Strange guide issue with NPVR 3.2.9 and scheduled direct

[ReplayHarry]

I've done a search for related posts on this forum and haven't found any issue similar to what I am having. So am opening this new one.

I am running a Win 8.1 NUC i3 with NextPVR 3.2.9 and XBMC Gotham. I'm only going to discuss the issue I have with NPVR as XBMC just gets what NPVR sends it, but the symptom I discuss is the same in XBMC. I am using a HDHomerun (OTA) and a HDPrime(Comcast cable card).

I set my system up for the 1st time in January of this year, and it has been running very well with schedulesdirect for the guide data all this time. Then just a couple of days ago I tried to record something on AMCHD (comcast channel 798 where I live). It recorded the correct channel and at the correct time, but recorded a different show then I expected. So started checking into it. Basically I found that the guide info for this channel was wrong. The guide info on NPVR was showing the show as Eastern Time, while I am in Pacific time. So basically it was 3 hours behind. So my recording for 7:30am was actually a show that was not going to be on till 10:30am. All the data for this channel was behind like that. All other channels which I regularly watch were just fine. Sure, there could be an issue with another channel as I did not check everyone of them, but I know the ones I use almost daily are fine. So I am thinking schedules direct has a problem.

The first thing I did was manually reload the EPG data via npvr. Same result. Then I "emptied" the epg data. I verified I had no epg data for any channel. Then I went back in and manually loaded the epg data again from schedulesdirect. Here is the strange part. The epg data was loaded, but not for the channel I was having trouble with (AMCHD ch 798). Noticed a couple of others with no data as well, but they were on channels I never watch.

Contacted schedules direct and they were very helpful. In fact, I was surprised just how quickly they responded. They sent me a listing of what their "servers" had on file for AMCHD 798 and in fact everything was at the correct times for the west coast. So I checked my SD online channel listing and all was well, then I "resync'd" it as suggested and also did a "re-add all lineups". All done via their website. Then I did a manual reload of the channel guide in native NPVR. Same result. No data for AMCHD 798 or those other 2-3 channels.

I know the data from SD is good. While I did not mention this to them, I do have 2 ReplayTV DVRs which I have had for many years and still use. I have yet to get my wife to regularly use the new HTPC. They get their EPG updated via Wirns with schedulesdirect data. They have the right shows on at the right times. So the problem must be somewhere within NextPvr.

I guess the 1st question would be, where do I find a file on my HTPC that shows what data npvr is getting from scheduledirect? That seems to be the place to look 1st, but I have no idea what file to look in. Assuming the data is there, why isn't it loaded? And of course this eastern time vs pacific time is a strange thing indeed. I just want to get things "back to normal".

Any help would be greatly appreciated. As I said, this HTPC has been working well for months.

[sub]

There would have been some changes to the listings, like the id or something.

You can get the schedules direct data by setting <DumpSchedulesDirectData>true</DumpSchedulesDirectData> in <General> section of config.xml, then try an 'Update EPG'.

You can also go to the Settings->Devices page, and export the channels from the device, so we can see the EPG mappings. My guess is there is no longer a channel in your listings with the ID it was originally mapped to.

[mikeh49]

I had a similar appearing but probably different cause problem with SD when Charter went full digital in my area in June. About 6 HD channels were showing at Eastern time where I'm in Pacific time. I contacted SD, but didn't get any useful help, which surprised me. They had a new "rebuild" lineup for my area, that I was using. After about a month, the rebuild lineup disappeared and there was just a "digital" lineup, this one had the correct schedules. Interestingly, the SD version of these channels were showing the programs on Pacific time, but the HD was on Eastern. The rebuild lineup had the same schedule on SD and HD. The Charter program guide on line showed the correct schedule, Sched Direct was incorrect.

The main problem for me was USA. Prior to the digital conversions, the channel was labeled USAPHD, now it is just USAHD. AMC may have been one of the problem channels, I don't remember.

[ReplayHarry]

Ok, I exported the channels from the Devices page. The channel in question (AMCHD #798) is there. When I saved it, I noticed there was an earlier one there, so saved the new one with a different name. Took a look at the old one (created back in February). The AMCHD entry looked the same.

So I added the "true" value to DumpSchedulesDirect entry in the config file. Then exited, rebooted the HTPC and went back into NPVR setting and manually loaded the EPG from SchedulesDirect. No change in status. So where do I look at the SD entries now that I have "dumped" them? I am assuming they are part of the npvr.log?

