Windows > Television
Australia TV Setup
RoderickGI:
The only solution currently for EPG in Australia is to use an external source to MC, and import the EPG into MC using the XMLTV format.
The best two sources for EPG data are Over The Air (OTA) for free and IceTV, which is a paid service, at $99 per year unless you catch a discount.
I use EPG Collector to collect OTA EPG data, then gather additional metadata from TheTVDB to add Season and Episode numbers where possible, and finally to produce an XMLTV file for import into MC. Astromo did a bit of a write-up on how to implement EPG Collector, but it probably needs some work as things have changed a bit. Note that I collect my EPG from the MHEG5 data stream (which is the Freeview Plus data) for most channels, as that stream has better quality data, and the EPG for almost all channels is available on any broadcast frequency, so it is faster to collect. If you use the EIT data stream (which is what non Freeview Plus devices such as TVs use), EPG Collector must collect the EPG data from each broadcast frequency that you receive channels on. The only exception in Melbourne in the Community Channel, Channel 31, which only has EIT data, so must be collected from its frequency.
I will start an Australian TV EPG thread at some stage, and write a Wiki article, but not until I have time, motivation, and the right mind set to document all the little twists and turns. At the moment I have other projects that need my attention. ;D
If you are into playing with Linux, you could try another source called Shepherd. I don't have the inclination to try that myself, but Astromo said he might take a look. Shepherd requires a Master Nerd of the first order to understand, and a good apprentice nerd just to implement it. Shepherd can be run on Windows, but requires Cygwin to provide a Linux like environment on Windows. Nerdy! (Yes, I have used it in the past. Just don't want to use it now.)
--- Quote from: imugli on April 28, 2016, 04:52:17 pm ---Link to thread on setting up EPG in Australia using IceTV -
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=101940.0
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: astromo on November 06, 2015, 03:42:12 am ---EPG Setup with EPG Collector
In the interim, refer here for advice:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=67992.msg558511#msg558511
--- End quote ---
RoderickGI:
Just a quick heads up for anyone using OTA MHEG5 EPG data at the moment, October 31st 2015.
The MHEG5 is currently wrong, and list the programs exactly one day after they are actually due to be shown. i.e. Doctor Who, scheduled for 7:42pm on the 1st, is listed in the MHEG5 data as showing at 7:42pm on November 2st.
This warning is based on Melbourne data. Other regions may not have a problem.
The EIT data is still "correct", but includes many gaps in the schedule, and does not include Subtitles (Episode names), Season or Episode numbers. Basically, you will get some sort of program title, perhaps modified with a suffix such as " - Encore", but not much else, Automatic recording based on rules will be patchy at best.
This was all fixed quickly.
astromo:
--- Quote from: RoderickGI on October 31, 2015, 03:18:48 am ---Just a quick heads up for anyone using OTA MHEG5 EPG data at the moment, October 31st 2015.
The MHEG5 is currently wrong
--- End quote ---
Agreed. All very irritating... >:(
Getting garbage along the same lines up Brisbane way, as well. EPGC has the ability to do limited time shifts but not a whole 24 hours from what I can fathom.
Giving Shepherd a go. Have done a default install loaded onto a little cubox running a Debian distro. This is what it grabbed this morning, if you're interested:
Shepherd output.xmltv
I'll set up a cron to do a daily grab and then make it available to the Windows PCs on my network.
I'm thinking of running xmltvdb to tidy up the TV listings but I haven't checked the grabbed data to see whether this is absolutely necessary.
I'm hoping this will work. Otherwise, I might have to fork out some $pondoolie$ for icetv.
EDIT:
Looks reasonable so far... I think ?
For
--- Quote ---<programme start="20151103110000 +1000" stop="20151103120000 +1000" channel="7mate.free.au">
<title lang="en">Starsky & Hutch</title>
<sub-title lang="en">Little Girl Lost</sub-title>
--- End quote ---
there's this entry:
--- Quote --- <episode-num system="xmltv_ns">1 . 12 . </episode-num>
--- End quote ---
that ties up with:
http://thetvdb.com/?tab=episode&seriesid=78194&seasonid=14477&id=275003&lid=7
However, SBS is not as nicely done:
--- Quote --- <programme start="20151116230000 +1000" stop="20151117000500 +1000" channel="sbshd.free.au">
<title lang="en">Fargo</title>
--- End quote ---
...
--- Quote --- <episode-num system="onscreen">5</episode-num>
--- End quote ---
RoderickGI:
So it is still wrong then? I was planning to check it yesterday, but didn't get around to it. I'm currently still using EIT and it is rubbish. Gaps, no subtitles, no season or episode or ability to look them up.
I am wondering what all the Freeview users are seeing. They use the MHEG5 stream as far as I know, so they must be seeing the same problem. Maybe this is a precursor to the change to Freeview Plus, which will use an internet sourced EPG.
I was considering trying Shepherd as well, even though it would be a lot of work. I subscribed to their email list, and I have seen that Shepherd still regularly has data problems, which seem to be complicated and take a while to fix.
<tantrum> I don't want to be continuously monitoring my EPG data source! </tantrum>
I'm certainly interested in how you go, and I'll look at your data. Maybe Steve could put a fix into EPGC for us. But even that would still require constant monitoring in case the problem was reversed.
Not happy. >:(
RoderickGI:
There is now a fix for the dates being wrong in EPG Collector.
While the fixed version hasn't been publically released yet, Steve Bickell has made an early version of V4.3 available, and it fixes the date problem. In fact Steve promises me that it is a permanent fix as the method he uses to work out the dates has changed. See this thread: https://sourceforge.net/p/epgcollector/discussion/1125946/thread/5cc4e404/
So I am back to using MHEG5 data again, and hence have Series and Episode names again, and at least some Season and Episode numbers.
Note that Steve has just yesterday released V4.2 Fixpack 7, which does not include the dates fix.
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