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[rudyrednose]

Warning, this thread has been obsoleted by this: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=81654.msg635181#msg635181
'nose

On OTA ATSC, I am using the zap2it.com website for my EPG, combined with the zap2xml.exe scraper.

On the web site AND in the generated xmltv.xml file I do get correct Episode# and Season#.  However, JR does not recognize them.
Here is a complete subset of the guide, showing header, how channel 5.2 is defined then two Seinfeld shows on 5.2

Code: [Select]

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE tv SYSTEM "xmltv.dtd">

<tv source-info-url="http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/" source-info-name="zap2it.com" generator-info-name="zap2xml" generator-info-url="zap2xml@gmail.com">
<channel id="I533934.labs.zap2it.com">
<display-name>5.2 WPTZDT2</display-name>
<display-name>5.2</display-name>
<display-name>WPTZDT2</display-name>
</channel>
<programme start="20140923220000 -0400" stop="20140923223000 -0400" channel="I533934.labs.zap2it.com">
<title lang="en">Seinfeld</title>
<sub-title lang="en">The Handicap Spot</sub-title>
<desc lang="en">George&apos;s father is arrested when Jerry and George park his car in a handicapped spot.</desc>
<category lang="en">Comedy</category>
<length units="minutes">30</length>
<episode-num system="common">S04E22</episode-num>
<episode-num system="dd_progid">EP00016916.0073</episode-num>
<previously-shown />
</programme>
<programme start="20140923223000 -0400" stop="20140923230000 -0400" channel="I533934.labs.zap2it.com">
<title lang="en">Seinfeld</title>
<sub-title lang="en">The Bizarro Jerry</sub-title>
<desc lang="en">Elaine&apos;s soon-to-be former beau has two friends who resemble George and Kramer.</desc>
<category lang="en">Comedy</category>
<length units="minutes">30</length>
<episode-num system="common">S08E03</episode-num>
<episode-num system="dd_progid">EP00016916.0151</episode-num>
<previously-shown />
</programme>
</tv>

So the season and episode are clearly embedded in the xmltv.xml file in the episode-num tag.  Can we get them imported in JR please ?

Thank you for the great work guys, JR is now my one stop shop !

[adlelare]

rudy, thanks for the EPG tip.  when it integrates in MCTV can you still use all the other capabilities of MCTV PVR function and specifically the tagging function??? and what does zap2it offer that i don't get native from MCTV.  i am a fellow canuck and by using a postal code sitting on the border with the US (not my postal code) and running EPG twice to set it up i get all stations (except for ION stations, but they are completely independent and METV (which i believe is very new))... thanks.. i like many others have a real interest in getting MCTV to work as good as possible.... regards.  PS if you are OTA can you get FOX??? it is the only major network i don't receive and from what i have read in my area the FOX tower (in buffalo) specifically doesn't send a signal into Canada.

[Yaobing]

<episode-num system="common">S04E22</episode-num>

This seems to be something new.  And it looks like it should be straight forward.  "S04E22" means season 4, episode 22, I suppose.

<episode-num system="dd_progid">EP00016916.0073</episode-num>

This is still something I do not understand (some proprietary format).

<episode-num system="xmltv_ns">2 . 9 . 0/1</episode-num>

This is also straight forward, and I meant to add its support a while ago.

So look for some improvement in this area in the next few builds of MC20.

[rudyrednose]

Great ! 

Yaobing, I have attached the full xmltv.xml I get from running the latest zap2xml.exe script on my zap2it.com account. 
There are several interesting tags:
<episode-num system="common">S04E22</episode-num>   "common" should be the easiest to implement as it is effectively season 4 episode 22.

Also, depending on wether a show is a rebroadcast or a first diffusion, a program entry ends with :
<previously-shown />
<new />

Here is a full programme entry for Dave Letterman, showing several interesting tags:

   <programme start="20140929233500 -0400" stop="20140930003700 -0400" channel="I449911.labs.zap2it.com">
      <title lang="en">Late Show With David Letterman</title>
      <desc lang="en">Actor Neil Patrick Harris; chef Jamie Oliver; Aretha Franklin performs.</desc>
      <date>20140929</date>
      <category lang="en">Reality</category>
      <category lang="en">Comedy</category>
      <length units="minutes">62</length>
      <episode-num system="common">S22E23</episode-num>
      <episode-num system="dd_progid">EP00076838.4896</episode-num>
      <video>
         <aspect>16:9</aspect>
         <quality>HDTV</quality>
      </video>
      <new />
   </programme>


I suppose the -0400 on the first tag indicates Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-5  +1)...

zap2xml script to scrape zap2it.com listings is available there: http://zap2xml.awardspace.info/
Run this executable: D:\zap\zap2xml.exe
Pass these arguments: -u my_zap2it_account -p my_zap2it_password -U   where the -U is to get Unicode as I also listen to french programs.

