ZAP2XML no longer loading TV Guide Schedule

[randy@rowe.ca]

like others said, you can use zap2it by removing the -z.  This happened to me in the past with TVGuide and they had to make an update to zap2xml.  Since there site appears to be gone, I'm guessing we won't get an update.  Another options is to try https://web.archive.org/web/202004260039...pace.info/.  Schedules Direct is $25 a year and pretty easy as well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqJ7QiYS3Rk.  Hopefully that helps you.

In the mc2xml they use -1 -2 & -3 switches to select source provider.

I have account with same logins for zap2it and TVGuide.
I originally was on Zap2it, but had to go to TVGuide.com a while back.
I have both lines on my batch file so just REM'd out the TVguide and un REM'd the zap2it.

That doesn't work either. Ah, it says invalid username.

Where was it I signed up for the zap2it xml account?

[randy@rowe.ca]

OK, so It looks like zap2it still had my account and I got the password reset back to what I had and now my batch file logs in OK nut gives a Not a hash reference at script/zap2xml.pl line 1289 right after trying to parse a cache file from TVGuide.

I'll try and backup my files and then delete them as I should have a few days left.

[randy@rowe.ca]

OK, so It looks like zap2it still had my account and I got the password reset back to what I had and now my batch file logs in OK nut gives a Not a hash reference at script/zap2xml.pl line 1289 right after trying to parse a cache file from TVGuide.

I'll try and backup my files and then delete them as I should have a few days left.

Yahoo, got it all working. Just had to re pair the channel to the correct guide listing.

I was noticing the TVGuide data was very often faulty or missing stuff.

I don't recall that, so we'll see how it goes.

[mattman1968]

I have been using a combination of TV Guide and Zap2It to populate my program guide. Like everyone else I noticed that TV Guide is no longer allowing us to log in. Zap2It works fine but my wife likes having Days of Our Lives recorded every day. For some reason, the listings for that show with Zap2It are very generic, and the recording file doesn't get named correctly to be identified in Plex. It's the only show this seems to happen with. It's weird because on TV Guide's site the description is usually detailed. Any thoughts on this???

Been considering going to SD. But while browsing for alternatives I found TV Media (https://www.xmltvlistings.com/) which is $20/year. Anyone ever used them? Thoughts???

Thanks

Update for anyone that cares  

I had been using zap2xml to pull my EPG data for both Zap2It & TV Guide. After reading through this thread I decided to try mc2XML instead. So far it works much better than zap2xml! For whatever reason the guide data now matches what is on Zap2it's site, and the recording name generated is once again recognized in Plex for my wife's show.

As randy@rowe.ca wrote...Yahoo!

[skoonz_sr@hotmail.com]

Thank you for all your input. I changed my process to use the mc2xml program and all is back to normal!

[Rixware]

I'm posting the results of my troubleshooting, just in the hopes that it helps someone else. Here is the command line I am using now, which works just fine:

Code:

zap2xml -u [userid] -p [password] -a

This command requires your Zap2it.com credentials. The -a switch makes sure to get ALL channels. Without it, I was getting some weird subset of channels -- supposedly my "favorites," but I haven't actually defined any favorites! Now I'm getting more channels than I need, but the extra data is no big deal.

The following command also works just fine, and doesn't require any account credentials (thanks for the tip, MovieWiz!):

Code:

zap2xml -Y lineupId -Z [zipcode]

Note that the switches are CASE SENSITIVE, and you should leave the word 'lineupId' (also case sensitive!) just as it is unless you need a specific lineup ID (which you probably don't). In this case, the -a switch appears to be unnecessary. Frankly, I can see no significant differences between the results with or without credentials. Both output a week's worth of listings to a file named xmltv.xml, which NPVR then parses.

You probably do not need any other switches on either of these commands, and I now think it's best to just leave off anything that you do not actually NEED. For example, -o specifies the output file, but the default will work just fine for most people. The -d switch changes the length of time to download, but a week should be enough. There are LOTS of other switches available. To see the complete list: Open a CMD window, navigate to where zap2xml.exe is found, and type: zap2xml /? (Unfortunately, the list of switches is not in alphabetical order, making it very difficult to use. I'll put an alphabetized version at the end of this post. And remember: Switches are CASE SENSITIVE.)

