Slow to displaying xmltv show Images or incorrect images.

[nathan909]

So my guide xepg xml contains images for every show, but I don't think NextPVR is using the locally cached images.

Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, Kodi(simple IPTV), & tivimate all read the following xmltv properly and display show images, but from what I can tell NextPVR doesn't?

I use xTeVe to manage my m3u list and xmltv

example:

Code:

      <programme channel="348" start="20211101201500 -0700" stop="20211101214500 -0700">
          <title lang="en">Crank</title>
          <desc lang="en">A hit man (Jason Statham) awakes to the news that he has been poisoned and will die in an hour unless he keeps adrenaline coursing through his body.</desc>
          <category lang="en">Movie</category>
          <episode-num system="dd_progid">MV00179523.0000</episode-num>
          <icon height="" src="http://192.168.1.100:34400/images/f18827fd322ade9b23e5fc86b13cc533.jpg" width=""></icon>
          <credits></credits>
          <video></video>
          <date>2006</date>
      </programme>

[sub]

Ultimately NextPVR is built around having have three types of images per show, so this isn't really enough for NextPVR's purposes, so it has to go out and download artwork anyway.

In the past NextPVR did support this icon attribute in xmltv files, but very few xmltv files used it, and it was always fairly random what you'd get in it, so it was safer to just go and get the artwork it needed from elsewhere. (that older functionality is now disabled)

[nathan909]

Thanks for your reply, so I have a few questions

I see you say it's "now disabled", is there a way to enable it, as it seems to be a fairly common practice within an xmltv file?

If I channel surf using the web interface there is a 2-5sec lag on caching/loading images and via Kodi a 3-8sec lag. On all my other interfaces "Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, Kodi(simple IPTV)" Image display was instant which gave it a natural Guide/DVR feel. 
So, is there a way to cache show poster images?

Also more importantly, show/movie posters are sometimes wrong even when Zap2it, Schedule Direct, and my XMLTV guide is correct. Most commonly a different language and sometimes just a completely different TV show, and often just missing

Here's only a few examples of missing and incorrect art. 

Also wouldn't it be ideal to save the three images (when the correct ones are downloaded) to the record folder when created?
                   

[mvallevand]

After SD made server changes because of IPTV pirating, there were some issues in the NextPVR caching of SD artwork that were fixed over a couple of releases and everything should be good now but some of your cached files probably need to be reset. I've got a utility that will clear out these empty catalogs, it would be out now but I need to update it for 5.2.2 catalog changes.

A typical SD art download is 1 second, and you can confirm that in the logs. Where there might be an issue is when Emby addon and Kodi when optional art downloading is enabled they can flood NextPVR with requests. Even with XMLTV there is a flood. Unlike the web app and UI clients where art downloading concentrates on what you select, when you are scrolling the guide for a few hours of programming are you really interested in the series art that you pass by? That is why in Kodi it is optional in the guide.

I have requested that sub make fanart downloading optional and for recordings only but they only adds a few 100ms of time.

Martin

[sub]

If I channel surf using the web interface there is a 2-5sec lag on caching/loading images and via Kodi a 3-8sec lag. On all my other interfaces "Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, Kodi(simple IPTV)" Image display was instant which gave it a natural Guide/DVR feel.
So, is there a way to cache show poster images?

So when you first need artwork for a show, like you've clicked on it in the TV guide, or when it records a show, it'll download the artwork to it's cache (c:\users\public\NPVR-data\media\shows) and supply it from there. Subsequent requests for the art can just come from the cache.

So... if you're viewing a show in NextPVR's TV Guide that you've never view before, it can take a few seconds to download the artwork. How quickly depends on your EPG source. If you're using Schedules Direct, it'll typically be about 1 second. If you're xmltv or DVB EPG, it'll typically be 2-4 seconds. You'll only take this hit once per show though.

If you're viewing a show it has already downloaded the artwork for, it'll come straight from the cache, and the client should get it pretty much instantly (50ms or so)

Also more importantly, show/movie posters are sometimes wrong even when Zap2it, Schedule Direct, and my XMLTV guide is correct. Most commonly a different language and sometimes just a completely different TV show, and often just missing

Here's only a few examples of missing and incorrect art.

It depends on your EPG source. If you're using Schedules Direct EPG source in NextPVR, you'll get the correct artwork every time. With other EPG sources, it has to search by name for the artwork. It does use some other attributes (that may be available) to help it find the correct artwork if multiple options art available (like original air date, or country etc). When you have to search by name though, there is always gonna be some times when it isn't correct.

Also wouldn't it be ideal to save the three images (when the correct ones are downloaded) to the record folder when created?

It can need the artwork before the user records, so the artwork is not cached in the recording file. They're stored in c:\users\public\NPVR-data\media\shows

[nathan909]

After SD made server changes because of IPTV pirating, there were some issues in the NextPVR caching of SD artwork that were fixed over a couple of releases and everything should be good now but some of your cached files probably need to be reset.  I've got a utility that will clear out these empty catalogs, it would be out now but I need to update it for 5.2.2 catalog changes.