By the way, I am using zap2it.com because none of the other methods gave me good results as I get both canadian and US ATSC channels...

Thank you Yaobing !

adlelare, you responded to my other post, here: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=92011.0, I will pursue there for channel lineups of users getting both US and canadian channels.


Cheers

[RoderickGI]

<episode-num system="common">S04E22</episode-num>

This seems to be something new.  And it looks like it should be straight forward.  "S04E22" means season 4, episode 22, I suppose.

This is the format created by the author of zap2xml in April this year. It is a completely logical numbering system, but it is not part of the XMLTV standard. I actually asked the author of EPG Collector if he would produce that format in the output of EPGC, and he was willing, but a little concerned that it did not in any way meet the standard.

<episode-num system="dd_progid">EP00016916.0073</episode-num>

This is still something I do not understand (some proprietary format).

This is the format created by Zap2It, or the owners, Tribune Media Services. It is also not part of the XMLTV standard. The part before the "." is a Program ID number, which I think is specific to Zap2It, and not consistent with thetvdb.com, imdb.com, or any other internet repository. The number portion of the Program ID is used to link recordings in a series, and for metadata lookup. The prefix, in this case "EP", indicates that this is an episodic program, and so there are seasons and episodes. There are other prefixes with other meanings. I believe that you have to be using Zap2It aware products to make sense of it. The part after the "." is the absolute episode number. That is, if a program had 10 episodes per season, the third episode in the third season would be the 23rd episode, and so would be numbered ".0023". This system requires that the number of episodes in each season is known in order to convert to a Season number and Episode number format.

Basically, don't bother ever trying to interpret that format. Even if you understand what it is doing, additional episodes like a "The Making Of program" or Christmas specials may or may not be correctly included in the episode count, so you can still get the Season and Episode numbers wrong.

<episode-num system="xmltv_ns">2 . 9 . 0/1</episode-num>

This is also straight forward, and I meant to add its support a while ago.

This is the only sensible numbering format in the XMLTV standard. Don't forget that it starts the count for Season and Episodes from zero though. i.e. The program above is Episode 10 from Season 3, and it is a 1 Part episode.

So look for some improvement in this area in the next few builds of MC20.

Indeed I am.    Thank you Yaobing.

[RoderickGI]

I emailed the author of Zap2xml, asking if (s)he would add Season and Episode numbers in the xmltv_ns format to the output file. (S)He agreed and will add the xmltv_ns tag for the next version.

There were no promises as to when the next version would be released, but there have been six releases so far this year, in April and May, so there is a good chance it won't be too long. Maybe. Prior to the updates this year the last new releases were in 2008 and 2007.

But, a positive step. One more application supporting the XMLTV standard format Season and Episode Numbering System.

[rudyrednose]

Great !
zap2it.com and zap2xml.exe have been the (free) tools giving me the best EPG so far (I get canadian and US OTA ATSC).

[rudyrednose]

This thread mentioning zap2xml.exe "common" custom format for season/episode is now obsolete.

As of today, the latest version of zap2xml.exe also outputs a XMLTV standard "xmltv_ns" episode tag, in addition to his custom "common" and the odd "dd_progid".

<episode-num system="xmltv_ns">1.9.</episode-num> means Season 2, Episode 10, integral (no part 1 or 2), indexed from 0 this yields "1.9."

Assuming an older series with no new episodes to be produced, the full representation of xmltv_ns allows for /#total options, like in Season/#seasons.Episode/#episodes.part#/#_of_parts
For instance, if a series had 8 seasons total, the first season had 23 episodes and we talk about season 2 episode 12, the tag becomes:
<episode-num system="xmltv_ns">1/8.11/23.0/1</episode-num>

For the second episode of a 2-part episode 1 of season 1, the tag would be:
<episode-num system="xmltv_ns">0.0.1/2</episode-num>

See this thread: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=81654.msg635181#msg635181