SiliconDust EPG and v7.1

[turndave]

I have a SiliconDust Connect Duo.  If I understand correctly, I should be able to now configure NextPVR to get a couple days of EPG from Silicon Dust.  I currently subscribe to Schedules Direct, but a couple of the local stations that carry a large number of independent networks have significant EPG errors from SD.  Using off-air (ATSC) EPG is better for accuracy but limited to only a few hours at a time.  So I'd like to try the free Silicon Dust EPG to see if it is an improvement over SD.

But... it isn't clear to me how to make this work.  Do I need to have some sort of user account on Silicon Dust even if I don't have a paid subscription?  What is the current syntax for configuring NextPVR (v7.1)?

Thanks

Dave

[mvallevand]

If your device is registered with Silicondust and their Windows or mobiles apps shows data you can use their guide in NextPVR. If it isn't registered you probably need to use one of their GUI setup programs support for that is on the Silicondust forum.

Both SD and SD (of course they had to do it to us but you can figure it out) use Gracenote data, and both allow you to request corrections. For Silicondust it is here https://forum.silicondust.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=127 and Schedules Direct is via their website.

Martin

[turndave]

I see guide data on the HDHomerun app both on the Windows computer I run NextPVR on as well as on my Amazon Firestick.  The EPG is apparently getting the data from SiliconDust as it is only 48 hours worth and it doesn't reliably match the PSIP EPG broadcast by the broadcasters.  I don't have credentials for a SIlicondust account... from what I can tell, that is apparently only if you are a paid subscriber.

My understanding (correct me if I'm wrong), is that recent versions of NextPVR support integrating the data from SiliconDust's EPG data into NextPVR's EPG.  But I don't see how to do that.  My best understanding is that I need to configure the XMLTV Channel Lineup, but I don't know how to do that.  It appears the Wiki isn't UpToDate in that regard.

Dave

[mvallevand]

No it is not if you are a paid subscriber they opened it up a few weeks ago.

The wiki is out of data because no one contributes to it.

On Settings Channels if try and map a source do you see option for the Silcondust EPG if not send the logs.

Martin

[turndave]

..

On Settings Channels if try and map a source do you see option for the Silcondust EPG if not send the logs.

Martin

I don't see the option for Siicondust EPG.  But... there are a couple caveats to mention that may be relevant.  I have two pair of HDHR tuners, one is a quite old HDHR3-US, and the other is a newer Connect Duo (HDHR5-2US).  I believe only the latter supports the SiliconDust DVR feature.  

The other caveat is that I have NextPVR configured to use "ATSC" devices rather than "HDHR"... both show up when I scan for devices, but I disabled the "HDHR" entries.  I don't recall why I did that... perhaps I thought there would be a problem with using both the older and newer models in the HDHR mode.  Or I may have thought that in "ATSC" mode it would be able to record multiple virtual channels of the same transmitter using just one tuner... and that the HDHR mode would require a separate tuner for each recording regardless if they were part of the same transmitted TS.  Please clarify the pros and cons of using "ATSC" vs "HDHR"

BTW, I have attached the log files.

Dave
DHR3-US HDHR3-US

[mvallevand]

If you enable the HDHR and leave it empty do the options change.

Martin

[turndave]

If you enable the HDHR and leave it empty do the options change.

Martin

Yeah, that gets me an option for SiliconDust EPG.  Looks like it is even more wildly incorrect than Schedules Direct.  As best as I can tell, PBS stations use Protrack, and at least in this market, the commercial stations use TitanTV... both of which track reality well.  But pretty much everyone else... including Schedules Direct and SiliconDust... use Gracenote data... which doesn't seem to care what either broadcasters or viewers tell them about reality.   Grrrr.

Thanks

Dave

[mvallevand]

I think TitanTV uses Gracenote too based on their IDs anyway. It sound like the mapping are wrong so contact Silicondust.

Martin

[johnharrisondev]

Disclosure up front: I run epgwise.com, so I'm biased, but since you're comparing SD against off-air data it may be worth a look. It's an XMLTV listings source only - no streams, no tuner side of things. In NextPVR you just paste the XMLTV URL as your EPG source, hit refresh, and if the channel column comes up blank you can assign channels manually or let it auto-map by name. Accuracy on the smaller independent stations is the main thing we try to get right, which sounds like your exact complaint with Schedules Direct.

[turndave]

Thanks.  I've been pretty happy with the Silicon Dust EPG.  Schedules Direct is generally good, but for certain local channels it seems Gracenote never gets it right for whatever reason.  Tech support is pretty slow (may be weeks) and then they end up just saying Gracenote swears all is well and that is that.  Silicon Dust appears to have a fundamentally different model... instead of sending EPGs based upon an entire market, they cater it to my specific tuner.  So while the initial configuration  may be based upon the market, if I indicate the EPG is off by an hour or three hours or whatever, in less than 24 hours Silicon Dust will have fixed it.  But they don't have to worry about whether I give them bad info that will adversely effect all of the other customers in this market.  They just fix the feed to my tuner.  At least that is how it appears to work, as they need to know the ID for my tuner.  Bottom line is it "just works".

Right now I'm using the free couple days worth of EPG, but when my Schedules Direct subscription expires, I'll probably switch to the paid Silicon Dust feed.  But for now, 48 hours of EPG is better than relying on 12 hours of OTA EPG...

MANY Thanks to the NextPVR software gurus for adding integrated support for Silicon Dust EPG.

Dave