Topic: EPG setup trouble (Read 18767 times)

brad-sylvester · « **on:** March 15, 2016, 04:23:11 pm »

I have been trying for several days to get EPG data to update automatically. The only way I have been able to get the data to change on the Television selection is to clear all TV data including channel and guide in TV setup and do a rescan. I have tried MC2XML and XMLTV. Both run when I exit the load program guide screen but the data on the Television screen is not updated.
I have tried multiple combinations on with the automatically load the program guide screen but still no update. I installed the program on a Win7 desktop and a Win8 laptop. Both experience the same problem. I have searched this forum and tried all the recommendations for installing and updating problems but still no luck. Any solution would be greatly appreciated.

Yaobing · « **Reply #1 on:** March 15, 2016, 05:05:31 pm »

In the last few days the EPG data source Rovi is not updating. If you run mc2xml in GUI mode, we force it to update, but it still does not get data. In silent mode, it just fails quietly. I believe Rovi is working on fixing the problem.

CountryBumkin · « **Reply #2 on:** March 15, 2016, 05:07:36 pm »

Quote from: Aljones43 on February 12, 2016, 05:32:25 pm

Does MC21 support schedules direct? I have searched and I am confused.

If you have a subscription to Schedules Direct it will work in MC. You run mc2xml as a third-party application and import the resulting xmltv.xml file.
However, you are not "supposed" to use SD with MC because MC is a commercial product.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #3 on:** March 15, 2016, 05:45:55 pm »

I have tried schedules direct. When I manual update it looks like it's working but the guide on the main menu, Television does not update.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #4 on:** March 15, 2016, 06:10:06 pm »

Could you please post a picture of what you mean by "the guide on the main menu, Television". Just to confirm what you are looking at here.

Thanks.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #5 on:** March 15, 2016, 07:46:19 pm »

Photo as requested. Notice program guide last refreshed date and time. The only way I could get this to change was to clear all TV data and do a new channel scan. If I clear program guide in settings I get the double click to setup prompt but it won't update until a do a new channel scan. Manual guide update has no effect.

Yaobing · « **Reply #6 on:** March 15, 2016, 07:59:30 pm »

I still don't see a problem. Your program was updated this morning. It would not try updating for several hours.

When you tried using SD data, what exactly happened?

RoderickGI · « **Reply #7 on:** March 15, 2016, 09:02:21 pm »

I don't see a problem yet either, but at least now we can see that you are looking at Standard View rather than the Theatre View Guide. Obviously some of your channels have no data, but that may be a different issue. First we need to understand why you think there has been no update, and what you think is missing.

Did you know that the guide in Standard View, which you are looking at, only show 24 hours of data by design? If you want to see more data, then look at the Theatre View Guide and scroll to the right. Or, if you want to see multiple days in Standard View, search (using the Search box in the top right corner) on a term that is common in many programs. I search on "News" to check how many days of EPG I have in Standard View, as there are multiple news programs on every day, and so I see multiple days of data in that view. See the attached image for an example where I searched using "ABC News with" to show multiple days clearly.

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 15, 2016, 07:46:19 pm

The only way I could get this to change was to clear all TV data and do a new channel scan.

Don't do this. You are wasting your time, and it is completely unnecessary. It won't fix a Guide Load problem, unless you have really mucked up the initial TV setup. You should almost never need to clear all TV data. You may sometimes want to clear all EPG/Guide data (via "Options>Television>Load program guide...", and ticking the "Clear program guide" box at the top), but that would only be if there was specific problems with the Guide data. You should only need to do a new channel scan (best done via "Options>Television>Channels>Manage channels..." then clicking the "Rescan" button, rather than through the "Options>Television>Setup" process) if there have been changes to the channels available to you.

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 15, 2016, 07:46:19 pm

If I clear program guide in settings I get the double click to setup prompt but it won't update until a do a new channel scan.

