Creating a custom channel lineup with EPG data

[davesimon1]

Greetings,

I've recently downloaded and started testing SageTV for use as an in-house recording system for our cable network. Because we do not have comcast/local CATV coming into the building, we have an array of DirectTV satellite receivers, downlinking specific channels, then taking the output of each receiver and putting it into a modulated cable system:

DirecTV dish > 12x DirectTV receivers > 12x cable modulators > combiner/amplifier into building, with each directtv channel modulated/re-mapped to CATV channels 41-53.

So far, i've been able to hack away by downloading the DirectTV line up, then re-mapping each channel to the local cable channel in house. That has worked great so far. But, I'm running into a small glitch when I try to add a few of our own custom channels that are on the in-house catv lineup (ie: Ku Satellite receivers, program feeds from various sources, etc).

Is there a way to add these channels in either a local EPG or some sort of half updating/half non-updating EPG?

Thanks
Dave Simon
Current TV

[Opus4]

In v2, I think you can only control adding new channels if you use some sort of XMLTV setup.

For the built-in EPG in v3, the beta has a new option to add channels to a lineup. Edit: And, if you know the channel's station ID, it is able to download EPG data.

- Andy

[davesimon1]

That worked! Thanks for the beta heads up.

Any word when it will officially be released?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by davesimon1

Any word when it will officially be released?

Ummm... as soon as the beta ends?

- Andy

[aperry]

What about allowing me to rename a channel? So I can change ARTS to A&E, etc.

[Humanzee]

I just added a digital cable box to my setup. Much of the line up provided by zap2it is incorrect and some channels are just plain missing. Specifically the channels that prompted me to get digital cable in the first place. I see that you can report line up errors directly to zap2it from their website however, is there an alternate way to figure out what the station ID is?
Im running version 3.13 as of today, probably 3.14 tomorrow.

I experimented and added some from the station letters that were used by my old cable provider, i.e. SPEED for the speed channel. The program info didn't show up for a few minutes, but eventually it worked. but I can't guess them all.

We are on millenium digital cable - park highlands in zip 98005

[aperry]

I had similar problems with my local cable listings when I was getting set up originally. I sent a list of all the channels in my lineup to Tribune Media Services (aka, providers of Zap2It data) and it was corrected within a couple of days.

[RandyJohnson]

In V3 when creating a new station it asks for "Station ID".

What is the "Station ID" and where do we get it?

I have had to add the KSNWDT (NBC Affiliate) because it does show up in the Beta EPG. It does show up correctly at Zap2It.

So far I have not had any luck getting the EPG data to show up. It just keeps saying NoData.

I am entering KSNWDT in the first question, and 45 for RF frequency in the 2nd question. What should be entered in in the third question. 3.1? Which is the OTA station ID.

Thanks in advance...

Randy

[Opus4]

If you go to the Zap2It site & check your listings, the grid has the channels in a column to the left. Each channel has a link you can click on -- that url contains the station ID.

If you have already added the channel, you won't have the option to enter a Station ID again. You can try to use a different name for it, or remove it, wait a while & try again. So.. what is "a while"? Wait for an EPG update, after which unused new channels should get removed from the db. If it doesn't ask for the Station ID when you re-add it, you didn't wait long enouhg for it to get dumped from the database.

- Andy

[RandyJohnson]

Andy...

Thanks fopr the quick response...

I maybe having a senior moment but how do I delete a channel that I added?

Randy

[Opus4]

As noted on p. 159 of the current v3 manual (revision F): use Remap & reset the channel to its default channel number. That will get rid of it, since its default is "non-existant".

- Andy

[RandyJohnson]

Andy...

Not sure what the expectation should be.

I entered in: KSNWDT/45/34222 when I establish the new channel.

However I am still getting No Data from the EPG for the newly created channel.

Bug or does it not take until the next scheduled EPG update?

Thanks in advance...

Randy

[Opus4]

The data would only show up after the guide data is updated. I'm trying to find out more info -- I'm not 100% sure that it will work every time, so maybe there are some other rules I'm not aware of at the moment.

- Andy

[Opus4]

It turns out that if an OTA channel is not also included on some cable or satellite provider, there may not be any guide data available. That may explain what your results.

- Andy

[RandyJohnson]

Andy...

These particular HD channels are not currently on the local cable channel. So that maybe true.

However, Zap2It does have the missing channels listed correctly in their lineup on their website.

I thought that Sage was simply using what Zap2It provided.

A bug or misconnection between Sage and Zap2It.

Also a couple of these channels worked fine back in the Beta 7 timeframe.

Again thanks for your continued assistance.

Randy

[Opus4]

It probably comes down to whatever agreement SageTV has with Zap2It. For more details, you might want to ask SageTV about it. I recently added that contact info to the SageTV FAQ thread -- see the link in my sig lines.

- Andy

[lovingHDTV]

I have the exact same problem here in Austin, TX with the WB channel. The zap2it webpage has all the info, but it is missing from the EPG.

I'll send something to SageTV about it also. Maybe we can get the listings updated. I would really like to be able to record favorites of the WB HDTV channel.

Is there anyway to fake Sage out and have it look at the "normal" wb channel for EPG data, but tune the the HDTV channel?

[mattsm]

Originally Posted by lovingHDTV

I have the exact same problem here in Austin, TX with the WB channel. The zap2it webpage has all the info, but it is missing from the EPG.

I'll send something to SageTV about it also. Maybe we can get the listings updated. I would really like to be able to record favorites of the WB HDTV channel.

Is there anyway to fake Sage out and have it look at the "normal" wb channel for EPG data, but tune the the HDTV channel?

I'm in Austin, TX too and this is REALLY bugging me. Have you found a way to add WB to your channel lineup correctly?

[mailman]

Go to Zap2it and and find the station ID of the channel you want to add. The station ID will be in the URL when you click on the channel.

I'm trying to remember the following steps from memory, so they aren't precise...
From the Setup menu in Sage, go into Source Setup. In Source Setup, select Channel Setup. There will be an option to add a channel. You will be asked the name of the channel, the channel number, and the station ID.

Once you enter this info, it will appear in your guide. It will take a bit of time for the guide data to populate.

[mattsm]

This does not work. I have waited a long time for the data to appear. Not sure why it wont show up.