Why isn't broadcast.firstAired set in the GetEpg function in pvrclient-nextpvr.cpp?

[ChaosMageX]

Or, in layman's terms, why isn't the Original Air Date data for program listings in NextPVR's EPG database being transmitted over to the Kodi/XBMC client?

I rely heavily on being able to see the original air date of programs, to the point that I've modified Kodi's Confluence skin to be able to display it in its PVR Guide Info Dialog. However, at the moment it only displays the epoch date for all programs. I know that NextPVR is successfully reading that data from the XMLTV file because I've also modified NextPVR's skin to also display the original air date of programs in its Event Listing Popup.

I've brought up this issue before in the Kodi/XBMC forum:
http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...n-Kodi-EPG
However, since it received no attention, I decided to take the matter into my own hands, and look through the code for NextPVR's Kodi/XBMC client until I found the problem, and then bring it up again in this forum to ensure that it gets properly fixed.

I finally found the reason for the issue on line 497 (as of the time of this post) of pvrclient-nextpvr.cpp:
https://github.com/kodi-pvr/pvr.nextpvr/...extpvr.cpp
Specifically, within the cPVRClientNextPVR::GetEpg function, the firstAired property of the EPG_TAG broadcast variable is being set to zero before being passed onto Kodi via the PVR->TransferEpgEntry function, which explains why it is displayed as the epoch date in my modification of Kodi's Confluence Skin.

How much work would it take to implement this feature now and properly set the Original Air Date field in the Kodi/XMBC client?

Is it just a matter of modifying the front-end client plugin to read the parse the date string and convert it into seconds since the epoch, or does the back-end also have to be modified to transmit the Original Air Date data in the first place?

For that matter, if it's not too much work, could the corresponding data for the other unset properties of the EPG_TAG broadcast variable also be transmitted from NextPVR's EPG Database and set in the client if the data is available from the XMLTV file?

I ask because in the process of learning how to modify the Kodi/XBMC Confluence Skin to display the Original Air Date, I also learned that several of the currently unset EPG_TAG properties can also be displayed in Kodi/XBMC skins. By coding these properties to be transmitted and properly set in the client, you could avoid further complaints from those who code and use Kodi/XBMC skins designed to display this data.

At the very least, could you please code the Original Air Date data to be transmitted and set in the Kodi/XBMC plugin? This data is often available for most program listings in a typical XMLTV file, and I would appreciate being able to have access to it in Kodi, and I thank you very much in advance for taking the time to improve the NextPVR plugin for Kodi/XBMC.

After all, with Kodi version 16 Jarvis about to be officially released, it seems like a good time to be updating and improving the plugin anyway, so I'm hoping that you'll add this improvement to it, and I once again thank you in advance for doing so.

[sub]

Back when the nextpvr kodi addon was originally created NextPVR didn't have some of these fields in it's database. It has now, but I forgot to go back and update the nextpvr kodi addon.

To add these fields, it'd need a change in the NextPVR backend, and the Kodi addon.

For the backend change, I'll add support for these fields in next release of NextPVR.

For the frontend change, the release cycle of Kodi is pretty painful - they've just closed out Kodi 16 (Jarvis), and started Kodi 17 (Krypton), so it wont be until Kodi 17 is released that you'll get these modifications through. ie, like half a year or so. You could always build the addon yourself though, to get it earlier.

[ChaosMageX]

Thank you for the quick response. It's good to know that you'll add support for those EPG program listing data fields in the next version of the NextPVR back-end, and I thank you again for doing so.

As for the front-end client, as soon as you update the source code for the Kodi/XBMC PVR Client Add-On on GitHub so that it utilizes the new data transmitted from the back-end running NextPVR, I should be able to compile it myself...for Windows at least. I wish I could figure out how to compile the plugin for the Android OS as well, but I've been unable to locate any instructions or tutorials on how exactly to do that.

[sub]

As for the front-end client, as soon as you update the source code for the Kodi/XBMC PVR Client Add-On on GitHub so that it utilizes the new data transmitted from the back-end running NextPVR, I should be able to compile it myself...for Windows at least.

