Setting up SageTV for New Zealand

[Iwik the Kiwi]

I've set up SageTV for New Zealand, including:

- A .reg file to correctly tune the terrestrial channels.
- Fine tuned comskip for NZ parameters.
- Sorted out the "black screen of death" (it's the PAL settings in properties).
- Got the Cayars weather plugin sorted for the NZ locale.
- etc.

If you have a problem, please feel free to post your questions in this forum and I'll do my best to answer them.

[Iwik the Kiwi]

Ah yes, I forgot. I can hook you up with an EPG feed for NZ terrestrial channels with full descriptions etc.

[johnc]

Hi iWik, I'm in Australia and am looking for assistance in setting up SageTV. There doesn't seem to be much activity in this forum so I'm taking every opportunity to get info.

As NZ and Australia use the similar systems I may be able to use some of your advice.

What is the .ref file you meantion
What is comskip
Perhaps I can change the Cayars weather plugin to work in Australia.

Any help would be appreciated.

regards.

[nielm]

The .reg file alters the windows registry to have specific TV channel frequencies on specific channel numbers, which may be necessary in some countries if the default frequency-channel mapping is incorrect:
http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthr...p?postid=13430

Comskip is a program to detect commercials -- not supplied by default, but supported by some of the custom user interfaces (STVs) -- see the customisation forum for more info.

The weather plugin is fully customisable for any location: it's just a matter of finding the correct weather.com location code, and web-URLs to weather images for your location:
http://www.sage-community.org/index....herReportSuite

(PS: it's not the Cayars weather plugin -- it Salsbst's, with some small mods by yours truly!!)

(PPS for a paid-for XMLTV feed for .AU, see http://www.icetv.com.au/pr_xml.php )

[stevesumner]

Hey there Iwik,

Could you post the .reg file here please?

I would like to get Sage working for me. I was able to autoscan the channels and see and hear them whilst trying to change the channel numbers but when I go to watch TV from the Live TV Guide I get the following error message: "There was a capture error in playback. Details ERROR (-5, 0x0): There was a problem setting up software compression.

Don't know if your settings will fix this but any help would be greatly appreciated.

I noticed in other forums there may be issues with Nero Vision Express and Creative SB Live! Series sound card which I have. I don't want to uninstall these to try and fix it if I don't have to.

I also wonder if my tv tuner card could be a prob, it is a Pixelview PlayTV Pro. I am running XP SP2 and GeForce FX 5200 graphics card.

Cheers

[stevesumner]

EPG data would be good too.

Cheers

Steve

[Doubletop]

I get the myepg from http://mr.geek.nz/epg/ it includes Sky, if you need that. It sometimes it looses data for channels but recovers the next day (what do you expect for nowt?)

I'm interested to hear how well comskip works in NZ

[Mattman]

Hi, newbie user here trying SageTV after running Showshifter for a couple of years.

I would be interested in any setup or config files that are NZ specific if anyone has them.

I have an IR Blaster and an Actisys IR200L controlling my Sky decoder. Attempting to at least...

Cheers
Matt.

[Iwik the Kiwi]

Hi guys,

Sorry I haven't replied for so long. I haven't been here for ages.

Here is the registry file I made. Note that this is for AUCKLAND in New Zealand. You'll have to figure out what to do for your own location.

[zzmystique]

Hi Guys,
I have been running SageTV very successfully for about the year in the UK, but have recently moved to NZ.

Can someone help me find xmltv.exe and an nz grabber. The xmltv.exe i have (http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...group_id=39046) doesn't have an nz grabber. Since I arrived here in NZ, I have bought a PAL BG pvr usb2 and need some advice on the default RF channel to select, (in the UK it was on channel 65) but here I can't seem to find it.

Please help before I lose all my hair! Any assistance would be most appreciated.

Thanks.
ZZMystique

[reven]

Originally Posted by zzmystique

Hi Guys,
I have been running SageTV very successfully for about the year in the UK, but have recently moved to NZ.

Can someone help me find xmltv.exe and an nz grabber. The xmltv.exe i have (http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...group_id=39046) doesn't have an nz grabber. Since I arrived here in NZ, I have bought a PAL BG pvr usb2 and need some advice on the default RF channel to select, (in the UK it was on channel 65) but here I can't seem to find it.

Please help before I lose all my hair! Any assistance would be most appreciated.

Thanks.
ZZMystique

hey you can use xmltvnz, which can be download from here www.reven.co.nr, its written in C# (so you need .net, but not python). its a command line app that you can setup windows to run once a day via a batch file. it gets line ups for all of new zealand.

[zzmystique]

I tried the xmltvnz.exe from www.reven.co.nr, sagetv 3 doesn't seem to like the xml file it outputs. Doh!

I also couldn't figure out how to use the tv_grab_nz grabber at http://mr.geek.nz/epg, so I found a cmd line app called graburl.exe to grab the data from url http://mr.geek.nz/epg/getlist.html?channels=sky and http://mr.geek.nz/epg/getlist.html?channels=ter, its much quicker (around 5 mins to download a 2mb file).

Thanks

[Doubletop]

That's the way I do it, but with Wget running as a scheduled task at 3:00am

[Doubletop]

Now that Mr Geek's epg isn't available I've had to move over to Revens xmltvnz. zzmystique's previous post said the epg didn't work with SageTV, it does.