Again, don't do that. You do not want to run TV Setup, you just want to setup the EPG/Guide data. It is best if you do this by going through the "Options>Television>Load program guide..." process. As you should be using the XMLTV option for EPG collection and importing the result into MC, you can also modify those setting by going to "Options>Television" then clicking on the "Tuner Profile" you are working with, then clicking "Configure", clicking through the tuner setup pages, and when you get to the "Service type and guide data source" page, XMLTV should already be selected. Select it if it isn't. Click "Next" and you will see the setup parameters for your XMLTV data collection, and the import into MC process. See the second attached image for example from my setup, where I am using a different program to collect EPG data, but the process is basically the same as mc2xml and Schedules Direct.

Take note of this though.

Quote from: CountryBumkin on March 15, 2016, 05:07:36 pm

If you have a subscription to Schedules Direct it will work in MC. You run mc2xml as a third-party application and import the resulting xmltv.xml file.
However, you are not "supposed" to use SD with MC because MC is a commercial product.

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 15, 2016, 07:46:19 pm

Manual guide update has no effect.

How did you do a manual guide update? Was it through "Options>Television>Load program guide..." with the "Run selected profiles Now" flag ticked?

Have you read all the USA TV Setup guide written by CountryBumkin? You should. It shows the setup of mc2xml using the MC XMLTV options.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #8 on:** March 15, 2016, 09:21:35 pm »

The reason it updated this morning is because I reset TV and did a new channel scan.
going to "Options>Television" then clicking on the "Tuner Profile" you are working with, then clicking "Configure", clicking through the tuner setup pages, did the trick. It now works with a manual update tv settings load program guide. Hopefully it will now update daily. Thanks much for all your help.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #9 on:** March 15, 2016, 09:51:05 pm »

This fix seemed to work for Win7 but my Win8 laptop is still not updating.
I tried loading guide with mc2xml and xmltv but the guide did not update.
I noticed that when configuring profile I didn't get the screen to match up channels like I did on Win7 and when I reset TV and start over.
I have been through the TV setup guide and several other suggestions but so far my guide does not update.
the xmltv works perfectly with NextPVR so I know the software is good.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #10 on:** March 15, 2016, 11:14:34 pm »

I have tried rescanning and configuring profile. No Joy.
The only way I can get the guide to update is clearing tv and guide data and doing setup.

ccat70541 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 16, 2016, 12:29:21 am »

Thanks for the info

RoderickGI · « **Reply #12 on:** March 16, 2016, 01:19:24 am »

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 15, 2016, 11:14:34 pm

I have tried rescanning and configuring profile. No Joy.
The only way I can get the guide to update is clearing tv and guide data and doing setup.

Why are you trying to set up the EPG on two PCs?

Have you read the Media Server Wiki article? Do you understand that usually with MC, if it is to be used on two PCs, one is set up as the MC Server and any others will be a MC Client? In that configuration, only the MC Server collects EPG data, and then it shares that data with all MC Clients. There are exceptions, but you need to know what you are doing, and have a specific reason to do them.

Also, do you understand the within MC you should be selecting the XMLTV options only, as per the first image, and not the mc2xml option built into MC? Then you should be running mc2xml as an external program to collect the data from Schedules Direct, which MC will then import? See that second image for what your XMLTV setup might look similar to, although you may have installed mc2xml to a different location, and saved the resulting XMLTV file elsewhere.

Note also:
The mc2xml option shown in the first image should be working for USA users, but it uses data from Microsoft, which gets its data from Rovi. Currently Rovi is having a problem and are not providing data. That should be fixed today or tomorrow.
You really shouldn't be using Schedules Direct with MC, as that is a violation of their Terns & Conditions. If you can't use the free mc2xml options, you should be using the paid version of Schedules Direct, which is the PercData option on the "Service type and guide data source" page.

