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[greynolds]

I noticed that my guide isn't getting updates for the NHL playoffs, even though WMC is.  Since they're now using the same guide data, something is obviously wrong.  I'm using EPG123 in WMC, which uses Schedules Direct and MC2XML in JRiver, also using the same Schedule Direct data.

So I just ran a manual guide update in JRiver.  The OTA data loaded fine, but the CableCard data failed to load with the error "Execution of external program was successful, but no data was loaded".

The guide updates had been working fine for many months and spot checking the dowloaded xml, the data looks good.  I checked the TV logs and I see failures for loading the OpenCable guide starting on 4/2; prior to that the daily loads were fine.

The JRiver tuner profile is setup as follows:

- Repeat loading every 24 hours.
- Run an executable to retrieve XMLTV data is checked
- Run this executable is pointing to .bat file that executes MC2XML and creates an XML output file (which as stated above looks correct)
- Timeout minutes is set to 20
- Load XMLTV results from this file is pointed to the XML output file from the executable

The similar configuration for my OTA tuners is running fine.

Also, my channel list in JRiver looks good and all OpenCable channels have XMLTV ID's assigned to them.

Any ideas?  My only thought is that there's something in the guide data (such as a goofy character in an episode name or description) that JRiver doesn't like, an exception is being thrown, and the guide data load is failing because of it.

[Yaobing]

Considering that it works for OTA channels but not for CableCARD channels, I would try increasing the timeout.  Also, please try running mc2xml manually (in a Command Prompt window) using exactly the same parameters and see what xml file it produces.

[greynolds]

Considering that it works for OTA channels but not for CableCARD channels, I would try increasing the timeout.  Also, please try running mc2xml manually (in a Command Prompt window) using exactly the same parameters and see what xml file it produces.

When I tell JRiver to run the guide update "now", the entire process, including both OTA and CableCard requests, finishes well within 20 minutes.  Looking at the TV logs:

- The OTA guide update process takes about 3 minutes from "Background EPG loading..." till "Online EPG loading was successful..." and 29101 programs loaded.
- The OpenCable update takes about 5 minutes from "Background EPG loading..." till "EPG loading failed...".

Going back to April 1 in the log, before the cable updates started failing, the times were faster:

- The OTA guide update process took about 1 minute and loaded 24681 programs
- The OpenCable update took 2 minutes and loaded 142687 programs

The XML file output already looks fine (the file from the last run remains on the drive), what's the goal of running it again from the command line?  I would attach the XML file, but it's too big even after zipping it up.

On April 1st, I had to update my OTA channel configuration because our local NBC affiliate changed to a new physical channel number and callsign.

Other than updating to a newer version of MC 23 recently (I have 23.0.102), I don't believe there have been any other recent changes to this system.  I don't recall when I let it update to 23.0.102, but it was probably right around April 1st as well.

[Yaobing]

what's the goal of running it again from the command line?

To verify that the xml file is downloaded and is complete and is done in a reasonable amount of time.  If the file was downloaded and have complete data, MC would have loaded the programs.

Maybe the server is not updating the info?  Can you confirm that the xml file contains all the up to date data?  Look for a specific program that is to be aired in a future date, and confirm that it is not imported into MC.

[Yaobing]

Another thing to look for is the XMLTV IDs.  Are they changed?

[greynolds]

To verify that the xml file is downloaded and is complete and is done in a reasonable amount of time.  If the file was downloaded and have complete data, MC would have loaded the programs.

Maybe the server is not updating the info?  Can you confirm that the xml file contains all the up to date data?  Look for a specific program that is to be aired in a future date, and confirm that it is not imported into MC.

As I said, the XML file that was downloaded looks fine.  It has the correct XML opening tags, what appears to be all the channel and programme elements, and closing tag.  Here's an excerpt from it, containing the first channel, a specific channel of interest (576, see the screenshot that shows how it is setup in JRiver) and a few programme entries (including the Boston Bruins playoff game for tomorrow night that is not showing properly in the JRiver guide), and the closing tag:

Code: [Select]