A typical SD art download is 1 second, and you can confirm that in the logs.  Where there might be an issue is when Emby addon and Kodi when optional art downloading is enabled they can flood NextPVR with requests. Even with XMLTV there is a flood.  Unlike the web app and UI clients where art downloading concentrates on  what you select,  when you are scrolling the guide for a few hours of programming are you really interested in the series art that you pass by?  That is why in Kodi it is optional in the guide.

I have requested that sub make fanart downloading optional and for recordings only but they only adds a few 100ms of time.

Martin

Thanks for your reply Martin

Does it download the poster art from SD? In those examples there were some new-to-me shows that I just clicked today on (which took a couple of seconds to DL), and then the missing shows that zap2it and SD had, but were just missing in the NextPVR.
I'd be interested in your script if you think it would help with the incorrect/missing images

1sec download could be correct to download, but maybe there's another 1-2sec for it to push to the web interface and an additional 1-3 seconds for it to push to Kodi.

Like I said it's not terribly long, but it pulls from the experience and doesn't feel so fluid like a "natural Guide/DVR feel". When using XMLTV and/or precached images, I get form TiViMate, Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, & Kodi(simple IPTV) a better fluid GUI, but I'm missing the rock-solid DVR I seem to be seeing here. 

Nathan

[nathan909]

If I channel surf using the web interface there is a 2-5sec lag on caching/loading images and via Kodi a 3-8sec lag. On all my other interfaces "Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, Kodi(simple IPTV)" Image display was instant which gave it a natural Guide/DVR feel.
So, is there a way to cache show poster images?

So when you first need artwork for a show, like you've clicked on it in the TV guide, or when it records a show, it'll download the artwork to it's cache (c:\users\public\NPVR-data\media\shows) and supply it from there. Subsequent requests for the art can just come from the cache.

So... if you're viewing a show in NextPVR's TV Guide that you've never view before, it can take a few seconds to download the artwork. How quickly depends on your EPG source. If you're using Schedules Direct, it'll typically be about 1 second. If you're xmltv or DVB EPG, it'll typically be 2-4 seconds. You'll only take this hit once per show though.

If you're viewing a show it has already downloaded the artwork for, it'll come straight from the cache, and the client should get it pretty much instantly (50ms or so)

Also more importantly, show/movie posters are sometimes wrong even when Zap2it, Schedule Direct, and my XMLTV guide is correct. Most commonly a different language and sometimes just a completely different TV show, and often just missing

Here's only a few examples of missing and incorrect art.

It depends on your EPG source. If you're using Schedules Direct EPG source in NextPVR, you'll get the correct artwork every time. With other EPG sources, it has to search by name for the artwork. It does use some other attributes (that may be available) to help it find the correct artwork if multiple options art available (like original air date, or country etc). When you have to search by name though, there is always gonna be some times when it isn't correct.

Also wouldn't it be ideal to save the three images (when the correct ones are downloaded) to the record folder when created?

It can need the artwork before the user records, so the artwork is not cached in the recording file. They're stored in c:\users\public\NPVR-data\media\shows

In the example for "Today with Hoda & Jenny" I had that mapped my SD account, art was missing in NextPVR, but good in my other uses of my XMLTV. Some of the other examples I didn't take the time to map each channel to my SD account which could be why its taking longer to load images and some are incorrect.

Yes, after its cached it loads the image instantly and feels natural

[sub]

Does it download the poster art from SD? In those examples there were some new-to-me shows that I just clicked today on (which took a couple of seconds to DL), and then the missing shows that zap2it and SD had, but were just missing in the NextPVR.
I'd be interested in your script if you think it would help with the incorrect/missing images

Just to be clear, you only get Schedules Direct artwork when the EPG source for the channel is Schedules Direct. ie, it wont use Schedules Direct artwork when you're using XMLTV. (since it needs to have logged in, and have a token for access, and extra artwork info that gets download during the EPG update etc)

1sec download could be correct to download, but maybe there's another 1-2sec for it to push to the web interface and an additional 1-3 seconds for it to push to Kodi.

You should be seeing the artworking in Kodi within a half second or so of it having been downloaded by NextPVR. If you ever click on that show again in Kodi, you should see it pretty much instantly.

Like I said it's not terribly long, but it pulls from the experience and doesn't feel so fluid like a "natural Guide/DVR feel". When using XMLTV and/or precached images, I get form TiViMate, Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, & Kodi(simple IPTV) a better fluid GUI, but I'm missing the rock-solid DVR I seem to be seeing here. 

Get that, but NextPVR needs more artwork that your guide supplies, so it has to go looking for it.

[sub]

In the example for "Today with Hoda & Jenny" I had that mapped my SD account, art was missing in NextPVR, but good in my other uses of my XMLTV.

On the Settings->Channels page, was the EPG source listed as 'Schedules Direct' next to that channel? and if you just changed it, had you done an 'empty epg' and 'update epg' since changing it?

[mvallevand]

There is a slight nuance to Kodi downloads since Kodi caches the art downloads too, so if the URL is the same the cache will be the same so the art will only be downloaded once. If the cached value is bad it stays bad.

What my utility does is look for the clears out all the empty catalog files which can happen and did happen quite a bit a couple of months ago.

The "Today With Hoda & Jenna" could even be related to this corrected issues https://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?tid=62253

Martin