Perhaps you should tell us what hardware you are using, including PC, laptop, and most importantly, TV Tuners Brand and Models. Also describe how you are trying to set up and use MC. i.e. Just for music and TV in your home, do you want to take your laptop travelling and connect to the MC Server at home to watch TV, what audio outputs you are using. Just so we get an idea of what you are trying to achieve.
Oh, and please tell us where you are located, Country and State, as that affects what EPG data sources you can use. I have been assuming USA, Hawaii.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #13 on:** March 16, 2016, 02:11:43 am »

I really didn't want to run my desktop as a server.
My desktop is normally off at night when we watch TV and or movies using the laptop.
If anything I would want to use the laptop as the server but I haven't been able to get EPG working properly on it.
I am using XLMTV option but running zap2xml instead of mc2xml. It worked well for me with NEXTPVR.
I tried the mc2xml option in MC, as I thought that was recommended, just to see if it would work. Same symptoms.
I am located in Honolulu, Hawaii.
My laptop is a HP Envy 15, I7-4710 CPU, Windows 8.1 pro with media center.
HDHomeRun Tunner

CountryBumkin · « **Reply #14 on:** March 16, 2016, 07:22:55 am »

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 16, 2016, 02:11:43 am

I really didn't want to run my desktop as a server.
My desktop is normally off at night when we watch TV and or movies using the laptop.
If anything I would want to use the laptop as the server but I haven't been able to get EPG working properly on it.
I am using XLMTV option but running zap2xml instead of mc2xml. It worked well for me with NEXTPVR.
I tried the mc2xml option in MC, as I thought that was recommended, just to see if it would work. Same symptoms.
I am located in Honolulu, Hawaii.
My laptop is a HP Envy 15, I7-4710 CPU, Windows 8.1 pro with media center.
HDHomeRun Tunner

So you are using a HDHomeRun (a networked Tuner). I think that it will be a problem to try to have your network Tuner controlled by two different computers (even if only one is running at a time) without running the HDHomeRun software. Usually one computer is setup as the Server and then it controls the Tuner and the other computers in the house are setup as Clients which then access the Tuner through the Server machine. I have not used a network Tuner but from what I've read here, they are a lot harder to setup then the internal/dedicated Tuner cards.

Are you getting a new/updated "xmltv.xml" file from your Zap2xml source each day? Do you run Zap2xml separately on both computers?

JimH · « **Reply #15 on:** March 16, 2016, 08:23:51 am »

I use an HDHomerun with two tuners and I don't think there is a problem using it with two PC's.

They are pretty easy to set up. Yaobing has instructions on the TV board.

Yaobing · « **Reply #16 on:** March 16, 2016, 09:05:18 am »

Right. Networked tuners can be shared among different computers. The only thing one has to watch for is that you do not want to access the same tuner at the same time from different computers. If one computer is used while the other is not running, there is definitely no problem.

JimH · « **Reply #17 on:** March 16, 2016, 10:46:42 am »

If you have two tuners in a single network device like the HDHomerun, won't the network device just use the second tuner if the first one is busy?

Yaobing · « **Reply #18 on:** March 16, 2016, 10:56:54 am »

Yes, HDHomerun would automatically allocate the available device. However, there may still be a problem if both tuners are in use when you try to access one from another computer.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #19 on:** March 16, 2016, 01:53:35 pm »

The tuner is not the problem. I can watch TV no problem. The problem is the program data is not updating.
If I don't resolve the problem this morning I will try uninstalling JRiver and do a clean install.

CountryBumkin · « **Reply #20 on:** March 16, 2016, 02:17:17 pm »

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 15, 2016, 04:23:11 pm

The only way I have been able to get the data to change on the Television selection is to clear all TV data including channel and guide in TV setup and do a rescan. I have tried MC2XML and XMLTV. Both run when I exit the load program guide screen but the data on the Television screen is not updated.

I have tried multiple combinations on with the automatically load the program guide screen but still no update. I installed the program on a Win7 desktop and a Win8 laptop. Both experience the same problem. I have searched this forum and tried all the recommendations for installing and updating problems but still no luck. Any solution would be greatly appreciated.

