UTC and EPG

snaitaz · 2019-03-21, 08:54 PM

G'day...I have a couple of questions regarding the native EPG process in NPVR. I find that when I pull EPG data from SD through NPVR, some of the shows are off on the EPG. However, when I use a grabber tool SD gives me some options one of which allows the data to be pulled using UTC and all the shows line up just fine. Is there a plan for the future release to allow the end user to stipulate UTC when pulling EPG data?

Currently using the latest NPVR release most of my EPG data is set to pull from SD automatically which is an awesome method. I only use the grabber tools to pull some specific channels that I cannot get through DTV or other provider. The problem there of course is that I have to remember to run the tool at certain periods.

I guess I could just use the native SD in NPVR to pull the most common channels that do not present a timing issue and use the grabbers to get the remainder but then here again I am left to run the grabber at certain periods. I do have task scheduler set to run some now but again it would be real cool to have NPVR run it all. Any thoughts? Thank you and cheers!!

***sub*** · 2019-03-21, 09:37 PM

What format are your dates in the xmltv file? If they specify a "UTC" timezone, then they'll be treated as UTC.

Honestly though, for any channels you've got coming from SD, just use the native SD support. There is nothing to be gained going via an XMLTV file (in fact, you'll lose some details doing this)

mvallevand · 2019-03-21, 09:49 PM

Perhaps it is how you are linking channels. My cable channel has feeds from various timezones, and you need to match the call sign or the start times will be different even though the network is the time. Sometimes is is just east feed west feed etc too.

If you are sure it is an SD error contact them and the should be able to fix it.

Martin

snaitaz · 2019-03-21, 10:03 PM

Thank you sub for your insight. Just to be clearer about my issue, say there is a show that starts at 7pm on channel 99. Using native SD for the most part the show times are correct but there are a few that are off by 2 or 3 hours. In this example the show according to EPG starts at 8pm on channel 99 so I set to record at that time. Unfortunately, the show actually starts at 7pm so obviously I miss the recording and something else get recorded. If I use the grabber it indicates the correct starting time I think probably its a result that I click on options UTF8, UTC and channel name first. Everything else is default. It appears that using those options I get an EPG that is "more correct" than using the native SD.

But like I said, this only happens to a few channels currently 47 channels need to be pulled manually just to satisfy the correct starting times. So I was wondering if in the upcoming release if NPVR would have a place to indicate those types of options. It's not a big thing as I only discovered it when the recording failed to record the correct show, although it did record the real show playing at that time. I hope this makes sense. Yes, using SD is definitely the best way to go as I have used many other providers during my tests with grabbers. Cheers!!

snaitaz · 2019-03-21, 10:08 PM

Martin, that's exactly the point. It's an East v West feed issue. But when I use the options indicated above it seems to fix those differences. I also made a pull using the mid-west feed and using the options and they too were correct starting times. I am going to run a few more tests on some specific channels that fail to be indicating the correct starting time in the EPG, then contact SD to see if it is on their side. I was just think that maybe some switches/options could be added to NPVR that would allow greater control on the pull. Cheers!!

***sub*** · 2019-03-21, 10:11 PM

snaitaz Wrote:Thank you sub for your insight. Just to be clearer about my issue, say there is a show that starts at 7pm on channel 99. Using native SD for the most part the show times are correct but there are a few that are off by 2 or 3 hours. In this example the show according to EPG starts at 8pm on channel 99 so I set to record at that time. Unfortunately, the show actually starts at 7pm so obviously I miss the recording and something else get recorded.

I'd just contact SD and let them know - they'll fix quick smart.

Quote:So I was wondering if in the upcoming release if NPVR would have a place to indicate those types of options.

Honestly, it's not worth implementing oddball workarounds like this. We haven't needed it in the last 15 years. We already support timezones specified in xmltv files.