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE tv SYSTEM "xmltv.dtd">

<tv source-info-name="Schedules Direct" generator-info-name="mc2xml" generator-info-url="mailto:mc2xml@gmail.com">
<channel id="I2.11460.schedulesdirect.org">
<display-name>2 WGBH</display-name>
<display-name>2</display-name>
<display-name>WGBH</display-name>
<display-name>PBS</display-name>
<icon src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/schedulesdirect/assets/stationLogos/s11039_h3_aa.png" />
</channel>
...
<channel id="I576.35038.schedulesdirect.org">
<display-name>576 NESNHD</display-name>
<display-name>576</display-name>
<display-name>NESNHD</display-name>
<display-name>New England Sports Network HD</display-name>
<icon src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/schedulesdirect/assets/stationLogos/s35038_h3_aa.png" />
</channel>
...
<programme start="20180412190000 -0400" stop="20180412213000 -0400" channel="I576.35038.schedulesdirect.org">
<title lang="en">NHL Hockey</title>
<sub-title lang="en">Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins</sub-title>
<desc lang="en">The Bruins host the Maple Leafs at TD Garden for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round. Toronto took three of the four games against Boston this season. The Bruins eliminated the Leafs 5-4 in overtime of Game 7 in their last playoff meeting.</desc>
<category lang="en">Hockey</category>
<category lang="en">Playoff sports</category>
<episode-num system="dd_progid">EP00019559.6206</episode-num>
<video>
<aspect>16:9</aspect>
<quality>HDTV</quality>
</video>
<new />
</programme>
...
<programme start="20180501040000 -0400" stop="20180501050000 -0400" channel="I1971.80772.schedulesdirect.org">
<title lang="en">HOA Channel</title>
<desc lang="en">HOA Channel.</desc>
<category lang="en">Special</category>
<episode-num system="dd_progid">SH01736253.0000</episode-num>
<previously-shown start="20130505000000" />
</programme>
</tv>

The total XML file has 6,117,162 lines in it, so it would probably be a bit tedious to check everything by hand.   But I did spot check some channel ID values and they match my channel setup in JRiver.

Running the exact same parameters from the command line, I get this:

Code: [Select]

C:\MC2XML>Get_mc2xml_CABLE_Test.bat

C:\MC2XML>TIME /T
12:37 PM

C:\MC2XML>C:\MC2XML\MC2XML.exe -D C:\MC2XML\mc2xml_CABLE.dat -C C:\MC2XML\mc2xml.chl -o C:\MC2XML\xmltv_CABLE_Test.xml
Loading ..... : mc2xml (c) <mc2xml@gmail.com> (v1.6)
Reminder .... : Unauthorized redistribution prohibited.
Reminder .... : If this software is useful, please donate!
Reading ..... : C:\MC2XML\mc2xml_CABLE.dat
Connecting .. : schedulesdirect.org
Account status: Expires 2031-05-01T00:45:59Z
Account status: 2/4 lineups
Reading ..... : C:\MC2XML\mc2xml.chl
Preparing ... : 405 stations, 4 threads
Downloading . : schedules (5) .....
Preparing ... : 51092 programs, 4 threads
Downloading . : programs (26) ..........................
Downloaded .. : 15024500 bytes in 41s
Parsing ..... : Verizon Fios Burlington - Digital (Leominster)
Start time .. : 2018-04-11T00:00:00 UTC
End time .... : 2018-05-02T11:00:00 UTC
Writing ..... : C:\MC2XML\xmltv_CABLE_Test.xml
Writing ..... : C:\MC2XML\mc2xml_CABLE.dat
Completed ... : 242563331 bytes in 101s, 414 channels, 227917 programs scheduled.

C:\MC2XML>TIME /T
12:38 PM

The contents of the bat file are:

Code: [Select]

TIME /T
C:\MC2XML\MC2XML.exe -D C:\MC2XML\mc2xml_CABLE.dat -C C:\MC2XML\mc2xml.chl -o C:\MC2XML\xmltv_CABLE_Test.xml
TIME /T
The mc2xml.chl file contains:

Code: [Select]

-340-431
-840-1849

[greynolds]

So, I just closed the JRiver UI and the service tray Media Server, restarted JRiver, and forced a guide update.  Now it works...    I'm pretty sure I've had to restart JRiver at least once since April 1 as it seems to crash once or twice a week, but obviously something had gotten into an unhappy state.  Looks like it's all good now...

Thanks for the help though.

[Yaobing]

Just for speculation, maybe the mc2xml's settings file was corrupt or needed updating.  Running it in GUI mode forced it to update.

[greynolds]

Just for speculation, maybe the mc2xml's settings file was corrupt or needed updating.  Running it in GUI mode forced it to update.

Given that the XML output from mc2xml was fine (the output excerpts I posted were from before restarting JRiver), that seems unlikely.  I'm going with JRiver got into a bad state and restarting it resolved whatever the problem was.