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[imugli]

This could probably also go in the plugins forum, but I've put it here because it will probably get more attention here.

Just wondering if anyone has thought of taking the Catchup TV plugin python scripts for Kodi and attempting to port them to MC?

[RoderickGI]

No, I haven't.

I have been thinking I should look into Catchup TV a bit, to see if it was worth incorporating into MC. But I have only looked at it in a web browser, using the WDM driver to handle sound. The sync in that configuration is pretty bad, and inconsistent. The inserted advertisements don't seem to help at all, since they break the stream and then reinstate it.

I haven't looked at Kodi for years, and even then didn't look that deep, as I wanted a solution, not a kit of bits and pieces. I have been hoping JRiver would do something in the streaming content area to save me spending time building a solution. So, Catchup TV really hasn't been a big priority.

Have you looked at the scripts yet? If there was an easily implemented solution I might use it, but if it requires a different solution for every source, each requiring maintenance as the broadcasters change the way their service works, then maybe not.

[imugli]

Have you looked at the scripts yet? If there was an easily implemented solution I might use it, but if it requires a different solution for every source, each requiring maintenance as the broadcasters change the way their service works, then maybe not.

I've had a look at them, but some html and css is the extent of my coding prowess, so python is a bit like mandarin to me.
There is a different script for each channel, which I suppose is good and bad - even if it was one script you'd be updating it if one of the broadcasters changed the way they the service worked.

There is another downloader script (http://delx.net.au/blog/2012/09/webdl/) which works with all channels except 7 at the moment, but it downloads the vid, it doesn't play the stream, which the kodi plugins do.

I was thinking something that sounds fairly simple - use the auth details in the scripts to dl the json data, parse that to a playlist (with the rtmp address as the file location), then add a view in Theater View. Like I say - it sounds simple in my mind, probably not in reality :-)

[astromo]

Not that I go down the Catch Up path that much but when I need that sort of function, I just apply: Video > Connected Media and browse my way through using MC.

It may not be the neatest method but it's functional with what MC offers straight out of the box.

Am I missing something really cool by working this way?

[RoderickGI]

To be honest, I've never tried that method. I've just jumped in through Theatre View when I want to get to YouTube, for example, via MC. That is a very different experience. I've also tried adding web pages into Theatre View. Not so good.

I just tried the Connected Media method for YouTube, iView and Plus 7 on my workstation, and it looks better. I'll have to try it on my HTPC later.

Thanks for the hint Astromo!

[imugli]

It may not be the neatest method but it's functional with what MC offers straight out of the box.

Am I missing something really cool by working this way?

You're only missing something if you think you are. :-) For me, I'd love to integrate the functionality into Theater View.

[astromo]

You're only missing something if you think you are. :-) For me, I'd love to integrate the functionality into Theater View.

Does the function actually save a vid file to a local location that you can play back separately on demand?

That would be cool and a worthwhile addition.

[imugli]

Does the function actually a vid file to a local location that you can play back separately on demand?

That would be cool and a worthwhile addition.

Yep.

Here is a vid demoing it on Kodi -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CsWIUJcBuQ

There are plenty of other plugins that grab video for Kodi, but it's the catchup TV that I'm most interested in. TBH I don't think i'd have much use for live TV if catchup was as easy as that to access...

[RoderickGI]

That demo video doesn't run long enough to be sure, but the timeline doesn't show any scheduled Ads in the stream. Do you know if ads are still inserted using plugin?

While the quality of streaming video still isn't as good as OTA 1080i, being able to watch catch up TV as easy as that, without all the web site guff, and particularly if the ads were gone, would be very handy sometimes.

[imugli]

That demo video doesn't run long enough to be sure, but the timeline doesn't show any scheduled Ads in the stream. Do you know if ads are still inserted using plugin?

I'm not sure. I don't run Kodi so couldn't tell you.

While the quality of streaming video still isn't as good as OTA 1080i, being able to watch catch up TV as easy as that, without all the web site guff, and particularly if the ads were gone, would be very handy sometimes.

Agreed.

[imugli]

I'm bumping this because I'm kind of getting somewhere...

I've managed to geta listing of programs from iView and the asset URL into xml format (attached). I can play the videoAsset URL in MC, so now just to parse the xml into something legible to MC.

Is MC able to import playlists on a schedule? I can run a cron to update the playlist, and then to parse it to a legible format, but it would need to get re-imported daily (like the xml TV guide).  

My aim would be to evntually save the xml file as a playlist, and drill down by provider, then at the least series and date or series / season / episode.

Just because, here is the link to MasterChef from Tuesday night (I havent got to Channel 10 yet though) http://c.brightcove.com/services/mobile/streaming/index/master.m3u8?videoId=4884068858001

[imugli]

I've managed to (manually) create an MPL out of the resulting xml file and import it into MC  

Next to automate it all... :-)

[RoderickGI]

Interesting. The things that will make a difference is the ease of Discovery of programs I want to watch, which probably means custom views and searches across this data, and the automatic update of the list of programs, without duplicates.

But you are making progress. 

[imugli]

Initially I'm going to have the py script run daily and DL everything, then overwrite the existing MPL and re-import, so there won't be duplicates.  

It's set up as a smartlist in JR, so will update automatically in Theater View.

Problem is the MPL just for ABC channels takes ~25 minutes to import (~2600 files).

Eventually I may get to the point where I can append / deprecate information each day, but not for a while. And you still have to re-import it each day.

What are you looking for in terms of discovery, searches, custom views etc?

[RoderickGI]

What are you looking for in terms of discovery, searches, custom views etc?

I haven't really thought about it. I just saw a big list, and I know using iView to find interesting stuff can be a pain.

Probably restrict to Genre, or search for specific, favourite programs and append them to the list. In fact, if there was a search process before selecting programs to import, then I might restrict what gets imported and what is excluded, making the import much faster. But that is building a whole lot more functionality outside MC than desirable, I would think, particularly as it duplicates MC functionality (search and filter).

[imugli]

ABC provide some basic separation
- by Channel - ABC1, ABC4Kids etc.
- by a few genres
 - arts, comedy, docs, drama, education, featured, indigenous, iview, last-chance, lifestyle, news, panel, recent, sports, trailers

but that's it.

Each feed is separate, so you could import only the ones you wanted.

Unfortunately no Genre or Keyword tags in any of the feeds, and no actors. :-(

I've just got it looping the grab through the feeds and exporting to separate files. Automating parsing to MPL now.

[astromo]

As a side note, these offerings:
http://www.iviewripper.com/
http://www.sbsripper.com/
skin the cat a different way.

Even so, interested to see where imugli gets to. One stop shopping is what works for me.

[imugli]

Thanks Astromo.

iViewRipper and SBSRipper look to be ports of (or very similar to) webdl

https://delx.net.au/projects/webdl/

which takes you through a menu and downloads the program (and also allows dl of 10 and Nine programs)

Both useful if that's what you're looking to do.

[zydeco]

Great idea. We've moved to JRiver as the sole A/V source in our house and Catch-Up TV / HbbTV is a missing link. Yes, the recording of TV gets around the need but with only a couple of tuners the family still goes to Catch-Up TV at times.

[imugli]

Completely agree that hbbTV is a missing link.

I think part of the problem may be the whole freeview licensing thing, but we'll get around it. :-)