Finally, please note that the following command looks VERY SIMILAR to the first one up there but DOES NOT WORK ANYMORE, likely due to whatever changed at TV Guide:

Code:

zap2xml -z -u [userid] -p [password] -a

Maybe it will come back someday, who knows. One important thing that I learned, however, is that if you add the -z switch, you must specify your TVGuide.com credentials in place of your Zap2it.com credentials. Mine were different between the two sites, and I didn't realize that when I started troubleshooting. So, removing the -z switch also probably requires changing the credentials. Seems like a dumb mistake in retrospect.

Even though I got these working, I also tested mc2xml (still downloadable here) and found it to work just as well. After download, you just run it a couple of times (right in Windows) to select your EPG source (the TVGuide.com option also does NOT work here) and your TV provider (I'm using all OTA). It generates a config file once all the selections are made, and then an xmltv.xml file which NPVR can parse. I got essentially the exact same results as zap2xml when I selected Zap2it as the provider.

So, after a somewhat painful channel remapping session (the Zap2it channel names don't match the OTA signal like those of TVGuide), I am once again up and running.

Hope this helps somebody!

Code:

zap2xml.exe /? (sorted)

-a = output all channels (not just favorites)
-b = retain website channel order
-c <cacheDirectory> (default = "cache")
-d <# of days> (default = 7)
-e = hex encode entities (html special characters like accents)
-i <iconDirectory> (default = don't download channel icons)
-j = add "series" category to all non-movie programs
-l <lang> (default = "en")
-m <#> = offset program times by # minutes (better to use TZ env var)
-n <# of no-cache days> (from end)  (default = 0)
-o <output xml filename> (default = "xmltv.xml")
-p <password>
-q = quiet (no status output)
-r <# of connection retries before failure> (default = 3, max 20)
-s <start day offset> (default = 0)
-u <username>
-w = wait on exit (require keypress before exiting)
-x = output XTVD xml file format (default = XMLTV)
-z = use tvguide.com instead of zap2it.com

-A "new live" = append " *" to program titles that are "new" and/or "live"
-B <no-cache day>
-C <configuration file> (default = "C:\Users\Rick/.zap2xmlrc")
-D = include details = 1 extra http request per program!
-E "amp apos quot lt gt" = selectively encode standard XML entities
-F = output channel names first (rather than "number name")
-I = include icons (image URLs) - 1 extra http request per program!
-J <xmltv> = include xmltv file in output
-L = output "<live />" tag (not part of xmltv.dtd)
-M = copy movie_year to empty movie sub-title tags
-N <# of no-cache days> (from start) (default = 0)
-O = use old tv_grab_na style channel ids (C###nnnn.zap2it.com)
-P <http://proxyhost:port> = to use an http proxy
-S <#seconds> = sleep between requests to prevent flooding of server
-T = don't cache files containing programs with "\bTBA\b|To Be Announced" titles
-U = UTF-8 encoding (default = "ISO-8859-1")
-Y <lineupId> (if not using username/password)
-Z <zipcode> (if not using username/password)

[pvr-omatic]

Hope this helps somebody!

It was ASTOUNDINGLY helpful, Rixware!  Two thumbs up! Yours was some of the best explanation of the issues covered here, better than many other sources I've scoured.

EDIT: In fact, this whole thread was useful, and I thank you all. :-)

I'm not even a NextPVR user at this time, I am currently using another PVR back-end product.  Nevertheless I was troubleshooting the recent issues with Zap2XML and sourcing data from TVGuide.com.  I signed up solely to tell you how much you helped me!  Thanks again.

Cheers,
An insignificant but grateful HTPC user

[eskimoquin]

Thank you to all above who helped clear this up. I'll provide my perspective with some program errors so web-searches can pick up this page. It is nice to know that TV Guide has changed something that causes problems with zap2xml and mc2xml. I have no idea if it will be changed back.

