Add 'emptyepgonly' to nscripthelper

[cbdavi19]

nscripthelper.exe in v5 has an 'updateepg' switch, but not an 'emptyepg' switch. It would be great if this could be added when convenient. I need it even in v4 for my Schedules Direct + I-XMLTV enhanced guide listings to load correctly. I ending rolling back to v4 because of this.

[mvallevand]

Can you explain the use case of why you can't use the XMLTV enhancement on the source file? If it is modifying show names but not recurring recording names I fear you will have some unexpected issues. Also sub uses a lot more SD data in now so your enhancement may be redundant albeit with a different look and feel that you are used to. The results of the redundant data might turn out to be ugly.

Martin

[sub]

You can do it in v5.

Code:

nscripthelper.exe -service:system.epg.empty

[cbdavi19]

sub, thanks.

mvallevand, Sorry for the late reply. I can't say why, but for quite some time now in v4, simply updating my guide without emptying the guide first doesn't work "correctly". I'll explain.

My guide uses a combination of Schedules Direct JSON sources for stupid channels that I don't care about, and XMLTV download of Schedules Direct data for the channels that I care about. The XMLTV guide is enhanced by I-XMLTV. Clearly, I-XMLTV is very old, but I was using it back in the GBPVR days, and I was able to get it to work correctly after my Windows XP x32 to Windows 7 x64 update many years and computers ago by using DOSBox. Perhaps I'm too clever for my own good.

A few of years ago when the JSON source thing was available from Schedules Direct, I tried using the JSON source for all channels, but it was just too bland. Yes, the various "New" and "Fin" corner banners were nice, and I could use categories to color code, but the show titles (in particular, for movies) revealed nothing. I really liked what I-XMLTV did to enhance the guide data, particularly for movies in the listings view (release year, MPAA rating, and review stars right in the title; see attached screenshot).

At some point in v4, the same updateepg.bat of the guide that had worked for years (change to I-XMLTV folder, download XML guide from Schedules Direct, and enhance using I-XMLTV) just didn't appear in NextPVR. The process of downloading and enhancing the guide via I-XMLTV works fine, with no gross errors or missing guide data in the NextPVR client. Yet somehow, unenhanced guide information is displayed for the XMLTV channels. I found that only after using the following batch file as a Windows Schedule Task would the I-XMLTV enhanced version of the guide display correctly:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\NPVR\NextPVR.exe" -emptyepgonly
"C:\Program Files (x86)\NPVR\NextPVR.exe" -updateepgonly

Not knowing about the v5 command line switch to empty the guide first, the same thing was happening for me in v5. My initial startup of the v5 Windows client for the first time showed the I-XMLTV enhanced version of the guide, but as soon as I tried to update the guide in the NextPVR web settings using the Update EPG and Empty EPG buttons, the TV Guide would ignore the I-XMLTV enhancements for those configured channels and show the simple unenhanced guide data, just like what was happening back in v4.

But please understand, I'm not asking you to troubleshoot my setup; I'm just reporting what's happening. If nothing else, it's been consistent for years.

What I will take advice on is a better or more modern way to enhance the guide data from JSON or XMLTV to a get similar TV guide experience as displayed in my screenshot. My NextPVR server and client are on a single PC, and I've only ever used the NextPVR Windows client.

Thanks

[ElihuRozen]

I run an sql script in PostUpdateEPG.bat to put the years and stars at the beginning of the description of each movie.  You could probably modify the sql to put it at the end of the title.  

The lines in PostUpdateEPG.bat (assumes the variable LOGFILE is set to a log file):

Code:

cd /d "C:\Users\Public\NPVR-data"
scripts\sqlite3.exe -init "insertStars.sql" "npvr.db3" ".quit" >>%LOGFILE%  2>&1

The sql script (insertStars.sql):

Code:

update epg_event
      set description =  '('||strftime('%Y', epg_event.original_air_date)||') '||substr('****+',- round(epg_event.star_rating + '0.5'),round(epg_event.star_rating))||' '||description
where epg_event.genres like '%Movie%' and epg_event.description not like '(%';

Save a copy of your npvr.db3 file and play around until it does what you want.

[mvallevand]

Thanks for responding I was actually worried you where changing the title since that can really screw up the art lookup but I guess that doesn't concern you. I use the web browser now to search movies, the advanced search for genre Movies does what I want.

What you probably where seeing was issues in SD JSON. It won't update data if it doesn't change. I think that is why ElihuRozen needs the not like '(%'

Martin

[cbdavi19]

Apologies if it's not cool to revive my own thread, but I'm trying to move to v5 (5.2.6.220206) again today, but the empty epg command that sub suggested back in October doesn't work. Back then, I was unable to test as I bailed out and went back to v4.

I get this error:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>"C:\Program Files\NextPVR\NScriptHelper.exe" -serviceystem.epg.empty -emptyepgonly
[1] Unexpected error with service: System.Net.WebException: The remote server returned an error: (404) Not Found.
at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetResponse()
at System.Net.WebClient.GetWebResponse(WebRequest request)
at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadBits(WebRequest request, Stream writeStream)
at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadDataInternal(Uri address, WebRequest& request)
at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadString(Uri address)
at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadString(String address)
at NScriptHelper.Program.GetService(String service)

I'm using a squeaky clean install of v5 (no modified username, password, or PIN) and I'm running the command on the same unified client-server box. I've tried with/without -server, -pin, running: "C:\Program Files\dotnet\dotnet.exe" "C:\Program Files\NextPVR\NScriptHelper.dll" instead, etc. and I get the same error.

[BrettB]

Apologies if it's not cool to revive my own thread, but I'm trying to move to v5 (5.2.6.220206) again today, but the empty epg command that sub suggested back in October doesn't work. Back then, I was unable to test as I bailed out and went back to v4.
...
I'm using a squeaky clean install of v5 (no modified username, password, or PIN) and I'm running the command on the same unified client-server box. I've tried with/without -server, -pin, running: "C:\Program Files\dotnet\dotnet.exe" "C:\Program Files\NextPVR\NScriptHelper.dll" instead, etc. and I get the same error.

Where is the .zip of your logs from the web app?

[mvallevand]

You seem to have added more to the command line the sub showed. Also if you are running v5 and v4 together make sure to supply the correct server information

Martin

[cbdavi19]

Yikes. Sorry, errant copy/paste. I was trying sub's original command:

Code:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>"C:\Program Files\NextPVR\NScriptHelper.exe" -service:system.epg.empty
[1] Unexpected error with service: System.Net.WebException: The remote server returned an error: (404) Not Found.
  at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetResponse()
  at System.Net.WebClient.GetWebResponse(WebRequest request)
  at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadBits(WebRequest request, Stream writeStream)
  at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadDataInternal(Uri address, WebRequest& request)
  at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadString(Uri address)
  at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadString(String address)
  at NScriptHelper.Program.GetService(String service)