I'll only up the current version of the addon, which has already had framework stuff changed by the Kodi guys, that make it only compatible with Kodi 17, but if you're desperate you could probably make similiar changes in older versions of the addon source code. A lot changed with Kodi 16 though, since that's when they introduced their season recording support, and I removed the custom popup - you might find it hard to go back any further than 16.

I wish I could figure out how to compile the plugin for the Android OS as well, but I've been unable to locate any instructions or tutorials on how exactly to do that.

Sorry, I've no idea how that is done.

[ChaosMageX]

I'll only up the current version of the addon, which has already had framework stuff changed by the Kodi guys, that make it only compatible with Kodi 17, but if you're desperate you could probably make similiar changes in older versions of the addon source code. A lot changed with Kodi 16 though, since that's when they introduced their season recording support, and I removed the custom popup - you might find it hard to go back any further than 16.

Hopefully it will just be a matter of copying over the code within the GetEpg function for parsing the new data fields from the XML HTTP Response. I could even write the parsing code myself if necessary, but I would need to know the structure of the XML returned by the XML HTTP Request placed by the function beforehand. I was unsuccessful in manually accessing it through a web browser because I didn't know what GET values I should send it and I didn't know how to properly initiate the AJAX session beforehand. Is there somewhere the structure of these XML HTTP Responses is outlined?

Sorry, I've no idea how that is done.

That's okay, I'm sure I'll find out how to use a computer running Windows 7 to compile Kodi Add-Ons for the Android OS...eventually.

[sub]

Is there somewhere the structure of these XML HTTP Responses is outlined?

Sorry no, it's not documented anywhere. If you building the addon though, just set a breakpoint and look at the data it's returning. It doesn't yet currently contain the extra fields you want though.

[nogoer]

Yes this is an old thread, but its EXACTLY the same situation im dealing with. Like this guy all i wanted to do in kodi was display a "new" label or at bare min show the air date somewhere in the EPG. I too took matters into my own hands and started modifying skins to display it only to hit roadblocks in finding where to display the data from. Was this modification ever completed? Im looking at my epg db file and firstaired is set to 0 which explains the same thing im seeing that this guy did with the epoch date when trying to use the premiered field in the kodi skin.

[mvallevand]

The original air date and new episode flag and signifcance fields are available in the API to Kodi but how it gets displayed is another story since it varies extensively by skin. If you are using schedules Direct you would have whatever it provides. I could not find a skin that used it and I got so little response to my Kodi forum posts on how users might like to see a new indicator that I gave up carrying. Basically most SD metadata values not available in dvb OTA data is a little consequence to Tvheadend and thus to most Kodi PVR base code developers.

Martin

[nogoer]

The original air date and new episode flag and signifcance fields are available in the API to Kodi but how it gets displayed is another story since it varies extensively by skin. If you are using schedules Direct you would have whatever it provides. I could not find a skin that used it and I got so little response to my Kodi forum posts on how users might like to see a new indicator that I gave up carrying. Basically most SD metadata values not available in dvb OTA data is a little consequence to Tvheadend and thus to most Kodi PVR base code developers.

Martin

Yeah the data is there and according to this thread it was being populated, but when i checked my kodi epg data it was not populated. The skins actually already do display the data if it's populated. I manually updated the fields in my kodi epg data and my guide started showing the episode and air dates automatically. It just seems like nextpvr for some reason has stopped updating these fields in kodi when it does an update. that or kodi stop accepting the data. Im back and forth between these two dev forums trying to figure out what broke and how to get it fixed.

[nogoer]

What do you mean by "original air date and new episode flag and signifcance fields are available in the API to Kodi"? Is there a way a skin can query npvr api and pull the data in? Im new to addon coding in kodi but if this is possible it would be the easiest method to get the data i want into a skin.

Ive been trying all sorts of methods to get the kodi epg updated for first air date but they all end in some sort of brick wall either on the npvr addon side not populating data or the kodi side not having a method to update epg data besides a direct db edit. The only method i can see to make a work around for myself is to basically gank bits of the npvr addon and build my own addon that replicates the transferEpgEntry functionality but with real data from the npvr API. Your addon though is a serious piece of code and im not familiar with python very well as im a C#/sql developer mostly.