations and you QAM stations or you can continue to do it the way that you are. It's really just two different methods and the only difference is the added couple of minutes to download the second lineup.

Also, if you only use one lineup, you can let MCE automatically handle the updates and not run the downloader at all, just run the converter each night. The downloader is just a quick command line app that does what would be done if you went through the "Set up TV Listings" wizard in MCE.

[dennit]

MCE can only use one listing at a time which is the reason for the downloader.

This is the part I wasn't sure of, but I suspected it.

You could use your digital lineup with separate MceEpg2Xmltv configs for exporting you analog stations and you QAM stations

This is actually what I am doing for the new HTPC. It's just the old TiVo data that relies on the format produced by a really old version of MceEpg2XmlTV that made me add that additional analog data download. I think I'd get additional channels that might mess things up and I compared the output XML files from new versus old and they were different. I'm sure I could tweak the config to get the new version to produce exactly what I need, but as you said, it's just an additional minute or two late at night anyway. Besides, the wife will kill me if I spend much more time tweaking things.

The downloader is just a quick command line app that does what would be done if you went through the "Set up TV Listings" wizard in MCE.

That's what I suspected. Thanks for the confirmation and thanks for a very useful app

[jjaomni]

Well that error msg that was going on a few months ago has seemed to of disappear. so i guess you can stop working on that update to the downloader now whurlston.
going to add my update bat file back into gb-pvr and see how it goes.

[whurlston]

Well that error msg that was going on a few months ago has seemed to of disappear. so i guess you can stop working on that update to the downloader now whurlston.
going to add my update bat file back into gb-pvr and see how it goes.

Good to know. I haven't had a chance to work on it (but you knew that ). I do plan on revamping the downloader at some point but I really haven't had the chance.

[whurlston]

Besides, the wife will kill me if I spend much more time tweaking things.

That I can understand and makes the additional couple of minutes for an extra download well worth it.

[BGTV]

I've hit a snag at the very beginning of trying to use the Downloader. Looks like a permissions issue with Vista but I have no clue how to change it. I tried runing the GetProviders.bat with Run as Administrator but I don't get a HeadEnd.list.txt file created anywhere. Running it at the cmd line give the error below. Any help appreciated.


C:\EPG\Grabber>MceEpgDownloader.exe list-headends

Unhandled Exception: System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer fo
r 'MceEpgDownloader.MceEpgDownloader' threw an exception. ---> System.Security.S
ecurityException: Requested registry access is not allowed.
at Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey.OpenSubKey(String name, Boolean writable)
at MceEpgDownloader.MceEpgDownloader..cctor()
The Zone of the assembly that failed was:
MyComputer
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at MceEpgDownloader.MceEpgDownloader.Main(String[] args)