You said the Win 7 computer did update and now just the Win8.1 computer is not updating. Is this correct?
Also, remind me, are you using the third-party (run outside of MC) EPG data collector then just importing the xmltv.xml file, or do you use the built-in MC epg data collection method?

There was a problem reported here about running the "manual" EPG update process not working.

Apparently it is not a problem for everyone and we have not figured out yet why this occurs on only some computers (we thought the problem might only occur on Win 10 computers) but maybe it is happen to your Win8.1 machine.

I still have this problem on my Win10 machine. However, the "automatic" guide data loading does work.

So if this is your problem, the guide data should load according to it's automatic scheduled time. Post back tomorrow and let us know if it loaded by itself overnight.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #21 on:** March 16, 2016, 05:46:59 pm »

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 16, 2016, 02:11:43 am

I really didn't want to run my desktop as a server.

Fair enough. In that case the main issue I see is that you must be only using a local library on your laptop when you want to watch TV on your laptop in stand alone mode. If you do that, then you can set up the EPG data collection on your laptop, and it should work. Of course you will need to do a full TV Setup in the local library on the laptop.

You can still use the laptop as a MC Client and have it connect to your desktop to share that library. But every time you connect in that way, MC copies the Server library to the Client, and then keeps it synchronised with changes after that. If you set up the EPG collection on the laptop while connected to a Server library, that will work, but when you close and reopen the Client, MC will overwrite the copy of the server library that is stored on the laptop, and hence wipe out EPG setup.

This;

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 15, 2016, 11:14:34 pm

I have tried rescanning and configuring profile. No Joy.
The only way I can get the guide to update is clearing tv and guide data and doing setup.

is a common symptom of trying to set up TV and EPG Collection on a MC Client PC while it is connected to and using a MC Server library.

So, if you are using both the desktop and laptop in stand alone mode, each with their own independent libraries, then the EPG Collection/Guide Load process should work on the laptop running Windows 8.1.

Using the laptop as a MC Server would make sense in your situation. If your problems are caused by the above issue, then it would be the correct way to go. Perhaps focus on getting the laptop TV and EPG set up correctly first, and then look at the desktop. Your desktop could then always connect to the laptop as a MC Client.

Note the issues that the others have mentioned above, particularly the one CountryBumkin mentioned about manual Guide Load processes not working for everyone at the moment, but the automatic guide load does work.

Zap2xml should be fine as a source of XMLTV EPG data. Once the current issue with Rovi is sorted out, the internal mc2xml process should work as well. But why change if zap2xml is giving you what you want?

A clean install is unlikely to help in this situation.

Yaobing · « **Reply #22 on:** March 16, 2016, 07:38:02 pm »

I am not sure if it will reveal anything, please enable logging and capture a log file.

email the files to me. I am yaobing at jriver dot com

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #23 on:** March 16, 2016, 10:13:32 pm »

I completely uninstalled program including data bases. Reinstalled. Same symptoms. I turned on logging and did a manual update. Log file attached. will also email as requested above.
I did try the server/client solution. That worked but I don't really want to have to use two computers and the laptop draws much less power. I will have to decide which is better, two computers or clearing TV data once a week and setting up again.
I guess I could also turn off EPG altogether as I seldom record future TV shows.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #24 on:** March 16, 2016, 10:22:09 pm »

I forgot to mention the laptop did not auto update. The desktop did.

Yaobing · « **Reply #25 on:** March 17, 2016, 08:45:39 am »

It looks like you did not check the "Automatically load the program guide everyday in the background" checkbox.

imeric · « **Reply #26 on:** March 17, 2016, 09:14:46 am »

Yes leaving this box unchecked will definitely not work automatically

However maybe Brad's issue is related to this post here: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=103516.msg719313#msg719313

In summary on 2 out of 3 PCs I have, Manually loading the guide will not refresh it with new info. I have to run the entire setup to get it refreshed (you can skip the scan). It however DOES work automatically.
This was with 21.0.54 but didn't see anything in the release notes that this was fixed. But it does work fine in the background as I said.