Won't be able to do much more today as I need npvr working so I can record NFL Football at 5pm (15 mins from now). So probably done all I can do tonight.

By the way, the AMCHD channel 798 still shows up in Guide in NPVR, but not in XBMC or X-NewA. I assume because there are no entries in there.

So prior to me "empty the epg" I had data in the EPG for AMCHD 798 but with the wrong times, and now I have no data in there. I am really confused.

[mvallevand]

Do you see a duplicate 798 in http://localhost:8866/service?method=cha...sid=foobar

Martin

[ReplayHarry]

This link isn't working. Probably because I am on my desktop while npvr runs on my HTPC. I cut and pasted it to a text file and then copied it to my NAS drive, which the HTPC can access. But still can't get it to work. Can you give me a straight text version of the link? Then I should be able to copy and paste into my browser.

Sorry to put you to so much trouble, but I do appreciate you trying to help.

On a separate part of my investigation, I have gone into the HDHomerun config and rescaned the channels. Channel 798 does show up, but it does not indicate what station it is. The station id field is blank. I can tune to it and it does bring up AMCHD. This is the same for the other stations that have no guide data. I am guessing it coming up blank has something to do with the problem. But shouldn't I be able to label it (them) in npvr settings and have it work? I think that is what I did originally, but seeing as it was back in January or February, I can't remember.

Well I'll backup. Of course I can just go to the forum from the HTPC and click on the link, which I just did. There is no channel 798 at all. So that kinda goes towards the fact that in the HDHomerun config, it does not have an entry in the name id field, just the number. Same for the other couple of stations with no data.

[Zeb]

But shouldn't I be able to label it (them) in npvr settings and have it work?

Hello ReplayHarry, I hesitate to answer because I get EPG listings from Microsoft via mc2xml. Unless sub's native support for SchedulesDirect is radically different, you should be able to go to Settings -> Channels, select the unnamed channel(s), and click (or right-click) Details. There you can name the channel, select SchedulesDirect as Source, and hopefully use the Mapping dropdown list to select a listing. If Comcast gives you an SD version of AMC, mapping both channels to that listing could be an option.

[ReplayHarry]

Yes, I was able to do that and I have everything working properly now.
But I am really not sure just which one of the things I did fixed it. I rescanned the channels with HDHomerun Config. Didn't see anything different there. Then in npvr, scanned there. Nothing changed. Then I "emptied" the epg again. Then scanned again. Then manually edited the station name of AMCHD as well as the couple of others that were not getting epg info. I stopped npvr between each step, and then rebooted the HTPC between each step. Wa La, the epg data showed up for everything. But the strange thing that started this discussion was that AMCHD was getting the epg for eastern time while I am in pacific. I had been working with the schedules direct people also and the last tip they gave me was to rename (in npvr) the AMCHD name to AMCPHD. AMCPHD is how it is listed in SD. I can't really believe that fixed it. I did all these things mentioned one at a time, but never tuned to the station till I was all done. So don't know which one(s) of these things was the fix. But as my wife occasionally tells me, "Maybe you weren't holding your mouth the right way". Ha Ha!

When I have had troubles with computers in the past (had a PC at home since 1978), my last attempt to fix it is to start from scratch. I guess that is what did it. I think I will just let this thing settle down and not monkey with it for awhile. It has been very reliable up to now and I have been extremely pleased with HDHomerun and NextPVR, not to mention XBMC. But as I told a friend of mine, "It isn't for the computer challenged person".

[christheman]

When I have had troubles with computers in the past (had a PC at home since 1978), my last attempt to fix it is to start from scratch. I guess that is what did it. I think I will just let this thing settle down and not monkey with it for awhile. It has been very reliable up to now and I have been extremely pleased with HDHomerun and NextPVR, not to mention XBMC. But as I told a friend of mine, "It isn't for the computer challenged person".

LOL I have seen a couple different people online call their NPVR computers a "project" computer. I call it my "freedom" computer. With commercially produced DVR products, there is also a learning curve, as the commercial vendors never seem to natively produce all the features we want. So we end up using as many add-ons as we need to get the job done, or as many that higher-level users are able to write. Furthermore, it seems that the more elegant the hardware or software platform design is (excluding NPVR), the more tied down, restricted, or hostile to outside developers the platform is.

Good work, guys!!