Any xmltv users willing to test some new search features?

[Jim_]

Hi all,
I’ve added a new feature in I-xmltv (for myself) that adds some pretty serious search capabilities. This feature is specifically designed to work with the “TV Listings” plugin.
It creates a "Find" channel containing "genre", "text", and user-defined "lists" that can be searched for, using "Find More" in TV Listings.

I’m looking for a few volunteers from various countries that will share their genre and search lists so I can include them in the distribution package.
I have now way of gathering genre's from other contries.
I’m also checking if enough people can use it, and would want it, to warrant the effort involved to refine & share it.

If you’re a novice GBPVR user please post if you would like the feature or not, but (at this stage) I’m looking for people that are very comfortable with their EPG.
If you feel comfortable working out your own little EPG issues, and would like to help, awesome!

I’ve attached the ini for everyone to look at, and I’ll post a few screenshots showing how it all works together.

Comments welcome, good or bad!
Jim
<edit> this post has received a major edit because the latest version has been modified to work with every type of epg source!

[Jim_]

A "Find" channel xmltv file is created. It can be used by adding a second capture source in gbpvr config. (for international & native zap2it plugin users)
Or the "FIND" channel can be merged into your existing xmltv file. (for TVGuidSupercharger users)

[Jim_]

Search for a user-defined list of favorite shows (shown below).
Pilot's, Actors in the description, {G} & {PG} movies, 1930-1959 movies, or whatever.

[Jim_]

Movie search using "user-defined" groups of genre's.

[stu8080]

Well i like the TV Guide, but was thought it a shame it was only available to Zap2it users.
Im in the UK and use Radio Times XMLTV, grabbed by Birtles XMLTV RT grabber.
The EPG data contains Genre, rating and actor info and so should work well.

In a word, id be glad to try it out!

[Jack.]

I am in the US, and have the time and a smattering of patience. Count me in! - Jack

[Jim_]

Well i like the TV Guide, but was thought it a shame it was only available to Zap2it users.
Im in the UK and use Radio Times XMLTV, grabbed by Birtles XMLTV RT grabber.
The EPG data contains Genre, rating and actor info and so should work well.

In a word, id be glad to try it out!

Sounds great!
The next beta will probably make things easier for both of us, but I've attached (in my next post)the one I have now if you want to try it.
Keep in mind, searching for things like star-rating and movie-release-dates are using features that TVGuideSupercharger adds to TVGuide.xml.
But you will be able to genre search, and define custom text searches based on what your epg has to offer.

I am in the US, and have the time and a smattering of patience. Count me in! - Jack

Hi Jack, (wouldn’t want to say that at an airport these days)
Do you have the TVGuideSupercharger package installed?
You're absolutely welcome to try it if you feel comfortable doing so.
But I should have a more refined version available, and built into the TVGuideSupercharger package, in a few days when this is hammered out.

Jim

[Jim_]

I’ll go ahead and post the utility the way it is for now so you can try it. But keep in mind it will change very frequently over the next few days!
Before doing anything, stop your recording service and backup your GBPVR database and config.xml. That way, if you have “any” unexpected results, you can simply switch back to the originals.

This utility is getting a major update later this evening. I think I found a way that everyone can have the Find channel, regardless of how they get their EPG and even what epg plugin they use!
I’m thinking about making Find.xml a completely stand-alone xmltv file.
This way, anyone can simply add an additional capture source in GBPVR config (evening using the exact same capture device) and use “Find.xml” as its epg source.
If it works as intended, I don’t have to worry about supporting all the different grabbers, and people who prefer to keep using the native Zap2It plugin and tools like ZapTools and EPGExtra can have a Find channel! For TVGuideSupercharger users, I’ll add the find channel to the default TVGuide.xml so they wont have to do anything special.

Ok, enough rambling…
To keep things consistent while we’re testing things, extract the attachment to your C: drive and it will create a “Find” folder.
C:\Find\ will contain these files.
I-xmltv.exe
I-xmltv.ini
ErrorCodes.txt
Test.bat

Copy the xmltv file you normally use to the “C:\Find” folder, then drop it (your xml) on “Test.bat”. Find.xml will be created using the entries in I-xmltv.ini, and you will need to update your epg using Find.xml.

Remember to select an un-used channel number (in I-xmltv.ini), something that is not in your current station lineup. And if you change the “Find” station number or name, you will need to remove the channel in GBPVR config.

Note: The genre’s in the ini are for Zap2It users.
If you use a different source, you should replace my genre entries with ones suitable for your country. Genre entries are test entries without the leading “>” or “-“.
A great way of getting a list of genre’s is to open a GBPVR database that has been used for a while (using SQLight Administrator), and export the genre list to a “csv” file. There are some online utilities that will sort the list alphabetically for you.

<edit> previous version removed.

[Jim_]

I just finished build 9-27-06.
Several changes should allow this to work for anyone using any epg source (fingers crossed).

The description fields are loaded from the ini now, allowing users to choose the wording, and the language.
The new version also has the ability to merge -The FIND Channel- with the original epg file, or create a completely stand-alone xmltv file that can be used by adding a second capture source in GBPVR config.
This is a very painless solution and "should" cover everyone using GBPVR, and every type of epg plugin used.

stu8080 & Jack, check your messages for the password.
Now we just need to have a few people from other countries volunteer to try this, and share their ini's.

<edit>
Beta-2 removed
Beta-3 will allow searching groups of genre's.
Genre group example.
Drag racing, Auto racing, Motorsports, Auto
</edit>

[Jack.]

I have the TVGuideSupercharger package installed, I've been using it all summer. It's great! I got it because I wanted the "star" rating for movies, but it has more functionality than just that. I use it to avoid dupes when recording a season of programs, and it will even let me search for premiers by using " *" (space star) as a search argument.
- Jack