I'm using NextPVR v3.9.2 (it works so I'm not messing with it) with mc2xml (the website seems defunct now). I was using Microsoft data until it was shut down last year when I switched to no username tvguide.com. Recently I realized like everyone else here that I wasn't getting EPG data. The mc2xml xmltv.xml file only had a few lines in it. When I ran my updateEPG script in command prompt here is what I partially saw:

Code:

Downloading . : tvguide.com (61) ,,,,xx
Downloaded .. : 0 bytes in 6s
Missing data  : 151.101.69.188 20434-268435456-1612591200124356R 124859H
Missing data  : 151.101.69.188 20434-268435456-1612612800124356R 124859H

When I ran mc2xml.exe without arguments, I saw partially:

Code:

Connecting .. : tvguide.com
Provider error: 151.101.69.188 124356R 124859H

My solution was to change to Zap2It data without username. I deleted my mc2xml.dat file and ran mc2xml.exe with the arguments "-1" to use Zap2It, "-c us" for country and "-g #####" for zip code. I think I could have just run the executable without these arguments as a window pops up and lets you enter this data anyway. It is then saved in the mc2xml.dat file so you don't have to run these arguments again. It asked for what lineup I wanted (OTA for me). My UpdateEPG.bat has the same executable line in it that I was using before:

Code:

"mc2xml.exe" -d 360 -a -A -C "mc2xml.chl.txt" -o "xmltv.xml"

I only use a few channels but I noticed that the Zap2It data had an duplicated channel number but it had a different call sign so I put an exception to remove that call sign in my mc2xml.chl. I then had to remap the channels in NextPVR to this new xml data (settings/channels). Updated EPG in NextPVR and restarted and it worked.

I don't come around here often likely because NextPVR has been absolutely rock solid for me for a long, long time. I've been using it since somewhere around 2007 (GB-PVR) probably even earlier. Sub has done some awesome work here and the members have provided great help when problems arise.  Thanks all.

[Redlake]

It costs money now too, and also requires scrapping.  Schedules Direct just makes so much sense, I am amazed the hoops people go through avoiding it.

I joined specifically to comment on this and to ask a question.  My comment is that I think the reason some of us avoid it is that for a time Schedules Direct, or perhaps one of their most vocal supporters, was really aggressive about trying to get people to use their service, by saying or implying that we were doing something illegal or that we were just trash people for not wanting to subscribe to them.  It left a really bad taste in my mouth and I said right then that I'd schedule my recordings manually every week before I'd ever use their service.  The fact is, some of us are unashamed cheapskates, either by necessity or just because we refuse to be coerced into paying for something if we don't have to, and if you start throwing veiled threats around, ESPECIALLY if you have no legal standing to enforce those threats, it just doesn't sit well.

My question is this, I am seeing mentions of mc2xml in this thread, and I thought that was for use with Microsoft's guide service and had stopped working when Microsoft's guide was discontinued.  I used to use it, and if I recall correctly I only moved to sap2xml because it stopped working.  Has it been revived or something, and is it still a free program?

[mvallevand]

Technically using zap2xml is against the Terms of Service for zap2it.com so each user can decide on the legitimacy of scraping solution on their own. Schedules Direct can also not be used legally with Plex or Emby, just simply the SD license with TMS. The supported apps are on the SD web site and user agree to that when they give SD money, so I am not sure why that is any issue for some people. No one is forcing you to have guide data.

My point for NextPVR users is that I don't figure it's worth the support cost trying to get zap2xml running when there is a trouble-free alternative that just work and will continue to work through web site changes This thread has been very helpful for me since users are helping users when it is not an NextPVR issue.

I also don't like anything that might be the long term existence of SD into question, it is too important for many user NextPVR users, and I feel it is important the user respect licenses. It does bother me is seeing the illegal IPTV guides services based on zap2xml or Schedules Direct, but with IPTV users know they are not respecting licenses.

Martin