And for me to have XMLTV profiles work within MC on one out of 3 PC, I need to put in full command lines otherwise MC gets confused. (Maybe this is specific to my case on one PC having 2 EPG XMLTV configs.)

That is also the PC where I can manually load the guide without problems...

In case Roderick asks, all of this is done separately on each PCs used as servers and not through a client.

CountryBumkin · « **Reply #27 on:** March 17, 2016, 09:51:17 am »

Quote from: imeric on March 17, 2016, 09:14:46 am

However maybe Brad's issue is related to this post here: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=103516.msg719313#msg719313

In summary on 2 out of 3 PCs I have, Manually loading the guide will not work refresh guide date and I have to run the setup to get it refreshed. It however DOES work automatically.
This was with 21.0.54 but didn't see anything in the release notes that this was fixed. But it does work fine in the background as I said.

This is not fixed yet. I retested last night before I posted about this above. It doesn't load "manually" but next morning the guide is loaded "automatically" (it loads at midnight not the schedule time if you have something other than default).

EDIT: This has been fixed in version 65

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #28 on:** March 17, 2016, 01:44:11 pm »

I do have the check in the "Automatically load the program guide everyday in the background" checkbox.
It looks like I have the same problem as Imeric but laptop doesn't seem to be automatically updating.
Perhaps I am wasting too much time on this issue as I can always use NextPVR or my desktop to record TV shows.
I seldom record TV shows anyway, just when something special is happening.

Yaobing · « **Reply #29 on:** March 17, 2016, 02:41:17 pm »

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 17, 2016, 01:44:11 pm

I do have the check in the "Automatically load the program guide everyday in the background" checkbox.
It looks like I have the same problem as Imeric but laptop doesn't seem to be automatically updating.
Perhaps I am wasting too much time on this issue as I can always use NextPVR or my desktop to record TV shows.
I seldom record TV shows anyway, just when something special is happening.

OK, that rules out that.

I noticed that in your log there was one attempt to load EPG manually. And your setup calls into a batch file. The execution of the batch file took around 10 seconds. It appears to have completed successfully (because we did not make any attempt to re-run the batch file). You should have seen a window that asks you to check xmltvID to MC channel mapping. Did you see that?

imeric · « **Reply #30 on:** March 17, 2016, 02:41:42 pm »

Quote from: imeric on March 17, 2016, 09:14:46 am

Yes leaving this box unchecked will definitely not work automatically

However maybe Brad's issue is related to this post here: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=103516.msg719313#msg719313

In summary on 2 out of 3 PCs I have, Manually loading the guide will not refresh it with new info. I have to run the entire setup to get it refreshed (you can skip the scan). It however DOES work automatically.
This was with 21.0.54 but didn't see anything in the release notes that this was fixed. But it does work fine in the background as I said.

And for me to have XMLTV profiles work within MC on one out of 3 PC, I need to put in full command lines otherwise MC gets confused. (Maybe this is specific to my case on one PC having 2 EPG XMLTV configs.)

That is also the PC where I can manually load the guide without problems...

In case Roderick asks, all of this is done separately on each PCs used as servers and not through a client.

I modified it as I wasn't making any sense

imeric · « **Reply #31 on:** March 17, 2016, 02:47:11 pm »

Quote from: Yaobing on March 17, 2016, 02:41:17 pm

You should have seen a window that asks you to check xmltvID to MC channel mapping. Did you see that?

Yaobing as an FYI this is the missing part when I try the manual update on 2 of my PCs. I see the mc2xml window, the actual xmltv.xml file gets updated but no channel mapping happening on the 2 PCs and the guide is not refreshed. I see it just fine on the HTPC. (My 3rd PC with OTA and STB)

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #32 on:** March 17, 2016, 02:49:40 pm »

No I don't get the mapping page on my laptop. The only way I get the mapping page is to run "setup"
It works normally on my desktop.

