EPG Update question

[Wally]

Can someone clarify when and how the EPG data is updated in SageTV? I finally got my SageTV test setup working and am using XMLTV to update the EPGDATA.XML file daily at 4am but the new data never shows up in SageGuide. When checking the System Info it shows that the last EPG update was done at 7:40am and the next one scheduled in 0 days. The only way that I can get the new data to showup in SageGuide is to first delete the source, exit SageTV then start SageTV and go thru the source setup wizard again. If I just try to delete or modify the source the program hangs at the "Retrieving EPG Data" screen. I verified that the EPGDATA file was updated by its time and date and it show that it has been last accessed at 7:43am probably by SageTV. I must be doing something wrong. Please help!

Wally

[olyar15]

I found that SageTV doesn't handle running out of data in the EPGDATA.XML file very well. What I do is I download a weeks worth of data at a time, and update the file twice a week. This way there is always info for Sage to use.

[Wally]

Charles,

Thanks for the reply. How do you get SageTV to use the new data that you downloaded? In my case I have the XMLTV program download 10 days of data at a time and place the EPGDATA.XML file in the Sage folder everyday at 4am. I verified that the file changes everyday but SageGuide does not show this updated data eventhough my system information screen shows that the EPG data has been updated. Do you need to somehow tell SageTV that there is new data and to use it or does SageTV automatically use your new data? I wonder if this is a limitation of XMLTV and it's plugin or does the Sage EPG operate the same way? Please let me know. I am still on the 10 day trial and this is the last major problem that is keeping me from purchasing it.

Wally

[robogeek]

Hello Wally,

What version of XMLTV are you using? Starting with v0.5.14 there were changes to the XMLTV channel IDs that caused problems and the data wouldn't load into the SageTV guide.

If you are using v0.5.14 you need this plugin:

http://www.freytechnologies.com/foru...s=&postid=6282

If you are using v0.5.15 you need this plugin:

http://cory.metadot.com/public/xmltv.zip

Make sure you have the required stuff installed to run the plugin (Java xerces lib). If all that fails and you are running a beta version of SageTV, check the log file (sagetv_0.txt) in the SageTV directory for any clues about why the guide data isn't being imported.

Hope this helps.

[robogeek]

One more thing, I just came across this thread:

http://www.freytechnologies.com/foru...&threadid=1130

Scroll down and download the plugin tester by corykim

[Wally]

Hi Robogeek,

Thanks for the reply. I am using the .15 version of XMLTV as before with .14 my channel number were messed up. I can get the SageTV EPG to update from the EPGDATA.XML file by exiting SageTV completely and restarting. If I leave SageTV running it will show in the System Info screen that the EPG was updated and the next scheduled but the new data never shows up in SageGuide until it do the exit/restart SageTV process. Does your system automatically update and use the new XMLTV data without any user intervention? I wonder if it's a problem with the XMLTV plugin, my setup or just the way SageTV is supposed to work.

Wally

[corykim]

I was once in the state where you are now. Simply upgrading to the latest XMLTV and plugin did not help for me, either. What _has_ helped for me, though, is to edit my sage.properties file. Here are the steps that I used:

1. Remove whatever sources you have defined
2. Exit Sage (not just sleep)
3. BACK UP sage.properties
4. Delete every line that begins with "epg"
EXCEPT for: epg/epg_import_plugin=xmltv.XMLTVImportPlugin

5. Start Sage
6. Redefine your sources


I really hope this helps. I really have empathy for everyone who has had EPG Plugin difficulties, but the past month of SageTV Plugin excellence has been a joy, and you shouldn't give up!

[robogeek]

Wally,

My EPG data updates at least once per day or more often if I have to change the channel setup. This is the way SageTV is programmed to behave and I don't think it is configurable. Because SageTV automatically reads the XMLTV data at least once every 24 hours, my guide data could be upto 24 hours older than the XMLTV data in the XML listings file. This isn't a problem for me since I download 9 days worth of guide data and download new data 3 times per week, so I should always have more than enough (no less than 6 days) guide data at any given time

If you download your guide data and want to refresh the SageTV guide with the new data, you can do it without restarting SageTV by going into the Setup-->Channel Setup, press <enter> twice, then press the right arrow key. Toggling one of your channels in the channel setup will force SageTV to refresh the EPG listings from your XML listings file. It may take a few seconds or so before the guide populates with the data, but it has always worked for me.

[Wally]

Corykim & Robogeek,

Thanks for the replies. At least now I finally know how the EPG update is supposed to work in that it should be automatically updated. I tried the procedure outlined to delete everything related to the EPG in the properties file with no success. I finally decided to reformat my drive and do a complete reinstall of the OS and Sage software since I had less than 3 days left on the trial. I got the new install working and thought I had the EPG udpate problem fixed but alas it is doing the same as before. I was able to get it to update once by using the "Modify channels" method but now when I try it nothing happens and even exiting SageTV and restarting does not work so I'm even worse off. I'll keep trying for at least another 9 days until the trial exipres and keep you guys posted.

Wally

P.S. See my other post for another problem that just started.