Plugin idea

[fuzzweed]

I've got a cool (?) idea for a plugin but seeing as my programming is limited to

Code:

10 PRINT "fuzzweed";
20 GOTO 10

I wonder if anyone thinks it's realisable...

Loads of websites have a 'pick of the week' for upcoming TV - could this info be scraped and automatically recorded so there's a continual supply of decent TV available. I guess exactly which sites to use is a matter of preference and country - but is it workable in principle?

[elite]

I've got a cool (?) idea for a plugin but seeing as my programming is limited to

Code:

10 PRINT "fuzzweed";
20 GOTO 10

I wonder if anyone thinks it's realisable...

Loads of websites have a 'pick of the week' for upcoming TV - could this info be scraped and automatically recorded so there's a continual supply of decent TV available. I guess exactly which sites to use is a matter of preference and country - but is it workable in principle?

I don't see why not, an xml feed would be much more robust than scraping. I guess you would just need to tie this up to the EPG - If the feed provided channel and times this would be much easier than trying to match the feed title to the EPG title etc...

[fuzzweed]

so how does an xml feed work? is this something a normal website would have? i'd kind of imagined passing the film/show title to the gbpvr guide search, and recording if it got a 'hit'.

[whurlston]

Do you have a website with an example of the "pick of the week"?

[elite]

so how does an xml feed work? is this something a normal website would have? i'd kind of imagined passing the film/show title to the gbpvr guide search, and recording if it got a 'hit'.

An xml file would provide data in a machine readable format e.g.

Code:

<Shows>
<Title>Lost</Title>
<Channel>Sky One</Channel>
<StartDate>2008-01-06T21:00:00</StartDate>
<EndDate>2008-01-06T22:00:00</EndDate>
</Shows>

This much more robust than scraping html. When scraping html you are at the mercy of any changes made to the design... (scraping is of course possible )

An example site(s) would be useful

[fuzzweed]

hmm. I think you might have a valid point there. I've just been checking out the UK newspapers TV sites and they're all a bit journalistic (understandably) http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/tvrad...81,00.html. I guess you really need a fairly standard tabulated form that's consistant week to week if scrapings gonna work.

My over active mind is now imagining a community site that people upload their own recommendations to - which gives you the xml feed, but is drifting slightly from my brilliantly simple original idea....

[fuzzweed]

ok how about this onehttp://www.tvandsatelliteweek.com/this_w...eat_shows/
already recording three out of five on the first page - and the other two look like just the thing i'd record if I'd known they were on. Suitable format too maybe????
Also got a 'best drams, 'best documentary'etc on the later pages.

[McBainUK]

ok how about this onehttp://www.tvandsatelliteweek.com/this_w...eat_shows/
already recording three out of five on the first page - and the other two look like just the thing i'd record if I'd known they were on. Suitable format too maybe????
Also got a 'best drams, 'best documentary'etc on the later pages.

Looks like they publish RSS feeds. Have you tried the RSS Reader Plugin?

[fuzzweed]

ok, so that looks promising. can your plugin interact with gbpvr in any way that would realize ethe initial idea?

[McBainUK]

If you mean the auto recording, then no.