To get it to work you need the -seconds and -offset in the command line (offset of +1200 for winter and +1300 for summer). I also included the -nolang and -noicons options I don't know if it is necessary.

One problem (with v2.2.1.0) is when the command line options are included you also need to include all the channel tags for the channels you need. It makes for a big list if you are using Sky. See example below and the xmlTVNZ Tags.txt file for details.

On the first run it takes ages to create the cache folder. Don't worry subsequent runs are much quicker.

xmltvnz epgdata.xml -seconds -offset +1300 -noicons -nolang tv1 tv2 sky_tv3 sky_c4 sky_prime sky_juice sky_trackside sky_maori sky_uktv sky_sky1 sky_e sky_living sky_sport1 sky_sport2 sky_sport3 sky_espn sky_rugby sky_movies1 sky_movies2 sky_mgm sky_rialto sky_tcm sky_j2 sky_disney sky_cartoon sky_nickelodeon sky_discovery sky_natgeo sky_animalplanet sky_history sky_skynews sky_bbcworld sky_cnn sky_arts

[obsidianjaguar]

hi just dont know if anyone still thinks this post is active .. Just want to know everything ill need for NZ and links and so forth

still here?

[twstd]

Hello - i hope someone here can help me out!

I have been trying to set up my HTPC for over a month now and its starting to get really frustrating - I need some help!

Current hardware:
AMD 4800 CPU
2 x Hauppage HVR-3000 DVB-S/T capture cards
2 gig ram

Basically this PC will be used almost solely as an HTPC. I want to it boot into whatever software I use (such as media portal or sageTV).

I have managed thus far to set up the WINTV program that came with the hauppage cards, and can finally view the freeview cannels (using DVB-S satellite). However, that program is clumsy and doesnt have the functionality i want. I then tried media portal and i just cant get it going - it seems impossible to tune into the satellite to get freeview. Even if i did get it going im not sure it can use 2 capture cards at one anyhow - and i want to be able to record 2 channels simultaneouslly (hence getting 2 cards in the first place).

So - now I am considering SAGETV. I downloaded and installed the 21 day trial of sage TV (SageTV_V6_3_10Setup.exe). I have read most of the sagetv manual, and it just doesnt make any sense to me. Im not sure if i need all the other components that are on the sagetv website or not like the client, the placeshifter(whatever that is) etc etc?

I then ran through the setup and got as far as scanning for channels but it doesnt seem to do anything? I cant see how to enter the satellite info, LNB figures etc etc?

So can anyone help me set this up? What i want is:

1) Set up sage TV
2) Tune in the NZ freeview channels
3) Link to all my media on the PC and networked PCs
4) Get an EPG up and running
5) Be able to record 2 channels at once (or record one and watch another).

Any help would be greatly appreciated! I know this is a big ask, but i just have no idea how people are supposed to set this sort of stuff up? Its not like im a computer novice either!

Many thanks

AL

[obsidianjaguar]

not sure if this helps , but
1 I am fairly sure I have read elsewhere media portal doesnt like freeview
2. I THINK windows MCE ( or vista media centre) Do get along ok ish
3. google is your freind

but other than that ... two card at same time no problem , I have
ALMOST exactly your set up , except i have the dual tuner card .. it
is fine to record one show while you watch another , or record two
shows while you watch nothing

client is like if you had two pcs , one would be server with the tv
cards and hooked up to the satilite , the one in the other part of
the house would be the client . I think the Placeshifter is the
hardware version of client software .. IE itis a thingy you can plug
into a monitor or tv and it will recive streamed tvfrom your server
... if you just have the one pc then it is both server and client ..
..

One tiny bit of advice slightly off topic is play with Myth TV if your
21 day trail runs out and you still have no luck ..

I dont have freeview buta few have had luck with Myth tv .. go figure
the free andopen source version wins out over the paid one .. go
figure ... But the main reason I suggest this is your cards are pretty likley to work in linux , ... If as in your post this machine is ONLY going to be used for tv stuff , then there is a pre built build that is specifly made to do what you need .. and since you dont bloat the system out with a full OS in theroy should run better and have more room to record shows .. if you really stuck on Myth TV then you are going to have to do a fair bit of searching .. let us know how you get on cause I will be in your boat when I buy my freeview stuff next month or so

[twstd]

Thanks for the reply mate. That cleared a couple things up.

I would really like to at least try and get SAGETV working - i think i need help specifically setting up the tuning into the satellites for DVB-S reception. (I also have DVB-T on my cards, but am not wanting to go HD as my computer probably wont handle it, my LCD TV is only 1080i not 1080p, and i live in a poor reception area anyhow).

So - can anyone give me specific help with tuning into the freeview signal using sagetv please?

[obsidianjaguar]

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31016

heaps of help there, plaese let us know if you have sucess

[twstd]

Thanks for the suggestion - but there doesnt seem to be anything in that thread relating to how to set up DVB-S for NZ. There is some DVB-T chatter but thats not what i am trying to do.

I think i need to know how to tell sageTV which satellite to use, which frequencies, and how to set up the LNB. I know all the settings as ive set them up in WINTV, but i just cant see anywhere to set these up in sagetv?