JimH · « **Reply #33 on:** March 17, 2016, 03:54:48 pm »

Are you running any pop up blocker?

RoderickGI · « **Reply #34 on:** March 17, 2016, 05:15:33 pm »

Quote from: Yaobing on March 17, 2016, 02:41:17 pm

And your setup calls into a batch file.

That doesn't sound right.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #35 on:** March 20, 2016, 02:21:16 pm »

Auto update started working 2 days ago! So now looks like I have the same symptoms as Imeric on his one PC.

Yaobing · « **Reply #36 on:** March 21, 2016, 05:53:24 pm »

I think I finally nailed this one.

Fixed: Manually updating television guide data using EPG wizard failed in some cases.

This will appear in a new build in a few days.

Thanks for your help and patience.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #37 on:** March 21, 2016, 08:21:44 pm »

Sounds good. Looking forward to the update.

imeric · « **Reply #38 on:** March 22, 2016, 07:02:54 am »

Good stuff Yaobing thx.

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #39 on:** March 24, 2016, 11:41:05 pm »

As it turns out auto updates is not working after all. Although the "Program guide last refreshed" on the main menu changes each day after 7 days the program data started changing to to "program info not available" Still working normally on my desktop.

RoderickGI · « **Reply #40 on:** March 25, 2016, 03:05:43 am »

Have you updated to MC21.0.65 yet?

There was a change in that version to fix the manual update, which may have some affect on what you are seeing.

21.0.65 (3/23/2016)
2. Fixed: Manually updating television guide data using EPG wizard failed in some cases.

CountryBumkin · « **Reply #41 on:** March 25, 2016, 07:07:04 am »

If the TV Guide shows programming for some channels, but not others - like in your photo, then MC is working its just that the EPG data source does not have programming information for all channels.

If all of the channels have "no program data available" then it is more likely to be a MC issue (or setup issue, but could still be a data source issue).

imeric · « **Reply #42 on:** March 25, 2016, 08:09:31 am »

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 24, 2016, 11:41:05 pm

As it turns out auto updates is not working after all. Although the "Program guide last refreshed" on the main menu changes each day after 7 days the program data started changing to to "program info not available" Still working normally on my desktop.

I confirm this issue is resolved with 21.0.65 thx yaobing!

I also had the issue of some channels not updating for some reason when doing the load program manually. In the Load Program data just Clear the guide first then re-run the load data manually and everything will appear correctly afterwards. Then make sure you check for it to load automatically daily and you're good to go.

That is, assuming all your channels are mapped correctly...

good luck

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #43 on:** March 25, 2016, 01:38:58 pm »

Thanks. I updated to 21.0.65 and manual update worked as advertised!

Funny when I checked for updates in JRiver it reported I was up to date.

I didn't realize there was not a feature to check for updates.

All is well now.

JimH · « **Reply #44 on:** March 25, 2016, 01:42:25 pm »

Here's how updates work:
https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Updates

brad-sylvester · « **Reply #45 on:** March 25, 2016, 01:52:28 pm »

Thanks

CountryBumkin · « **Reply #46 on:** March 26, 2016, 05:29:04 am »

Quote from: brad-sylvester on March 25, 2016, 01:38:58 pm

Thanks. I updated to 21.0.65 and manual update worked as advertised!

Funny when I checked for updates in JRiver it reported I was up to date.

I didn't realize there was not a feature to check for updates.

All is well now.

You need to choose when MC automatically updates (every time a new release comes out, or only once a new release is deemed stable). It is at "Help>Update Channels".
I prefer to disable automatic updates, since I follow this forum regularly, and just update manually when a new release/version comes out that I think has a feature I want.

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Author Topic: EPG setup trouble (Read 18767 times)